my list: kitchen tool favorites

The prompt for #fmsphotoaday is 'something beginning with a K' which is perfect because I have been meaning to share my favorite kitchen tools! These are the ones I use daily/weekly, whether I'm flipping an egg white omelet, zesting a lemon or whisking up some of my favorite pancake batter. Most of these we got for our wedding 4+ years ago, so they are still in almost - new shape.

The links below direct you to the exact tools or something similar. enjoy!

1. rachael ray nylon turner set. perfect for: flipping fish, omelets, chicken breasts, anything! we use our small + large flippers every single day. love them.
2. microplane grater. perfect for: grating hard cheeses, garlic, or cinnamon sticks, zesting lemons + oranges.
3. stainless steel utility whisk. perfect for: delicate cake batters, folding ingredients, whisking powdered sugar into cream cheese to make frosting. (note: we used plastic whisks for a while but threw them away because they did not hold up to anything that we wanted. constantly bent. no good. will always buy good quality instead of cheap.)
4. paula deen solid spoons. perfect for: stirring anything. ours are used several times a week. we sometimes put them in the dishwasher, but my mom's advice is always to hand wash anything wooden.
5. rachael ray spoonula set. perfect for: anything you would use a spatula for. but better. con -- will not fit in the peanut butter jar.
6. kitchenaid santoku knife. perfect for: dicin' and slicin'. except tomatoes. serated all the way for those bad boys. santoku knives are amazing. we have 3. mom's advice again -- wash by hand to avoid rusting.
7. stainless steel measuring cups. perfect for: doin' their job. buying quality works again. we registered for these plastic measuring cups and the numbers rubbed off and it was no good. so now we use these and my preschoolers play with the plastic ones.

he + she // twenty facts about us.

He is currently reading Gone Girl.
She is currently reading Brooklyn.

He records Bar Rescue, Moonshiners, and Drinking Made Easy.
She records old episodes of Sex and the City.

He listens to Jay Mohr Sports.
She listens to Taylor Swift and Maroon 5 on the radio because she forgets to charge her iPod.


He knows all the starting pitchers for the Brewers.
She knows all the Real Housewives...from every city.

He grills the meat for the house.
She makes the sides. (and has never started the grill)


He puts hot sauce on his tacos and red pepper flakes on his pizza.
She appreciates that he doesn't make the chili spicy, otherwise he'd laugh at her over-the-top reaction.


He can drive a motorcycle.
She is content with being the passenger.

He starts the prayers at night.
She follows along.

He loves dark beer.
She does too, as long as he tastes it first and deems it acceptable.

He grew up with dogs and cats and gerbils and birds.
She had a fish. in eighth grade.

He wears t-shirts and jeans.
She does too, when she's not trying to pass exercise clothes as real outfits.

He was raised in Wisconsin.
She was raised in Minnesota.

He follows sports bigshots on twitter.
She follows bloggers on instagram.

He played soccer and trumpet in high school.
She played volleyball and clarinet.

He has the Tim Allen sound as his text alert.
She has the song from Amelie as her ringtone.

He once caught a 30" walleye.
She has caught 2 fish in her entire life.

He hates folding laundry. especially the socks.
She hates washing and drying the dishes. (he doesn't really like it that much either.)

He likes playing basketball and tennis.
She likes working out on a treadmill or stairmaster or elliptical.

He makes jokes all the time.
She laughs all the time.


He willingly listens to baby name suggestions for our futures.
She has had a list going since high school.

______________________________________________________________
Special thanks for Kelly for inspiring me to do a fact list after reading the one she made about her + Dustin: here.

thirty on april first.

