Bloggity Blogging

It's the most wonderful time of the year. Obviously.

2011-12-16T13:55:00.010-06:00

Christmas Spirit Photo Dump

My brother sent me this of the girls in front of their tree. Love.

I'm a natural at being in front of a camera.

Mike playing our Christmas present to ourselves, an xbox 360, while wrapped up in his FAVORITE blanket. Giggles.

New underwears, anyone?

My sparkly new decorations that I'm slightly in love with.

Heaven help us on our wedding day. How will we ever get one normal picture?

October 24, 2011

2011-12-02T10:21:00.005-06:00

Some really awful and sad things have happened to my friends and family as of lately that has left me feeling so mournful and worried about them. Today I'm choosing to focus on something happy and tell my happy story not to forget about their hurt but to shine a little light.

On October 24, 2011 I got engaged!

Its about time I tell the story right?

Lets start two days before this. Mike and I had a little shopping to do downtown. As we walked in front of a jewelry store Mike said, "Want to go in?" I obviously said yes. So we went in and just looked at rings. It was unexpected and fun. We narrowed it down to two rings said our thank yous and walked out the door. Let me tell you, the whole time we were in the store two things were running through my mind. 1. Am I really here looking at engagement rings??? Yeee!! 2. Why didn't I at least shower before we went out in public?

The next two days were spent secretly telling my friends that we went to a jewelry store and wondering just how long I would have to wait. Turns out, Mike is just as impatient, if not more, than I am. I came home on Monday the 24th to find Mike home, instead of working his usual overtime. He had some van morrison playing and he was doing the dishes. A little suspicious, yes.

Throughout the day we were texting each other about how excited we were about that nights dinner, spaghetti. We obviously love spaghetti. I walked right in the door, used the restroom, and came out and grabbed the pasta pot out of the cupboard to find this inside of it:

That would be the blue ninja (from the post before this) drawn shakily by a nervous boy on the outside of a jewelry box. He made a very special sneak attack on me. I turned to find mike standing there with a sheepish smile on his face and I quickly opened the box and excitedly yelled, "Do you have something to ask me?" He did. I said yes (surprise!) and we spent the next couple hours drinking wine and calling friends and family. That spaghetti? We never even made it. Our engagement dinner ended up being a tombstone pizza and Riesling wine. So our style.

Things on my head. Gus edition.

2011-10-20T11:38:00.003-05:00

This is Gus. Rachel's sister's dog. He liked me.

He ain't even po'd to be here!

2011-10-19T15:44:00.004-05:00

This past weekend was a long vacation weekend. Mike, myself and my Rachey made a trip down to Madison where we saw the band Primus and checked out Mike's old haunts in the place he used to live. After our very quick trip to Madison we headed back north to Michigan and revisited the resort we went to this summer. Just outside of Wausau we stopped at a truck stop to use the bathrooms. Rachel and I went into our respective room and mike in his. When we came out we found mike at the gumball machines purchasing a toy. This toy.

This is the blue alien ninja. Mike just HAD to have it (now's the time to insert how much I love him, right? I'm talking about Mike).

Blue ninja made the trip to the cabin with us and had a blast doing what ninjas do best...appearing out of nowhere. He ended up almost being eaten from hiding in the bag of popcorn. He hid in Mike's cigar case, in the m&m's and so on. Unfortunately, the weekend came to an end, but blue ninja came home with us.

Since being home he's been on some fantastic missions, like hiding in the salt bowl and my personal favorite coming out of the refrigerator's ice machine as Mike filled his glass.

The point of this story is, its is so. much. fun. The look on the face of the person that finds it is priceless.

Wedding Times

2011-09-30T15:31:00.007-05:00

Just two weekends ago Mike's baby sister got married. What made it even better (for me) is that one of my best friends (Mike's cousin, Kari) came all the way from Florida to take pictures for the big event. We had a really great time and here are just a few pictures from the wedding.

Mike and the pretty bride, Jen.

Normal?

Nope, this is my normal. Why does my face naturally squish up every time a camera is pointed at my face?

I did my best with a real picture. But this next one is more me.

Thank goodness Kari has another cousins wedding to come back for in June. Miss you already!

And finally, this is the only picture I got with the bride. Also, this is the Bride for the June wedding Kari will be photographing.

I really classed up the joint if you can't tell.

Needless to say, it was really a fantastic time. I danced and was sore for two days. Two.

I Love Northern Wisconsin

2011-09-28T11:49:00.005-05:00

And this pizza right here, well its just one of the reasons. This is a Frankie's taco pizza and it is beloved in these parts. I never understood it until last weekend. Kari, my bff, if you will, was visiting from Florida for Mike's sisters wedding (more on that later) and it was a mandatory stop while she was here. Yes, that is absolutely Doritos on top of a pizza and they are amazing. I posted this picture to facebook and within maybe 5 minutes there were at least 8 likes/comments. People love. this. pizza. I guess I am now "people." Sigh. Like I needed another "excuse" to eat Doritos.

If you're into Doritos you should totally check out this hilarious post on best week ever's blog. It's called the 50 most delicious doritos flavors: from disgusting to cool ranch.

Duh duh duh duh!!

2011-09-08T10:12:00.006-05:00

Back in 2007, when Brett Favre was still the Packers go-to guy, was the last time I made it to Lambeau Field. It was a playoff game against the Seahawks and it ended in blizzard like conditions. It was amazing, with the biggest "snowflakes" (think clumps of snow) I have ever seen. Holly was there and said that she's afraid to go to another game because there's no way another would top that experience. I'd have to say I agree. But that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to try...

I was just looking back at an article and here's what Brett had to say:

'"I've been hoping for that for 17 years," Favre said. "I was watching the weather all day and it's a shame, I'm like, 'Just give us one of those big snow games.'"

"I wanted to play where you couldn't see the field, and the snowplow comes out. It keeps getting worse and worse," he said.

With Lambeau Field looking like a snow globe, the Packers posted their biggest points total in postseason history.'

The snowplows indeed came out. But first they swept the yardlines as it started to snow, then they moved onto using shovels to clear the yardlines, and finally they had to move onto the plows. It was incredible.

Anyways, the point of this post was that obviously I'm pumped up for the season opener tonight and because of that game and this event that happened before I cannot get excited about football without hearing this sound in my head:

You see, we went to the game with Mike's longtime friend and his wife and we stayed in separate rooms. Mike went down in the morning to get some pre-game donuts at the continental breakfast and he heard someone exuberantly shouting out that sound. Mike came back and told me about it and we giggled (yup, Mike giggled). Just a few minutes later we heard it outside our door when there was a knock. Wouldn't you know it was Eli, Mike's friend, all along. So, from that point on we hum this theme song whenever we are excited about football and will forever remember that game.

