Emily's Muse

{northwoods winter beauty part 2: thinking positive}

2012-01-20T09:49:00.001-06:00

Back again... with my apologies. Sick again with another cold. I know... blah, sneeze, sniff, and cough. Yuck.

So that made going into this next post a charm actually. Surviving a Northwoods winter with positive thinking. See, here up this far north there is less sunlight during the day. The sun starts really shining at 8:00 and it gets dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. That's a short day, and even harder sometimes when you wake up early to get ready for work and then leave work when it is dark again too. It kind of creates a restlessness in some people.

That said, I enjoy most of what a Northwoods winter brings. Yes it's cold. Bitterly so. Yes the days are short, sadly so. Yes the woods are dead and the springs are quiet and no ships are coming in to the harbor. BUT, we have beautiful shows of the Northern Lights, lovely days spent staring out the window at lovely snowflakes falling and even better, opportunities to cuddle up on the couch with a hot mug of tea, warm cozy socks, and heavy blankets.

I'm a cacooner by nature. That means I love being bundled up, cozy and protected. Or at least that is what it feels like under all those blankets. The lack of sunshine doesn't bother me and I actually like the slower pace of just resting and enjoying not having to run and go and do. I can cook, bake, clean and read. Design and prepare and craft and dream. Winter instead of being a hastle or burden is actually the only time I feel that I give my body the needed rest it deserves (I really have the tendency to over do it some times).

This past weekend proved just that. I baked, cooked and did some cleaning. But I thought I'd share with you some pics around the house. A full tour is coming soon! ;-)

{northwoods winter beauty part 1: face therapy

2012-01-13T09:26:00.001-06:00

Winter up in the Northwoods is a killer. Heck with five months of winter you are bound to get to know the things that make it bareable. Since there are a few things that make winter beauty double here I am going to start a short series on the products that help me get by. I'll do face, hair, body, and my other little favorites over the course of the next week. So stop back every day and enjoy!

Beauty up in the Northwoods is a completely different animal. Partly because of the constant drying elements of cold blowing wind off Lake Superior and moisture depleted homes due to a constantly roaring furnace. However, who said that winter beauty is a drag? I didn't. In fact, I am pretty sure that I live in one of the most beautiful places in all of North America. You just have to prepare for it. So here goes... my winter essentials.

I have very sensitive combination skin and that results in flaky dry patches on my cheeks during the winter. I've always found it hard to transition from the lighter warmer months moisturizer to the colder months only because I'm not always lucky in finding a good, sensitive deep down moisterizer that won't cause breakouts. So I went on the hunt and after spending a half hour rummaging through moisturizers at Target I think I settled on the best winter product I can find out there. It's Boots, Extra Sensitive Hydrating Serum. It's not too heavy but for those of us that attribute a heavier product with moisturizing then you'll like this because it goes on thick but smoothes out silky and refreshing.

It's price tag was another seller. At a little over $7 for the pump bottle I thought I was getting a super deal when compared to another favorite moisturizer Hope in a Jar by Philosophy that I wasn't willing to pay $36 for. That and I feel that this product does a much better job. Hands down! Infact, I feel like my skin is being moisturized all day instead of just for that moment with the other stuff. Now that is NICE!

Another year round essential for me but even more so during the winter is a good face scrub/exfoliator. With all that drying comes clogged pores and breakouts. My favorite scrub and it has been for over ten years is St. Ive's Sensitive Skin Scrub. This stuff is the bomb. Seriously. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't know what I would do without it. My favorite daily routine is to take it into the shower with me and take a dab of it to my face at the end as part of my final rinse. It sloughs off all that unwanted dead skin. I even use it on my elbows, upper chest, and neck. The fragrance is not overbearing (I hate heavily perfumed products) and again, with my sensitive skin it does exactly what it needs to without drying it out. Love it!

Another key to supple winter skin? Hydration! I cannot recommend it enough. In fact, I attribute alot of my good skin to drinking alot of water during the day and sleeping with a humidifier in my room at night. DO you have a hard time staying hydrated like I do? I hate the taste of normal water. But I have found that if I take a packet of Emergen C and plop it in my water that not only am I feeling like I am drinking my water but that I am doing something good for my health as well. I also eat a lot of foods that have a high concentrations of water in them during the winter such as fruits and vegetables. Not only are the extra vitamins good for you during months of no sunshine, they also boost your immunity and bring health to your other organs. Just don't think of those summer months as months to eat all you can of the fruits and veggies. Winter is probably the most crucial time to get all the important things you need to be healthy and strong!

A few extra items? Stay warm. I am cold all the time. Ask my husand. In fact if he wasn't such a heater, and I mean that literaly, I don't know what I would do. So stay bundled up. I always invest in a good pair of knee high socks, gloves, and a hat and if I need to will wear them inside if I am a bit chillly. Why fight it? I don't.

Stay tuned next week for more!

Happy Friday and have a great weekend. Do something fun for yourself and your family. You deserve it. :-

Winter Beauty Tricks by designbabe featuring a cable sock

TopShop cable sock
$50 - topshop.com

Inverni cashmere hat
€106 - pret-a-beaute.com

Amazon.com: Crane Warm Mist Humidifer, White, 1 Gallon: Health &...
$35 - amazon.com

Boots Expert Sensitive Hydrating Serum - 1.3 floz. : Target
$7.49 - target.com

St. Ives Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Scrub - Best Price
$3.69 - soap.com

{breathe deep}

2012-01-11T16:18:00.003-06:00

For some reason... all I needed to see today was this picture. It lifted my heart. I guess I'm already sick of winter and looking forward to warm breezes caught up in brightly colored scarves.

Breathing space. Sometimes... everyone just needs a moment to rest.

{sickness, love and homemade bread}

2012-01-10T14:47:00.002-06:00

... to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.

I've been sick lately. Actually we both have. I had the wrenching stomach flu last week and my poor love has it this week.

There is something about being sick and being married that is so sweet. Up until last week I hadn't had the opportunity to show my husband how deadly sick I look like I become when I get the stomach flu. In fact, it's so bad that sometimes I think I convince myself that I am dying too. Who knew that such a tiny microscopic bug could make a little tummy like mine react like I had succumbed to an incubous plague! Well, it does. Every time.

But I've been doing alot of thinking lately. It has to do with "in sickness and in health" that really makes my heart swell. There I was doubled over in the most unflattering fashion with the most horrible noises known to man and there he is waiting in a cozy little bed upstairs by the bathroom, waiting everytime for me to get back in so he can open up the covers for me and welcome me back in to a warm bed and his strong arms. Now if that isn't love I don't know what is. Do you have someone that still kisses you even when you have the flu? That checks your temperature by laying his cheek on your forehead? That holds your hand while you sleep and gets cold washclothes for your forehead and sippy cups full of gatorade? I don't think so. In fact I am pretty sure that I don't know anyone married to a guy like the one I have. I really feel sometimes like I don't deserve it. It's that good.

He even makes me my lunch for the day. Yes. My favorite too. Peanut butter and jelly. I love him so much I could just... well, smother him with lovin'. Mmmhm!

So on to getting better and taking care of my poor dear one that is nothing other then stranded at home taking a nap between watching the Mummy (see I told you he was super cute). And that brings me to the homemade bread....

See, I have this thing about homemade bread. This belief that a home just isn't a home until it has had real homemade bread baked in it's oven. My bread. My new home. My new bread pan. My oven. I guess you can see I am a bit passionate about it. And look, it turned out just as it should. Moist and spongey, light and flaky perfectly browned crust (believe me... that was a weird one even for me) and a heavenly taste and aroma. He was excited too! Oh yes, we both were. Waiting for it to rise, twice. Wiating for the oven to warm and heat. Waiting for the goodness to come up and show itself up out of that pan. Then holding it with glee as I placed it proudly on the counter and stood looking at it in amazement. "I did it. I made bread in MY home." Not my mom's house, not my girlfriends' homes. But mine. For MY little family. Just the two of us. And so came the moment to saw into that golden round heap and slather salty and sweet butter on it and gobble it up. One... by one... by one. Mmmm! Too delightful for words. And I smiled. Yep. My home was real and complete in someway. I had made it so... with my two own hands. Wow.

It made it safe somehow. Warm. Cozy. Full of good things. It truly is my Gingerbread House. My little brick house with it's warming oven and sweet treats and delicious meals, kisses, hugs, and nights in front of the television watching movies, praying and singing and living. It's just the way I've always wanted. Emily's house. Yes.

And that people. That's a good thing.

{thinking through: messages from the heart}

2011-12-20T16:27:00.000-06:00

I've been finding myself thinking through alot of challenging topics lately. Mostly personal ones. The ones that kind of stop you dead in your mental track and make you want to jot down a quick note and come back to it later so you can visit in prayer and ask God what direction He is actually talking about.

My life has taken HUGE directional shaping shifts in the last six months. Who knew that so much could change, in such a wonderful way. It makes me a bit blurry-eyed when I think that now, instead of looking ahead and wondering, I am living. And living it in the whole.

I couldn't have wondered or even imagined what it would be like to be a mother, or an aunt or a daughter-in-law or for that matter a wife. Women all over the world come to a realization at some time or another that all of sudden they have reached "it". You know... that moment where you kind of look at yourself in the mirror and go, "Awwww... wow. Did this just happen?" And then you answer yourself, or at least I do... (okay... yes, I do talk to myself and occasionally answer ;) "And yeah... it just sorta did."

WOW!

Yes, a "wow" deserves a line of it's own, because it's really that big. Well for me at least. I guess I just didn't know what it was that actually happened. Early on while I was getting to know my husband he would occasionally say after hearing some of my child hood stories of farming that I had a pioneer spirit. I would think back on all those strong women in my family, my great grandmothers, grandmoms and my own mother and feel proud that I was next to them, although not ever feeling like one of them. Then one day, looking at all I've done... I realized that all of sudden not only am I next to and apart of but down right dang in the mix of it myself and I must say enjoying it. Full throttle ahead... big girl boots on and blazen the trails with hair in the wind wild for a life that God prepared in a little girls heart to take on.

Remember about a month ago when I listed all those things, career options and what-not that I had to shed from myself in order to step out in freedom and be... well, free? Well I'm looking back at that list and finding something really fantastic....

I have become a motivational speaker, makeup artist, cook and baker, photographer, crafter, stylist, writer, dreamer, and doer! Okay... maybe not professionally but I am these things!!! I talk to girls about their bueaty and worth, help them put on makeup and give them pointers on their outfits, love to take my little iPhone wherever I am and punch away for pictures, bake and cook for my hubby and write and dream on this blog. Now I understand why women the world over have found so much to enjoy in a place so public yet so private to their hearts. They can share that they are so much more then just a title of wife, mother, or worker. They are a list of many talents, skills, and inspirations!

I've never been good at keeping New Year's Resolutions or resolutions for anything for that matter. In fact, lists, aside from the ones I keep at work, not only stress me out but limit me in some way. I feel like, heck, if I don't complete that thing on the list or lets say do something outside of the list then it was kind of like coloring outside of the lines in a way... and I'll get my hand slapped. Well, subconsciously that's what I do. So I have allowed myself to NOT be a listy (a.k.a crazy list maker personage). One thing though that I know I HAVE to do is blog more. I find that writing no matter what it's about really opens up my heart and heals me in the process. I'm shocked by some things I put on here when I look back over old posts. Yet I know that some of the biggest eye-opening moments are the ones I have when I've taken pen to paper and just emptied out my little heart. So, in attempts to be more transparent to myself and my life's little story... there is going to be more blogging going on to the APPLAUSE of many... and my many sorries for not being a more attentive blogger and doing just what I knew I should. BLOG. So thank you, all of you that continue to read, wonder and become inspired. I need you, I love reading your comments, and I really want to not only make myself proud but YOU in the process too, not of me but of yourself. Why? Because you deserve to be proud of you and what God created. In fact, I say... Yell it from the rooftops. I can just see Him smile. :-)

Until next time....

{merry merry christmas}

2011-12-15T19:59:00.001-06:00

It's been a very merry Christmas around the McClain home. Just look at that wreath full of 'joy'. Honestly... It couldnt be more cute! I'm even more proud because I made it. Yes, Emme made it. Her very own Christmas wreath. :-D the only thing missing? A bow. I know. I have the ribbon but at this point not the guts... Or should i say the know how on how to make one. Well I would have if Safari on my iPhone would have let me download the video from Better Homes and Gardens on how to make a bow for a Christmas wreath. I guess that's just a another tell tale sign that I need to buckle down and spend the extra buckeroos for the 4S. Well, soon... mobile Blogger. Soon! But in any case, here it is. I love it alot!

{lazy weekend rituals}

2011-12-13T13:59:00.002-06:00

It was just a wonderful weekend!

{it's a snowy one}

2011-11-16T08:27:00.001-06:00

My name etched into a table at Caribou Coffee. How weird is that?

Yay! It's finally here. Snow! I know... wacky me. But it's true. I squeeled a little bit over it last night as honey and I got ready to rest under the covers. The frost, the glimmering icicles and the warm feeling you get in your heart when you think of all the fun holidays up ahead. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years. All waiting and brand new and worth rediscovering all over again. I have some fun new things I want to try like old fashioned cookies using irons and such. I can't wait to post pictures of THOSE adventures. Probably means you'll see me in a bunch of flour and sticky with goopy dough, sugars and frosting. YAY!

What else has been going on? Well, next week, over Thanksgiving, honey and I will be bussing it to Cleveland with our polka group to perform on stage for all the admiring polka peoples. LOL! Not being home for the first time in my life for Thanksgiving is a kind of weird feeling. I've known for a while now so I've had plenty of time to process it but it still will be weird not going over to the house and enjoying that traditional meal with my sisters. I look forward to calling them though and hearing all about it. If it has snowed, how the turkey is doing or whatever savory meat mom has decided on, and if the cranberry salad worked better this year then last.

With marriage comes a whole new outlook on what family is. I think you grow up thinking that family and or family traditions are what they are because of what you have always remembered and I know a lot of people that get bent out of shape because a holiday or event has gone differently then they planned. The expected people weren't there, we didn't get the Butterball turkey we ALWAYS get and on and on. Also not many people get the advantage like I have of marrying into a kind and loving family. It has been a gift. A blessing of sweetness I could have never prayed enough for. =) I have gained, not lost. I am surrounded, not alone. And I feel treasured. Always. SO wonderful! =)

So what are your holiday plans? I look forward to hearing about them!

{weekend round-up}

2011-11-14T09:57:00.001-06:00

Good Monday to yah!

Yep, back to work. Boy was it hard waking up this morning. I would so have loved to just stay in bed, cuddle up to my cozy love and call it a day. But I guess every day can't be a Sunday morning. Well, in my book it would be. :-)

But without further adieu here are my Instagram pics from our weekend together. Enjoy!

