Tired & happy.

Just got back from an awesome wedding session, and I'm beat!! Whitney & I have been going all day...now it's time for dinner & a free night...heaven :) check back later for pics!! Running to the craft store & other miscellaneous things. Have a fabulous Saturday evening!

Random Fact Friday

RFF: I love grape jelly on my PB & J. Mr. Man likes strawberry. Sometimes, when we are really feeling mischevious, we'll give nemo a scoop of peanut butter & watch him run around licking his lips (in silence, ahhh) for an hour :) hehe. He loves peanut butter!!!

A whole weekend of ME time!

Yep, Mr. Man is headed out of town with the boys for the weekend at the cabin. & while I love my husband dearly, those of you who are married can relate that you don't get to be selfish when you are married-it's about the two of you! I suppose you could be selfish, but that's no fun. Anyways, I have the whole weekend filled & bursting at the seams with projects. The weekend will be filled with lots of sewing & creating. It will be so awesome to have the time to focus & prepare...maybe even debute my creative blog, my virtual sketchbook & soundboard, who knows! We'll see... I also have the big task of finishing up my Anniversary gift. Man is always home so I can never work on it!!!!! Tomorrow Whitney & I have a big wedding shoot lined up...so excited. Honestly, crafting & photography...could I ask for a better weekend while I am alone?
Tonight I'm starting off with a glass of wine because I've been good all week! I lost 2 more pounds bringing my total to 9 pounds :) 1 more pound to reach my vacation goal. I'm heading to Jenni's after work to help her re-decorate her condo. That requires a trip to ikea of course. Then she'll be painting while I keep her company & work on Jay's gift. We are planning on making dinner & working out too. A perfect night!

Vegas bound!

We've been watching the prices on our favorite site & they finally dropped last night so we booked our trip! For our airfare & hotel for 3 nights it was $300 something per person, awesome! We were jumping around like kids in a candy store after we booked, it was ridiculous. It will be our first time there & we are excited to vacation with Mr. Man's Dad & step Mom.

That means this summer we have a vacation planned for each month! We work hard for a reason right?!! heck yes! so excited for all these traveling opportunities together. We leave for Portland in less than two weeks =) Last night the session with my bride was quick but SO fun! We had to be careful not to get her dress wet from the rain & therefore had to get creative. I think we got some great shots. Check out my photog. blog for more pictures. I spruced it up with some music too! Here is a favorite of mine:
I have to give a little shout out to my friend Diane, who just announced she is expecting! what great news! They've been trying for a few years now & are thrilled. I couldn't be more happy for them...in case you are reading Diane, congratulations again!! It was great catching up on the details with you this morning.
Whew! such an exciting day & so much good news to share. Tonight is date night too! :)

brrr!

It's freezing in the office today! I'm sitting at my desk taking turns typing & cupping my hands around my warm cup of green tea...which is my 3rd for the day for the sole purpose of warming me up! It's chilly outside too. I am looking forward to going home & curling up in bed for a movie night.

First I'm off to a pre-wedding session of a bride of mine. She wanted to do some pictures for her hubby-to-be in her wedding gown..how brave! So I'm super excited for that & then I'll get home to my relaxing night ahead of me. Jay has softball so I'm on my own tonight. I think I'll pick up a movie on my way home.

Interview update: it went well & he felt good about it. We'll see how it turns out, either way it's great experience to have an interview & be a candidate!

side note: anyone have a good book to recommend? I'm reading a so-so one right now & it's hard to get through. I need some new titles. I like pretty much all types of books & love to go by recommendation. If you have any suggestions, leave a comment please!! I would appreciate that. thanks :)

The Phantom of the Opera

10:00 is the start of Mr. Man's interview! I am so excited & nervous for him...but mostly excited. So think of him & say a little prayer =)

The Phantom of the Opera was phenominal. The singing & acting was fabulous and the setting was perfect. My Mom bought me a coffee mug, it's kind of our tradition that began with Wicked & stuck ever since. The mask is a very light grey color until you fill the mug with liquid & then it turns white!

We had a very interesting experience during the show, however. The man sitting next to my Mom was slightly crazy. To make a long story short, he was quite obnoxious the first 20 minutes of the play. He kept muttering to himself that he was sweating like a pig, and would proceed to roll his shirt up to the top of his chest, leaving his stomach bare. Not only was he coughing every few minutes, but also digging in his pocket & using a nasal spray in during the show. He kept reaching up his shirt & wiping his armpits with his hand, and panting for air. His date (or whoever she was-they came together) literally moved a seat away from him at one point because the seats next to her were empty. He kept fidgeting & moving in his chair, and his (velcro) shoes came on & off several times. Finally on the 3rd attempt to take them off, the women who he was with tried to rip them out of his hands & it began. They began a game of tug-of-war over the shoe, and ended with him hitting her in the face with it! It was seriously crazy, we felt like we were on punked or some crazy hidden camera show. Then he stood up and said, you want to go? Let's go! My bedtime was at 8 anyways!! (this was all during a part of the play where there was no music, so clearly everyone could hear them) After a few ackward moments (and swipes of the shoe) they left, about 20 minutes into the play, but don't worry, he left one shoe behind & the usher had to come back and search on her hands and knees with a flashlight. We were laughing so hard my stomach hurt! Needless to say, we saw two shows last night & were quite entertained. The play was exceptionally good & we had a great time!