Where the wild things are...Mike and Nicole's house.

2011-09-06T13:49:00.006-05:00

This is out our kitchen window. Its quite a regular morning occurrence now as the birds are feasting on our sunflowers. We stared each other in the eyes and just this one time I was victorious as he and all his birdie friends flew away immediately after I took this picture. Normally, I'm the one creeped out by blackbirds. Yes, I find this picture creepy.

This right here is a cat who forgot to put his tongue back in his mouth. I implore you to click on it and make it bigger.

Finally, this is just one of the MANY monarch caterpillars that our garden was a host and home to.

Happy Birthday, McKenna!

2011-08-26T10:29:00.005-05:00

My niece has turned 6. SIX!! She'll even be starting first grade on September 1st. Its unbelievable that she's grown up so much. McKenna is so smart, funny, so cute, loves to be active and creative, and is a great big sister! Happy Birthday, McKenna!

Oh! I forgot to mention how stylish she is! As you can see, she's passing it right down to her little sister as well.

Our "vacation"

2011-08-22T21:06:00.015-05:00

Its unfathomable to me that people get to take "vacations." A week in another city, state, country? Maybe someday. For now we settle for two nights away in another state that only took us about 2 hours to get there. If this is what "vacations" are like, sign me up. We spent the weekend at the Wilderness Bay Resort. Mike has fallen in love with this place after he reconnected with a long lost friend from college whom he found out ran a resort (one his family actually built and later sold). This was Mike's 3rd time there and my first. I'm sure it won't be our last.

That was the view out the front door.

To prove that I was there: this is me in all my spotty, makeup free glory on an evening boat ride.

We went fishing in the morning for a few hours and this was pretty much the only catch. It was nice though, and I didn't get sea sick! We were even able to dock at a restaurant on the lake and have lunch. Also, the lakes were filled with all kinds of gorgeous wildlife.

Like this spot of an eagle flying around that we saw often. Not to mention, the huge osprey.

Or this gorgeous loon. I don't know if there is a much more peaceful sound at night than a loon on a lake and there were quite a few of them.

Mike, my captain, was itching to get back out on the lake after a little break back at the cabin so out we went. We went through all of these little channels that would land us in a secluded little lake. Honestly, I can say it was one of the most beautiful places I've been with the lake that was like glass, as they say.

This just happens to be one of my favorite pictures. I've never seen so many lily pads in my life!

Towards the end of our trip my nervous self kicked into gear knowing that we had to go back through the very narrow channels and it was hinting at darkness. What if something happened and my very new captain (love you Mike!) didn't know what to do?

The dementor in me came out. See?
We were able to follow the only other lone boat out and made it back before the rain found us.

Is it time to go back yet? I want to go to there.

P.S. These are pictures taken with an iPhone. Who needs an actual camera?

Party Time! Grandma Style!

2011-08-02T12:08:00.012-05:00

So this weekend was a VERY BUSY and hectic time. It was the town festival that myself and a couple other people helped plan and execute. To say the week prior was a little stressful is a correct statement. All in all, the event seemed to go over well with a few things to tweak for next year.

Also, we held a surprise 75th birthday party for my grandma. I volunteered to make decorations. Why volunteer when I was already so busy with festival planning? Well, its because I love having an excuse to make crafts. So here some of what I made.

Remember the green, purple, and doily theme I decided to go with? Well I stuck pretty close to it with these "windsocks" which were spray painted coffee cans that had crepe paper taped inside.

I also made these little topiary type things for centerpieces on some of the tables. They are cupcake liners hot glued to foam balls in painted pots. Everything but the stencil for the pots was bought at the $1 store. YAY for that!

I also made this banner using doilies (of course) and paint chips that I cut and wrote on. This cost me about a dollar to make.
Use a picture frame, put some cute paper in it and write away with some dry erase markers. So SIMPLE!

So that's most of what I made. While I wish I could have made more, (so many more ideas!) time just got away from me. I think my grandma was pleasantly surprised and had a good time, even though she initially refused to get out of the car. Oh, Grandma :)

Garden Update-part 1

2011-07-26T15:39:00.002-05:00

So here's what our garden looks like now:Actually this was last week, so its even bigger now. No. That's definitely not all ours. However, I am awkwardly standing next to our tomatoes. Mike wanted to know what I was doing. "Something weird, I'm sure" is how I responded. Our plot kinda starts from where I'm standing up until the tripod trellis for the pole beans and then across from it we have half of that for our pumpkins and cucumber and squash and whatnot.

Anyone have any good tomatillo recipes? I'm going to have quite possibly a gabillion of them if all continues to go the way it has been. Oh, and I'll have the first tomato from the whole garden ready today when I go home. Chomp.

A sneak peak

2011-07-21T12:33:00.003-05:00

I'm planning a surprise birthday party for my grandma that is happening at the end of the month. Want to guess what the theme is??

No, that's not a giant baby rattle, just the beginnings of a decoration and this is just one of the many things I'm making. I've been having a lot of fun making stuff I've found on Pinterest. I just love the idea of having a pretty party so now I'm actually going for it! I'll post more as I finish projects. Oh and the theme is pretty easy, purples, greens, and doilies. Hey, I had to have a direction!

American Gothic...Pigs

2011-07-15T10:58:00.006-05:00

For some inexplicable reason I fell in love with a garden statue. Yes, its ridiculous. I think that's why I liked it. Of course. However, I just wasn't willing to buy it. This statue came up in conversation one day with our next door neighbor and garden mate. Wouldn't you know it, yesterday Mike was looking out the kitchen window at the garden and says, "There's pigs!" Yeah, I sure didn't know what he was talking about. Turns out our neighbor had went and bought that ridiculous statue for us for our first garden. Sweet right?

Here it is:So silly, right? I have no explanation as to why I like it.

She wrote our names on them!

The funniest part about this is, I had NO IDEA, that this was happening! Cheeky little pig.

If my yard ever starts filling with garden statues like this. I give each and every one of you permission to say, "You have enough, Nicole."

A Realization

2011-07-13T13:01:00.004-05:00

So we all know i'm a little...childlike. I can say it. I embrace it. However, I did kinda think I'd outgrow it a bit as I got older. Well, today as I took the GIANT clothespin off of my red nose I realized it might not be in the cards for me. You know what, I'm happy about it.

This all came crashing down on me this afternoon as I strung together a few things I've done in the office at work in these last two days. Yesterday as I was sitting with the office door wide open and in plain sight, I played the game "spin around in the chair while not using your legs" and later jumped and hopped down the hallway making sure I didn't step on any of the tile cracks without a second thought about it. Surely, by now I should think about doing those things before I do them, right? Eh well.