A Fa La La Latte at Caribou and a slice of banana bread. Mmmm... it was sunny and chilly on Friday. Got some errands done too!

And I love the way that Caribou thinks of the little things. Look at this neat napkin! Love it!

Then on Saturday, honey and I went to a UMD Bulldogs (University of Minnesota Duluth) hockey game. It was AWESOME and they won!!! Go DOGS!!!!

Love hockey... and football (getting the hang of it actually, yay!)

Tonight? The Vikings are playing against the Greenbay Packers. Oh yeah... So honey and I are heading to Blackwoods restaurant to watch the game and enjoy a few appetizers. Mmmm!

I hope you enjoyed YOUR weekend! I know I sure did!

Next weekend? I have to some Christmas shopping done. Yikes! I have my list... just need to actually get to it. :-) Whew.

{happy conclusion: series on giving thanks}

2011-11-10T11:53:00.001-06:00

Yesterday I had an eye-awakening experience. A moment in my life that I know for certain I will never forget. One of those times where you purpose yourself to see your life. What it was, what it is, and what it could be. And a certain resolve inside my heart began... something I never thought I'd be mature enough to accept. Something I thought I'd be settled to do when I was a few years older, retired, kicking back my heels and scouring over inspiration boards to decide "what's next?" Only I think that happened for me yesterday, instead.... it just sorta hit me is all.

I've been consumed lately with an idea that I hadn't quite found the epitome of being if you know what I mean. And I guess that sounds like youth talking there. But it was a bit more then that for me. I had a bunch of old conversations racing back and forth in my not so organized cerebral cortex... composing a list... and here it is... a list of things that I had DREAMED of doing. Or more so, fantazied over. Some of them are worth laughing about... but I'm being honest... they made me stop and think. Quite often actually. Wondering if I had wasted an opportunity and maybe in my pursuit to get to ONE place I managed to miss the Right/TRUE place all together. So here goes the list...

forensic scientist
interior designer
lawyer
teacher
college administrator
bank broker
writer/author
professional photographer
baker
flower shop owner
event planner for the big shots
magazine editor
life coach
advocate
speaker
musician
vocalist and etertainer
researcher
philanthropist
world traveler
student
entrepreneur
athlete
professional cake decorator
actress
super model
(blah, blah, choke... yeah... blah)

... and I suppose the list could go on and on. But that is where I felt comfortable resting...

These were ideals of my future. Ideals that once I wrote each one out and weighed the pros and cons on paper... something I never did, I realized that my desires were very performance based. A reality of my life for a very long time before I had a chance to actually have someone speak into my life and make me notice them. Not that performance is bad. But in my case it was. It was to stand above the crowd, make myself proud while putting others down and most likely ruin myself in the process.

One of the most humbling experiences I had this past summer was realizing how stuck up I had become in my opinion of others. I wanted to wave my glimmering cocktail ring, flash my killer smile and sway in and out of traffic in a high rise affording the comforts and also not comprehending the calamities that come from living in vanity. The vanity of a broken heart. Thankfully I was able to talk to someone about those things... and realized that long ago my passion was to go out and work in the streets with the homeless, pick them up out of the rubble of their grime, their debt, their insecurities, their sexually transmitted diseases and their broken hearts. Things I didn't have, but things I wanted to know more about because I felt this deep love and belonging to be there. But I felt compelled to blaze ahead and make my mark on the world. Only I realized that my mark would have been just another imprint of someones selfish motives and... gain. (hard swallow). Thankfully after alot of prayer and inner healing with hours spent wretching my soul and heart out over the bed post, I was able to hear my heart talking. The heart that God had created.

Another thing I surmised from this list I created yesterday, is just how stressful those stypes of jobs are to me.. in reality. I don't enjoy the thought of doing one of them at all. Just a few examples I'll share are this:

Forensic lab tech.

Okay. Sounds cool. Who wouldn't want to be as awesome as Abby Sciuto on NCIS. But in reality... you are going to be working with dead bodies. That is one things I absolutely ABHORE! Body parts, body fluids, dead things. They make me faint with the willies and that is truth. Scratch that from the list.

Lawyer.

Do I have the brains? Hell yeah. Do I love the outfit? You betcha baby. However, big problem here. I would ultimately in most cases end up having to defend someone I know in my HEART would be dead wrong. I can't justify certain things and I also am not the type to bend the rules to give me a promotion, put my face up on a billboard or have people send me congratulatory crates of wine. I'd die. Not right away but later I would. Oh and not to offend any one on purpose, because I know for a fact that there are awesome lawyers out there, but I would have become a nasty man hater, single, still abused, and drinking my life away while I dressed myself in Gucci. Yep. One big, cold heart smuggler of lies. Yuck.

Want another one? Sure you do. Because I want you to see just how hard I worked and how good God is.

Philanthropist.

Who DOESN'T like money? My gosh. Blow me away with it and wrap me up in a cacoon. It really DOES make life easier and if it is given to the right person it could make a hell of a lot of difference too. With the right person. Only thing is... don't you dislike those people that have all that money then go around waving it nonchalantly (because they can) then ever so often when the spirit stirs them (chuckle)... they go and help some poor needy soul and EVERYONE hears about it? Even if it was down quitely and discreetly somehow (and you know how) the real deal comes out and it usually comes out when that other person for some reason, the poor soul, finds themselves at odds with the giver. Then all of a sudden the plight of helping out that once so lowly person becomes the breadth and width of martyrdom. Oh SAVE me God from such a fate. Therefore, and I am so comfortable to have God lavish on me the love that He has for me to give. Love is sacrifice. You can't tell me it isn't because everything about love is sacrifice. Philanthropy is NOT sacrifice. It's just bending the bucket over enough for a few drops to flow and very subjectively hold it back until YOU feel that your desired wishes for that person are met. All of a sudden it isn't God's money anymore or even His plan for that person's life. It's yours. And that... gosh.. that scares me to death. I don't want to be God. LOL!

So there... reality check complete ( and you are glad I only share with you the THREE of the 26 fantasies I had) and I would like to say... a very happy one. But this is what I found yesterday as I was looking over the Skyline over my beautiful Duluth... all ready for winter...

...was that I know what I am destined for and what I am SO happy to embrace.

Cuz here I am, a 27 year old wife, with two children and a grandaughter. =) (You should SEE my smile). This is a job that is beautiful and fits me to a "T". I don't want to be a professional cook or baker, but I want to make my family the best, so I will continue to hone my craft. I'm not super crafty but every once in a while I love making something that stirs my heart, warms the soul, and brings coziness to my home.

I'm not rich, can't stand in front of a judge, can't design a building or piece together a broken body... but I am rich in spirit, stand up for what's right, make a pretty hunky dorey cake with my Wilton cake decorating kit (love that thing) and kiss the hurts. That's dreaming.

And dreams aren't about being skinny, walking down a runway or running down a track in two minutes flat. It's about glowing, healthy, confidence, something you can be proud of, show off and kick up your work boots, flats or heals about in equally humble fashion... whatever your style, or mine is for that matter, because it changes all the time... hour, minute, second.

What I found is that I don't have to do any of those things on my long list of day dreams in order to live a well fashioned life. In fact, I already do alot of them anyway... as hobbies that I fully and utterly enjoy. I know that if I took one of them on as a profession the joy and luster of them would fade and it would end up just as I dread it would. A chore. Now that would be worth crying over. So no. Guess what? I am a wife! A mother! A grandma for heavens sake! And I couldn't be happier. I am going to make cakes, take photos for my blog, watch NCIS, enjoy day trips in my car like a dog all gaga over car rides and decorate my home, and love on and lift up all those around me like it is no one else's business and I am going to be better then anyone too. ;-) Because I feel... Like I'm finally living the life that I KNOW in my heart God called and set apart for me to do. This is my ministry. My life to touch others and breathe into them the same love and joy and care that God showed me when I thought I was miss hot stuff (rolling my eyeballs).

Yeah... that's something to GIVE THANKS about.

{date night: coldstone ice cream}

2011-11-09T10:10:00.002-06:00

I love ice cream. In fact, if I had a choice between ever eating anything ever again, last meal sort of thing... it would probably be ice cream. And yes, I did refer to it as a meal. By golly... I am most honestly one of those people that DOES eat dessert before the actual meal and I like it that way. Mmmm... so good. But anyways, back to how much I LOVE ice cream and thankfully hubby agrees, wholeheartedly. :-) Thank goodness! Whew. (wipes sweat from concerned brow).

Coldstone is our very favorite and may I add... our first date spot too. Over three years ago now. :-) What a precious memory. :-)

This makes me more excited then seeing colorful candies lined up in jars!

His? Chocolate lovers with brownie. LOVE it.
Hers? Sweet cream with graham cracker and Heath candy bar. Mmm. LIKE it. ;-)

Oh yeah... look at that big honking brownie sticking out of his. Sheesh!

Must love a guy that likes ice cream and even more so a guy that will trail behind you carrying a basket as I parade through Michaels (before said ice cream drop off) picking out little trinkets for making a wreath for a silent auction at work. But look at all my cool supplies! And all for under $30 too! I have a bunch of unused burlap from the wedding, glue and neat crafty paper too. Honey says that at the rate I'm going I'll need to get myself a craft box. LOL! Ooo.. don't tempt me. I just might take that on. I have a few ideas to start my own online shop... off the blog through Etsy. I would really like your ideas and advice if you have ever done it.

FUN!

Oh and before you grow too concerned that my husband only has sweets for dinner, you can be rest assured that we had a pretty super tasting soup right before we headed out. Mmmm... something to warm the soul and the heart before the trek out in the chilly air.

Oh my goodness right?

And, AND, just take a look at this framed picture! We came home to a large box on the front step... well two actually (my dress came back from being cleaned and packaged) and another. I opened it up and couldn't believe me eyes! Inside was a watercolor from my hubby's aunt detailing the barn where we got married! Here he had talked to her before the wedding, hoping to have her do a picture of the barn for me for his bride. Wow. I cried. Yep I did. The sobbing kind... with BIG tears. My heart just melted. What a sweet, kind man. Gosh. I treasure him. :-)

So that night... under the blankies in my new bed close to my love I GAVE THANKS. With all my heart!

{truth to share: series on giving thanks}

2011-11-08T09:20:00.002-06:00

I love quotes and I love even more how some of them resonate deep inside you. I happened upon this one in particular not too long ago and fell in love... literally.

There is in every true woman's heart, a spark of heavenly fire, which lies dormant in the broad dalight of perperity, but which kindles up and beams and blazes in the dark hour of adversity.

I hope it speaks to your heart has much as it did mine. And hopefully as you remember yourself in these moments in time, during the moments that find you fighting for breath and belonging and grasping for some truth that you remember that God created in you a spark of heavenly fire that was meant to pull itself up from the ashes and look into the eyes of your savior and relinquish control, and choose life over death. Stop ruminating on the past and the round table of never ending angonies that never get resolved. Stop shaming and blaming in your hurt, bitterness and missed opportunities.

One of the things I have struggled to resolve for myself is why certain people find the need to put others down just when they needed those people in their lives... and most often were the strongest to bring them through. I get these calls from girlfriends who I haven't heard from in years wanting advice when their own scorn burned and scared my heart. Now, I can choose to do the same, I can choose to dwell on the differences of their lifestyles from mine, their outlooks on life and even their relationship with God. However, what I cannot dimiss is their need for relationship and my call by God to maybe be the only real relational loving character in their life, possibly guiding them to Christ. Why is MY vindicatioin more important then their salvation? (Wise words). Moreover, why are MY attributes assets and theirs a liability in my mind. When if you think strongly on what it says in the Word, Paul said that all he was, all his training and wordly titles and accomplishments were nothing in the grand scheme of things... especially considering that all of it is dust. Just makes you think... well it makes me think anyway.

My boss the other day... asked me why I can treat people so fairly, even the ones that don't deserve to be treated that way. I looked at him and said, "Because I have no reason NOT too. I have no right by God to talk behind their backs, get even, or suggest to others that their right is wrong in my eyes. Who is the judge? I most certainly am not." His eyes got big and I think I painted a picture for him. "Furthermore, I said, "These chidlren... no matter what their age have a mother. I can't hurt someone's kid." He chuckled but I was serious.

It's life lessons like these that make me want to GIVE THANKS.

Emily

{weekend recap}

2011-11-07T09:20:00.001-06:00

Walloped. I mean it too. Saturday took on a whole new form of being just dead serious sick. High fever, aches from head to toe and now... crud in the lungs that just keeps tickling my throat. Yuck. Dear hubby has the yuck too and is managing to make it through the night without too much couphing, poor guy.

A few things I realized that I never understood so well before... before I was married. Just how much your heart GROWS in depth and caring and empathy. When I thought I could only love SO much and then there... without even telling you, you find yourself loving more. More purely, more deeply, more in the now. I have heard from other women that holding your new born baby for the first time is one of those experiences as well... that this love just takes over you... and you don't know where it comes from, but that it just has arrived. Well, in any case, I love being married. It was meant to be. =)

So a little weekend recap. Come Sunday I was feeling much better and we decided to head out on a lunch date after church at one of our favorite places, the Northern Waters Smokehaus down in Canal Park. I've blogged about it before, but never really got a chance perse to tell you just why I love it so much. =) Well here goes!

Cute atmosphere in the Smokehaus Cafe...

They find the neatest chips to go along with lunch... Gourmet and organic. Hubby and I both picked something we never had before. He liked the Parmesan and Garlic and I went with the sweet Maui Onion. AWESOME!

Our drive down to Park Point. Rather dark and windy but mysterious too in a way.

THIS is the sandwhich... half of it too by the way. The Cajun Finn. Nothing like it in the whole world. A crunchy/chewy Ciabatta bun with cream cheese on one side and dilled cream cheese on the other. Then romaine lettuce, pickled banana peppers, oven roasted red bell peppers in olive oil, the smoked salmon and again that lovely dilled cream cheese... nothing like it. And very filling. Mmmmm! WOW!!

Seagulls swaying back in forth above the car from the strong breeze off the bay. Honey and I laughed over the antics of the goofy birds. It was hysterical!

Our pop tops from the cream soda and rootbeer. Hubby's favorite is cream soda. Love it!

A close up. ;-)

And that was our lunch date! LOVE it. Thanks honey!

{happy friday}

2011-11-04T12:47:00.001-05:00

Happy Friday and welcome to a new cold. Awesome. Honey had one so I think I was due... but yucky... I don't like them one bit. But I guess no one does do they? Headache, chills, aches... all that lovely stuff... and don't forget about the sore throat. I think that is the worst part. But thanks to a stash of zinc losenges from my honey, I should be good to go in no time at all!
Some pictures from Instagram from the week... love these!

A Caribou run... Mmmm... White Chocolate Pumpkin Latte. Happiness in a cup!

A storm over Lake Superior looking over Skyline. Wow uh? Yeah... it gave ME goosebumps.