30 facts about my husband

01. He loves a good adventure.
02. He is good at planning them too.
03. He makes me feel safe + secure. whether that's in our house on lyndale with our puppy between us or in a strange hostel in london.
04. He is reassuring and soothing which helps his worrisome spastic wife.
05. He assures me that he can grill just about anything. and will stop at nothing to prove it.
06. He has a good singing voice that can be heard on our way to the store with him in the driver's seat, in our pew at church, or into a microphone at karaoke.
07. He works so hard at what he sets his mind to.
08. He is the stabilizing force in the Hestekin house -- especially with both of us currently job hunting.
09. He doesn't complain. ever. even when we eat chicken four times a week because that's what I like.
10. He doesn't mind being called 'papa' which just started with the addition of Leo.
11. He is so good to Leo -- truly man's best friend.
12. He is patient enough to sit through Dancing With the Stars, even when the Clippers/Lakers game is on.
13. He has the biggest heart which is full of gold. and love for his entire family.
14. He is a little kid -- laughing at his text message notification sound and Wipeout and funny YouTube videos of people falling.
15. He loves discovering new restaurants and avoids chain restaurants if he can help it.
16. He can max out the leg press machine at our gym.
17. He is passionate about his hobbies and not just because other people think they are cool.
18. He has dreams about his careers and acts on them in little ways (so far...).
19. He sees me in the best light and encourages me daily.
20. He has the best taste in music. and alcohol. connoisseur in both.
21. He doesn't play games with people -- he's always himself 100% of the time.
22. He is good at drawing, even little doodles of dogs on scratch pieces of paper for our nephew are better than anything I whip up.
23. He doesn't complain when I ask him to 'make the smoothies tonight' or 'put the clothes in the dryer'.
24. He understands the importance I place on photographing our food before we eat it. and then instagramming it. :)
25. He doesn't require fancy things to make him happy. example -- tonight we are having beef stroganoff at his parents' house for his birthday dinner.
26. He doesn't need a calendar to remember the important things.
27. He looks so cute with his hair spiked with gel. and with his new frames.
28. He is always up for new. "As long as it makes you happy" he says.
29. He completes our family. Home doesn't feel right unless I know he's there.
30. He loves me with all my quirks + annoyances. And I him.

So, happy birthday to the best man, friend, and husband I could have. Thank you for blessing me with him, God.

credits + links:
photo -- taken by me during our day trip to Bruges.
inspiration for the husband fact list -- marta's lists for dan. so sweet.
read other birthday posts written by me: 26. 27. and 28.

the verbs of august.

reading // Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand and Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Have to mix up the non-fiction and the fiction sections of my small library. Both are currently in my purse (Anne) and my gym bag (Seabiscuit) waiting for me to crack their spines back and dive back into stories about Lakes of Shining Waters and horse racing in the '40s.

listening // the hum of the fan before I fall asleep. I must have been one of those babies that loved white noise because I sure love it now. (is that true mom?) Also, recently got into Spotify again and have downloaded: The Wailin' Jennys, Lianne La Havas, and The Best Coast.

watching // Dawson's Creek (ah! I can't seem to shake it! I keep talking about it, but I am almost done and I am not a quitter!) and while I am not watching TV (ahem, Real Housewives) I am usually watching Leo sleep, since there's nothing cuter. No, seriously, until we have children that puppy sleeping while be how I measure cuteness.

baking // I. don't. bake. currently, I mean. For several reasons: 1) My kitchen is tiny and the thought of having the counters (two) open long enough for me to bake something is laughable and 2) I have lost quite a few pounds and I can't keep those pounds off if there are baked goods sitting in my house (extreme lack of self-control with this one when it comes to having snack food in the house. Chad is lucky if he gets any treats at all).

enjoying // the calm before the storm. School/student teaching/hectic schedule/10 hour days starts in 5 days. 5. I keep telling myself I'm ready, so here's hoping the inner pep talk is working.

wanting // this might sound very 'first world' of me, but Chad and I want a Keurig machine. We used one in the hotel room during our stay in Madison and loved the single-serve concept. Hopefully they go down in price (maybe around Christmas?) so that we can get one.

celebrating // this weekend with my grandpa since he is preaching his last service ever before retiring. He has been a Lutheran pastor for over 62 years! A weekend with almost his entire family sitting in his tiny Minnesota church seems very fitting for such a wonderful man.

doing // day off stuff. laundry. (am I always doing laundry?) blogging. grocery shopping. packing. a trip to Kohl's. organizing. snoozing with Leo -- you know, the usual.

drinking // my daily water -- at the gym right above the water fountain there's a sign that says "Drink More Water" with a little water droplet next to it that is saying "Your body loves me!" (I'll just have to take a picture of it for you because it pretty cute.) And when I'm not drinking water, it's usually Sam Adam's Oktoberfest or a glass of wine for supper.


*original post concept can be seen here at:  take me for a twirl.