I think this demonstrates my point appropriately. P.S. This is probably the most fantastic photo I've ever taken of myself. P.P.S. My lips are not that red.

"Do you Believe in Heaven?"

2011-07-12T13:30:00.006-05:00

After looking at those pictures of those gorgeous strawberries, you might think that's why I asked that question. Not so much. You see this morning, before work (go me!) I went and picked those lovely things at my childhood friends father's berry patch. They are DELICIOUS. You kinda forget how "real" strawberries are supposed to taste after a winter of the ones in the plastic crates.

Anyways, back to the bit about heaven. When you pick strawberries at someone's field at the peak of season you are inevitably going to be picking next to someone. And that's just fine and dandy.

However, at 7:30 a.m. when I'm enjoying some relaxing strawberry picking, I honestly don't want to hear the question, "Do you believe in heaven?" from the man picking next to me. I have no way to get out of the situation. While he was certainly a lovely and kind man, I just thought, "Heaven, help me." That's probably wrong, right? Seriously, though, where did that question even come from? Sigh. I wonder if my blue toes and accidentally low cut top made it look like I needed saving.

Busy Times

2011-06-28T12:55:00.002-05:00

This right here, is just one of the reason's the summer seems to be flying by. Gardening can really suck up a person's time and energy. Of course, I'm not saying I don't enjoy it. I am saying it leaves me with little time to much else, though. This is a picture from when we first planted. Things have changed! We now have a ton of weeds too!

It really is a lot of fun going and looking every day to see if there is anything new happening. This past week in which it rained every day may have taken a toll on some of the plants, so fingers crossed for a resurgence.

Here's what we planted:
Tomatoes (Grape, Cherry, Roma, Beef Champion, a Purple, etc)
Jalapenos
Garden Salsa Peppers
Bell Peppers of all colors
2 Kinds of Onions
Carrots
Dill
Basil
Green Beans
2 Kinds of Cucumbers
Watermelon
Pumpkins
Zucchinis
Butternut Squash
Tomatillos
Also, a Cortland tree and some raspberries and sunflowers all over as well

I think that's it! We really do have our work cut out for us if all of this stuff grows! Is anyone willing to come over and help do some canning??? No takers, huh? Have I mentioned this is our first time gardening? I must also mention our neighbors also garden with us and are a WEALTH of knowledge that has really helped us, along with my green thumb aunt and uncles. So watch out people, you know what you're getting as Christmas gifts!

If you've never seen the look of annoyance on a cat...

2011-06-21T12:14:00.002-05:00

You now have.

Riding in Style

2011-06-16T13:47:00.007-05:00

Last night I finished up using the treadmill and came upstairs to see Mike was nowhere around. Odd. I went and sat on the porch to try and cool down (from the treadmill, not from anger). As I was sitting there Mike pulled up in his truck and got out with a weird look on his face and said put some shoes on. My immediate reaction was fear, "what's wrong? you're freaking me out." I'm not a worrier at all.

I put my shoes on and went back outside to find Mike pulling a bike out of his truck! Mike has a nice bike himself and has wished that I had one so we could ride together, as he's not fond of taking walks. He said, "you know how I do things spur of the moment without thinking too much?" Yup.

Turns out he looked on craigslist and the second listing for northern Wisconsin was actually in our town (SUPER rare) and it was pretty much EXACTLY (the same brand as his) what he was looking for. He called them up and they asked how tall I was and said perfect, that's how tall the previous rider was; Mike went right over and bought it after a quick test ride. The woman that owned it barely rode it and had decided to get a different style of bike. Score!

So here it is: A trek navigator 2.0 says the bike (I'm told its a nice one)I stole these pictures from the craigslist ad.

I'm ashamed to say...its probably been like 12 years since I've ridden a bike (ridiculous, I know). However, it turns out that old saying is pretty true. We went for a short ride last night (in the rain) and it was lovely. Here's to it clearing up so we can go a little farther tonight.

Thanks, Mike. I love it!

Proud Auntie

2011-06-02T12:35:00.012-05:00

So after a long absence from the blog, I'm back for what will be one of those blog posts that I'm posting just so I can keep looking back at it. I was able to go for a quick visit on Memorial Day weekend to see my brother and his family. Sunday just happened to be little Mallory's 2nd birthday. What a treat it was to be there for it. The girls are just getting so big I can barely stand it. So here they are in photo form:

They were outside waiting for my mom and I at their beautiful new home

The Birthday Girl, Mallory

This video was quite a hit with McKenna, and well, the adults also.

McKenna was a great big sister and got her little sister some presents.

Here she is reading her present for Mallory. She's an amazing reader and she's not even six!

We went to a fantastic park.

My brother (sporting face paint courtesy of McKenna) and {the girls} had a great time!
Sigh. I sure wish we lived just a little closer and that I had EVERY weekend off!

Mail Center

2011-04-28T08:00:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned yesterday, I can't get enough of craft blogs. I stumbled across this one and just HAD to make the mail center. We're still searching for that ever elusive organization. When I told Mike about it he seemed excited that I needed him to build me something. So, build away he did, with scraps of wood he already had. I myself was excited about being able to buy some new fabric. So there they are:

The only change I made was putting a couple of hooks on one of them to hold our keys. It super handy right by the door so I no longer just throw my keys on the couch. Most of the time. If you're in need of something like this, I say go for it! What I love is that you can make them your own with your fabric choices.

Hostess with the Shmostest

2011-04-27T12:10:00.006-05:00

As most of my friends know, I love hosting a party, even a small one at that. Last week we had friends and their children over for a taco bar with pitchers of freshly made mojitos. Delicious. Just use a little less sugar than they do. Try them.

Also, this year we had some people over for easter "dinner." For dinner we had garlic smashed red potatoes (the only kind of mashed potato I want anymore) and a ham (that we successfully reheated!) with stuffing, calico beans (thanks, mom), corn, green beans, gravy and dinner rolls. Not to pat myself on the back, but the food turned out fantastic and I was proud of the two of us :)When I came home from work on Saturday I found these flowers from the Mikester.

They couldn't have been more my style. Those little eggs there? I made them and LOVE them even though they have no purpose other than to be cute. Sidebar: I am obsessed with going to craft blogs and using their super thoughtful templates (click on the egg link).

For dessert we had lemon bread and these little carrot cuppy cakes with cream cheese frosting with a gummy butterfly on top (working at a candy shop can be inspirational and dangerous):

Thanks to mike for actually decorating the cupcakes while I quickly took a shower! Yup, he takes well to directions :)

So far, success (for the most part)

2011-04-12T10:58:00.005-05:00

I just want to say, I'm proud of both myself and Mike. We've been using our new treadmill quite regularly. Mike's losing weight...me not so much; It's still very early, I know. Guys are different that girls...right? And I am starting off at a slow pace. I suppose making this bread and literally stepping off the treadmill to eat it while still sweating doesn't help matters...but still....