Watching the Vikings WIN this time... Honey and I were in our cozies enjoying the game.

My first time making cookies in my new kitchen! YAY!

{now presenting mr. and mrs.}

2011-11-03T08:47:00.002-05:00

I am back and all the wedding planning, unpacking and preparing are behind me and I am happily married and settling in to my new life. I had a lot of advice going into this wedding. Don't do this, do this, don't do that, you'll regret that. And honestly, there isn't anything I didn't do or did or regretted doing that day. It was perfect. And when I say perfect, it really was and thanks to all the people involved and all the great planning that hubby and I did for a good five months beforehand, it went without a hitch. :-)

I will have a full wedding story and pictures coming soon... I'm just reprogramming my brain housing group and also looking at others way to reprogram this blog to fit my new outlook and my new adventures. Look forward to upcoming awesomeness!

Emily

{preparing hydrangeas for a fall display}

2011-10-03T12:51:00.001-05:00

Well hello again!

If you can't tell already (especially after me blogging for over three years) you know I have a huge obsession with the season fall. Something about it just makes me SO happy. And one of those things is gathering fall flowers to dry and arrange for around the house, livening up some of those dreary months of winter up ahead.

Thankfully, my almost hubby's garden is overflowing with the most dramatic and stunning hydrangeas you have ever seen! (I know... how lucky am I to have a guy with a green thumb? ) Anyway, yesterday I spent part of the morning going through the changing blooms and snipping them to dry for the wedding less then three weeks away (pic attached). There are a few tips though that make drying hydrangeas a snap!

The secret to perfectly dried hydrangeas is very simple. Wait until they are ready before picking them. The timing is much more important than the method one uses to dry them.
While it is tempting to cut the hydrangea blossoms for drying at the height of their color, this doesn't work. Fresh, recently opened blooms, rarely dry well in the open air. Hydrangeas do best when allowed to dry on the plant before picking them (believe me... I learned the hard way once). Experiment with harvesting from August through October.

Cutting the blooms is realy easy too. I like my stems long so that I can arrange them easier. Otherwise, you are arranging little puff balls and it's rather awkward. While you are snipping near the base, strip the leaves at the same time. I usually keep a bag next to me where I can feed them into while I'm working (they go into the compost bin afterward) then I arrange the blooms on their stalks in a laundry basket (you'll be surprised how quickly you run out of room with that many blossoms.) After you have cut all the stems that you like, give them a little jiggle to remove any buggies before bringing them inside. Then, get a large container something that has some natural weight to it (I used a vintage glass pitcher) and arrange them naturally without water. They will try on their own in about a week or two. On a side note, make sure that they aren't in a window with full sun. The blooms will wilt and then won't dry as nicely. Just put them in a shady corner or better yet a dry corner of your basement and then bring them up when they are ready.
In the south, hydrangeas usually age to a blushing green color and then pick up shades of pink and burgundy as Fall approaches. In the cooler areas of the world, they seem to age to shades of blue and purple. They are both equally beautiful to me, but very different. Here in Duluth, the hydrangeas turn a lovely shade of burgundy and cream with purpley and bluey-green highlights. SO lovely.
So there you go, a fool proof way of cutting and setting hydrangeas to decorate your house for fall and winter! Have any questions? Just let me know. I'd love to help you with ideas.

Emme

{hiatus over and an announcement}

2011-09-22T10:18:00.000-05:00

Wow, I hadn't realized that it was over two months since I've actually blogged about anything. Alot has happened in the past two months and an update is in order! STAT! :-)

So why the big gap in time? Well I'll tell you and it was for good reason, yes sir's and ma'ams! ;-) Emily's Muse has a Mr. in her life and she is getting married this October 22nd. So now you know why I have been absent. No time to blog because I have been busy wedding planning. And what fun it is! Especially when you have such a fun and willing partner who has as much creative juices flowing in his handsome head as I thought I've ever had myself. So without further adieu, blogging is back in my life and so are the fun updates, adventures, recipes and now the addition of lovely love! YAY! Can't wait to keep you all in the loop.

Emme

P.S. Just one of the many projects underway. Jars of bumbleberry jam for wedding favors. Gosh, I sure do love my Instagram app!

{hello}

2011-07-11T11:11:00.000-05:00

Hello Monday.

Hello all the work piled up on my desk with no end in sight.

Hello to a lovely drive in to work with the Duluth hills as my back drop.

Hello sunny tan on my arms and face. Gosh, it's been a long time since I've had such nice color. =)

Hello peanut butter and jelly sammwhich for lunch. Mmmm, nothing like a good sammy!

Hello everyone! I hope you have a happy Monday!

{a happy 4th}

2011-07-05T11:53:00.000-05:00

It was a happy 4th and look at all the great pics! =)

{what's up then}

2011-06-30T11:20:00.000-05:00

Gosh, I've been busy traveling, cooking, baking, and crafting over the past couple of weeks! So I think an update is in order!

(mmmm, so good)

Do you ever crave something that no matter how many times you eat it, it still tastes as good as it did the first time and you want more? Well, that has been me and my new found crowd pleaser. Banana pudding! Whip up the vanilla jello pudding, let it set in the fridge for a half hour, slice up some nanas and there you go. Designing a healthy and delicious treat! Mmmm!

(jack, my boyfriend ;-) )

Jack the kitty sleeping while I finish this punch project... what do you think of the green mani? I LOVE IT! My next project is this crocheted coffee mug holder.

(home sweet home punch project)

Volleyball kicked butt last night, we only won one game out of the three sets but who cares? It's so much fun to hang around with good people that make you laugh harder then you should. =)

Oh and I just got back from five days up in the Boundary Waters. Want a tip? Bring LOTS of bugs spray and I mean LOTS. Those mosquitoes are of the rather venomous "I-want-to-eat-you-up-in-one-sitting" kind of bugs. My legs are still puffy with all the bites. OUCH! Thank goodness for benadryl right before sleep at night. (pictures coming soon!)

(blueberry mead for a nice refreshment)

Oh and I am making this and this for the 4th. Only thing is, I wonder if anything will be open because Minnesota is facing a major state shutdown. Blah. Here we go again!

{a few ideas}

2011-06-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

Okay, so I was spending some time last week looking through some design archives and came across a few pictures that I thought were pretty awesome, color and style wise. I thought I'd share them here and get you all in the mood for those summer colors!

I love the white walls and accents in this room. Adding colored accesories really brighten it up without having to get too expensive trying to design a room. White is an excellent palette to work with!

A breakfast cornor nook like this not only saves space but also brings a bit of soft warmth to an area too!

I love the dove grey alongside the robin egg blue. This would be a beautiful color for a kitchen!

The something neat here is that you can decorate with clear containers filled with pasta, cookies or other essential at-your-fingertip baking or cooking things. You save valuable cupboard space for those more unsightly items and let the others become more usable and at the same time add dynamic.

{blueberry crumble}

2011-06-08T11:19:00.000-05:00

I love baking and I love even more the satisfaction of knowing that you can throw all of those ingredients together and some how every time it comes out great. Are you like me where you often times hold your breath and close your eyes with a silent prayer, praying that when you open up the oven the vision of delight and sweetness will in fact be a reality? Well, sometimes I do and last night was one of those sometimes. Like I said, I love baking but when you have been a busy college student for a good portion of eight years of your life you almost worry if you will ever really be able to bake or cook at all. At least I know that sometimes I worry. But I think, thankfully to my mom that she taught me well and to my grandma that she had enough patience to hang in the kitchen with me when I was too little to understand that you don't throw in a whole box of baking soda when she turns her back on you to go and get the eggs. =) (sorry grandma)

Anyways, long story short, I made an awesome blueberry crumble last night for dessert. Yep. It was pretty tasty! And who can resist using last years fresh wild blueberries? It just makes you happy!

Blueberry Crumble
(bake time 30 minutes; 375 degrees)

Filling:

1 tsp unsalted butter, softened
2 pints (4 cups) thawed blueberries, or any other berry
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 tbls cornstarch
1/2 cup of orange juice
1 tsp vanilla extract

Struesel Topping:

1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/c cup granulated sugar
6 tbls of butter, cold, cut into pieces
1/2 cup of oats
1/2 cup of chopped toasted pecans

Assembly:

Preheat oven to 375. Lightly butter an 8x8 -inch square baking dish.

For the filling: In a bowl, add the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, orange juice and vanilla. Carefully mix ingredients together with a spatula, being careful to not crush the blueberries. Set aside while you assemble the topping.

For the topping: In a bowl, add the four, sugars, and butter. Incorporate the butter into the mixture until it resembles loose crumbs. Stir in the oats and nuts.

Pour the filling into your square pan and evenly distribute the topping over the fruit. Bake for 30 minutes, or unitl the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling. Cool slightly and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

ENJOY!

{hello monday}

2011-06-06T15:07:00.000-05:00

It's Monday and what a lovely one at that! Wow. The breeze off the lake is a bit brisk but otherwise, who can complain when the sun is so bright and shiny? I sure couldn't. :-) Makes me want to day dream a bit...

A clawfoot tub
a sunny yellow kitchen
a belly up kitty in the late sun
a painted wooden porch swing
a slow dance in the backyard
a cheerful goldfinch song
firefliews in the grass
banana bread and chamomile tea
a sleeping puppy
an old barn for exploring
the baby in a wash tub

{long time no speak'um}

2011-06-03T15:57:00.000-05:00

Whew. I've been a busy, busy girl. Meetings, things to do, people to see. Summer. Kind of. Yeah... it's not quite summer here yet. Heck, it's not even quite spring yet. Well, okay you could argue that MAYBE but if you lived here like I do you would say that it wasn't until last week that the leaves on the trees really made their entrance. I know right? Just awful. Then put yourself in my shoes. That's kinda miserable right? No spring... summer? Ahhh... whenever it decides to show up. So here I am. Complaining I guess. At least it's not 97 degrees like it's been in part of the south. Now that would be just plain icky! YUCK!

So off I go to head home and spend the evening outside in the sticky damp cold air and sell raffle tickets for a sporting/fishing event. Yay!

Happy Friday!

{happy friday and jumping in puddles}

2011-05-20T11:20:00.000-05:00

{via}

As a child one of my favorite things to do was to sit in our covered porch when it rained and listen to the rain drops hit the roof and watch them trickle down in pretty swiggles as they made their way down the pain of glass. I'd sit out there for hours which in my case was pretty often, especially if you live in a rainy spring climate like Duluth. Then, when the lightening and thunder would stop, I'd pull on my rain coat and my water boots and my little umbrella and go hoping in to the puddles. Just because I could. As an adult I haven't done too much of that lately. In fact, I miss it. And with this weekend of rain approaching I'm really looking forward to doing just that. Except this time, I don't have rain boots or a rain jacket. But I have a really neat umbrella that needs to be tried out. =)

I hope your Friday is wonderful as I know mine will be!

{volleyball}

2011-05-19T16:23:00.000-05:00

Guess what I'm doing which is super fun and exciting? I'm playing on a volleyball team. Yep! First time. Not the best first time but gosh darn it I am going to make them better each time. Practice, practice. It just reminds me of all the cool stuff I'm starting to do now and be apart of. Things I never even imagined I do in the past. Singing in a HUGE 130 voice choir for our cities symphony, playing a great sport, and running around town having a blast doing a bunch of other neat things. Sure makes life exciting!

Are there any new things you have started that you never thought you would but now you enjoy? Tell me about them!

{razzle dazzle}

2011-05-17T11:19:00.001-05:00

I took this picture today in our atrium at work. I was surprised by the bright colors and flashy leaves of this one succulent plant. I love how nature has so much beauty and isn't afraid to show it off. Wouldn't that be sad to see a flower all hovered, it's petals bent towards the ground? Instead they lift their heavy blooming heads and show the whole world! It's a marvelous thing!

Enjoy!

{it was off to the cities with me}

2011-05-16T11:39:00.000-05:00

Yep, spent a weekend in the Twin Cities and did some shopping, eating, and sightseeing with my friend Kelly in Shakopee and Watertown. Fun times! Here are some pics!

Stopped off at Chipolte for lunch. Their burritos are the bomb!

Some lovely Cistine art work at a local coffee shop...

The Crow River Coffee Company in Watertown was especially quaint!

Waiting for my vanilla latte!

Some of the store fronts along main street.

Mmmm... jewels and beads and chains of fancy things! Love it!

{it's a celebration!!}

2011-05-11T09:51:00.000-05:00

Life is, that is, and so is eating a Butterfinger candy bar for breakfast when you don't feel good. Maybe followed up with a couple of lonely jelly beans too... you know all that left over Easter candy. Yep. I still have some. Alot actually. You know how you keep all the undesirables to the very end? Why not just throw them out instead of eating them anyway? But you do... because if you didn't then that means sharing them with sisters who would get just silly showing you then their HUGE pile of candy and comparing to YOUR small batch now. It's a pride thing I think... in the Richardson household it is. =) LOL! Although... this year I had it on them.... I managed to still have WAY more candy then they did after it was all said and done. So I walk away the winner. Now they are begging ME for pieces. MMmmm... the agony of denying them. Oh well. =) ROFL!

So today... posting more sunny pictures because I need them. Walking Pneumonia is pretty nasty... and I'm just so tired. Yuck. But these perk me right up!

AhhhhDORABLE outfit. Sheesh! =)

Oh this is just sweet and homey. Love the country vibe!

You know you want them. You hate the idea but you really, REALLY want them. ;-)

Love that blue. So happy!

And this kitchen... simple but classy at the same time.

Every girl loves the idea of flowers in her hair. Peonies are my favorite!

A hip home office. I would love to be able to work from home some day!

Hot chocolate. It's a staple. =)

Haven't seen any butterflies yet but we do have some lovelies in Duluth!

This has got to be my most favorite picture EVER. A yellow Piano. Now that is one special gal. Mmm!

{happy thoughts despite a late spring}

2011-05-10T10:50:00.000-05:00

Maybe not here it isn't but somewhere else it probably is. Someplace else they have warm sun, chipper little birds squeaking and singing, and even better yet, trees budding and flowers coming into existence. Not here though. Not yet. That won't happen until about the beginning or so of June. Which reminds me, I can't be the only one that has to wait and wait until spring arrives. Are there others? I'd love to hear your thoughts on how you handle late springs. Because I'm a bit blue about it myself. =(

Anyways... on to brighter and fluffier thoughts. =) Like these!

{mother's day recap}

2011-05-09T11:52:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone and happy belated Mother's Day to all of you mothers or to-be mums!

Us girlies took mum to the Lighthouse on Homestead. It was a really fabulous, family friendly restaurant. Here are some pictures I took of the inside. So sweet! I had one of the best hamburgers ever too. It was called the Clover Valley. It was a cream cheese and green olive spread on top of a lean 1/3 pounder beef patty. And each plate had a lovely orchid on it. A very nice presentation.