Tonight.

So freaking excited.

Big news!!

I forgot about our big news! On the way up to the cabin Friday Jay got a call for an interview tomorrow for a physical education teaching position in Inver Grove Heights. YES!! What a great way to start off our weekend & we are both pumped. Please send prayers & thoughts his way tomorrow at 10 am, this could be his big break!!! This will be his first official interview for a teaching position.

Blue skies & amber sunshine, as far as I can see.

I'm just going to jump right in on this one-our weekend was fantastic. I worked a half day on Friday & then we headed up to the cabin for a few days. We spent some time helping prepare the boat & jet ski for summer, but we mainly relaxed and caught up with Jay's Aunt & Uncle, who we love to spend time with!! Man do we not get enough time with them, they are great. We had a good time-spending the days out in the sun & the nights around the fire or, may I add, beating Jay in cribbage. Yes, ladies & gentlemen, I spoke too soon. I found another game to add to my list of games I can beat him playing. And, might I also add that this was my first time playing? Jay was begging to teach me all weekend so I figured if he liked it so much, I should give it a shot. It was really fun! ( the level of funness increased as I continued to beat him) We got up on Saturday morning & went for a run..which was nice because it allowed me to be more lenient with my meals. We also played a little football & bocce ball. I've finally broken the curse-I have been to the cabin several times before this visit but it's always been rainy & cold. We have joked that I bring that bad weather! Not this time-it was sunny & warm the whole weekend. Perfect for some relaxation. Sunday morning rolled around & we decided to head home to prepare for our big day of getting things done today. It was nice not to feel like we had to rush home to prepare for work on Monday & we could just take our time. Here are some shots of our garden! We planted tomatoes, eggplant, cucumber, green peppers, red peppers, banana peppers & lettuce.



Sunday night was one of the funnest we've had together since we've been married. Jay wanted to go somewhere nice for dinner, so we got home & cleaned up a bit & headed to Cravings wine bar in Woodbury. My Dad had given us a giftcard there so we were excited to try it out. The food was amazing-everything is homemade & fresh, from the entrees to the desserts (try the chocolate turtle cake...YUM!) I definetly rewarded myself for a pretty good weekend with that dinner! (I did pretty good for the most part!) I had crab & halibut on a bed of spinach fettucini & Jay had steak. We split a piece of cake. After dinner we headed to get some gardening supplies & then to my Mom's to pick up a great surprise. She had given us a bonfire table & chair set that was still waiting to be picked up at her house. SO awesome...thanks Mom! She also had a bunch of flowers, vegetables, & our salsa garden supplies to pick up. We visited with Mom & Al for awhile & then headed home to begin our housework. First thing on the list-our little garden. We worked fast & hard & got a ton of stuff done. After awhile we took a break & hard some raspberry lemonade on our front porch...but decided we needed something more. So we headed up the the big red barn (vfw) where Jay's uncle Al was bartending & stopped in for a visit. We watched the twins & visited with Al for awhile until we decided a trip to walmart was a must. We needed to purchase our own cribbage board. So off to walmart in Hastings we went!

We came home, made a fire on on back porch & enjoyed each other's company & conversation over a few drinks & a good cribbage game. We had to try our new table!! The time passed so quickly & we stayed up way too late, we were having so much fun. We finally dragged ourselves up to bed when we couldn't stay awake anymore. What a great day!


We both had the day off today so we continued with the housework. Even though it sounds like no fun, it was. It's always such a great feeling to get your home cleaned & things checked off your to-do list. One of my major accomplishments was my jewelry holder. I brainstormed for a long time about how to store my jewelry & finally came up with something I was happy with. I found a frame I really liked & transformed it into a necklace & earring holder. Thanks to Jay for helping me hang it! I like how it is functional & still looks nice on the wall.
This is one thing I'm excited to check off the to-do list. The other is getting to bed! good night :)

Success!

Date night was a success! we rented Taken from redbox & thought it was an enjoyable movie. Very fast paced & filled with drama so we both stayed awake even though we were tired. This morning it was hard to get up. Today was my first weigh-in with our weightloss team. I lost almost 7 pounds last week!!!!!! My team is awesome, thanks for the motivation & support guys! I'm so excited because I worked really hard & I am almost at my goal of 10 pounds before our vacation on June 10. My goal is to maintain that over the weekend. Ideally I'd like to lose another pound but with the holiday that is going to be tough. It's always hard to eat really healthy when you are out of town or staying with others. I am going to do my best though!
Only a few more hours & we are off to the cabin for a fantastic weekend on the water!!!! Have a blessed holiday everyone!