It was worth it.

Also, I cleaned up my desk and got the new shelf in the office. Progression of organization, it's happening! I feel the need to pat myself on the back to make me feel better and want to do more, that's normal, right?

Treadmill time

2011-04-06T11:21:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to introduce you to our treadmill setup. We moved our beast of a treadmill into the unfinished basement, which in and of itself was a huge process. Anyways, Mike then strapped a cord from the ceiling and voila, there hangs the iPad. I'm so one of those people that needs entertainment to keep me moving on that thing so it works out perfectly. Might not be pretty, but it works! Soon, the view behind the iPad will be shelving with all our totes (totes, that we will go through before putting them on the shelves). We're getting our lives together!!

Oh, and how did I become a person that is excited about watching glee on the treadmill? Yeah, I said it, I watch glee! I feel so much better about getting that off my chest. I only put the picture of ricky gervais up so people would think I was cool...did it work?

Organization...Step 1

2011-04-05T10:29:00.004-05:00

Mike and I are on a quest. A quest for some organization in our lives. This is something that is badly needed in our house. I've been on the search for something with cubby holes so I could store stuff without needing to see it all the time. Aka, hide it. It had to be the perfect size to fit where we need it to go and finally, I found it!

Yes, that mess in the background proves two things...one, we need some organization, and two, I should probably at least pick stuff up off the floor before I take a picture that people will see. Don't want to let people behind the curtain...

After Mike put together this little thing he said, "I wonder how long it will take for Lulu to go in it." Not long, Mike. Not long.We bought this on our little trip to Duluth recently. Want to know what else we got? Patio furniture (no we don't have a patio) and a gazebo (now we don't need a patio!). I'm super excited about being able to sit outside and eat and chill. This is the first home I've lived in that didn't have a deck to go sit on. So big yay for this! While at Menards, I registered to win a prize and I won! A paint roller that you fill with paint instead of having to dip it in a pan. Hehe. We were actually going to paint in the basement soon, so yay for that too!

Finally, guess what else we (Mike) got! An 8x10 vinyl shed! Its super nice. Well, the model in the store looked really nice. It will be shipped to us on the 15th, I think. From there, its building time. How much of a bigger step can you get for organization?? A place for the lawnmower, snow blower, grill, four wheeler, and now patio furniture. This is huge. HUGE.

Mike's computer

2011-03-30T15:27:00.008-05:00

I sat down at Mike's computer to try and find a picture I knew I saved and I came across a few photos he saved to his desktop...thought I'd share them a la this post.

:)

Weekends? What?!

2011-03-29T10:45:00.003-05:00

I may be getting slightly ahead of myself, but I can't help it. I have a change in my work schedule coming up that is going to give me every other weekend off! Do you hear that, friends?? I think (if everything goes my way) I will have two weekends off a month! For the last NINE (9) summers I have worked every weekend, not to mention for the last FIVE (5) years I've worked every single weekend year round (minus the few here and there I was able to ask for off). To say I'm excited is an understatement. I can see my friends again!!!

Bar Necessities

2011-03-22T10:51:00.002-05:00

Just a little sign I found on the bathroom wall at a local bar. To be fair, this bar (which is also an awesome restaurant) is on the atv and snowmobile trails and is a major stopping point. Still, out of context, this is a pretty hilarious sign if you ask me.

Etsy Shop

2011-03-04T13:57:00.005-06:00

So I've recently been thinking, seriously, about opening up an Etsy shop. It'd be a low stress way to (hopefully) move some fabric and goods out of the house. Also, it'd give me a chance to try out some new patterns (and buy more fabric) under the guise of doing them for the etsy shop with a low amount of guilt. If I could make few dollars off of it, that'd be great but if not, oh well. I enjoy crafting anyways. The point of this post was to ask...anyone have any ideas what to name my shop if decide to get one going?

Go Pack, Go!

2011-02-03T12:56:00.004-06:00

To say that I've been totally immersed in Packers and Superbowl this week would be a completely accurate statement. We now have NFL network and they keep repeating how they are going to have 110 hours of coverage leading up to the big game. I'd say its safe to say I've watched a very large chunk of it already. It keeps sucking me in (even if I don't necessarily want it to). I even watched a documentary on Vince Lombardi last night that left me in tears (give me a little credit, grown men were crying on it too).

In 1997, the last time the Packers won the Superbowl, I did the same thing, only I got to watch it all with my dad. I didn't realize it at the time, but I know now how much that time spent in front of the tv with my pops means to me. It was something special between us; something I can tell he was proud of me for enjoying.

I remember going to the "Superbowl," the local bowling alley/bar that my parents worked at to watch the 1997 championship game. When the Packers won, I remember the excitement and hugs, the yelling, and I even remember some tears. Actually, I remember being slightly embarrassed at how overly excited everyone was, my dad included (hello, teenager). I remember watching everyone singing their hearts out to, "We are the Champions" by Queen.

Looking back at that time, I feel so lucky to have been there and watched that game with my dad. To see his excitement, true exuberant excitement, and joy I'm not sure I saw again. Not saying he wasn't happy or excited ever, just nothing quite as big as that game. So here I am, hoping for a win on Sunday but also knowing that I'll be happy even if they don't win because of all the wonderful memories it brought back of the Packer time I spent with my dad.

Oh, and of course I had to add a touch of "Nicole" to my Packer garb. I whipped up some cutesy headbands out of felt last night. What do you think? Think my dad would be proud?

How could he not have been proud of this face??? :)

My latest project: For Mr. Bayle

2011-01-30T21:26:00.005-06:00

I very recently talked myself into buying a new electronic sewing machine. To say I was excited was a bit of an understatement. Making this little project was my main motivator (or so I told myself). My super basic Singer sewing machine would have gotten the job done, as I had just finished making a girlie version of this quilt, but not without some trouble and unwanted hassle. So, new sewing machine it was. This is the little quilt I made for Bayle, the absolutely adorable brand new little boy of some of my besties.

The colors are a bit brighter than my phone shows. Mike did a great job of helping me pick out the fabrics, even though I'm positive he'd rather have been taking a nap before work.

Children can never have enough blankets, no? I know I can't, so the same must apply to little ones.

Here's a closeup of the fun topstitching that I was able to do with my fancy new Brother sewing machine. Thanks Lulu for stepping in the picture. Always has to be a part of everything, that cat. To the Austin's, I'm sorry about the cat hair you inevitably took home with you; I really did do my best to keep them off of it.

Next up: Aprons!