12 on the 12th. // august

01. The Olympics is closing as I type. Now what will Chad and I watch together? I know...old episodes of Louis on Netflix. (Sidenote: 'Imagine' gave me chills.)
02. I love that the Olympics inspires people to get fit. My bodypump instructor never fails to bring up Lochte or Franklin during our hour together.
03. Chad bought me the Canon 50mm lens for my birthday. I think I'm in love.
04. I also think I'm in love with the following: apples + peanut butter, cottage cheese + scrambled eggs, and ripe peaches (they don't need anything added to them).
05. Leo does this cute/annoying thing when I have popcorn sitting on my lap -- he'll get as close to me as possible, look up at me and give me those puppy eyes. I cave and give him some of course, but not without making him 'sit' first.
06. Pacey Witter is unlike any guy that I went to high school with. I'm currently watching DC because 1) I wasn't allowed to when I was a kid 2) I want to see what all the fuss around it was and 3) I am a bored during the day almost-back-to-school-student-teacher.
07. My nephew and sister called me on my birthday earlier this month and sang Happy Birthday on my voice mail. I may never delete it.
08. I am in current desperation to find cute, modest/teacher appropriate, comfortable clothing for my student teaching days. I guess I'll have to shop. :)
09. Current Reads: Seabiscuit and In Defense of Food. I have this thing with non-fiction at the moment.
10. I have a problem with buying fabric from my local thrift store and thinking that I'll do all these great things with it when really it just keeps Karma company up in the attic.
11. The Olympics also makes me pine for London again and forces me to commit to putting all my pictures in an album (and share some with you!)
12. Chad and I have three days off in two weeks. Chad and I want to go somewhere. Maybe Chicago??

little things in life. // summer edition

summer shandy. dawson's creek on netflix. reading books. hanging laundry outside. flowery tablecloths. cottage cheese + eggs for breakfast. bobby pin hairstyles. frisbee throwing with leo. chlorine swimming pools. summer olympics trials. fans blowing on me at night. instagram pictures. smell of sunscreen. fires crackling. blowing bubbles. the joy of catching fish. pink and purple sunsets. the art of un-plugging. jeopardy + popcorn dates. the avengers. waiting for the dark night. guilty pleasure // the bachelorette. farmer's market flowers. flip flops. peanut butter and apple slices. vodka sours. organizing the craft room. having time to organize the craft room. riding on a boat. painting toenails. baseball games + sunflower seeds. exercising more. garage sales and thrift sale trips. sun still out at nine at night. flavored water. lawn chairs. frozen yogurt. lake water. swimming with leo. eating grilled suppers courtesy of chad. sidewalk chalk. iced coffee.watering our little basil plant. cool sheets. summer wreath making. smores. magazines -- and having time to read them. sleeping with the windows open.

this summer list is brought to you by free time. i have it and i am enjoying it.

five senses.

seeing // my new February meal calendar. This month, I'm learning the great skill of organization + planning ahead that was perfected by my mother. With some of my school days lasting from 7am all the way to 8pm I have to pack my lunch + backpack + life with me into the car. So, I had to plan an entire month of meals that we can whip up when we walk in the door home from the gym or work.

hearing // Bon Iver on the radio. Bon Iver on SNL (tomorrow night!) and the Grammys (next week!).We are thrilled for our hometown band!

smelling // sweat. at the gym. (does that gross you out?) That really isn't my intention but I have to share my proud fitness moment with you --- out of the past 34 days, I have gone to the gym + gotten my sweat on (whether it's at classes or the elliptical) 28 days! (eek! Is this really me?) For a newly conformed regular at the gym, this is an amazing feat. I don't know where my inspiration is coming from, but I want it to last!

tasting // mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt. Yes I know that I just said that I'm a gym-goer, but it's our favorite weekly guilt-free (almost) that we share...in small bowls of course.

touching // the laptop keys. With school in full speed again, I am tied once again to my favorite/least favorite slave driver. Sprinkling a pinterest session into reading education articles is the best way I learn. :)

preparing for december.

For the first time EVER, I am linking up to lovely Lauren's Fill in the Blank Friday! As a long-time blog reader of hers and a self-proclaimed Christmas enthusiast, I thought I would share some of my Christmas thoughts....