The entrance. Just a bit cloudy here but the light was so dim.

Mum. Hiding... of course. =)

Kids from Northshore Community school drew pictures for the walls. So pretty and vibrant!

I'm a root beer gal and this stuff was the best I've ever had!

Ashley made mom a pretty pink angel food cake belated from her birthday that she had back in March when she was in Scotland. Look it all the fun sprinkles. Ash is so creative!

{happy friday!}

2011-05-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

It's another Friday which means another weekend is coming up and I'm super excited. Excited for sleep and potato soup, and slow walks outside in the sunny cool air. I'm trying my best to recuperate slowly without totally killing myself from this nasty cold. My friend Kelly who works in the ICU told me that the place is jam packed with people who didn't take care and it went into bronchitis and pnuemonia. Yuck. So I AM taking care not to end up like those poor people. So off I go to eat oreos, sip on hot tea and drink up warm sun as I lounge on the chair and let it fall on to me. That would feel so nice. Kinda like a cat I guess. =)

Oh and pictures of Easter flowers from yesterday that are still vibrant and lively.

Enjoy your weekend!

{alive and breathing... sort of =) }

2011-05-04T20:11:00.000-05:00

Ever get wrangled by a cold that makes you crabby? It sure made ME crabby. Here I was, living my every day life and WHAM! Hit between the eyes with a head cold, flu, fever and just ickies. And to top it all off... on my birthday too. Yep. But no worries, Emme is getting better and hey, spring is here... I think, finally, maybe? =) Well, it was 65 degrees in Duluth today and I bet I don't have to remind you that temperatures like that are a serious heat flash for us. So despite hacking up lung material, I spent some nice time driving home with the windows all down and the sun shining on my face.

I had a wonderful birthday party though! Homemade jello cake, the company of good friends and even better sharing in the warmth of knowing your loved. There's just nothing like it! Thank you!! =)

So here I am... 27 and everything just opening up before me! YAY!

{to ponder}

2011-04-27T15:15:00.000-05:00

Anyone can slay a dragon...but try waking up every morning and loving the world all over again. that's what takes a real hero.
~Brian Andreas

{cookies, limes, and a really neat flower}

2011-04-22T11:21:00.000-05:00

Happy Good Friday everyone!!!

Just some photos from the past week for all of you!

I made an awesome keylime pie and these are the little guys who got squeezed. And guess what? I found a cool trick. I cut each in half like you see and used a garlic press to get all the juice out. And because they are so little each half fit perfectly into the hole of the press and off I went. Plopping, squeezing, picking out and then doing it all over again. Just for a 1/3 cup of juice! LOL!

Here are all the happy little Easter cookies that us girls decorated last night. The process like I mentioned the other day is pretty busy and exciting with different colors and sprinkles and fun cookie shapes to work with. YAY!

And today, in our atrium at work is a beautiful Peace Lilly just gorgeous and HUGE! My are they big. =) At least a dinner plate across in length. So lovely!

Have a happy weekend and a wonderful time with your family!

{ick days}

2011-04-21T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ever have those days (I'm sure you do and I'm not alone) when you just feel icky? Like you are coming down with something, like a cold or a flu but it doesn't actually come, it just kinda hangs back in your subconscious like a guilt? LOL! Well, that is exactly how I feel. Kinda just icky lately. I wondering if it has something to do with spring. My mom usually at this time of years complains of a "spring tummy" just that "off" feeling. Well, if that is what it is then I have it. Yuck.

But in other interesting facts Easter is upon us and so the Little Women are busy decorating our yearly 15 or so dozen sugar cookies. All those little lambs and flowers and finished carrots, and chicks and butterflies. Kinda fun. And who doesn't like working with a rainbow of sprinkles? Almost makes you forget that your tummy feels icky. =)

The snow once again has melted and all the little budding of nature is no longer halted but growing again. Gosh, it's funny to say but everything does really go by faster when you get older. The seasons change quicker and you can compare them to the really crazy seasons the year before when "this and that" happened. I remember last year in May for example when we had a major snow storm.... Let's hope THAT doesn't repeat itself!

Today I was recognized for being employed for five years at the place I work. How crazy is that. Five years. Gosh I've learned alot in those few short years... things about my strength AND my weakness. Behaviours that I am praising and continuing to work on. Nothing is more humbling then working in an environment where everything you do is scrutinized. You learn how to do your best in every circumstance and you learn that if you mess up you fess up and move on... quickly, otherwise you can get lost in the settling dust. One of the major challenges is allowing myself to still be myself and not lose my sense of self and or my sense of integrity, honestly and downright sense of positive outlook on the world. That can be hard sometimes, hard for anybody but I think I've got that part figured out. You just do with what you go to DO and at the end of the day, I'm happy I can look back knowing I didn't compromise even under extreme pressure. =)

All in all I'm looking around feeling like my real answer is that I just need a long vacation. How nice would that be? Two weeks in the sun? Mmmmm... I'm craving it. =)

{more snow}

2011-04-19T10:41:00.000-05:00

Last night we had quite the fantastic fright! A windstorm took down a tree and pulled our power lines down causing a huge power surge to absolute ly blow up and create this bright light in our front yard. Well, needless to say the tree started on fire and the wind kept blowing and after a fire truck and a crew of a few Minnesota Power guys later, the street had power again. It was 11:45 at night before they actually shut down while the snow swirled crazily around them beating in to their faces and freezing their hands. I felt so badly. All cozy in my warm bed... listening to chainsaws and loud voices calling out orders.

But the morning brought many frowny faces. Snow. ALOT of it. Five inches. It's been swirling all day and sometimes a gray cloud will crack and we will have sunshine snow, really beautiful. All that precious little green grass, little buds on the trees and crocuses and hyacinth blooming on the cold ground. So precious and pure. So sweet.

So tonight it going to be curling up for me under a few blankets while I nurse a bum leg. I did something to it that's for sure so hot pad on and a chic flick in. Hm.

But... in the mean time... Eat Drink Pretty has me salivating over this wonderful light feast pictured above! LOVE it. =)

{the sweet life}

2011-04-15T11:07:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday!

Woosh! What a LONG week. I've been reading through several blogs this week and it sounds like everyone has been experiencing the same as I. Despite coming down with a slight cold and becoming really busy lately with choirs in town here, I'm still smiling! I landed a gig here in the Duluth Superior Symphony Chorus and I sang with the Lake Superior Concert Choir last night, accompanying Michael Monroe. Gosh, I'm having the time of my life! =)

SO after all that business I have been able to still get a few moments in for inspiration. I'm looking forward to doing so much this weekend. Especially if my cold stays at bay.

Gosh, Rosie over at Sweeta Polita has a dream job. Seriously. If my dreams had come true as a young teen I totally WOULD have openend up that bakery I had plans for. I went to all the classes. How to decorate cakes, cookies. And thanks to my mom and grandma, baking and cooking just came naturally and inspiringly enough, I began to dream up fluffy clouds of whipped frosting and delicate moist cakes. So, when I found this recipe on her site for Cinnabon inspired Cinnamon buns... well, lets just say that my eyes nearly popped out of my head. These are going to be on my wish list this weekend! MMmmmmm!

I love finding new ways to do my hair. And usually, that only happens on a weekend when I have a bit more liberty to be creative because I'm not at the office. I love A Cup of Jo's new blogs on hair ideas. Click on over and get your own fixer-upper do! =) I LOVE this messy side ponytail!

Do you ever get bored wondering how you can dress up your everyday scarves? I do. I can be frustrating! But thanks to Lisa, she's managed to figure out a couple of really cool ideas for tying scarfs. So cool!

Now, do you ever find people that make living every day life just really cool? Well I think Abby is that way. Her photo blog is just a great reminder that you CAN capture beauty all around you AND joy even in normalcy. I appreciate people that can do that. Otherwise, life's too short right? =)

Happy Friday everyone!

{just a glimpse}

2011-04-13T20:40:00.000-05:00

Do you ever have daydreams of yourself in the future? Pictures of a life five to ten years down the road? I do, and they are more frequent lately. I think they are signs from God to keep me encouraged and excited about staying on track with His will for my life. I see a little girl with blonde curls, a house with rooms that contain stories of fun trips and adventures. A LARGE dining room table where family meals can be shared and a garden for my favorite flowers to sprawl. Sometimes, I get so excited about the dreams I know that can be mine that I get frustrated about waiting any longer. Then I have to remind myself that time is a great gift. There are so many things I am supposed to do and be before that happens and who would want to waste those moments being tied up in daydreams of the future? I sure wouldn't. BUT I am excited!

So before I get TOO wild, I thought I'd share some things that make me super excited right now about my life. An apartment of my own, my love, my future engagement to the man that God picks for me, a marriage and a family and the ministry God has called me to do. To minister to broken hearts, much like my very own that the Lord has been so loving to heal. Makes me super excited to get going!!!

I love my closet. Gosh, who wouldn't. With all those spring dresses and outfits to wear. They look good enough to eat!

My perfume tray where I keep neat little trinkets, my favorite every day jewelry and perhaps a nice, creamy potted candle.

Ralph is like the COOLEST dude ever. Seriously. He came up with some of the neatest phrases. I have this one tacked to the mirror behind my door. Inspiring? You bet your bottom dollar it is!

The REALLY long blonde hair days. From the Emme archives. My hair isn't close to being that long anymore but it is long. I've tried short. Doesn't work. =) However, per my incessant request, my sister Laura is going to take a picture of me that I can acually post. It might take a 101 tries but I'm determined. A blogger shall not be a true blogger without her picture. That's MY opinion anyway. And I shall succeed. =) Yes sir!!! ;-) Or ma'am... for that matter.

Happy Wednesday!

{thankful thursday}

2011-04-07T08:52:00.000-05:00

When life get's busy and thrown about by every whim and fancy of daily life sometimes you can forget how thankful you are. I know I don't have many chances to forget that, and sometimes reading other blogs and seeing the creativity of others really makes me especially thankful that I can be inspired by them... so enjoy along with me!

Lisa really made my mouth water with these sweet creations... why didn't I think of that? =)

I'm so excited to make this Anthropology inspired scarf from Pretty Ditty! How fun AND simple!

Okay, whoever heard of white chocolate brownies? I haven't and I have a feeling I've been missing out. Smitten Kitchen will be in MY kitchen this weekend. MMmmmm!

Totally love this girls flavor for fasion AND design. Check Corina out at Apartment therapy!

Design Darling has me absolutely IN LOVE with their cool office and small space style... click on over for some neat tips!

And who wouldn't love a few of these hanging up around the house? I would! =)

Just a few things to make you SUPER thankful!

{springy update}

2011-03-30T14:55:00.000-05:00

I love spring and I love what happens to everyone when it finally creeps into our neck of the woods. The bird's little voices start ringing, the lady bugs come out and the woods open up to life again. I'm looking at new life too. Basically some personal changes like a new hairdo color, fashion accessories and styles and fitness. It gets me super excited to get going! How about you? Are you finding that spring has you going a bit crazy with new ideas and inspiration? Please share!

{i'm daft}

2011-03-29T20:32:00.000-05:00

Okay, confession. Yes, I am bringing work home and yes, I work through my lunch breaks at work. You are right Papa Stephen. I am daft.

On to other events... have you ever been amazed as I have that when you go to a popular change store in search of a killer pair of jeans that the jeans you want are hanging on the manican instead and NOwhere to be found? How annoying... then when you check the model out (you know, the size?) and you discover that it IS your size, well then how are you going to get it off her. Not fun. In any case.... that is what happened here, until I dug a bit deeper and discovered a lonely pair all by iteself ready for me to slap down nearly $60! =(

Ever find yourself in a situation where the outfit your dying to wear in no longer in stock or perhaps no longer made? Hate that.

{no storm, no snow even}

2011-03-24T08:01:00.000-05:00

Ever been disappointed? Well, the weather service that issued a killer storm never even made it to our neck of the woods. In fact, we had a lot of dangerous wind but nothing else. Just a dusting of snow. Oh well, maybe I can put my shovels away?

So bummed. . .

{blizzard}

2011-03-22T09:44:00.000-05:00

Yep, another one... well I suppose I can that this is really the first one of the wintery type that is actually going to hit Duluth this time. 8-16 inches of snow is expected which is quite a bit when you are looking at gale force winds coming off Lake Superior. YAY! I am SO excited. I'm just a wee bit of a storm girl ;-) so when I hear we are getting a big one, I relish it with full delight. That means I can take out the hot chocolate and marshmallows and butter up some toast and sit next to the radio and listen to spooky old fashioned stories wrapped up under a comfy blanket. So here we go folks! Right now it is 10 AM CST and the sky is black and foreboding... the wind is blustery and the trees are bending and swaying. It's quite exciting and as I look out the window my hair stands on end, just a bit. We are going to be in for a big one, and I am thrilled!

Updates... coming!

{happy birthday mom}

2011-03-17T15:22:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patricks day and a happy birthday to my Irish Mum on her very special birthday!

I love you!

Minnie

{ice cream}

2011-03-11T09:24:00.000-06:00

Long time no speak'um. Yeah, I know. I've been a little busy with stuff at home, work, and well, everywhere lately. But I'm way more then fine so no worries. Blogging has just been put on the back burner for a hair bit here. I have been having a blast taking fun pictures and adventuring around town so I will make up my lack for posts with some great pictures over the weekend and in the upcoming week. So no despairing Emme is back!

Oh and one of my favorites? I'm kinda in love with this stuff, ALOT. =) MmmmmMMmmmmm!

{changes}

2011-02-18T09:19:00.000-06:00

All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholgy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

Anatole Frances

{sammy time}

2011-02-16T10:13:00.000-06:00

Image via Cupcakes and Cashmere

I LOVE sandwhiches and today I was excited to find that Emily over at Cupcakes and Cashmere shares my excitement as well. She is experimenting with new flavor combinations in her sammy's and I thought I'd share her quest with you. And, if you haven't happened upon her blog in the past, get yourself acquainted. That girl has some cool stuff going on over there. Fashion, style, smarts and wit. Not to mention some pretty great recipes and DIY projects that get me super excited. So hop on over and peruse the good tastes.... Mmmm. You won't be sorry. =)

{that sweet time of year}

2011-02-12T09:35:00.000-06:00

Image by Marie Labbancz via Elizabeth Ann Designs

Valentines Day is fastly approaching and I found some lovely last minute inspiration to get your juices flowing for some creative love-inspired ideas. Forget the chocolates and bow ties ladies and gents and try these on for size...

If you live in the upper Midwest like I do where there is still alot of snow, you'll want to take advantage of it because there are some great ideas to get cozy in the cold.

Adventure

Try a romantic stroll through the woods with guided moonlight snow shoeing tours or if you are brave enough, a brisk jingle through the woods on a sleigh ride (just imagine Lara wrapped up in all those furs in the acclaimed film Dr. Zhivago).