Random Fact Friday

RFF: Mr. Man is a highly skilled & stratigical competitor. There are only 3 things in the history of our relationship (&the world) that I can beat him at.

1. The radio game. When you scan the channels & land ona song & be the first to identify the artist/song.
2. The Gator/Gopher family football game. Keep in mind this is a team effort (can you tell I'm stretching for something here?!?!) that being said-the girls always win fair & square against the guys in football. Weird? yes. Go Gators!!!
3. Checkers.

I have never won another game against him. This includes board games, card games, video games, athletic games, and most bets we make. Checkers is always my game of choice :) It's the only game I can out smart, out think & out play him at. I like to say it's because you actually your your mind playing it :)

Looking forward

to date night tonight!! This week has been very busy & we are looking forward to spending the night together. I'm not sure what the night holds but between the two of us it's bound to be something good...we are heading up to the cabin tomorrow for the first time in a year! Last summer we were just so darn busy with the wedding & honeymoon & everything else in between that sadly, we didn't make it up. So we are pretty excited to make the trek tomorrow. I'm planning on bringing a good book & some good dvd's...and relaxing the entire weekend. So we'll probably run to the grocery store tonight to get the goods for the car ride & the weekend (food+beer) hah.

We volunteered to make dinners so I ran to the farmer's market today & came back with 4 bags filled with fresh fruit & veggies :) I love the market on thursdays! everything is so colorful & vibrant & yummy looking. I'll be making a blackened chicken pizza with yellow tomato salsa & a bar-b-que chicken pizza. We like to grill our pizzas...so good :) And I can actually eat these on my plan yay! Jay already promised to go on walks & or runs with me around the lake to get some exercise. It should be a ton of fun!
beautiful colors.

It's going good.

How's it going? seems to be the question of the week. Tonight I came home from work early & enjoyed Mr. Man's softball game in the beautiful weather with his family. We talked about our upcoming trip to Vegas & caught up on news. Then I came home and made some yummy eggplant lasagna, worked out, & watched Kris Allen win American Idol. Perfect summer night. It's going good.

The ranch.

So this afternoon has been slow & I have been browsing home-decorating websites such as; martha stewart everyday living, better homes & gardens, country living, etc. (never a good idea, because they inspire way too many project in this crazy mind!) Anyways, instead of planning my next project it got me thinking about our "perfect" home.

I really really want to own a cattle ranch-I know-totally doesn't seem like me does it? But it's true, there's just something about the wide open spaces that make me feel free, yet work that keeps you grounded. Let's be serious though, cattle ranches are not given away free on the streets & we (barely) have two nickels to rub together. So while we'll never have the cattle, the ranch...now that's a whole 'nother story.

Let me backtrack for a second, because it's all about compromise. I didn't say I've always wanted a cattle ranch. Funny how things change :) I've always love love loved cottages. I lived in Europe for a summer with my family a few years back & we saw and toured so many breathtaking cottages in our time there. I swore to myself that one day I would live in an english cottage with my english husband. A year later I met my american cowboy! The song "guys like me" by eric church says it all too well:
I wear a greasy ball cap
I like my shirt untucked
I spend Saturdays working on my truck
I don't like to fight
But I ain't scared to bleed
Most don't mess with a guy like me.
'Cause guys like me drink too many beers on Friday after work
Our best blue jeans have skoal rings (gross)
We wear our boots to church
So rough around the edges
It's hard to believe
That girls like you
Love guys like me.
Any of you that know Mr. Man knows he's as american as it gets. He loves the farm/cabin homes with an earthy, worn feeling that you get from a good pair of cowboy boots. The kind with rustic interiors & wooden beams. Keep in mind your home is a reflection of who you are, & you should be very comfortable in it, so I knew we needed to compromise...I mean seriously, can any of you picture me on a horse? they terrify me & they smell. Plus you can't wear high heels while riding. That's how we came to the ranch (minus the cattle)-a little taste of cottage & a little taste of country=perfection! I still want the quaintness of the cottage & the land of the farm...& gardens galore, and a workshop where I can let my creativity flow freely without taking up the entire master bedroom or office. A few animals would be great! just nothing taller than me. We just want a small piece of treasure for us to nest in & raise our babies (God willing)-a place where they can run free. Here is a sample of the vision (as close as I could find) that came to mind. I love the path formed by years of running to & from the home. The color however, will not be red! (and if I get my way the outside will appear a little more cottage-esque ;) Hopefully at some point in our lives this dream of ours will come to life-whether it be in a few years from now, or when we retire. What does your perfect home look like?

Vintage treasures...

I slipped out of work for awhile this morning to go wander through an estate sale. It was magnificent! It was an older woman's home so everything for sale was vintage, my very favorite. I had to hold myself back from purchasing a bedroom set & a furniture set complete with a vintage couch, love seat & rocker. She was also a crafter, so her entire basement was filled with crafts & craft supplies for sale. Heavenly? yes!! she had everything from jewelry to buttons to fabric to vintage patterns to ribbons to handmade (adorable) aprons for sale a la heavenly hostess:So cute. She also had blue/green mason jars which are my favorite to use as vases for flowes. After I made it up from the basement, I nearly bought a set of green vintage dishes. If there had not been one bowl missing I would have gotten them! Needless to say I was thrilled to find it & it was a great break from work. It got me in the mood for more sales this summer!

