Tidbits of my weekend.

Finally Friday.

& I am so ready to bring on the weekend. Jay's headed to Lutsen for a ski trip with the guys, so Nemo & I have the weekend to ourselves. I've been so tired this week and it's been pretty long preparing taxes at work, so I am looking forward to some much needed R&R. Of course, my to-do list still has a million-jillion items on it and is growing as we speak. I'll get to that eventually. Tonight I am treating myself to twilight yoga to start the weekend off right.

It's not often that I am alone for the weekend so I am going to fill it with 'me' items....stuff that's not fun for Mr. Man. These things include: flexing my creative photography ideas, a few sessions/wedding, finishing up editing and submitting images for theknot.com, filling my sample albums, a few 'house' errands, calling around for some information we've been putting off, Gossip girls, and working on a special little valentine's project. I plan on fueling myself with lots of green tea, home yoga stretches, and of course acoustic sunrise/sunset samplers. In case your wondering, my phone will be on silent the entire weekend.

It will also be filled with lots of zzzzzzzzzzzz's.

you have no idea how excited I am to start my weekend.

Here's to 'me' time!

Cheers. xoxo

Thoughts on Thursdays

It's in the small things.

I've really come to appreciate the small things.

I walked out of our bedroom this morning and there it was.

Mr. Man had left me a sweet little love note.

It wasn't an email. Or a text.

It was an old-fasioned post-it note,

filled with hand-written thoughtfulness.

I wish he could have seen my face light up when I discovered it.

lucky, lucky, lucky me.

Sweet 18.

to my favorite munchkin

to my partner in crime

to my secret keeper

to my stronger half

to my sweetest laughter

to my lifelong best friend

to my beautiful sister.

I love you aly boo!

We blew it.

I would be lying if I didn't say I was devastated by the Vikings lost yesterday, and while I won't go into detail, let's just say there were almost tears and I didn't sleep well last night. Rest assured, I still love my Vikes and I have forgiven their butter fingers and lack of ability to pull it together. {ok so maybe not totally-I'm working on it}

In the kitchen

Potato gnocchi with red sauce

When Monica and I visited Italy, this was my absolute favorite dish. We visited this small town called Cortona where they filmed Under The Tuscan Sun, and I still remember the spicy gnocchi I had there. It was unbelievably delicious and the best meal I have ever had. The recipe below is from Taste of Home healthy cooking.

1 cup mashed potato flakes

1 cup boiling water

1 egg, beaten

1 1/2 cups floor

1/2 tsp. dried basil

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 tsp. salt

1/8 tsp. pepper

6 cups water

Pasta sauce of your choice

Grated parmesan cheese, optional

1 & 1/2 cups (calculated without sauce and cheese) equals about 250 calories. Place the potato flakes in a large bowl. Stir in boling water and add egg. Stir in flour and seasonings. On a lightly floured surface, knead 10-12 times forming a soft dough. Divide dough into four portions. On a floured surface, roll each portion into 1/2 inch thick ropes. Cut into 3/4 inch pieces. Press and roll each piece with a lightly floured fork. In a large saucepan, bring water to a boil. Cook gnocchi for 30-60 seconds or until they float. Remove with a slotted spoon. Serve with sauce and cheese.

Stuffed red peppers
Here is a delicious recipe that I created.

1 cup of shredded chicken or tuna (whichever you like best)

1 tablespoon of fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon of honey-dijon mustard-we use French's

1 teaspoon of smoked tabasco sauce

1/4 cup of lowfat mozarella cheese

Mix all the ingredients and stuff them into peppers. Top with a sprinkle of cheese and place in the oven at 350 for 15 minutes, or until the cheese on top turns golden brown. So fast, easy and delicious! 1 pepper equals about 250 calories.

Thoughts on Thursdays

Actions speak louder than words.