Wet Your Appetite

Does the idea of trying out a new recipe or learning how to cook from the pros inspire you in your dreams of becoming your own chef? Well take your cues from the stars and sign up for a couples weekend at a bed and breakfast or if you are a little tight for cash make it special by calling ahead and setting up a time with a local chef in your area. Many are willing to make accomodations and would love to show you the ropes.

Remember the Music

Don't forget that area attractions in your neighborhood or a short drive away are well worth it. Event planners and entertainers are announcing all the new spring shows and delights. Duluth for example has Blake Shelton coming to the Amsoil Arena February 26th. And take advantage of discounts and coupons. You may be depressed by the idea of things already being sold out but, make a call and check it out. Most places sell their less then desirable seats at decent prices and even though the veiw may be less then spectacular just think of all that alone time you'll get away from spying eyes. Kinda nice. Oh and for those college students out there... don't forget to mention your student status. Alot of places give you great discounts just by seeing your university ID. Now THAT is pretty cool.

Single?

Pat yourself on the back. Seriously. There's probably nothing more discouraging then seeing your friends running around with dates or their significant others. So make a date with yourself. Sound silly? It's not. Think of it as a time you make with yourself to explore the passions that will bring excitement and allure to the future special person that comes your way. No bitter apples here. Be confident in your singleness. There is nothing to be ashamed of and honestly, there is nothing more beautiful then a confident woman secure in the gifts and talents that God gave her. You shine girl! And keep dreaming of your special someone... HE IS OUT THERE!

Happy weekend!

{178 square foot studio in NY}

2011-02-11T14:54:00.002-06:00

I am anamored with small places and small things in general. I think my fascination stems from the absolute glee I feel when something so small is yet still functional like this really cool studio that was featured in the New York Times. I love reading up on up-and-coming designers like Zach Motl who can turn around a dingy or less than spectacular place and wow everyone. The inspiration! My particular favorite is the little cut out kitchen... I love that glossy green paneling! And all that under bed storage? Brilliant!!! =)

Happy Weekend!

{springing forth}

2011-02-09T10:08:00.000-06:00

Spring is right around the corner. I don't care WHAT the naysayers say. Yes, I may live in one of the coldest climates ever and yes, I will agree that twenty bellow windshields really CAN put a damper on your soul but let's think happy thoughts shall we? I am... and here's a great inspiration board to get you in the mood for all that is spring. I call it Vanilla Twilight. Perfect. =) And if you want even MORE inspiration, follow the links below!

Tibi Bead-embellished silk one-shoulder dress, $385.

L.A.M.B. Crepe (Black Leather) - L.A.M.B. heals, $365.

Landscape Ikat Scarf- Ann Taylor Loft, $34.
White silk flowers in turquoise cube vase, $285. - insideavenue.com

Happy, happy SPRING!

{surviving a duluth winter}

2011-02-02T16:39:00.000-06:00

Duluth winter's are natorious. There's just no other way to explain them. This morning my face nearly froze off walking from the car to work. With -40 windchields, endless snow banks, and gusting winds, how do you survive? Well, I have some of my favorites for you:

1. Knee high socks. Mmmm.... :-)
2. Cable knit sweater
3. Soft floppy knit hat
4. A cozy Yankee candle to keep the light going
5. Shea Butter lotion... only thing to keep my hands and feet smooth
6. Furry mittens!!!
7. A mug of hot chocolate with a mountain of marshmallows!

Already dreaming of spring! COME SOON!

{comin' around the mountain when she comes...}

2011-01-31T21:44:00.000-06:00

Whenever I heard that song as a kid I'd would envision this brawly woman in a huge cart rowling around a mountain, hair flying behind her, cracking the whip (sorry if I've ruined your vision of a fair maiden). Anyway, I had this vision of this lady rowling around the mountain today and the song echoing in my head and I couldn't stop feeling that for a split moment I was her. Really her. The crazy hair blowing in the wind, the white steeds barreling down the steep gravely grade and the cart bouncing crazily about. How come? Well, when things are a bit crazy I can't help laughing at that thought, and it keeps me humble and ready to roll up my sleeves like I think the mountain woman would.... and attack the problem.

But today, I smoothed my sleeves back down and pulled the hair aside and calmed the horsies down inside. I think I have a bit of spring fever brewing. AND, thankfully for the promise of sunshine in the near future I will sun my little face and enjoy the peace of springy little thoughts.

There... I feel better. :-)

{on belonging}

2011-01-30T15:16:00.000-06:00

We all care about belonging. It's an inherint part of our makeup. Those who don't feel the need or desire for belonging often don't have the ability to tap into compassion or love. But why now and why discuss it? I think it's an important focus of development at least for myself anyway.

Yesterday, I quite honestly had a meltdown. Not a bitter rash of nasty words, hyperventilating or road rage. I had tears that wouldn't stop flowing and I struggled right there and then to figure out what my big deal was because I can't handle not knowing why I do something for no reason. So pushing my normal assumptions of lack of sleep, lack of a good lunch, hormones, no sunshine aside, I just sat there as I drove around town (I do alot of good thinking while I drive or for that matter shovel, which I've been doing a lot of lately). I came to realize more and more powerfully that I struggle with vulunerability in a huge way. Because I know that if I didn't struggle with it I wouldn't have been crying about my inability to ask someone for help when I really really need it.

I am a research minded person. If you can't measure it, it doesn't exist. There has to be a reason for a reaction (therefore my quick ramble through my mental list) you are strong, you can press on, you can make it and don't let anyone else step in your (mental) way of keeping you away from your destiny. Only, sometimes the strongest need a lapse of brevity. Sometimes, as Samson found in the book of Judges the lion must be slain so the sweet can come out. (Judges 14:5-20).

So I have been contemplating alot lately about the sweet, contemplating on the way that the wholehearted live. What is the difference between me and those others that live in the same world I do but live it with more passion, peace and strength of character. The researcher inside me got to work. Which of course brings me back to vulnerability. Vulnerability seems to be the core of shame and fear and our struggle for worthiness. But it is also the birthplace, it seems, for joy, creativity, belonging and love. We as a culture numb vulnerability. You can't selectively numb emotion. When you numb you numb the other healthy emotions of joy, gratitude and belonging. Why do we numb and how do we numb? Do we numb through food, drugs, alcohol, avoidance, anger, sleep, work? And why do we do it in the first place? Is it easier then facing the past? Easier then looking at a future that doesn't have any answers? Sure it is. It is easier but I say that it is a slow killer. Let's just take this from personal experience.

Vulnerability is the key to the entrance of a real heart that beats deeply inside you. Offering it up deeply, without reserve will allow you to find out what it is that you are numbing. In my experience, when you ask people about love they tell you about heartache. When you ask them about belonging they'll tell you the most excruciating stories about being excluded. And when you ask them about connection they'll tell you about their lack of connection and their loneliness for it.

That brings me to shame. Shame and fear are the direct result of us worrying about our ability to connect. Are we worthy? Are we ready? Are we what they want? Are they what they need? Connecting is an excruciating vulnerability. It opens you up to evaluation. And who enjoys the thought of being that translucent, especially when fear and shame are the vocabulary that rules your role in belonging?

So there are three things I found that offer insight into your sense of worthiness and vulnerability (this was a long car ride).

Courage

Compassion

Connection

It is my experience that those who have the courage and are willing to let go of who they thought they should be to settle into who they actually are found the compassion within themselves to let others live their lives as well as their own and ultimately it came back to those people feeling more connected.

So long story short, I learned something on that drive and hope that in your pursuit to find some peace about your role that you don't beat down the same path over and over again. Address the facts, take into consideration your past and your character, then do an inventory on why you are numbing and how. Let it go, let it heal, let this be the year of freedom from your emotions.

So why was I crying in the first place? In the Word of God it says to fear the Lord God alone. When in reality most of my life I have been more fearful about the words of man, the attempts of man on my life and the struggle I have always had of pleasing man (aka people) in order to make the life of that person easier less chaotic and in other words carefree. What I discovered was that in my attempts to bring peace to other people I lost out on peace for myself because I cared too much over their opinion to rule my life in fear, shame and isolation. In Psalms 56:3-4 David the Psalmist cries out to God in his love saying, "But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. I praise God for what he has promised. I trust in God, so why should I be afraid? What can mere man do to me?" When you don't like something you have written you erase it right? That big eraser goes after those words of man, causing friction, a leftover of rubber. Only God can erase the bad in your life, the evil that was done when no one else was watching. And even though the friction is uncomfortable and burns, He blows away the rubber into the wind and you are given a new slate a new approach and a new way of thinking. So face the demons. Remember that you are NOT alone and instead recall that if God is for you who can be against you. Pull yourself up (like I had to do) and know that you were created to be seen and to be known and that you are enough just the way you are.

Be enouraged and take heart! Happy weekend!

{getting through wednesday}

2011-01-26T16:02:00.000-06:00

Today was filled with one long four hour meeting... and instead of getting through the eight agenda items, we talked for four hours on the same subject. Let's just say that my mind feels a bit mushy right, therefore the "gettingthroughwednesday" feeling. The not so good thing about that is I totally forgot to eat breakfast and by the time I got out I had missed my lunch as well. I guess dinner is going to be the highlight of my day. THEN, I have to take off and be to my Italian class at 7 p.m. (CST) for a whole hour. I am SO looking forward to it, but I am also looking forward to uninterrupted sleep. Sleep I desperately need.... oh and don't ever watch this movie before you fall asleep... I'm totally blaming it. Totally.

{wouldn't it be fun?}

2011-01-24T16:33:00.000-06:00

Setting:

A warm and cozy nutshell of a place, full of sunshine and a pupper to keep you cozy.

The spread:

Homemade blueberry pancakes, with crunchy bacon and really cool juice. Blueberries that your family picked themselves, exchanging stories, pouring on ALOT of syrup and watching that butter melt and, if you're lucky you might have Mickey Mouse ears on them.

To do:

Watch a couple of cheesy '80's films under a warm blankie and giggle in the sunlight.

Wrap it up:

Then head out for the best pizza in the world. Italian sausage, oozing cheese, the best in the world. Then, fall a sleep under shooting stars while you make trips to the moon and back...

Hmmm... a dream come true. =)

{SCORE! University of Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs Hockey! }

2011-01-19T09:14:00.001-06:00

(these two images borrowed from a good freind)

It's Monday and I am so happy NOT to be at work today. Instead, I get to sit home and do laundry, dishes and bills, oh and shoveling too. (boo) But I thought I'd post some pictures from the other nights hockey game. I really, REALLY like hockey. More then I thought I would, I guess. We had the best seats in the house ( I think) and enjoyed pizza and soda and a couple hand fuls of Milk Duds while we sat high aloft and cheered for my alma mater (one of three university's I've graduated from, lol). YAY! The new Amsoil Arena is just gorgeous! I took this picture off their site...

See all the maroon and gold? That my school's colors. But look at this. Great uh? So UMD was playing against the Wisconsin Badgers and boy was that a rucous team. Laura and I (we were celebrating her 24th birthday) got really into it. All said and done, UMD won 2 to nothing! Awesome game!!

I'm so looking forward to the next game. =) What sort of sports or college teams are popular in your area?

{itching for spring}

2011-01-14T09:38:00.000-06:00

I LOVE winter. Ask anyone who knows me. But this year it's been a little different. I've looked forward to spring earlier and earlier and being that spring usually doesn't arrive around here until MAY, I'm feeling a little homesick for it. So last night in my attempts to not get too down about it, I thought of all the ways I could be creative in bringing springy flavors into my surroundings. Ideas here I come!

First, I had to get rid of my huge stack of Christmas cards, both at home and at work. They are SO pretty, but they had to go.

Secondly, it was time to take the little tree with all of its glistening little glass ornaments down. That was kind of sad.

Thirdly, my room has a rather quaint and warm Italian Villa feel to it. It's cozy and grown up but it isn't always very springy feeling. Do you have any ideas in how I can green it up? (picture above of my bedroom)

And lastly, meals. I have been craving fresh salads lately. To add that spring flavor I have been making a few lovely raspberry viniagrettes and pairing them with slices of fresh peeled oranges. The tangy citrusy flavor has really spiked my senses and I love being able to get as much vitamin C as I can.

Fresh plants.... I am on the lookout for some fresh paper whites or daffodils bulbs that I can push. That and because my room only gets the first direct hours of morning sunlight (eastern exposure) it isn't really friendly to plant growing. Do you have any suggestions for indoor plants that can survive on less direct sunlight during the day?

Well, as I come up with other ideas I'll let you know. Happy Friday to you all with some great news coming to you on Monday!

{under the covers}

2011-01-12T11:17:00.000-06:00

A cozy day under the covers would feel SO nice. It was so dark and cold this morning while I was getting ready for work that I literally fought the temptation to just crawl back in under my covers and turn off my alarm completely. Mmmm... =)

That brings me to an all important question... for myself. I've been reading all these awesome new years' resolutions. A problem I've had in the past is making a list that I never complete because I make it too hard for myself. So, I guess, what I'm saying, is that I am rather gunshy about even making one for this year. But, then I thought how truly goofy that is so in order to get some ideas off my noggin last night I sat down and wrote just THREE out. That will be ENOUGH I thought, and then I got carried away and made it this big deal all over again. So, here is my very HUGE attempt to make this whole resolution thing a much more carefree aspect of my life... oh and I've decided, that when I am satisfied I could even add one at a time to the list after I have finished one, IF I want too. =) So here goes....=)

1. drink more water (great habit to get into)
2. journal EVERY day, not just whenever.
3. paint my fingernails more often, it's really fun!

There! Oh and my word for the year? This is actually a new concept to me but one I am really liking... I thought and thought about it. What do I want it to be, what can I build on, what will remind me every day to take it to heart. And then it struck me. LOVE. Plain and simple. Loving people, loving myself, loving those dear to my heart, and loving some people back to life through simple things. I'm excited. What's your word for the new year? How are YOU going to make it a tangible reality in your every day life? I'd love to hear your ideas!

{a sweet memory}

2011-01-11T09:13:00.000-06:00

I was purusing Jen Gotch 's polaroid blog and I happened upon this lovely picture, with the sea horse necklace suspended on this lovely blouse. It took my breath away for a moment. When I was a little girl, I had a tank of sea horses. Gosh were they special. Just little ones, dancing back and forth in front of the glass, their little mouths opening with a neigh or yawn. I think that was when my fascination began towards little things... little things that are so precious and somehow survive your attempts to bring them into your world. I love terrariums for that reason too. An atmosphere surviving in its own climate, dependant on your watering and bright sunlight. I love watching the condensation build up inside creating a misty atmosphere and then the water droplets dripping down the sides of the glass letting you get just a little glimpse into the life inside. Amazing. Brilliant really.

What memories from your childhood do you remember making a big impact on you?