So much Love

2011-01-28T11:54:00.004-06:00

I just had to get rid of the last post title as being the one left on people feeds. :)

So I give you Mike and his cats:

Yes, they really do sleep like this often. Lulu is Mike's living "teddy bear." He can sleep with his arm around her and it doesn't bother her one bit, in fact I think she really likes it.

And there's Murphy gazing lovingly at his Mike. He follows Mike around and you can hear Mike saying "Follow, follow, follow" as Murphy trails behind.

Oh, and yes. I often take pictures of Mike sleeping.

I have a drinking problem.

2010-12-22T11:34:00.003-06:00

Really, the problem is I can't decide what to bring for Christmas Eve. The last few years I've made it a point of bringing cocktails to our family's Christmas Eve evening celebration. I have quite a few cousins around my age who can enjoy a nice adult holiday beverage, so we do. Three years ago I had lemonciello, two years ago I had both red and green martinis, and last year I had what was called a blue gimmel (my love of blue drinks lives on), and this year I'm drawing a blank.

My cousin posted on my Facebook wall the other day asking if I knew what I was bringing and I explained, well I just bought some glass candy cane stir sticks so I think I'm going to have to work around that. Yes, that's the way I work. Plan my dishes around the cutesy items I have to use with them. So I ask, anyone have any ideas?

Three Little Birds

2010-12-14T23:27:00.005-06:00

There's just something about these hat-wearing birds that I couldn't resist. While I did receive 1 of them as a birthday gift (can you guess which one?), the other two I bought myself because I just couldn't help it; they were too cute. I suppose that's the same logic I fooled myself with when I was younger and had a room full of stuffed animals...they were just too cute. Luckily these guys are a lot smaller.

Ugh, an owl carrying a lantern while wearing a night cap? I can't. I'm going to be one of those old ladies who has a house filled with cat knick-knacks aren't I?

Mmm...donut

2010-12-13T21:50:00.002-06:00

Not all of my ornaments are sentimental. Some are just plain silly.

This happens to be my favorite kind of donut, a cake donut with chocolate frosting. It just so happens my uncle is the donut maker at our local grocery store and ever since he's been doing it and I moved close to said store, I eat them more often than I should. I swear they vent the "donut air" into the entrance of the place so when you walk in the door the only thing you can think is, "mmm...donut" as you find yourself mindlessly wandering towards the bakery.

Family Heirloom

2010-12-12T13:25:00.002-06:00

This ornament was made by my dad's mother, my grandma Then. I don't know exactly when she made it, but I do know she made a few of them and most of us Then's are now lucky enough to have one in our homes. It was always hard to picture that my grandma made these delicate ornaments because even as a child I remember my grandma's hands being severely crippled. Grandma had one of the most severe cases of rheumatoid arthritis her rheumatologist had ever seen. So now, as my grandma is no longer with us I will treasure this ornament as a link to both her and my dad as this is an ornament we always used to hang on our family's Christmas tree. It was always my dad's job to hang these ornaments because they are heavier and required to be hung towards the top of the tree on the more sturdy branches. For us, it hangs from our ceiling fan's pull chain in the middle of the room where you can't miss it.

My Christmas Spirit.

2010-12-09T12:20:00.004-06:00

So I thought I'd help myself get in the Christmas spirit by posting daily some of my absolute favorite ornaments. While I appreciate some people's monochromatic schemes on their trees, that will never be me. Last night as I struggled over the decision to keep an ornament that I bought or give it as a gift, Mike said, "Well the tree is kind of full." Oh, poor Mike. He has no idea just how many can fit.

You see, decorating the Christmas tree has always been a big deal to our family. Whether it was the days of charlie brown trees that my logger father would never live down, or the days of perfect pine very carefully picked out by my mom, the time to decorate it was always a happy one. Somehow down the road we ended up making it a tradition to invite my aunt over to help and we'd stick in the the movie, "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation" while we decorated. The sound of my dad laughing hysterically every single year as Clark Grislwold went flying down the hill on his greased up saucer passes through my mind often. We would unwrap each ornament and as we hung it, discuss where it came from, who gave it to us, or make fun of whoever's baby picture was on it (we're sentimental like that). I look forward to passing on to my future family the same enjoyment of the Christmas tree.

These ornaments are some of my favorite. The N was given to me by my friend Holly, a couple years ago. I fell in love with it when I opened it up. Later, I found the same ornaments in my favorite store and bought the M for Mike as the first ornament I gave him. How happy I was to see that the M was in a more masculine color. It was meant to be!

It's that time of the year...

2010-12-08T14:25:00.003-06:00

Where packages galore arrive at our door.

Leaving kitties very curious.

Thank you online shopping for making my life less hectic this time of the year.

Out of Curiosity...

2010-11-16T13:56:00.002-06:00

Anyone else put sad faces next to the things on your to do list that you really don't want to do?

Update:

2010-11-11T21:25:00.001-06:00

The air filter has arrived!!

What did I do on Lazy Sunday?

2010-11-10T12:04:00.004-06:00

Mike and I get very few days off together...very few, that is until it hits about this time of the year and we get to spend our "lazy Sunday" together. November, January, February and March bring us those special Sunday's when the stores I work at are closed on Sundays for the winter. On these days we do exactly what it sounds like. We sleep in, casually make a big breakfast and hunker down with football or whatever else we can find and just generally take it easy. I kind of live for these days. Every other Sunday Mike has to leave for his second job around 4:00pm so I get to continue the progress of the day by myself.

This Sunday I chose to spend my time on the computer...on Facebook....on Lowe's facebook page nonetheless. Weird, right? Let me explain. They were having this big promotion where they were giving away 90% off coupons to random items of their choosing. There were things like Kitchenaid mixers, a refrigerator, vacuums, even a water heater. The way you won these coupons was by being the first 100 or so to click on the link and enter your email address. There were thousands and thousands (10,000 at a time!) of people trying for these and only 100 at a time would get anything. Well, I love a deal and search them out at all times so I spent a few...hours trying to win something. I was texting with Mike as the night went on and told him what I was doing and lets just say he thought it was a little foolish, I guess I can't blame him. The chances were not good.

But drumroll, imagine my surprise (and major excitement) when I got email saying I had a 90% off coupon for this:

What is it?? Ha. Its an air purifier. I can't say that I've honestly put much thought into getting one of these until I had the opportunity to get it for so cheap. Once I thought about it, of course we could use an air purifier. We live in a tiny house with two cats. Why hadn't we thought of it before??? So rest easy friends, next time you come to our home you can breath easier thanks to my non-ability to step away from a possible deal and Lowe's Home Improvement.

Hallo-weeny

2010-11-09T11:56:00.009-06:00

So I can quite honestly say the little "vacation" that Mike and I went on over Halloween was the best vacation I have been on in a super long time. It was breath for my soul being able to just hang out with my closest friends without a timetable and relatively stress free. Plus, being able to see my "roomate's" little Quinn for such a lengthy time really made an impression in my heart. What a sweet little Bee he is :) I think he made quite the impression on Mike as well.