If there's any phrase I learned growing up that stands true the first is that talk is cheap, and the second is that actions really do speak louder than words. I find that it's so easy to use words to make promises, but they don't really amount to anything if they aren't backed up by action. In relationships I think love is a verb. It's so easy to say "I love you" to your spouse, but it takes a lot more work to show someone you love them. One of the greatest examples is the story of God loving us so much, that he sent Jesus to die for our sins. He didn't just say He loved us-he physically showed the world by sacrificing His only Son. In my opinion, love and action go hand in hand. It isn't just something we say, it's something we do. Love can diluted by empty words, but when backed up with demonstration it can be unbelievably powerful. I have to continuously challenge myself to remember this.

Romans 12:10 Be devoted to one another. Honor one another above yourselves.

It's already Thursday?

....we've been nesting all week. We've done absolutely nothing but curl up at home for the past 8 days. Ok, so we've done some things. We made it to the gym a few times, and we did go to work, but for the most part we've been hibernating. Sorry about the lack of posting all week. Winter steals my motivation. I had a lovely morning today-I had to pick up mom & al to drop them off at the airport at 12:30, so I didn't go into work until this afternoon (and as you can see, I'm already being very productive!). I slept in, read all morning, and then eventually made my way to my favorite grocery store Trader Joe's. What a treat it was for me to have the time to wander through the aisles, brainstorming healthy concoctions for meals for the hubs and I. It sure beats rushing to grab everything and fighting the crowds after work or on the weekend. We've been doing really good lately eating fresh foods and making healthy choices. It feels awesome! I'll share some of my favorite recipes soon. Bunny got me a subscription to the Taste of Homes healthy cooking magazine which I absolutely love. It has really tasty recipes.

Last Friday I started off the weekend with twilight yoga, my favorite yoga class. I hadn't been in awhile and my muscles were not ready for such strenuous work. Man was I sore on Saturday! This Friday Jay & I are having a tv series marathon with The Office. We have a special treat planned since we've been good all week and I can't wait to lay around the house. The rest of the weekend is busy busy so it will be nice to spend another night relaxing.

Winter has got me in a funk. It didn't help that I just sent my family off to Florida. Yes, the sunshine state. And they get to see my Florida family which makes me even more jealous. I think all the traveling and whirlwind of the holidays is finally hitting us-we don't even want to drive to the movies after work =) I have a feeling for the next month or so we'll be extreme home bodies!

Thoughts on Thursdays

I am excited to share that Jay and I are being featured on Meet the Newlyweds over at the Newlyweds blog. We were sent some fun interview questions to fill out and were chosen for today's spotlight. Go check out the interview for a little more about hubby and I! Sweet Pea runs a fun blog filled with recipes/cooking challenges, Meet the Newlywed series, gardening tips, and ways to save money. Check it out!

Funny that we were chosen for today's feature {originally it was set for February but moved up}....9 years ago today we officially became a couple. Yes, hubby had the nerves to finally ask me out {took him f-o-r-e-v-e-r} on January 14th, 2001. Best decision he ever made ;) In honor of the day {I can remember it like it was yesterday!!} I am sharing some very old pictures of us through the years. Feel free to get a good ol' laugh, we're happy to supply the fuel!

This image was taken mid-snowball fight during the winter of 2001. We look like babies.

This was our senior prom picture. It was the day after my 18th birthday.

This is from junior year {I think} of college, a visit at the cabin.

This was from our senior year of college, just a few months before he proposed.

It's bizarre to think that I married my junior & senior year prom date from high school. I'm old. Love you babo!

Winter blues

The winter blues have officially hit me. It's been too cold this week and I'm feeling a little stir crazy. Plus it's Monday and they are always a little gloomy. This picture says it all. Except I am less glamourous. Much less.
So, here are some pick me-ups that make me feel better:
Acoustic sunset. Oh. my. goodness. Every weeknight at 8:40pm cities 97 plays the cities samplers on shuffle for an hour. It's an entire hour of acoustic music. I'm working on a new project and I love to turn it on and cuddle up in bed while I work. Probably my favorite part of my day. It's heavenly.
Flannel sheet set from Target. We have the brown set with shades of baby blue snowflakes.We got them on sale for $13 before the Holidays and they are amazing! so soft and comfy. Oh, the simple things in life.