1.   The holiday season is   (in my humble opinion) the best time of the year. seriously. This time of the year you will often see me grinning stupidly when I see an endearingly sweet Christmas commercial or nudging Chad and saying (over and over) "Do you know I love Christmas?!!!" "Seriously, Do you?!" "This is my favorite time of the year!!" To which my dear husband replies, "Yes honey, I know."

2.   Snow makes me stinkin' happy. That soft, quiet snow steals my heart every time. As long as I don't drive in it. I am from Wisconsin, so we get our fair share of snowstorms and I have this really irrational fear of driving in the icy snowstorms....I think it might have to do with the fact that my parents used to have this van that didn't have 4-wheel drive + I spun out several times while driving it. Did I ever tell you that, mom and dad?

3.  The best comfort food to eat when it's cold out is   something from the oven -- hotdish, bread, cookies, chili. I think when I made my meal plan for December, we are making 5 different chilis/soups which is basically perfection in our house .

4. Winter is the best time for  being together. and also, some reflection. since it's nearing the end of the year, I always go back and think about what has happened to me and how much we have to be thankful for in our little life. we are truly blessed.

5.  I can hardly wait for  my weekends with Chad. I have always had to work every weekend in December (once I had to work on Christmas Day...) and I can't wait to do all our Christmasing together this year. we have big plans -- sledding, playing with Leo, watching probably 10 holiday movies, quiet advent devotions, hot cocoa, shopping, decorating, being together!

6.  When it comes to holiday gifts I prefer to   give ones that matter. My parents have instilled in their kids that it's important to not put the focus on the gifts, but on the valuable gift that God gave us on Christmas. We are all starting our own families now, so we give gifts that are really thought out and something the person can truly cherish. One of the most exciting things that happens when we are opening presents is when I see people like what I've found for them -- the look they get. I completely LOVE that.

7.  If I were to rate my excitement about the holiday season on a scale from 1-10, I would say I am at about a    5 (right now). I have put Christmas on the back burner so far (all our decorations are still in the basement next to Leo's food) since schoolwork has consumed every spare second of mine...but after this weekend + our decorating extravaganza, I think that number will be bumped up to a solid 10. Even though I still have finals week...

Did you Fill in the Blank? (If you'd still like to, link up to the current one here .)

In other news --
01 | The calendar page is the last one (obviously) in the calendar that Danni gave me, so I felt it needed the proper recognition. Along with our Anthro initial mugs that we bought in London.
02 | If you like that calendar, the other ones paper source might interest you. I think this wall calendar looks most like the 2011 one I have.
03 | While writing this post, I listened to the beautiful Christmas playlist Arielle made. And then listened to it again the next morning.
04 | Katie featured a highly entertaining video called: Mall Santa Musical. super funny.
05 | As Thy coming was in peace, Quiet, full of gentleness, Let the same mind dwell in me that was ever found in Thee. -- something to pray for during the advent season.

twelve by 2012 // goal project by danni

Mornin'.

Bloggers come up with the best ideas, don't they?!

Danni from oh, hello friend is so splendid. Not only is she dreaming up 12 goals by 2012, she is giving other bloggers the chance to participate. This is exactly the push I need to get some projects done around here. Lately, I have had no drive to complete anything on my to-do list. Sure, I've been busy. Too busy, in fact. Working on teachers' to-do lists, tests, assignments, lesson plans...you know how it is. No time to focus on the goal that I will feel empowered doing + more importantly, finishing.

So, these 12 to-dos are for me. Focused on areas of my house + agenda that will help me feel just that -- accomplished. I will come back to this list and update the process I'll be making. Feel free to join me, Danni, and all the others!

twelve by 2012.
Bold = done. Hurray!
italic = in progress.

01. remove wallpaper from our bathroom and kitchen.

02. paint at least one of those rooms.

03. do two projects off my want to create pinboard.

04. make a complete november + december meal calendar.

05. buy new flats and a pair of TOMS.

06. start my e-portfolio for school.

07. edit the europe trip pictures.

08. create an advent calendar for c + me.

09. cut + dye my hair.

10. go to thrift stores (with a edited eye, of course) at least four more times (x2 a month).
(1 of 4 times done)

11. visit laura + family once -- just the two of us.

12. get a desk and bookcase for our office.