We had a great time at the Saints game last night! The evening was really hot & humid, but nothing an ice cold Mike's hard lemondade or a beer couldn't fix :) After the sun started to set it was really a perfect night for an outdoor ballgame. My Dad bought everyone a Saints hat & we had fun taking pictures with them on! I'll post some pictures later.

Summer fun

We are excited to begin "working" on the fun stuff on our list this summer! Tonight we are starting with a tourist actvity in our city, we are going to the Saint Paul Saints home opener. I'm not a huge fan of the SPS, but it's a beautiful day & I will be in great company. Jay & I are going with my Dad, Al & her boyfriend. It should be a lot of fun. It's supposed to reach almost 85 today!

Last night was great, I got so much done! Jay didn't end up getting home until around 10:30 so I had more time than I thought I would. I went to the grocery store after work to get the remainder of what I needed for the week. Surprisingly, traffic was light yesterday so I made it to the store & got home early. I cleaned the house for about 3 hours, picked up, went thourgh our mail, did the dishes, and (gulp) did Mr. Man's laundry. I'm happy to report nothing was too bent out of shape or dis-colored. I was running up & down the steps during the commercials of the bachelorette but I still got a ton done. It feels great! I need another night & then everything will be finished. I took a break to make us some frozen hot chocolate, to surprise Jay when he got home. He loves frozen hot chocolate!! It turned out sooo delicious & I can eat it too because it's only 25 calories for the entire snack! yes!! I'll be posting the recipe on my my recipe exchange soon.

After all that was done, I worked out & did my 50 crunches for the day. I was exhausted but I knew I was burning a lot of calories so I pushed through it! Jay got home just as I was cooling down so the timing was perfect & then we ate our delicious treat together. He loved it!

I have one more picture to share, of my first peony! It's about to pop! I still can't believe they are blooming this year-and so soon. They usually don't bloom until at least June. This bush is going to be hot pink =) My little miracle!

Back in action

So full of words today! Ok so if you know me at all, you know I hate talking on the phone, and I rarely am on my cell phone. However, in the last week I've noticed what a comfort it was to me (while in the car in case something happened, when I'm home alone, etc.) and I miss it! Does that stop me from being lazy & driving to Verizon to get a new one? Absolutely not. So this morning I get a call from Mr. (awesome) Man & he stopped at verizon to activate one of his old verizon phones he still had. He's a saint!! I hate doing stuff like this. He wanted me to pick out my new phone, so he jsut had my chip put in his old one for the meantime until we can go get a new one. Let's be serious, I'll probably continue using this one until it breaks :) Anyways, as of 9 pm tonight I will be back in service and you can call me! yippee!!!

The Moonlite Cage

Over the weekend I finished the Moonlit Cage. I really enjoyed this book. It's the story of the life of Darya, an Afghani woman-a story of love, loss & redemption. The first few pages captured me.

"I have always been told I was wicked.

This is my story, then: full of my wickedness and my attempts at goodness, of power found, lost, and found again. Of beliefs destroyed and rebuilt, of faith in oneself and in others. The strength carried in poetry and fables, in dreams and desires. It is a story of love and of hatred, all the contrasts you know, and have already experienced; all the pieces that make up the whole, make up a life— intricate as the veins in a leaf, the patterns of the stars, the seeds in a pomegranate."

- from the "The Moonlit Cage"
I found this story really interesting because I enjoy learning about other cultures & customs not familiar to me. She had a very very hard life-which I think is what got myself thinking about happiness and how we are lucky when we can find a piece of it, others are not so lucky. The text is rich & I like how the author writes. I really could relate to character she develops in Darya & I became attached emotionally-wanting so badly for her to find the happiness & freedom she is looking for. I'm looking forward to reading her other books but I'm out of material so it looks like another trip to the library is in store!

The definition of happiness

I was thinking about this over the weekend. "Happiness is a state of mind or feeling such as contentment, satisfaction, pleasure, or joy." For most people-it's a state they are constantly trying to reach. It's always come so easy to me & I wonder if that's because I get excited about the littlest things in our life. I don't know what it is but I feel very lucky to be happy so often.

This weekend was amazing! Friday night Jenni & I spent together going through the Biggest Loser cookbook looking for good recipes to make. We are planning out a week's meals at a time so it's easy to come home and know what's for dinner & not be tempted to go out to eat. Saturday morning I got up early to meet Amy & the girls at Salon Ultimo in Woodbury where they were preparing for her big day. From then on I was on duty for the wedding. Everything went great & the reception was a lot of fun. I was just excited to put down the camera and relax!