{you turn my grey skys blue}

2011-01-10T09:57:00.000-06:00

Yes you do!

by May Day Studio

{italiano?}

2011-01-09T19:58:00.000-06:00

I've been fascinated by languages my entire life. Unfortanetly the knack for learning them doesn't come that easily. I was horrible at it in highschool and thankfully, where I went to school I could take American Sign Language instead. Spanish bore me to tears, Russian felt like a chore and well, Latin although intriguing just reminded me that it truly WAS dead. So long story short, in highschool when I studied opera (yes, I was studying to become an opera singer) I fell in love with Italian. The arias, the passion, the beauty. So tonight, I snuck out to Barnes and Noble and I figured that THIS time I would bite the bullet and go for it. See if I couldn't find a knack for it now... after all these years. And guess what... it's easy. It's beautiful and rolling my "r's", gosh... not bad at all. I guess it goes to show you that you are never too far behind to learn something new. Makes me excited. I'd like to become good at it. Take a class or two and maybe do a bit of traveling to test it out. Until then, here I come YouTube! lol. Oh and Julia Roberts who plays out the life and love of Elizabeth Gilbert in Eat, Pray, Love... that girl makes me proud. Learning Italian on the fly in a foreign country. Something should be said about that. Go girl!

In any case, now this part will make me really cool...

Ciao! ;-)

{nicely put}

2011-01-07T10:03:00.000-06:00

The end. =) print by Studio Mela

{brilliance defined}

2011-01-06T20:53:00.000-06:00

I'm struck some times by simple things. Either the simplicity of their design or the matter in which they were created... simply, but yet with such powerful in their purpose. Take for example the lens and developing powers of a camera, a polariod, foggy at first and transforming beauty and a unique story right before your eyes. Or raindrops, so simple. Clear, cool, soothing... yet powerful in its wake. Tidal waves, floods, life, death.

Sometimes these small things for me strike me as great brilliance. A defined set of boundaries. As this is what it is and always will be. Something eternal, always returning to its first birth. Amazing.

Today, that vision really took me by storm... if you haven't heard of the The Satorialist, become aquainted. It will rock your world. Really. And this video? Brilliance.

{enjoying good design}

2011-01-06T20:28:00.000-06:00

I get really excited about finding new things especially those things that I have had my eye on or even better came at a great price. Being a struggling out of the hole brand new graduate, the student loans can really set you back when it comes to fashion. Thankfully, I had a mother and grandmother who taught me how to decorate, eat and live fashionably on a frugal budget. So I can't wait to share with you my new finds!

Did you know that Michael's carries iPhone cases? Yeah, I didn't. But I have been searching for a neat one for a long time. My sister Ashley found this glittery pink one for more then half the price off of a regular priced one and in my opinion looks better!

Also, Franklin Covey planners. Have you ever been absolutely shocked at the price of just PAPER? Seriously, that is what it is, paper. At Target last night I found this one in the office section and it was again, half off. It is smaller then the large ones of course, but it fits in my purse and won't break my back, which is really nice if you ask me. =)

Lately, I am really crazed about sites like the blog Eat, Drink, Pretty that offer shortcuts or cool stylistic changes to food to make them look more appealing. Who doesn't like a cupcake? Well now you can turn that savory cheddar biscuit into a note worthy bite by spooning the dough into a cupcake liner instead. Sure adds appeal and who doesn't like avoiding the crispy burnt edges on those biscuits that, frankly, if you get a bad one can really turn you off and ruin your palette for the rest of your meal. Ewww!

And... if you really want something to smile about, take a look at this adorable video on Bing. My mom sent it over and honestly, I can't think of anything sweeter. SO if you are like me, someone who occasionally gets sucked up in the drone of everyday's happenings, switch this on. It will pick you up out of a bad mood in no time. Believe me.... =)

And to finish your day off... don't take my advice (bad eating habits today) but this Izze (grapefruits my favorite) and caramel popcorn (college bookstore) hit the spot like I can't even tell you. Hee hee (shhhhh).
Toodles!

{starting out the new year fresh}

2011-01-04T12:25:00.000-06:00

There are some things in this world just too good to be true and one of them is having a new lease on life. A fresh beginning, a new outlook and a joy for all that lies ahead because it's yours to create. Well, as I promised I want produce the goods and get STARTED! So here we go... Let's start out with some of my favorite things... =)

Perfumes are so much fun. They are mood boosters, can transport you by memory just by their smell, and heck, they make you feel just so beautiful!

Listed here are:

1. Candies

2. Rockin' Rio

3. Dream Angels Heavenly by Victoria Secret

4. Hugo Boss

5. Stella in Two Peony

6. Refuge by Charlotte Russe

7. Bright Chystal by Versace

8. Fantasy by Britney Spears

9. Falling in Love by Philosophy

10. Versus by Versace (my Christmas gift from Papa Stephen)

My sister Laura is obsessed with the Traveler magazine. She has nearly each page dogeared for ideas. I'm starting to look through them too now. Great ideas and so much fun!

Duluth's Marinar Mall just opened an ULTA. Gosh, I had no idea that I was missing out on so much before this store made a presence. This is my new favorite color. Orange Parfait. Love it.

Okay, whoever thought up this awesome sign is the bomb! I love it. Oh will you?! Pretty, pretty please?

{2010 closeout}

2010-12-30T10:30:00.001-06:00

A blossoming peony from Laura's Photography

Gosh, what a year. As I was climbing into bed last night my mind became overwhelmed and pleasantly surprised over all the neat experiences and personal growth I have made over the past year. The challenges I have faced, the excitment of pressing on and the hope of a new future! The greatest personal gift I have seen come out of all of this is my quest to become all I can personally be to myself and those I love. That, has happened. And for that, I would say 2010 was a year of great accomplishment in that area for me. I am looking forward to 2011 with all the gusto I can muster. Going ahead with chains loosed, dreams high and a good pair of hiking boots to blaze the trails ahead. Hope you plan on sticking with me!

So these are some of the things I am looking forward to in the new year:

1. A place of my own... I have been searching relentlessly and I know you are out there, somewhere!
2. Decorating my own apartment! You should see all the clippings out I have from every major magazine or online blog source imaginable. It's a shame.... really.... lol!
3. Becoming a absolute rosette cookie maker queen! I bought a set of vintage irons over Ebay and I can't wait to get started!
4. Traveling and doing some sightseeing. I haven't done much of any of that in my 26 years and I am chompin at the bit to get started!
5. Do more cooking and baking and have fun in the kitchen making messes
6. Find my own personal style when it comes to fashion... I'm still struggling with that. I get it RIGHT on and then it fizzles out and I get stuck in the main stream again. NOT particularly fun for me and I'm frustrated but I will find it. I will. Hear me ROAR! lol... oh boy... lol.
7. Every new year I like to change up my blog and do something different. A new theme, style, focus. So get excited about the changes coming up there too!
8. I also look forward to sharing more of my life with you. The every day and not just the every so often big event. I have always had some great ideas for decorating and entertaining that I think would be nice to share and hopefully inspire you for the special occasions in YOUR life.
9. Excitedly waiting the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie coming in May... I just love Johnny Depp in these movies. Who wouldn't like a crazy pirate to hang out with? Come on, you know you would!
10. Plan and organize more Sunday brunches, teas, lunches and dinners... I think there is a way to still have fun and NOT break the bank. I plan on showing you the step-by-step process of stylish and tasty frugal entertainment. It can be done and it get's me excited to share this with you!

But, I have been so inspired by these great ladies and a gentalman of the blog world. I wait excitedly every day to take a peak at what people around the world are coming up with and how I can implement it in my own life. Here's by no means a complete list but just those that I daily look to for inspiration:

Emily over at Cupcakes and Cashmere... that girl has style, whit, and some great sense of self. I love it!

Lisa over at Lisa Leonard Designs... great eye for detail and the best before and after showcases that steal my heart, a wonderful mother and the coolest jewelry around!

Uncle Beefy over at Bedlam of Beefy... has some great entertaining ideas of anyone around!

Heather over at Heather Bullard Designs... really inspires me to look within for my own taste and style and her talents in photography and design are breathtaking!

Naomi at Rockstar Diaries continues to be a daily source of "ooo's" and "awwwwwe's". She has rocked the red lip and I am so excited for their upcoming special bundle of joy!

Jack over at Slightly Off-Center has such great wisdom and timely quotes! I love her polariod pics and her love for her native Nova Scotia!

Jennifer over at Nectar and Light really shakes things up in the photography world. And it's true. Every carefully placed picture and dream is showcased in a light of sweet nectar. Just love her.

Okie dokie folks! That rounds up the most inspirational in my book! See you back next year! Sniff, sniff, if this cold doesn't kill me. =)

Best wishes for a happy and healthy New Year! Got plans? I wanna hear about 'em! Looking forward to rocking in the new year!

Cheers!

Emme

{a merry christmas breakfast}

2010-12-27T19:00:00.000-06:00

I hope you all had a wonderful and Merry Christmas with your families. It was a bright and sunny morning here in Duluth and here is a recap of our breakfast... so nummy!

Here is a our Christmas breakfast table all decked out for the occasion.

I just love these gold filigree coffee mugs. So lovely!

Here's the aireal view... lol... the floating candles were a nice touch.

Papa Stephen had this Christmas arrangement sent before his arrival for our buffet.

Some tasty shortbread spritz! Just a little something for enjoying with our morning coffee.

Mom found a really nice pink champagne for us girls. It's Stephen's favorite. Although I think it really could have been a bit sweeter. A little too bitter for me.

And last but not least the famous blueberry stuffed french bread breakfast. This stuff is really rich. There are ten pieces of french bread slices on the bottom that are spread thickly with cream cheese. Then a lovely egg mixture with the whole blueberries and french bread squares are thrown on top. You serve this with a lovely blueberry "gravy" and the whole thing is just awesome. Secret family recipe though.... sorry folks. =) Great with homemade sausage which is what we did. The salty Italian sausage counteracts the sweet nicely. =)

So that was my Christmas! Looking forward even more for next years! =)

{university of minnesota duluth bulldogs}

2010-12-23T16:43:00.000-06:00

I've been adventuring around town and attending some really neat events in my nieghborhood. I live just five minutes away from the University of Minnesota Duluth and lucky for me they have an awesome football field where you can watch the UMD Bulldogs football games live. This one in fact, back just a couple of weeks ago was one that they won, by a long shot. Even more exciting is the fact that they won the National Championship this past weekend (read more about it here).

P.S. It was really, REALLY cold that day. BRRRRrrrrr! Still gives me goosebumps. =)

{formal dinner preperations}

2010-12-23T16:29:00.000-06:00

I love dressing things up for the holidays and with special dinners I can have even more fun and take out my calligraphy set and start doodling away. =) These are pictures taken back at Thanksgiving that I found on my other camera and I thought that they would give you all some inspiration to decorate your table as well.

{when all through the house...}

2010-12-23T16:03:00.000-06:00

The house is all ready for Christmas. The baking is done, the cleaning and dusting has taken place and outside is a snowy winter wonderland of fluffy white snow. Papa Stephen is coming from Scotland for Christmas and all the wonderful food, music and sweets are ready for us to enjoy.

Mom made some adorable little snowmen cookies.

Lovely Christmas arrangement from Papa Stephen for our table.

Our tree with all the presents underneith.

Another little snowman =)

Christmas treats for pick-up.

A lattice cherry apple pie that I made at Kelly's house.

Santa looks a little... shall I say, stressed? LOL! =)

{a joyful noise}

2010-12-14T10:17:00.000-06:00

Choirs are one of my favorite things and being IN a choir is even better! So tonight I am singing in a 20 person choir at the place that I work and I am going to have a blast! I will be singing nine songs tonight with the group:

Carol of the Bells
Huron Carol

Jazz Gloria

Inscription of Hope
Sleigh Ride

Night of Silence

... and a packet of the regulars that we all know like Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing and so on. We will be lucky enough to have it recorded and hopefully I can get it to upload onto Blogger for you all to see. Yay! Christmas is officially here for me! =)

{bentleyville popcorn hut}

2010-12-13T10:58:00.001-06:00

Have you ever in your life overdone something then decided that you could NEVER, possibly EVER eat something again? Well, that is what happened to me on Friday night at the Bentleyville popcorn hut where I volunteered for six hours popping and bagging popcorn for the Bentleyville attraction. If you ever get a chance to visit Duluth during the holiday season and check out the lights you will NOT be disappointed. It's breathtaking actually. =) Okay, so when I got home, everything on me smelled like popcorn, even my socks inside my boots!!! My poor jacket which I'll probably have to get dry cleaned smells like popcorn and no manner of airing out will actually take the smell out. ICK! Has anyone had any luck with those dryer sheets that are supposed to act like a special cleaner? Hm. Anyway... above is the pile of popcorn that I was working on. Imagine serving 15,000 people popcorn in six hours? I DID! LOL! (Oh and to get a good idea on size, this is a four foot pile of popcorn bags. FOUR FEET people. ROFL!)

{mmmm... coney dogs!}

2010-12-13T10:52:00.000-06:00

Saturday was a busy day!

The Union Gospel Mission was having their annual children's Christmas party and so mom and us girls made cookies for them. Forty plus little gingerbread men, all cheery in their little celophane bags. =) All the little kids were so precious. It just makes me smile knowing that everyone of them had a little cookie and hopefully made their Christmas a little brighter. =)

Then off we went to Coney Island Deluxe on 112 West 1st Street for some to die for coney dogs. Gosh... those things are just way too good to be true. =) Mark, who took our orders allowed me to take some pictures so I could post them for all of you. MMMM! Thank you Mark! =)

Love the old fashioned "70's decor. Even better? They served your coke in an old fashioned tumbler!

The walls have pictures of all the old ore ships that are well known in the Duluth Sea Port. The one above our table was of the infamous Edmund Fitzgerald that sank in November of 1975, taking all 29 men on board.

The coneys were SO good. The fries were absolutely wonderful! A must go to restuarant for sure. I am looking forward to having a malt next time I go. =)

Salad bar anyone?

Ooooo! The nummy toppings for those coneys!

There's the doggies!

Don't you just love the green?

I think this was a find! In between the flowering cactus in the windowsill and a view outside was this lovely mural in a parking lot just right across the way. I just couldn't keep my eyes off of it. SO lovely and the colors were SO vibrant!

What a great time and thanks to Mark and his team, mom and Ashley and I had a great lunch. Thank you!

{gloves for my little iPhone piggys}

2010-12-08T11:44:00.000-06:00

Scenario:

Driving down the road to the mall....

I can feel my phone going off in my pocket and I'm fumbling to get to it quick....

Then I struggle taking off my driving gloves so that I can answer the call....

I miss the call... darn gloves. Why can't someone figure out a pair of gloves that will allow you to still answer your iPhone when you are driving.... sheesh... (a little irritated because now I have to listen to the message.)