12 on the 12th // september.

love of books by a life through the lens

01. Lots of interesting books to read right now, in addition to my textbooks -- hard to pick just one. So I don't. :)
02. Nothing better than spending the entire weekend with Chad. I love that boy.
03. Football season is back -- wahoo! Now we just need those cooler temps. to go with it.
04. Mitch Hedberg on Youtube. Chad + I spent 20 minutes on Saturday night watching his stand-up. I am saved by the buoyancy of citrus.
05. BKFST might have the most delicious eye-candy I have ever seen. I have saved so many recipes to my files.
06. One thing that I can't wait for during Christmas: She + Him announced a Christmas album.
07. Saw Crazy, Stupid Love on Friday night. Loved it. It's lives up to the hype.
08. My hair is at this awkward stage where I don't know whether to wear it up or down since I don't like either. I do like this one though.
09. Baking bread is one of my favorite things about having our own kitchen.
10. Still thinking about 9/11. Everyone reflected differently -- blog posts. facebook updates. tweets. Bible passages. Staying quiet + reading all those personal stories worked well for me. As a 13 yr. old when it happened, I didn't understand the magnitude of the events that day until much later.
11. This print is so true. So true. Hard to not panic + freak out from school, so I wrote it down in my planner to glance at during the day.
12. A little tired of listening to the same ol' tracks -- any music recommendations for my daily 22 minute drive to school?

my jumbled thoughts.

re: the first day of school...

01. I frantically called Chad during one of my breaks completely panicked about the 3 syllabi (syllabuses?) that I had just gone through during the morning and he lovingly reminded me that this is my last real year of school (the next one is student teaching!) which freaked me out even more.
02. I spent 20 minutes sprinkled throughout class breaks on pinterest which sort of relaxed me. I didn't realize that looking at pretty images could calm me so much. (I also figured out how badly I want the cool fall temperatures to come so that I can make maple blondies and baked macaroni + cheese.
03. Sometimes at the end of the day, you just need to spend an extra five minutes in the shower. It's a rule.
04. Sometimes you also need to spend a three hour lunch with your best friend talking about everything from old boyfriends to future goals. Perfect.

Happy Almost-the-Weekend to you! :) Lord knows I'll enjoy mine!

my +none friday and saturday.

print credit: emrick123 // for the laundry room

Chad woke me up at five a.m. this morning with some kisses and a hug. I returned the kisses and hugs with a "drive safe and i love you". He's traveling up to (I actually have no idea what direction it is) a river with his cousin and canoeing 66 miles in two days. Yeah, that's my ambitious husband for you. 

I on the other hand, will be having one of those weekends. A weekend all to myself that I welcome with loving and open arms -- it's a precious gift that I don't want to scare away. (past all-alone weekend posts are here and here.)

bread baking. shirt ironing. paper organizing. farmer's market. garage sales. thrift sales. corn husking + freezing. mad men. exercising. toenail painting. bubble bath. vacuuming. flower arranging. reading. bathtub scrubbing. blog reading. blog writing. cardigan washing. hair curling. crafting. movie watching.

cheers to the long weekend. whatever you're doing and whoever you're with. :)

p.s. While I was putting the credit for the above print in, I was reminded of the post about crediting that my pal, Bethany wrote today.  

something pretty for your morning.

Good Morning! :)

Wow. Where did I go? Sorry about that. Sincerely. I didn't mean to leave for that long since I do have events + posts I want to share with you. Before I tell you how I've been filling my time, I have to get business out of the way. The winner of the very london giveaway is: Eleise of One Artsy Mama! (Congrats Eleise! I wish I could keep the goodies for myself, but I'll mail it to you shortly!)

 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In the midst of jotting down blog ideas and topics, I was filling my time with other things. 

Simple things like...
crafting rosette flowers like a mad woman last night. Seriously. I loved working the fabric with my hands and burning my fingers on hot glue. Sometimes you have to have a night where you forgo the chores and just craft (amiright?)

finally figuring out simple things at my work (a daycare center) like how one child likes her back patted at naptime and how to handle arguments at blocks -- it's all about celebrating the little victories. 
cleaning my apartment. I'm getting my post-vacation life back in order and that involves cleaning every inch of the house until it sparkles. 
falling in love with Mad Men all over again. Thank you, Netflix. :)
driving around with Chad and listening to the most ridiculous songs imaginable -- ('Shots") is one of them.  
seeing my nephew + niece again after a 53-day absence. (Pictures of mr. UJ and baby Zara will be shared soon). 