Sunday I got up again (side note: yes, I am aware that I am crazy & push myself hard...but we have vacations to save for!!) and had another session in downtown Stillwater with the nicest couple-Sarah & Brandon. I love them! They recently just moved back from Alaska but both grew up here and I went to junior high & high school with Brandon. They are just the cutest couple and were a ton of fun to be around. I took a peak at some of the pictures I took of them already & they are all so good. It always feels so good to come away knowing I've had a great session, because it's what I love to do & I love when I get results that I know they will love! After the session Jay & I had lunch together and then we spent the day being very lazy (it was much needed!) We watched the Twins game & I read a little & took a nap. When I woke up we ran some errands and spent the afternoon together. It was a really nice day & I really enjoyed my company. I wanted to get some gardening done but I was too tired. Maybe tonight-Mr. Mans got a packed schedule tonight so I have time to get a lot done. I have a lot on my list! I'm definetly watching the bachelorette! I really liked Jillian last season so I hope this season turns out better for her.

Mr. & Mrs. Deren Thompson!

Amy & Deren's wedding was absolutely perfect! We felt so lucky to involved & invited to such a lovely occasion. She was the most beautiful bride!! I am so glad I got the chance to take some photos for her. Here are a few teasers :) I'll be posting more to my photography blog this week. We had a fabulous weekend...have fun in Vegas you two!!

This weekend was crazy!! I'll recap tomorrow when I'm not so exhausted...off to bed! Hope everyone had a blessed weekend.

50 Challenge

One of our goals on our 101 list is to do 50 crunches daily for a month, and I think it's about time we accomplish this one. I know it's not a lot, but we planned on incorporating it into our current workout schedule which already includes an ab workout, so it will be an extra ab challenge to throw in there. I also posted this challenge on our weight-loss journey blog to help us reach our goal. We are going to start on Monday the 18th & finish on June 18th! We'll take & possibly post before and after pictures to see the difference it made. We aren't very good at doing abs everyday because they are the least fun workout to do (for us) so this will be a great challenge!

A wedding weekend...

My body feels great these past few days just from changing up my eating patterns slightly. I feel like my body is getting cleansed :) Tonight is the big rehearsal for Amy & Deren's wedding! I'm heading to the Church to get an idea of what the ceremony will look like (I'll be teaming up with another of Amy's friends to shoot her wedding) It's going to be fun! She's been so busy finishing up last minutes items for the wedding so it will be nice to see her for a few minutes tonight. After the walk through at the Church Jenni & I are meeting at Caribou to figure out a good meal plan to get on...and then we are going to work out, yes on friday night!! hah! Mr. Man's headed up to a cabin for a good friend's bachelor party tonight, so I'm alone for the night. He's driving back tomorrow afternoon for the wedding. I am looking forward to the weekend! Amy is the second of our friends to get married (we were the 1st) So I'm looking forward to knowing a lot of people at the wedding & having a good time. It's always fun when all your friends are together in one room to celebrate! Amy, enjoy your last night as a single lady!!!!!!!!!!!!
Today I'm having lunch with my cousin to celebrate our birthdays...I'm excited to see her! We are going to Zelo's, one of our fav. spots to meet. I'm hoping my Dad will let me off work a little early this afternoon to jump start the weekend, I have a lot to accomplish today..stay tuned!

Eric's show.

Aaaamazing! If you haven't seen him play live-go. He's so good. He's creative, funny & has a great voice. He writes his own songs & plays his own music. Jay & I were cracking up during the whole concert!! It was so much fun. He re-invents himself everytime-he usually picks a song or two from a popular artist & sings his own version, adding lyrics here & there that are hilarious, and occasionally, making (good-hearted) fun at them. I have had a really long week at work so far so I needed to let loose a little. The concert was perfect! He also makes up a song on the spot at his performances & this time the main character he was singing about was named Abbey :) It was so funny. He is so talented and witty. I can't wait to see him again! He's coming to the State Fair this summer & so is OAR (!!!!!!!!) so it looks like I have a really tough choice to make. Or, maybe I'll just go to both =) Thanks for a great concert Eric.Last night the wind was crazy! I am a little tired because I kept waking up thinking there was a hurricane outside our window. Tonight I'm excited to get a good workout in & then relax. I'm reading a really good book right now so I'm looking forward to some quality reading time before Jay gets home :) I'm really looking forward to the weekend because Amy will finally become Mrs. Thompson!!!!!!! Yea!!!

When she wants to rock she rocks.

Yesterday I completed my second day of shredding with Jillian. She did not disappoint. Jillian bases her workout on the 3-2-1 method: 3 mins strength, 2 mins cardio, 1 min abs. You repeat this pattern for 3 circuits with absolutely no breaks (not even for a sip of water!) I absolutely am a huge fan of circuit training. I love that each time is a different activity in each circuit & I never get bored. There are 3 levels of workouts to work up to, but I started on level one & I had to do some of the modified positions. The workout kicked my butt! I can't imagine what level 2 & 3 are like...I guess we'll see in a few weeks. I had to make a protein shake this morning for breakfast because my muscles are so sore & tired from last night. I'm looking forward to day 3 tonight...they are hard to work through but I know they will be sooo worth it!