I guess someone HAS! YAY! The Echo Touch Glove... awesome!

I SO want these for Christmas... and don't worry... I don't text and drive. UNLESS, I am at an unruly stop light that won't turn green. =)

{Christmas Shopping}

2010-12-06T10:25:00.000-06:00

Happy Monday!

I too my sister Ashley to go Christmas shopping on Sunday and boy did we ever have fun hitting the stores and running around town. It really was a hoot! So many people out and about running around trying to get last minute stuff for their loved ones. I am pretty happy to have all my shopping done this year as of two weeks ago so I feel so blessed to have gotten so far so fast. Usually being a student I had to wait until it was always so late becuase my papers, projects and exams always held up every weeked for me. Not this year though. Oh no, I was the shopping feind! =)

So here are some pictures from yesterday taken with the newest application on my iPhone... Have you ever heard of Instagram? It is .99 and worth every penny! LOVE IT! And as you can tell by now, utterly obsessed! =)

This store is the BEST! Blue Heron is one of those all time favorite places to pick up neat novelty items. I found a lovely eight inch snowflake cookie cutter there. It was $10 and although a little pricey (I admit) I think it is going to be worth every penny when those lovely cookies come out =)

Look at this thing! HUGE! I'm a litte worried now after looking at all the crevices that I might have a problem if the dough gets sticky. Oooo... :-O

Here is the upstairs looking down at all the lovely shops. DeWitt Seitz, a place I have blogged about before just has all this beautiful old fashioned charater that is so charming and timeless in a way.

Waters of Superior is just around the corner from DeWitt and has another fine reputation of having unique finds, mostly items created by area artists. What most attracted me was this beautiful tree that was decorated. It stood a little over ten feet high and each ornament was made out of glass. Just stunning!

In the window of Waters of Superior are some of those fine crafts from artists. These are two beautiful salmon fish made out of soup can lids. They are strikingly huge. These two spread out at an amazing four and a half feet! They glimmered so lovely in the fresh sunshine!

Here are some other pieces of art! Lovely textiles, felted pieces and oils and watercolors.

Then off to the Rocky Road Chocolate Factory for some savory sweets. That Santa on the right hand side is completely cast in chocolate! It was three feet high! Imagine munching on that thing! WHOA!

Ashley and I settled on the English Toffee wrapped in milk chocolate and chopped pecans. We also bout one square of the candy cane bark with the white and dark chocolate. Oh gosh was that decadent. I so wish I had had a hot cup of coffee to melt it in. =)

Just one of the three walls of chocolate bars and chocolate assortments.

Mmmm... nummy!

This is Canal Park Drive... it was bitterly cold yesterday. The wind was blowing directly off the Lake and both Ashley and I were shivering and chattering as we walked from store to store.

This image is looking toward the hillside of Duluth... Duluth is often referred to as the San Francisco of the North because of all the hills.

So after all of that running around Ashley and I built up quite an apetite so I treated her to lunch over at Pizza Luce. This is a hippy pizza parlor where you can get cool drinks, awesome homemade desserts and live entertainment.

All that sunshine was just lovely!

Greek salad for two? =)

And the best ever garlic bianca pizza I have ever had. They had whole chipolte peppers on top too. MMMMM! Too good!

So that was MY weekend! Did you guys have any fun?

{snow balls}

2010-12-04T17:28:00.001-06:00

Blog hopping this afternoon over at the Pleated Poppy came up with another fantastic DIY Christmas wreath idea from Lindsey. How neat is that uh? I love the yarn covered bulbs for all that extra scraps of yarn I always having lying around in dusty corners. Wouldn't it be neat to do a multicolored yarn bulb? Like a red and green one or a turquoise and white one? Oooo... that just gave me a fantastic idea. LOL! =)

{frosty the snow man}

2010-12-04T16:04:00.000-06:00

{Isn'y Frosty handsome? I love his top hat}

I love snow and I love even more the simple things you can make with it. A snow man for expample. Although I don't know what was at all simple about the snow people I made as a little girl. They had outfits, personalities, and friends. Animal friends. =) Usually configured out of pine branches, pine needles, acorns, things laying around the barn and around the house too (you know, those things you don't think your mom will miss around the house, hee hee). So today I was reminded of that while the snow fell softly around me driving around town and listening to all the Salvation Army jinglers and seeing little kids in all their little hats and mittens.

{Little glass blown bear from my little Christmas tree =) }

I was a very imaginitive little child and used to think that all my little stuffed animals including the barn animals would come to life the moment I stepped out of the room. I used to dream up the conversations they would have and the conversations I would have with them if I had had the chance. Actually, now that I look back I think it made me very aware of the importance of taking care of my furry, feathery or for that matter wooly friends. They were all so special and unique to me. All having different personalities and stories. So many of our animals were orphaned and lucky enough to make it to our house. They were all little Orphan Annies to me and I loved them each with an undying love. So it made no difference to me that Frosty every year had the possibility to dance and sing in our yard any more then a chicken could talk. LOL! Children. =)

What are some of your memories as a child with pets that YOU had? Did you have any imaginary pets?

{A snowy neighborhood down our road}

{getting there happy friday}

2010-12-03T16:14:00.000-06:00

Do you ever have not so happy Fridays? For some goofy reason this one just started out SO wrong. Didn't sleep a wink last night, left my make up bag at work, fish tailed all over the road because of the ice, and managed to get a HUGE blister on my toe. Why? Because I was stupid and forgot to pick up a pair of panty hose for work so I ended up wearing black socks in my heels instead. NOT pleasant or good feeling at all. Ouchy. And on top of all of that, I'm starving. Literally. Didn't bring my lunch to work because I was in a hurry to leave and because I'm saving up right now for an important Christmas gift this year. So, hungry, cold and my poor toe throbbing left me to believe that I was having a very poor day. That is until I followed up with what Tiffany is doing over at Huge Love. Gosh that girl makes me laugh, and the wisdom that she brings from her own experience in life and God being always so faithful shares her stories and insights with us all.

I was reading just this last week in the Bible in Psalms about how the earth is filled with God's love ( I have the verse written down at home if you would like it). That's a whole lot of love! It makes my heart so joyous and less troubled when I think of that. But you know what else that verse did for me? It made me remember how much I love knowing that even though the world and some people and events and things are scarry that God has surrounded us by love and that we don't have to grow shaky or scared or worried about the future or what might happen to us because He has it all under control. Doesn't that just make you smile? It does me.

We all go through traumatic times. I've experienced abuse, a father who abandoned his family, and helping my mom shoulder a huge brunt of scarry times. But God has still remained faithful and true. It says that His thoughts toward us are thoughts of LOVE, not of destruction or pain and suffering. It says that in this world we WILL have trouble but to take heart because He has overcome the world. Webster defines the word "overcome" as something that gets the better of or surmonts which means to overcome difficulties. Now that is huge don't you think? It's been a huge resting place for me this last week as I continue to grow and face difficult times in my life. Sometimes we don't understand why bad things happen or we continually ask, "Why me?" I've said that before. And I've suffered from stinky thinking. But this is the truth. We live in a world where people have free choice and free will and a God that lets people have their free will. However, that's not to say there aren't consequences. Everyone has those.

So as I prop up my foot and look forward to going home after a LONG day at work I am grateful that I am so cared after, loved and sought after. It makes the blisters on toes... in the end... not so terrible. =)

{all dressed up}

2010-12-02T08:47:00.001-06:00

Do you ever happen upon blogs like I do and find yourself drooling over their ideas and wishing that you had thought of them first? Well, this is one such designer/blogger. Lisa Leonard has made quite an impression on me and I absolutely love her simple yet very intricate detailing in her daily life and jewelry business. But these were the two things that really had me hopping with ideas. DUH! Love it.... do you have any favorite bloggers that you would like to share that make you just shake your head? Well, hats off to Lisa! Cheers!

Lovely vintage-like blown bulbs wreath!

Joy at your feet.... so clever!

Have a happy creative day!

{all aglow}

2010-11-29T21:45:00.000-06:00

Bentleyville... a tour of lights!

{beaming. dreaming. thankful.}

2010-11-29T21:31:00.000-06:00

Unless you think that I have a frost bitten noggin' (which when I think of it isn't too far fetched... sometimes =) ) I wanted to take a few minutes on this Thanksgiving day to share with you some of my delights. My beaming, dreaming, thankful delights. =)

First off... my lovely turkey. Well, even if it did take two hours longer to cook then it should have (I forgive you birdie, SLAP ;-) ) and was DRYER then it should have been (Leslie was right, use the bag) I still must say that I looked at it most admiringly and smiled at my good fortune. Well, or luck. Well, blessing really. =) See, he was a winner from the start. 12 pounds and non the richer but he fed us nonetheless. Just add a few more dollups of mayo on your sammy so you don't choke. Anyway, getting back to my story, I won him! Oh yeah. So I'm a winner. Woe to that lonely beef roast that SHOULD have been our thankful evening dinner. Woe to you dear cowie. Anyway... frozen noggin'!! ROFL!

So, to continue... snow, snow, snow. Honestly, what was I thinking? Or THINKING shall I say when I resolved to stay in Duluth to temper my foregoing passion for frozen fingers, numb toes, and tingling nose tips. In love I tell you. It's all about love. Oh yeah, I'm a sucker for it all. Love that is. =)

But thankfulness... and dreams... and beaming? Well let me just fill you in.

So thankful for my dreams of my beaming future. Truly! And my hope rests in this sweet Word from Jeremiah 29:11..."For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope." Isn't that sweetest bit of good news you have ever heard? I tell you that every time I read that out load to myself I can't help but feel the goosebumps rise up on my arms and a blazing fire of hope fire up in my spirit. Have you ever had a word mean the whole world to you? This one means just that much! So while you nibble on your turkey sammy, and polish off the rest of the pumpkin pie and cranberries, just remember your true hope and thankfulness. Your future!

{dreams come true}

2010-11-13T16:24:00.000-06:00

Sometimes, dreams do come true. Mine did today. Look at all this lovely snow... =) Oh and we had lightening and thunder too. Ten to 12 inches of lovely, heavy snow on its way. =) Makes me absolutely beamy! =)

Silver bells, silver bells! It's Christmas time in the city! Yay!

{snow. snowy. blizzard. snowed in.}

2010-11-12T11:15:00.003-06:00

Okay, it hasn't officially started yet, but the snow is on it's way! YAY! I can't even TELL you how excited I get. I guess people that are like me have a disease of some kind. So I have it BAD! Snow! SNOW SNOOOOWWW! =)

Anyway, I was browsing the web the last couple of days and fell upon some really cool photos...

In other words folks, have a great weekend! I will be around posting pics of the Vike's game, the snow and fun Christmas projects for the girls... shhhhh!

Glimmery stairs. I can't help but like these a whole lot!

Planning a party and I love these cupcakes from Uncle Bobby over at the Bedlam of Beefy.

Love these room designs... edgy yet traditional.

Look at this design! WHOA! Cakes by Herriott Grace. Love it.

{foodies. musings. whatnots}

2010-11-10T13:57:00.000-06:00

Mmmm... I am on a food kick these last few days, or maybe more so the photographs that they come in. But here... check this out. Whimsy and Spice on Etsy can send you your Christmas treats... num. Gosh, makes me want to get more creative in how I bake around at my house.

But I found these couple of links today and just had to share. I love pop-up books. Especially the kind that are out of plain white paper that just jump out at you from the page and tell a story, on their own. So sweet and simple and vintage. =) Su Blackwell is amazing! WOW!

Oh and while you are at it take a peak at Heather's punched cards. When I was really bored one day I actually did this myself. I had some white cardstock and I ended up bending a paper clip into a puncher and punched away. I had fun making little hearts and smiley faces and flowers. Who knew you could make money doing it though. Sheesh... see, drives me NUTS! Why didn't I think of that first. I am waiting around for my first people. One of these days, Emme is going to come up with a FIRST!

Oh and for all those Grobanites out there... he's got a new one!!! YAY!

Enjoy your day! =)

{naughty is... nice}

2010-11-09T13:31:00.001-06:00

Okay, call me naughty but these desserts have my mouth watering and that's not good. Really it isn't. Not when you are at work and having to concentrate on things that are otherwise... not fun. That and I have to make sure my mouth is closed because these images are stunning. I swear if I were in food advertising I'd be a thousand pounds and a HAPPY happy girl. LOL! =)

So knock yourselves out kiddies! YAY! ;-)

Mmmm... s'mores!

Cupcakes... the devil is tempting!

Raspberry truffles? Tell me it ain't SO!

{inspired}

2010-11-08T11:33:00.001-06:00

I had a splendidly lovely weekend! Wrapping trees from nasty little deers and attending my FIRST ever Vikings football game down at the Metrodome in Minneapolis. Gosh was THAT a treat. I am still hyped from it. Can't get over how fun and exciting that was. I have pictures coming soon. =)

That and take a look at what Jennifer posted over at Cup of Jo. Now THAT is going to be a must have hairdo this week. A side chignon... I will try to be brave enough and post pictures of that too. LOL! Be inspired, I was!

{from loss into light}

2010-11-03T09:36:00.000-05:00

Do you remember me blogging about our little pupper Lucy? Also referred to on here as Bubbles? She died on Thursday rather suddenly after experiencing a heart attack. It's been hard this last week, missing her. Gosh was she just a goofy personality. Always in your business, smiley, romping, and VERY independant. She loved people and loved popcorn more and spent most of her day surrounding one of us girls if we were home from work or studying for class. She'd cozy right up next to you on the couch and just spread out and sleep, her little ears flipped over and this amazing grin on her face like her life was made. Just makes me smile and makes me miss her. Especially in the morning when I would be up all by myself getting ready for work. Although she'd almost always be in the dead of sleep I'd slip next to her quietly and plant a kiss on her little white withered cheeks and squeeze her tight and off I'd go on my way and always say that I loved her and would see her when I got home. She was always very expressive and would usually open her eyes just a bit, smile always and then go back to sleep. And she was always there waiting for me when I got home. Barking, bouncing up and down so excited to see me. I'd give her a BIG hug and then she'd wattle off on her way to go and chew her chewy. So there's a big hole left. An empty hole... that only her little smiles can fill. =) But us girls are getting better and now we can rest in her little memory and in what a huge goof she was. That ALWAYS makes it better. Besides, twelve years in doggy days is an OLD LADY! Very old. =)

So how is everyone out there doing? We haven't had anymore snow since last week, although the temperatures wouldn't tell you any different. It's been CHILLY! Whew! The low at night or at least by the end of this week they are promising will be 22 degrees. Talk about painfull cold goosebumps! =) I asked my sister Ashley on the way into work and school today what she was going to do with all her beautiful winter wear once she gets to Florida. Her most dramatic reply? "I will have a huge bonfire and burn it all while I dance and sing around it." Whoa. See... we are VERY different from each other. I don't even mind the darkness that comes when it starts getting dark at 4:30 in the afternoon. Doesn't bother me one bit. I love the coziness and being bundled up and going away into my cozy house and sleeping. Here I come ALASKA! LOL! =)

Okay so have you ever had one of those experiences where you look back on an event in your life and go, "What the FLIPPIN heck was I thinking?" Well this morning my coworker and I were laughing about undergarments... you know... those lovely slimming things that suck in all the rest of your fat? Well, I was remembering a time when I watched my grandma and mom prepare for a special outing, must have been a family wedding. The process of watching this as a young woman was absolutely horrifying! ROFL! Looking at forty and sixty year old women do that to themselves is NOT pleasant. So needless to say when I became adultish I remember thinking that I had to have the whole undergarment ensemble that THEY had. So on went the control top then the Spanks on top... whoa. Not okay. And lets just say, I don't think my blood was even able to circulate. LOL! =) So in my attempt to not be so pleasently preoccupied with women's undergarments I very emphatically exclaimed that it wasn't going to be for THIS ADULT. Isn't THAT freeing? Not for this adult. Oh NO! Yay... walking out my steps of freedom. Big smiles. =)

{beautiful snow}

2010-10-27T16:31:00.000-05:00

I woke up to a winter wonderland this morning. Five inches of wet and heavy snow fell along with an old birch tree. That will be an interesting clean-up. Lol. So here we are. With the winter season upon us, I can't help but feel a little Christmasy. I know... It's not even Halloween yet. I just cant help myself. Who could? =)

The pucture above is taken courtesy of my friend Shannon who lives about thirty miles out of the Duluth limits in Gary New Duluth. Gary is surroundedby glacial hills and exposed bedrock. Isn't it beautiful?