P.S. The tutorial I used for the flowers can be found on pinterest.  

12 on the 12th. (july).

01. Just finished Bossypants. And recommend it to any 30 Rock, SNL, new mother, comic fan on the planet. (I'm looking at you, sister...)
02. We are 12 days away from Europe Adventure! (How fitting that it's the 12th!) :) Chad has been working tirelessly trying to get all the arrangements figured out.
03. Zara baby + her chubby chin. She is now 3 months old! Can't believe the only pictures that I have posted on this blog were from the day she was born -- must remedy that soon.
04. Old pictures of my parents. I wish I would have known my dad when he was 23. Didn't he look groovy? (I felt the need to say "groovy" right then...don't judge.) :)
05. We are learning all about Paris (well, as much as possible from a travel book).
06. Found a new home for my paper lanterns I made.
------------------
07. Being at the new job for a whole month! Definitely the most rewarding + challenging job I have ever had.
08. Learning the ropes of our new Canon SLR. Thank you pinterest for linking some posts full of tips.
09. Hard-boiled eggs. Organic popcorn. Cheese wedges. (Just a few of our latest snacks).
10. Summer = staying up late and spending more time outside. We like.
11. I caught my first fish ever on Sunday! Will post a picture so my bro-in-law can be proud.
12. Just saw back to school commercial yesterday. boo. not yet. Off to enjoy the sunlight!

01-12.

It is officially the 12th of June. Wowza. Doesn't it always seem like the first half of the year flies by?

01. Eating more produce. Above is the black bean + mango tostadas that Chad and I have made several times (recipe here) and we somehow seem to eat more veggies/fruit and less meat in the summer. Are you like that too? Why is that? Is it just because I don't want to turn on my stove or is it because fresh food tastes soooo much better in the summer? I'm not complaining though--I kinda like looking down and seeing my grocery cart filled with those clear produce bags.
02. Ending my run at the hotel front desk last night. Celebrating with a Summer Shandy.
03. Starting the new job tomorrow morning. Let the butterflies start their fluttering dance in my stomach...
04. Finding lesson plan material for said job. See, that's why I like what I do. In addition to browsing pinterest for more dreamy house inspiration, I get to find crafts for father's day.
05. Chad smoked ribs yesterday. He said they were heavenly. And he took pictures. Instead of getting to eat with him, I munched on a turkey sandwich. :)
06. Bethany is engaged! I can't talk about her kindness and friendliness enough -- she is one of the best ladies I have ever had the privilege of calling my friend. Am so delighted that she is getting married to her love! YAY!
07. Having my faith restored in the X Men franchise -- which was depleted after the 3rd flick. Bonus: Yum x 2 (McAvoy + Fasssbender).
08. Chad in his new "Europe" jeans. They make his butt extra yummy. Ladies, get your fellas some 1969 straight leg jeans from the Gap. Stat.
09. Mavs v. Heat. I don't know why I'm so into the NBA finals right now, but I have watched all these games. Maybe because Micaela is so passionate, she's rubbin' off on me.
10. Making decorations for the 30th party (one of my favorite things to do). Have I still not shown you the plan? Will do that this week...promise.
11. The Business of Being Born. Wow. This documentary completely opened up a new way of thinking about child birth for me.
12. New music to be excited over. Thursday, I listened to Bon Iver's new album streaming and sent Chad a text: "Justin's new album is streaming -- you want in?" (Since I live in Justin's town, I guess I feel like we are on a first name basis...even though we've never met). Do yourself a favor and listen here if you wish.