Is it Wednesday? I don't even know. Man do I need the weekend to be here!! Friday night Jenni & I are getting together to formulate some ideas to redecorate her condo. There will probably be sketches, paint swatches, & lots of wine involved :) We are also planning our meals out for the next few weeks because we've started a weight loss blog to track our progress. We are finally getting serious about it & it feels good to have a plan! It's hard to try & lose weight with my husband because he can lose it so easy & it can get frusterating. I swear he smiles at me & loses a pound! It seems so easy for him. So Jenni & I teamed up to hold each other accountable! If anyone wants to join us, let me know! You must be serious about it though because we mean business :)

Tonight Mr. Man is taking me to Eric Hutchinson at the Varsity Theatre...I can't wait!! It's been a long week at work already so it will be a super fun night. It will be a great way to finish celebrating my birthday, thanks Jay!!

Re-Connected

I've been so busy lately that I need to get re-connected. Last week we got a start on our vegetable garden (building it that is) & it is looking great! We took some rocks from the huge rockpile in the center of our townhome neighborhood and they are perfect for what we had pictured for our garden. We need to gather a few more & then fill it with soil and we will be ready! I'll try & get some pictures of it later this week.

We've decided that Vegas is a definite yes! We are going this summer or fall for sure. I have two weeks of paid vacation left to use, so this summer is going to be awesome! My vacation starts over in the end of August. We are thinking of taking one day off & leaving on a Thursday night. It will kind of be a "mini vacation" since our Anniversary trip is coming up in June. It's perfect because the flights/packages are super cheap to Vegas, most of the ones we are looking at are around $300-350 a person for flights & hotel. Right now we are looking at staying in Paris, which we have heard really good things about. But if anyone has any suggestions, please send them our way!! This will be our first time in Las Vegas so we don't know a lot about it. Tips on places to stay, or things to do are welcome :) I love that this whole trip is totally spur of the moment! Jay has a game tonight & then a baseball meeting so I have the evening to myself...but don't worry I have a list a mile long of things to get done! First things first, I'm going to start shredding. The 30-day Shred that is. By Jillian Michaels of course! I've decided I want to lose 10 pounds by June 10th (the day we leave for our trip) I'm hoping this will be the path that will take me to that weight-loss! I love all of her programs & I have no doubt it will kick my butt. Other than that-I really need to figure out a way to organize my jewelry better....so maybe I will take a stab at that tonight during dancing with the stars! I also have a big ol' gift card to use at borders, so maybe that will be my destination. The last thing I definetly need to accomplish tonight is our meal calendar. We are planning out our meals for the next few weeks thanks to the awesome cook book my Grandparents gave me for my birthday. It's all healthy living so it will be great with my shred. That's step one (the calendar) step 2 is getting to the grocery store-and that is definetly not happening tonight! Maybe tomorrow when Jay can go with me. So many possibilities of what to do for the evening!

24 years young!

Friday night with my friends was a blast! we had dinner at Zelo's in Minneapolis & then went out for some drinks & dancing. It had been too long since we all had gotten together and it was nice to be with everyone again. The night went by so fast & soon enough we were waking up to race to my Mom's for Prom time. Thanks to everyone who came out & made my birthday special!

Even though I am 24 years young, this weekend I felt old. I think it was all the prom festivities, and how I was totally exhausted at the end of the day! Everything turned out perfectly....the hair, makeup, dress, everything! I was really happy for my sister because she looking absolutely stunning. I'll post a few pictures to share. There are more on my photography blog!

She was so beautiful! she had the most classic black dress that I was totally envious of :) And her boyfriend is the sweetest boy. Once they got away from the commotion of all the pictures & grand march & into their limo he told her he had secretly dreamed about this day since he met her in 7th grade, but never thought it would happen (taking her to prom) awww! so cute. They had a great time. Sunday morning we headed back over to my Mom's for a delicious birthday dinner. We had steak & bay scallops....they were to die for! YUM! and my mom made the most delicious triple layer chocolate cake from scratch. Oh my goodness it was sinfully good. We had so much going on this weekend but it was filled with family and fun times. I opened my presents and we played the Twilight board game and watched golf. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. One of my favorite presents were tickets to the Phantom of The Opera....we are going at the end of May & I can hardly wait. I've wanted to see it for years now! Overall it was a great birthday & filled with lots of love. My husband went out of his way to make it amazing, which makes him amazing. I am so blessed. The only downside to the day was an issue with my cell phone. Next to my bed is a stack of 6-7 books, naturally, and my phone was sitting on top of them. Someone called this morning to wish me a happy birthday & it was still on vibrate from when I went to bed....so it vibrated off the top of the books into a cup of water and....that was the end of my phone :) so now I'm in the market for a new one!! Sorry for not getting or returning calls & messages-I'm relatively MIA right now. But I really appreciate all the birthday wishes sent my way!! I'll update you when I am back up & running. Time for a much needed full night of sleep....zzzzzzzz.