Happy winter!

{snow!}

2010-10-26T20:20:00.000-05:00

Just had to take the moment to tell you that my dreams have come true. It's snowing! Im going outside right now to catch some snow flakes. Talk to you all in the morning with pictures!

{one thing}

2010-10-25T14:46:00.000-05:00

Do you ever wonder what one thing in your life if you did it would make you more you? I'm thinking about that a lot lately. Like if I just bit the bullet and went brunette like both my sisters, or changed my eye shadow, or painted my finger nails more often, or pursued a different career, or, or, or!!!!!!!! AH! STOP! Doesn't it just make you feel goofy, insane, or less then totally there? I wonder. And what I wonder is if what I am feeling is really even real or just a stupid insecurity or is it rather just me exploring myself and the options and the future of my life, the opportunity for my best life. Drives me nuts. Meaning I should probably stop. But that is what is particularly bothering me this Monday morning. I look at myself in my glorified cube, closed in by fake walls and even faker titles, and really just wanting to experience more then what THIS has to offer. I know that isn't an insane feeling. I am sure there are plenty of people who get the cubey duldrums. Gray walls even grayer assignments. Nothing that excites, enriches or makes me feel good about doing what I am doing. So I am experiencing what one might call the pits of despair in my worklife. Although, it really can't be that bad, I must just be experiencing a Monday... oh and HELLO... I've got a cold. AGAIN. I had one three weeks ago or so. So today, sore throat, body aches, head ache, eye achiness... I could go on and on but who wants to get a list? I surely wouldn't... All I'm saying is I feel like CRAP! There... now that feels better. =)

Sometimes me and my coworker laugh when I say, "Yeah, I got a bachelors degree to hang out in a cube all day." I feel grateful but at the same time, today I don't want to give anything the credit. Yes, I have employment and yes I have a paycheck but if you don't enjoy what you do doesn't that really just make having or getting those things not very exciting? I remember being excited about work and really feeling like every move was appreciated on some level or was for a greater good. Hm... I can hear you all guessing a job change is in order right? Yep. You're right. If you threw me in a field somewhere and said for me to plow it I would and I'd be so excited because I'd be actually doing something. Oh boy... that IS really bad isn't it? Alright... I guess the hunt is on... or a changed attitude is in order. =)

{pretzels and root beer}

2010-10-24T18:53:00.000-05:00

Football Sunday. It's kind of a big deal around here up in the Midwest. Or maybe just Duluth. Actually, it isn't really kind of. It's like IS a big deal. Makes me laugh. I didn't grow up in a very sportsy family. Having two younger sisters and a dad that wasn't really too into it kept me pretty sheltered. I must confess though. I think that I am must absolutely finding out that I like it alot. Sports I mean. And just a couple really. The televised ones... like hockey (gasp) and football (double whamy GASP, oops, almost choked on a pretzel there. Cough... sputter. Whew.). My family thinks I'm insane and thinks for sure that I am turning in a really bad direction... I get what draws people in to it though. The fellowship of cheering for a team that you are ALL passionate about, the food (who can really say more there) and an excuse to have a party night especially now when the weather is so grim and the only excitement is doing a few laps around the local strip mall. Let's just say, NOT too fun. And gosh to just make my point like I did months earlier when I declared that NOT listening to country music is almost being unpatriotic (another new found excitement in my life, that is, country music) I must say that I almost feel the same way about not enjoying a sport as well. Only, I feel that way for myself. =)

So, downing more root beer and pretzels as I salute to being a niave sportsy! YAY! =)

So back from Bingo at St. Michael's Catholic church in EAST Duluth, not West. Oh for pity's sake. THAT was an episode. Let's just say that you can go to infinity and beyond in both directions in Duluth. East one way for miles and miles on end and West one way for miles and miles on end. Who knew that there were TWO St. Mike's in Duluth and that the one I most certainly thought it had to be was the one in West Duluth. Man did that make me just crawl with blotchy fever.... (Oh, I have noticed that whenever I get flustered or unnerved or just plain exaserbated my neck starts to blotch up like it has a case of red freckles or something. Weird and totally NOT fun looking. Anywho, moving on.) So, let's just say that between four different texts of said exaserbation I made it to Bingo in the very cold POURING rain a whole half an hour late and my ladies were already there, seat secured, ready to while away the other two hours bingoing. Let's just say that I didn't know Bingo could be so sophisticated. They had all kinds of patterns and designs and rules. None of which I have ever seen. I guess I am what you call an old granny Bingo player (thanks Grandma for NOT telling me that Bingo could be so fun). And I did. I had a blast and probably laughed harder then I should at the most inappropriate times because I didn't always pay attention because I was looking over here and looking over there and then Leslie, thank GOD for Leslie, had to keep me on target otherwise I would have been off my rocker in more ways then one. Oh and you want to hear something really strange? They had bowls not only full of cork bits and rubber parts, wood, and buttons but popcorn kernels. There again, horrible laughter and then Leslie and I were sure that it had to have been something chewed up and spit out from some old geezer who just had popcorn and was sucking the last bits of salt from the kernels in the bottom of his bag. Oooooo... chills. That is just ICKY!!! But whose to say that the imagination isn't right... at least sometimes. ROFL! ;-)

Ramble, ramble.

Oh and the sadest news? So I finally picked up the scarf that I started crocheting two years ago and finished another skein and realized that the yarn I need to finish the rest of the pattern is not even made anymore! HOW sad. So what do I do? Throw out what I have? Save it in hopes I can find the extra skeins I need online (already looked EVERYWHERE) or just try to make something out of it by substituting with a different yarn? Okay, so in case I have any interested crafters I am looking for Caron Bliss Yarn. Ugh... big pout. I was SO excited to actually finish a project. So excited. I should probably just toss it out. It would have been so cute when it was done. So I think I will go yarn shopping tomorrow and see what I can spy. Or maybe there is something comparable that I am not even aware of. That could be too. Hm.

Ramble, ramble.

Happy note? In five days I will be celebrating my half birthday. You know, the time in the year when you are one half older. I am rather excited. =) People think I'm nuts. I really don't do anything special or anything. I just think about how cool it is. 26 and a half. I enjoy getting older. Is that bad? I really really do. Like getting taller. Although that is kind of a dead wish in my case. I am stuck wheres I at. =) Five foot five. Why couldn't it have been something like five foot two eyes of blue or something? Nope. Just plain five foot five eyes of green. Doesn't really gel. At all. Bummer. Oh well. Looks like I am in a category to myself. And doesn't that just sound horribly conceited? ROFL!

More pretzels and root beer. Ooo, my tummy is all bubbly now.

Oh and almost forgot to mention... the play. South Pacific at the University of Minnesota Duluth. It was good, but the talent was FANTASTIC. Let's just say that the lead male singer that plays the French plantation manager Emile de Becque almost sounded better then Rossano Brazzi from the Rodger and Hammersteins version. And his French?! OH MY GOSH! SO good. Let's just say that as far as I know he would have passed me in Paris and I wouldn't have recognized the difference. Goosebumps. Major ones.

So for all being said and done, this was a fun weekend. Now if it would just make up its mind and snow I would be on top of the world. =)

Happy Weekend Everyone!

Oh and before I forget... Go VIKINGS! WooHOOOO! =)

{my aching back...}

2010-10-23T19:23:00.001-05:00

So this is what I did for fun two weekends ago. Just look at those piles... unbelievable right? =)

Occupation: Master Leaf Raker

Six hours spent in nature: Priceless

Physical Therapy bill: Ouch

Good for the heart and soul: You betcha

Want to do it again next year: I hope we have moved by then... (that is what I said last year, and the year before and the year before that one. Let's just say I've been saying if for a long time... eleven years actually.)

Just a lot of freakin' leaves!

{happy weekend awaits}

2010-10-22T12:36:00.000-05:00

It's Friday again and payday Friday so that makes it even better. But you know what? I have some fun things to look forward to this weekend starting off with a small pizza party tonight with my friend Lynae. It's been forever since I've seen her and she says she has some fun news for me... =) After pizza and chatting I have a play at the University of Minnesota Duluth that I am going to with my girls. South Pacific is playing. Gosh, I love that play. One of my favorites. As for the rest of my weekend? Hm...

Saturday... OPEN well, I have to review scholarship applications for work but then I am free.

Sunday... Church, 10:45 morning service. Then off to St. Michael's church to play bingo with my friend Leslie. Hey, I heard that if I'm lucky I might actually win a turkey. =) That WOULD be lucky. I don't win anything usually. But a turkey? Funny... how about some pumpkin pie? Now THAT is what I am calling a winner. =)

So what fun plans do you all have today and this weekend? Want to share? Oh, and I lost my camera's software so I can't download the pictures from the leaf raking escipade quite yet. THAT is MY weekend project. =)

Have a very happy Friday everyone!

{lost}

2010-10-21T12:44:00.000-05:00

I think I've lost my feeling lately.

The actual understanding of what that actually is escapes me... but this is what it's like.

Ever feel sometimes that you wake up in the morning with your head in a bubble. Like when you get a cold and you can only hear your congested lungs and beating heart?

Lately, that has been exactly what I've been hearing. Congested and confused thoughts, wishes and dreams.

Sometimes facing the truth, although very difficult is very important to accept in order to move on. With growth comes pain. I don't like that part. Who wants to hurt right?

However, I've seen something about me that makes me think that wading into the deep can be worth it. I can see the light under the deep, like a missing Atlantis beneath the waves. All shiny, protected, and ready. So I'm excited!

Ready to keep up with me? =)

{hm}

2010-10-20T11:23:00.000-05:00

It's Wednesday today (okay that's obvious) but to be completely honest it feels like a million days have gone by since my last post on just Monday. Things have been busy, stressful, happy, unhappy and horrendously confusing. SO much so that today would have been a great day to just hang out in bed and lock myself in it. But then... when I looked out my bedroom window this morning and saw the beautiful sky, it would have been a shame to remain locked up all too cozy just by myself.

So today I am looking for lovely inspiration for delightful smiley worthy ideas. Something that can lift me up out of my funky fall duldrums. I wonder what it is I need, or don't need. Or just need to be? Hm. See I'm confused, because I'm learning for the first time that I have needs and need needs met. It can be really overwhelming... and so I'm struggling I guess. Just a little. But I'll get there. I hope. Soon.

{in the light of the silvery moon}

2010-10-18T13:30:00.000-05:00

The evenings have been so beautiful here. Clear and lovely with all the stars in the sky just looking down and twinkling. =) We generally don't get many clear nights except for in the winter when it is so gosh darn cold that you can't even bare to stand out for two seconds without your nose falling off. So I have been enjoying it to say the least. Tomorrow's rumor is that snow is on its way. I'm not surprised. The morning temps have been so frigid that if we DO happen to have showers it probably WILL snow. Yay. I can't wait. I have been rather anxiously waiting for it. So happy to have snow finally here. Snow angels... mmmm =)

Us girls raked this past weekend and boy did we ever get the piles. I will have to post some of those pictures tonight when I get a chance because you will never BELIEVE them. 57 or so were raked up, piled onto the large tarp and then dumped into an enormous pile. SO big, that you can actually see it from the road. It has to be at least fifteen feet high if not more. =) Goofy girls. =) And everytime that you brought down another load you just had to run faster and jump higher so that you could make it further back so there wasn't any spillage into the rest of the yard. That was almost impossible to keep from happening. =) Oh and how long... almost six hours. Yep. Let's just say that I feel like my ribs have been split in two. Pretty bruised up. Poor things. But, on the happier note, based on my height and weight I burned over a thousand calories. So THERE! =) Beat that! =)

I'll be writing soon!

{happy ice cream}

2010-10-15T16:24:00.000-05:00

Today I am in the mood for ice cream. Big time. I wonder what it is that I could do to help myself hmmmm. Make this!!! Ice Cream by Coco Cake. Num.. sugar coma. And aren't I proud of myself? Sure I am. =)

Oh and I bought this today. Isn't it beautiful? I am SO happy. I a little poorer but I did need something for my new place and look... I didn't do that bad either =) It is a desk from the restored Carnegie Library out West where my former boss used to live. What a find. Just look at that honey wood gleam! =)

So happy weekend everyone! I hope to get around to posting more pictures and updating you all on the new adventures. Can't wait. =) Leaving you with some golden light! =)

{sometimes you just want to scream}

2010-10-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

Ever have that feeling? Where everything just seems to come to a head at once and you just need to POP? I popped a bit last night... and it felt so good. In fact thanks to a good friend, the popping went better then expected and I feel SO much better.

So update on the flu shot. Not so good. I was really icky feeling for about two days... and I guess others have felt the same. Next year I am going to rethink getting one. Especially after feeling THIS crummy. LOL!

But back to work and back to new challenges which means that I will be busy for a good portion of the day. Meetings, agendas, puzzles that need unpuzzling and all that fun stuff. Have a geat Wednesday everyone!

{i've been shot!}

2010-10-08T09:43:00.000-05:00

With the flu vaccine that is. Yep. All set for another year on the front lines of customer service. Makes me feel so special. ROFL! =)

Here Birdie! Birdie! Birdie! Oink, Oink! ;-) I DARE you. PppppbbblllllT!