One of the things I've always wanted to do in my adult life is have a Halloween "party." Ang was gracious enough to say we could do it at her house while we were visiting. I just really wanted to make some adorable things like I've seen in cookbooks and in magazines. For my own memory I'm going to post the pictures here as almost everyone who reads my blog was at the party.

First up, my favorite. Owl cupcakes that were easy to make and pretty tasty to eat. The directions can be found either in this book, or that one. I can't quite remember which one.

Mikes mummy wieners. What a great job he did. Believe it or not they really did have mustard eyes.

Taco dip with sour cream ghosts

Breadstick bones with blood dipping sauce

And the table:

So thank you again Angie and Dave for allowing us to stay for as long as we did. I came back home feeling refreshed (and maybe a little melancholy about being away from such great friends) and full. I look forward to the day we can all get together again. And oh my gosh. Next time we're all together, there will most likely be two more babies! Wow. Life is crazy.

Innapropriate, No?

2010-10-20T11:14:00.003-05:00

Naturally, Sunday at work I was sporting my Packers best and a customer asked me, "Want to see a hilarious Packers shirt?" "Of course," was my response. That is when this quiet middle-aged woman pulled out this very worn t-shirt out of her reusable shopping bag. She explained to me how she bought it at a thrift store (she never buys new, she says) months ago before the whole Brett weiner texting thing (my words, not hers). Hehe, weiner. Yes, I'm obviously 12 years old. She said she's never worn it and would have to be totally drunk to do so but couldn't pass the awesome buy up. I'm glad she didn't because I wouldn't have this ridiculous picture. Seriously, that is one nasty fox.

I give you...special kitty.

2010-09-09T13:30:00.003-05:00

I can't compete with cute baby videos...but there's what I've got. Murphy has found his new favorite thing, Mike's feet. He has realized he can get attention from them and goes for them whenever he sees them, causing Mike some frustration at times. However, sometimes Mike gives in and gives him some "attention." In the video you see one of his special, "ticks." Murphy air licking while he's being petted. Can you imagine how dangerous this is going to become when it turns to the really dry months of winter? I am envisioning the many shocks Mike will be giving me. Just when I thought I was safe because the carpet was gone...

So, so sweet.

2010-08-11T13:49:00.003-05:00

Who knew pictures of cupcakes could make a person smile. Aren't these so sweet, in every sense of the word? Call me girly, but I just want this picture framed. These are from a particularly ADORABLE wedding reception. Loved everything about the reception, from the mason jars of candy on the table, to the lawn games, to of course these cupcakes. Thank you Bitzers, for letting us in on the party!

And one of the two I devoured.

Favorite accessory of Homecoming 2010?

2010-07-28T12:26:00.007-05:00

I know, I know. Its been FOREVER since I've blogged. I'm going to say it has something to do with the fact that I've been pretty busy lately. You see, this last weekend was Homecoming here. Its an event that only happens every 5 years and I had plenty to do working at the Chamber of Commerce. One of my jobs was throwing a little kids carnival, which involved ordering all the toys for it (fun? yes.).

This is an item that I bought, and subsequently feverishly handed out to whoever I could once the carnival was over (dated material, people!). 2010 shutter glasses:

My cousins' little girl, Paula.

Mi hermano, Gary.

Thug, Mike.

Me and Rachey.

I'll be blogging more pictures about Homecoming but I thought I'd do it one subject at a time. All and all it was a pretty great time where I got to see lots of family and friends that I don't get to see all that often. However, I'm excited that its over and I no longer have to worry about how its going to go.

Say Hello to our little friends...

2010-06-24T11:26:00.005-05:00

This right here is a charcoal chimney, used to get the charcoal started for the grill. Its hanging on our front porch right above the grill. Early spring we noticed a bird forming a nest and thought it was pretty cool (we have an extra chimney). Well she had babies right away and we think they died when we had a really cold night. Sad face.

But look at this! She had another brood. Four? little heads poking up. Boy are they noisy when mom (or dad!) comes to feed them.

This is Mom, we believe she is a House Finch. Anyone know otherwise? She's a good little mom, even went after Mike a couple times when he was out on the porch. Hehe (because it wasn't me).

That, over to the left, is dad. I was really surprised when I saw him feeding the little ones. I found it kinda heartwarming that they share that job.
And finally, here's a little hard to see video of them all in action :)

Has tourist season already got the best of me?

2010-06-23T12:53:00.004-05:00

Just a couple retail lessons I need to get off my chest. Not that I think any of you do this stuff, I just need to vent (tourist season is definitely here).

You really, really don't need to unfold every shirt you see. And when you're done with them, you really, really don't need to throw it back down in a ball.
When knocking something on the floor, it'd be nice if you picked it back up.
If you make a mess you can't clean up, please let me know so I can take care of it right away before it gets worse.
If the sign on the store says "closed," don't come in and say, "I flipped your sign for you!" There may be an actual reason for the "closed" sign; also, it does take me a minute to open the place after I unlock the door, so don't ask to follow me in.
Please don't get mad at me if I don't know if that particular shirt will shrink when you wash it. I'm sorry, I don't own and wash every single item myself.
If I say "hello" to you, it'd be nice if you responded with even just a smile and definitely don't say "just looking" to my hello. I wasn't about to hassle you.
Don't give me a nasty look when I tell YOUR child not to open the toys. This isn't actually a playroom, we're trying to sell that stuff.
While some may think I look young, I do actually know what I'm doing and you don't need to look for the older employee to validate you.
If you ask me what time I close and that time was five minutes ago, please take that as a hint that I'd like to go home now, its been a long day.

Rereading these, I sound a little b-wordy, but believe me, I could come up with TONS more. I'll refrain myself though.

Rainbow over the house.

2010-06-02T13:37:00.001-05:00

That is all.

Know what these mean?

2010-05-27T19:37:00.004-05:00

Summer Time!! Guess which one is mine....:)

And this my friends is the adorable way in which we open them. Yes they are twist offs, but look at this heavy duty chomping guy! He's a must use. I only wish I had more things to open with him.

A cat being a cat. Part 276

2010-05-26T11:23:00.002-05:00

Yes, this is our counter top. Yes, that is a very small portion of towel that I was using to iron on. Yes, we had other soft furniture available for her to lay on. Yes, immediately after I found her and took the picture (of course) I made her get down. Yes, she has legs.

What a difference a window makes

2010-05-25T14:46:00.006-05:00

Well the hole in the wall officially became a window! Check it out:

I hope to be able to grow some herbs on that windowsill one day when its actually finished.