Whirlwind.

Wow what a whirlwind of a day! everything turned out GREAT though! details & pictures to come later...for now we are relaxing :)

No Bull.

We just got back from our delicious lunch & I am stuffed. What a satisfying meal. Our waiter was nice enough to bring me a birthday treat....a triple chocolate crunch moose cake with homemade cream whipping. Yes, it was over-the-top. I even got to blow out a candle :) mmmm it was mouth watering. Did I mention I love this place? That's why. Their tagline says it all:

Quality Steaks
Seriously Served
No Bull.

Love it :) OK back to work, I'm having a hard time focusing today! (obviously).

Random Fact Friday

RFF: Mr. Man makes up words. a lot. The best part is, he doesn't know he's saying them wrong & it's freakin hilarious. It gets me crackin up. I love it :) It doesn't happen too often, but when it does it's the funniest thing. He's totally serious about it too-he'll say the word completely wrong and keep a straight face. For example, he uses the word "nuzzle" for nozzle (like a spray nozzle on a hose). Secretly, I think he just likes to make up his own vocabulary!! Those of you who have been lucky enough to witness this know what I'm talking about. Love my husband.


Hehe. Here's a picture to get you through the workday...It's finally Friday!! YES. My Dad is taking me out for my birthday lunch today & we are going to Manny's...YUM! I'm looking forward to the weekend but it sure is going to be hectic. Can't wait to see all of my friends tonight and go out for some long over-due fun!

Signs of Comfort

As I sit outside on the mall, I see a pair of young people-young love. Their legs are tangled together and their fingers are intertwining. They are turned towards each other & looking at one another but not speaking. They do this for several more moments and then start giggling, still staring at the other. I love this-not only because it's refreshing and innocent but it's comforting-it reminds me of the way we sometimes act....giddy & childish together. To the left of the love birds are three homeless men sitting on the floor and singing "This little light of mine" acapella. Even though they have ratty clothes & look like they haven't showered in weeks, they are beautiful. The sound coming from their lips is so compelling I am transfixed on listening to them. They making harmonizing seem easy. A few steps away a man is sketching a scene of downtown in his sketchbook. He is pausing & smiling at the singing men. Signs of comfort.

What a beautiful day

The sun is shining! I'm really looking forward to this evening because I'm spening it with my sister. My Mom, Al & I are getting dinner and then I'm running errands with Al to get last minute things ready for prom. I'm so excited to be helping her get ready because I didn't have a big sister to help me get ready when I went to prom! I'm the makeup artist, hair stylist & photographer all in one...haha so there is a lot of pressure on my shoulders to get things just right. It should be a lot of fun. After we send her off we are going out for DRINKS and dinner Saturday night with the fam. We are also picking up our Mother's Day present tonight...so excited to give it to my Mom. I am about to take my book, walk down to chipotle, and sit in the sun for an hour and enjoy lunch outside. Perfect :)

Eat, Pray, Love

Now this was an interesting book for me, I hated it & I loved it. Basically it's about a woman in her thirties who realizes one day that her life is not satisfying, and starts out on a journey to find herself & God. She travels to Italy, India & Indonesia on a whim. She meets many interesting people & experiences life-changing moments. I love the part about her travels, & coming to love & accept herself. I think we've all been on a similar journey (although maybe not so many miles from home). I loved her free spirit & admired her ability to be able to drop everything & leave for a year. In that way I could completely relate to her. But-there is a basic underlying principle in Christianity that Jesus is the only path to God and eternal life, & she does not believe this. She believes there are many paths to God & practices several different religious ceremonies and rituals on her way to finding inner peace. Those parts were harder for me to swallow, but I could still appreciate the happiness she was finding. I found myself routing her on, I wanted her to find what she was looking for & finally find peace. I know what it's like to have inner turmoil. At times I found it a little slow-last Monday I finished the Book Thief, so it took me a week to read. If it's a good book I can fly through it. Overall though it was a feel-good, interesting read.

Time for bed

Here I am again, time for bed & just getting the chance to sit down and blog. Today went by really fast, work was busy & I had a nice lunch with my Dad outside on Nicollet Mall. It was nice to get some fresh air, and I even got a little sun burn! I took off a few hours early to enjoy the nice weather and get some things done around the house. We just got home from the gym a few minutes ago and it was nice to get in a workout. This coming weekend we have a lot of things planned so I know the week will fly by! Friday night we are headed out to eat with my friends for my birthday & then going out for a few hours. Saturday is prom! So I'll be really busy Saturday getting Al ready for the big dance. My Grandparents are coming up on Saturday to see her at the Grand March, and Sunday is my birthday & Mother's Day, so we are having a big celebration! I'm really looking forward to it. Ok time to crawl in bed with Mr. Man. Hope everyone had a wonderful day =)