Eating healthy. One of my best friends is a nutrition counselor, and she got together with Jenni and I to help teach us about current nutrition. I've been eating 5 smaller meals a day and it's made a world of difference. I sleep better, I feel rested, and I have more energy. It's the next step towards a healthier, less cluttered lifestyle for us.
The playoffs. Whether the Vikes advance or not, there is definetly a lot of excitement in the air. The playoffs match up some of the best NFL teams so they are usually really fun, competitive games to watch. There is nothing better than curling up on the couch or bed to watch a good football game on Sunday afternoons. I'm already nervous for this Sunday.
Good winter tv. It's so nice to have something to look forward to at night and it helps the week pass by. Mondays are easier to get through now that the bachelor is on, and other shows that we like are american idol and glee. It's fun to watch something and enjoy it together.
glee. Yes, this deserves a category of it's own. glee is a perfect mix of drama, romance & comedy and it's totally a guilty pleasure. I love it. We've been watching the re-runs.
Tv series on dvd. There's something about being able to watch a few episodes {or more!} at a time. Right now we really like The Office. We just started watching it this year, and I was able to score all the seasons for Jay for Christmas for under $50. Thank you, black friday! There's nothing like a good movie/series marathon when it's too cold to go outside!
Travel plans. We have a small excursion planned for Valentine's Day, and a bigger summer excursion to Spain. We are getting together with our travel companions for Spain this week so warm weather activities are on the brain. Right now the top two are riding horses on the beach and taking flamenco dancing lesson. Somehow, just the thought of roaming the streets of Spain in a few months with my husband makes the colder months seem not so bad ;)

Tonight Jay is playing hockey with some friends so I have a free night to do whatever I please. That sounds amazing right about now =)

Inspiration

With ordinary talent and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable.-Thomas Foxwell Buxton

Bye week.

Here are {finally} some of our favorites pictures from Viking events this year... meeting Jared Allen, 4th row Vikes game, and meeting Percy Harvin. I thought now would be a good time to get them up and show some love for our team. GO VIKES!!!!

AP about to score. BEAST!!!!!!!!!!!The mullet.The amazing defense warming up.Me with half of Percy's head. Some Grandpa was taking the picture after I snuck under the cut-off rope to meet Percy. There was no way I was leaving without meeting him!!!!!!

Thoughts on Thursdays

A wife of noble character is her husband's crown,

but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones.

Proverbs 12:4

Food for thought.

Motivation.

Right now I feel like I am growing as an
individual and being challenged creatively.
I'm eager to know where it will take me
and what I will do. I'm excited. That's all.

Happy New Year!

We are finally back in town from the holiday whirlwind/madness. It's so nice to be back home. We have spent a lot of time traveling (in the car) and have had some pretty fun conversations about the year ahead. We spent new years eve with our closest friends and had fun seeing them. Then we headed up to Two Harbors for a nice visit with Jay's mom. We don't get to see her often so it's always fun when we do. We are excited for the new year and have some fun resolutions we hope to keep.

All our Christmas decorations are put away, laundry is done, and the house is clean. Hallelujah. We watched a great Vikings victory, and an even better Cowboys victory, helping us secure a first round bye for the playoffs. Sweet. Today's been a good day.

We've been throwing around the idea of vacationing in the states next summer. There are a lot of beautiful places here that we still haven't seen and we like the idea of being able to drive and see more destinations than if we flew internationally. We always love a good road trip. We'd love to visit places like Glacier National Park, Yellowstone, and the Grand Canyon. We also like the idea that this kind of trip would be less costly, allowing us to try and pay down our student loan debt until it is manageable. So a long road trip may be in store for us! We'll see how this year plays out and then decide. I'm still partial to an international trip. I came across these images from Glacier National Park the other day and it sparked our conversation. So beautiful.

I spent most of today relishing simple moments in our life. Making waffles with my hubby for breakfast. Seeing his excitement from cooking together. Spending the whole day watching football together, because we both enjoy it. Looking over and catching him stealing glimpses of me during the day. Breaking out in smiles at the same time. Stealing glimpses of him. Seeing him truly happy and knowing that I am somehow responsible for a part of it.