My favorite peeping tom out there:

Aww, and there's the kitchen curtains I made. I have some adjustments to do to the crooked top but I'm not going to take care of that until the trim goes on and I know exactly where the rod will be. They won't be laying on the counter then either.

I just love the fabric...its not Mike's favorite but he's going with it for my sake. What a guy. Unfortunately, I didn't really buy enough of it...so I had to make them as close to size as possible without much overhang, I've only been able to find it online in one place for much more than I paid for it. So these will have to do the way they are.

Its quite amazing how much that little window opened up and brightened the house. Now we can actually see into the back yard!

Favorite find of the day

2010-05-05T14:45:00.004-05:00

"Surprise!" says Jesus.
“He Lives!” Pop-Ups. These “He Lives!” pop-up toys are jumping with the holy spirit! Set them on your desktop, counter or tabletop and watch them leap!

You can find them at Oriental Trading if you must have them yourself :)

My new addiction:

2010-04-30T10:37:00.004-05:00

This is my new little toy and I <3 it.

The white 3Gs iphone. Does anybody else have one? If so, what apps do I HAVE to have??

Oh and you all have a good weekend! I'm off to go on the annual 4-wheeling trip :D

I'm going to hell, right?

2010-04-29T11:22:00.009-05:00

Yesterday was Mike's birthday. I think he had a pretty good day. He signed a purchase agreement to buy the empty lots next door, got a brand new packers jersey and I think best of all, he got to go see two of his favorite people, Kevin Smith and Scott Mosier do a live Smodcast, which just happens to be one of his favorite podcasts. Btw, if you don't know, Kevin Smith is "Silent Bob." He's also a director and writer, and just a super funny (AND DIRTY) man. With the mention of dirtiness...this is where the live smodcast was held:

An old desanctified church. And its a beautiful one at that.
The smodcast bus parked in front of the venue which happens to be across the street from another church with Buddy Christ looking out. Dogma, anyone???

There was beautiful stained glass all around the place.

Mike got a signed tour poster for his birthday. They only did 6 shows in the country and there were only about 150 people at this one. It was pretty intimate.
There they are. Our preachers for the night. Now when I say the show was intimate...it was intimate. Their little tour just happens to be sponsored by a sex toy. And guess what, they gave some away. They made the people come up on stage and pick out the one they wanted and made us picture the winner using it. Mike said he was glad he didn't put his name in the box. Oh and they ended the show by literally throwing the more "flacid" items into the audience. Sitting in a beautiful old church, I couldn't help but think over and over, "Is this really happening?" Happen it did.

Dreaming

2010-04-21T13:58:00.002-05:00

So Mike's been dreaming lately about adding onto the house...its fun to dream right? Well after work the other day he was drawing up plans in bed with a level and tape measure and everything. That night we went to bed, passed out really and awoke in the morning to find we slept with a tape measure in between us all night. I forgot to ask Mike if he really had some pretty realistic remodeling dreams that night.

Just a normal night...

2010-04-08T12:45:00.004-05:00

Oh that guy...

2010-04-06T14:18:00.002-05:00

Mike walked into the living room the other night and said "I finally did it! I stuck my finger in Murphy's mouth when he yawned."

Another reason I find this man so adorable. I'm sure he's going to love that I shared this too :)

Welcome to our cabin

2010-03-23T11:53:00.003-05:00

While its not completely finished, I couldn't resist sharing some pictures. If you can ignore the mess, you'll notice we have a little wood up on the walls, cedar to be exact.

Creepy cat in the bottom corner also loves our new stools. Another place for her to call her own...sigh.
Ok, this side of the bar was MADE FOR ME. Look at that! A perfect little home for my mixer. And to the left of it there will be two shelves for all my cookbooks. I cannot wait to fill those shelves up!

Obviously all the trim work needs to be done on all the cedar but wow, does it really give the place some character. What do you think?

On a side note, I'm really sick of varnishing (or poly-ing) wood. The smell that fills the house is not so kind to your head and stomach. Also, a point worth noting. Do not stain or varnish anything and then turn on a gas appliance. The kerosene smell will get you lightheaded and make you want to vom. Thanks to the internet we were able to avoid calling the gas company and found out using anything oil based with the mixture of a heated appliance (gas dryer included) creates a very strong kerosene smell. All you can do is let it air out. Lesson learned!

Squee!

2010-02-24T17:05:00.004-06:00

Just thought I'd share something that made my heart happy. It's this website. It has all kinds of cute animal pictures like this:

and this:

The pictures are so cute I just can't stand it. Sometimes I think I'm still a 12 year old girl.

I got my hair cut!

2010-02-18T14:56:00.003-06:00

Ok, so that's not a real picture of me...oh virtual makeover you are so fun. I'm just trying to figure out what bangs would like on me. What do you think about this? I'm going to donate to locks of love again, so drastic change, here I come.

These cats seriously need to learn some boundaries...

2010-02-16T11:00:00.002-06:00

Murphy going after the catnip. They find that stuff no matter where we put it.

Lulu sitting in my paper a tray. I opened it, took something, walked out of the room and came back in and there she was.

Tuscan Yellow, anyone?

2010-02-12T12:03:00.007-06:00

So after we painted the kitchen, and I stood back and looked and said I liked it, "It's like a Tuscan yellow." Mike said he didn't understand what I meant by that. So I said, I don't know, that's just what it feels like. Fast forward to this past weekend. Mike's friend came over and as Mike was showing him the kitchen he said, "I really like this color. It's like a Tuscan yellow." So apparently that's really what it feels like. Is tuscan yellow even a thing?? I'm pretty sure I've never described a yellow that way.

So here's some pictures of what's been accomplished so far:

The dishwasher, oh how I love it. Oh and all of the appliances are not stainless. They're a painted silver so they don't collect fingerprints. Yay!
A sink! A two-basin sink!!! You have no idea how excited both Mike and I are. Top of the cabinets, and look! A kitchen gnome! At the moment we're missing a bag of hinges, which explains why there aren't any doors on these cabinets :)Here's the other side. Still all the trim-work to do and look, there's a hole in the wall! It's where another window will go in the spring.

And here's the other side...As you can see, we're still a work in progress. That is the bar frame will be covered in cedar and will have book shelves on this side. A place for all my cookbooks!

Yup, we're pretty excited in these parts.

It's been a wait.

2010-02-11T10:09:00.002-06:00

But I finally got to put all of this brand new stuff that's been sitting in the basement for over a year into the dishwasher last night. Yup. THE DISHWASHER! Ugh, so darn exciting.

So those are our dishes and silverware sitting on our floor, that is also done. Things have really come together. Is it wrong, that I say, "Ooh I love those dishes," every time I look at them? Or better yet, I say "Yee!" The ones with the flowers, that is. Unfortunately I only got a set of two, but I figured that brings our dishes to a set of six, total. Mike's already afraid he'll be the one to break the first one.