My art

I love painting-especially painting gifts. I think I made this canvas for someone in particular, but I haven't decided yet. I haven't really shared any of my paintings with anyone besides Jay, so I'm not sure how often you'll get a glimpse of my art, I figure I better post a picture while I'm in the sharing mood before I change my mind. I'm lucky I have a patient husband, because I'm a gypsy painter. I don't have a "workshop" or paint in an ideal place (example: the kitchen table) but instead I move to where I feel inspired. This one was on our bedroom floor, with all my paint supplies spread all over. Not so convenient- but it's how I work the best. This piece is called an imperfect life. It's about knowing that life is imperfect & sometimes painful, but still seeing the beauty of it. It's a quote that really touches me. I hope you like it! Thanks to Jay for helping take a picture of it :)

If you can't click on the picture for a bigger view, the painted words say:

I wish for you an imperfect life
and all the wonder that living can bring
The wealth that comes from knowing life
The tears that find their way to laughter
The joy that grows after the rain
and the love, felt deepest,
by those who have been carved by pain.

I hope that you can value that imperfection
Hold on to it, so it gives you such comfort
That you will dare embrace the beauty
of all the imperfect life that surrounds you
and then you will be perfectly free,
to step to the beat of your own
imperfect heart
and then you will have truly lived.
A little-know fact: I begin each piece by painting a secret on my canvas, so that when I finish & give it away, a secret goes with each one. Each secret unique & each one true.

Success!

First of all, I will share with you that Mr. Man is laying a few feet away in bed & is telling me what to say for him because he's too tired (*coughlazycough*) to get up and blog :) oh what a husband I have. To give him some credit, I came home to a clean house today after my afternoon session. He sure does spoil me. Anyways- he applied to seven jobs today & feels pretty good about it. It took him forever! When I got home he went to Mississippi Dunes to hit some balls in the beautiful weather. When he got home he watched me paint for awhile and then worked on some more applications-it was a nice break for him to get out for awhile. Just before dark he asked me to take a break from painting and go on a bike ride with him. We got out right as the sun was setting and the sky was a beautiful pink/orange. It was nice to get some fresh air.

Today when I was driving home I saw a sprinkler going & someone mowing their law! As I drove by I took a nice big inhale of the freshly cut grass....one of my favorite smells. It's funny how scents can dig up so many memories. We also noticed this afternoon-and were SUPER excited...that our peonies are growing!! This means our transplant was a success and I am so pumped. There are about 15 healthy peony plants growing AND they have buds on them!! We weren't expected them to bloom until at least next year. So I am looking forward to e-mailing Bunny to tell her the 30 year old family peonies have made it through the winter. Yay!!

Sunday Funday

Last night we had a nice time with Loren & Vonn at their house in Andover. They are doing a bunch of home projects at their place so it was fun to see the progress...it looks great! We drove out there and went out for some yummy Mexican, followed by a couple games of Joker. Jay & I were partners and we got our butts kicked! It was really great seeing them again and catching up. We wanted to plan a birthday get together with the four of us and it started out at the Chanhassen dinner theatre & ended up in Vegas. Quite the extremes :) I hope we can find a weekend to go and work it out because it would be a blast!!

This morning I met with a client & booked my first wedding of 2010. Craziness! This afternoon I'm off to a 4 generations photo shoot. Should be fun. What a perfect day to spend outside =) The agenda for the rest of the afternoon is looking pretty great. Mr. Man will be applying for jobs while I'm out (send prayers his way & cross your fingers!!) and then the Twins game is on. I'm planning on joining him after my session and doing some painting. He made a point to tell me he wanted to blog today, so stay tuned for some fabulous updates from him...hehe. I think tonight we might grab some dinner somewhere & then rent a movie. Looking forward to it!

Late night thoughts...

Friendship is good for your health. We have been blessed with so many different kind hearts & faces that we call our friends. Some we have know for a long time, and others just a short while. But I believe there is a reason for the people we have met in our lives, especially the ones that stick close. We are very lucky.

This brings me to my dear friend Jenni. Years ago, we began as highschool friends venturing out into college, and just trying to figure out what we wanted out of life. A few years later, we both find ourselves with amazing lives & blessings all around us. I am married (ok so we knew this was coming!!) but we both qualified for homes on our own, both bought them, & have steady jobs. Jenni also recently bought a puppy. I'm so proud of her for accomplishing so much on her own & not being afraid to do it alone. I admire her independence. I can't wait until the day that she finds her perfect man!! (believe me I'm trying, anyone know any cute, single, & non-crazy men?? yes men...boys need not apply). We have grown so much in the past few years and our friendship has done the same. I love the steadiness & reliability of our friendship. I love it & I love her. Ok that's all =)

Oh & p.s. tonight someone asked if we were sisters AGAIN! ok, we used to sort of, kinda understand when we were both blondes...but I'm currently a brunette?!? We get this all the time. so weird. Anyways-here's a shout out to our crazy but awesome highschool friends! This is just a sample of some of our great friends.

I absolutely adore my life. **those not pictured (and there are many)-we love you too!!!! =)