**play along with Amy + Miranda.

my recent days in (ing).

drinking this tasty concoction: the Arnold Palmer. Ever since Cole posted about it on her blog it's all we have been drinking. Which is saying much considering that I had never heard of one before. Hello new favorite summer drink!

breathing a sigh of relief. I passed my benchmark on Wednesday. This doesn't probably mean much, but I can finally drop the 'pre' from my education title. Love it!

playing Angry Birds of course (free download on Google Chrome) and Clockbusters (thanks for the tip-off, Jessica!).
reading the interesting discussions about blogging/sharing that with real life people over at Danni's blog and smoothie recipes and how good/bad they really are for you over at Celia's blog.
befriending new people through bloglovin. My new discoveries are: desserts for breakfast, always with butter, my pencil box, busy bee lauren, little white whale, atlantic pacific, and vintch.
planning our Paris +London + Brussels stays during our date tomorrow. Figuring out which hostels we are going to stay in and how we are going to get there. 58 days to go! (Lemme just tell you...Rick Steve's guidebooks are becoming our new best friends.)
sending out my parent's 30th wedding anniversary party invites! Will show you the darling invites and the party inspiration board soon (I promise.)

wishing you all a Happy Memorial Day weekend! How will you be spending it?

day two of summer vacation.

Starting off my summer vacation with:

these blackberry-lime muffins. They are all kinds of good.
laundry hanging on our makeshift clothesline (a.k.a a yellow rope tied to our posts). Still gets the job done.
curled hair. Celebrating the end of the school year tonight with Chad's family.
one summer class. Never fear though, it's online so I get to finally save on gas money!
a graduation party for my cousin's husband tomorrow who graduated from seminary.
a whole afternoon being outside (playing Angry Birds on my computer). Love the feeling of the warm sun on my pale legs and arms.

I ask you--Is there any better smell in the spring than that of lilacs? There is a big bush right behind our house's privacy fence that is just starting to flower and it is di-vine coming out on the patio and write a blog post while sniffing the lilac-filled air.

one through twelve.

Ga! What was Blogger's issue? I know this affected almost all of my blogger friends, so you guys know what a hassle it is when Blogger isn't cooperating. Hopefully you are not too upset that I am posting this from Thursday, but I just can't recover it from wherever Blogger dropped it. I do know that from now on, I'll be saving every single draft before, during and after I start writing in order to avoid this feeling of complete paranoia. Happy reading! :) 

01. Enjoying my springtime rag wreath and my kitten by the door...
02. Banana bread with greek yogurt. It's awesomely moist.
03. The Voice. (Do you watch?)
04. After seeing these spring dresses I decided I need more navy, moss, coral, and cream in my closet.
05. Saying goodbye to my preschoolers on Monday.
06.My own version of this messy bun at a going-away party on Tuesday.
07. This picture of peonies at the market that Jordan took are delicious. Makes me want to go to Paris sooner than 71 more days.
08.Sleeping with the window in our bedroom cracked open the last couple nights. It makes both of us sleep so much better.
09. Picking out new sunglasses with Chad (our yearly tradition).
10. Nightly devotions with Chad are my new favorite.
11. Trying out new fonts for special party invites...they are my new weakness. I've downloaded probably a dozen this week.
12.Shopping for summer duds. New blue polka dotted wedges, anyone?

P.S. I used this tutorial that Jessica posted to make my rag wreath.

Link up your own 12 on the 12th at Miranda's blog.

today i will...

dream of the next time avocados are on sale so that I can make avocado on toast.
eat ginger steak salad leftovers for lunch.
try to stop looking at pictures from the royal wedding. My favorites have to be this one and this one.
begin the countdown to the end of school.
email Meghan, no. 19--the winner of my participation prize for the curd survey.
finish reading Ree + Marlboro Man's love story. and then go home and kiss Chad.
go on the back of Chad's motorcycle.
listen to Simon & Garfunkel.
do my not-so-interesting homework.
open the porch door and let the breeze in.


The avocado toast is super simple: toast with 1/2 avocado mashed, drizzle of olive oil, sprinkle of crushed red pepper flakes, and s + p.

officially.

It's not spring around here until Chad and I have grilled brats, had a beer, and watched one Brewers game together. It's our little tradition. As of Friday of last week, it was officially spring.

Other ways we know it's spring in our house:

*Our screen door will stay open until I complain of being chilly around 930 at night.
*I get to buy new flats (today!)
*Chad takes his motorcycle to work.
*Chad will go to the driving range after work (it's dangerously close to where we live which means he goes there tri-weekly)
*When it's a little nicer out, we'll start walking to the grocery store and walking around the river
*Blueberries and asparagus are on sale. hooray!

How do you celebrate spring?