Today my momma is hopefully coming over and we're going to work on getting everything into the cabinets. She's way better at organizing than I am. Gotta love moms. Later on tonight I'm painting the dining room.

Last night I sat on the floor in the middle of all those dishes and watched as mike hooked up the dishwasher. Couldn't help but feel extremely proud of him and all of the projects he's accomplished so far, learning all the new trades along the way. Plumbing, wiring, building, floors, he's done it all with little help. So impressed with this man.

It's almost embarassing to show these...

2010-01-28T14:34:00.003-06:00

But look what I got in the mail yesterday (not my pictures):

Yup, that's right. Those right there are teeny tiny Heinz pins. An adorable Ketchup bottle and a pickle. The embarrassing part of this is the reason I received these, in a rather large envelope with no explanation, might I add.

You can imagine my surprise as I opened the big envelope and found these little things stuck down in the corner. Lucky me, Mike was there watching me as I opened and it dawned on me why I got these little gifties. No, I didn't pay for them. I wrote to Heinz telling them I love their ketchup. Yup. If that doesn't settle the "Nicole is a time waster" argument, nothing else will. But in all fairness, have you tried Heinz ketchup??

Stuffs

2010-01-22T11:46:00.004-06:00

So today I'm doing a little work from home for the Chamber website. Since I don't have all the saved pictures I do at work I was doing a little copying and saving to my own computer. Copied, clicked, save as and created new folder called "chamber stuffs". Turns out I already have a folder called "chamber stuffs." How ridiculous is that? Stuffs?? I had no idea this was a word I used regularly.

Btw, this is the number one google result for "stuffs." Just sayin'.

Okay, I'll Admit it

2010-01-19T20:01:00.002-06:00

I don't always wash my jeans before wearing them again. There! I said it! Which brings me to one of the few things that really irks me about the winter, and being short, for that matter. My pants always drag or at the very least touch the ground in the back, therefor soaking up all the wetness and SALT right up the back of my leg. Man, do I hate those white salt marks on the back of my pants! And that's all I have to say about that.

Ladies and gentlemen...we have paint!

2010-01-17T23:15:00.005-06:00

After struggling to pick a color (I originally wanted a turquoisey color, mike, not so much) we were left between mike wanting a cream color while I leaned more towards a yellow. We found what we thought was a compromise and had her mixed up. It turned out way more yellow than we expected, but I love it and mike's letting it grow on him :) If anyone else loves the color, we ended up getting an entire extra gallon (ugh!) we're not sure what we're gonna do with.

Mike brought in those cabinets to do a mock up to see what its all going to look like. So exciting! Btw, that hole in the wall with the plastic will be a window when spring rolls around. The ceiling above the cabinet will be cedar planking.

Unfortunately, my camera seems to have been misplaced for the time being (our stuff's constantly being moved around) so these are pictures from Mike's phone. Not the best quality but you get the idea. I just had to share and couldn't wait to find my camera.

In closing, yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

Yes, it's been forever, but look at this...

2010-01-13T23:23:00.004-06:00

That my friends, is the face of a hardworking boyfriend, giving off a superhero vibe with his drywall dust mask. Well, the "worst" part is done. The mud has gone up and come back down with the sanding...no, i didn't help, but yes, it was hard. Hard to live with everything covered in plastic and/or dust, and yes i did/do have a cold so it wasn't super easy to breath. As I type Mike's doing some major vacuuming. Tomorrow my mum is going to come over and help me do some more cleaning (so needed! and thanks mom!).

Next up is priming, painting, and then hanging the upper cabinets! Oh. My. Excitement.

If you excuse the mess, here's the dining room and further out, the soon to be kitchen. I wish I had little arrow's I could use to point out what things are and what's going where. The framed area in the middle of the picture will be a breakfast bar that's covered in pine instead of drywall. The pine will be from the left floor and wrap around onto the "ceiling" where the recessed lighting is. One side of the bar is going to have shelves for my cookbooks (yee!). Oh and that one set of stacked cupboards (set of 3) are what our cabinets are. That's currently holding all of our dishes and whatnot while the temporary cabinet next to it holds all of our food in a very disorganized matter. I CANNOT WAIT to have a place for everything. It's going to be AMAZING!

So in closing, I have an amazing, hardworking (did I mention he has two jobs on top of this and has learned how to do everything as he goes, wiring and plumbing included), talented boyfriend who is making me very happy right now. Oh and if anyone wants to come over and help, we're down with that! :)

Happy Birthday to you Aaron.

2009-12-14T20:03:00.000-06:00

Update: Tree style

2009-12-12T22:03:00.001-06:00

Now that I can laugh about it, here's what my tree looked like the morning after we put it up. I literally walked out of my room thinking, "Oooh, I'm gonna look at my tree!" Looked, half asleep, and was completely confused because I didn't see it. But no, it was there, just laying on the floor. So there I am laying on the soaking wet floor screwing the sucker back in. Mike goes and lays back down, I gather my stuff for the shower, as I walk back into the room, there it goes again. I ran to try to catch it. No go. So that time Mike tightened the screws and tied it to the ceiling. This left me late for work, no shower and with a couple of my favorite ornaments broken. I knew Mike wouldn't be able to do anything b/c he had people coming over early to do drywall until he had to go to work so it would be there waiting for me when I got home.

But alas, Mom to the Rescue! She came over and we had to cut the trunk and level it off and redecorate. It sure was a pain, but she looks perty again. In case you're wondering we put fishing line around it just in case...

Let me introduce you to Tuck

2009-12-11T21:52:00.004-06:00

This is my boss' new puppy. A ten week-old Chesapeake Retriever, Black lab mix. So squishable. I think he's going to be our shop dog if his temperament holds out and so far, so good. Pretty exciting to me. I miss being around dogs, and well, look how cute he is!

Here he is, stealing a stuffed animal and running off with it. Really gotta watch this little guy.

My Christmas Share

2009-12-05T22:52:00.012-06:00

I had today, Saturday, off. Amazing. Honestly, no idea the last time I had a Saturday off that I didn't ask for. There was no way I was going to let it go to waste, either. So Mom came over and we went shopping, picked up a tree, and decorated my tiny living room (about the only room I can). It was a super nice day. Don't worry I have A LOT of pictures.

First up, the tree. I love my tree and all of the decorations. I may just do a post on ornaments sometime too, and so should other people. Anyone else up for it?

This is the garland that I knitted. Me likey mucho. I like to think it adds a touch of sophistication to our oh so unsophisticated home (at the moment). Oh, and that's also one of my favorite ornaments. Isn't she just adorable?
The windowsill with our stockings. Someday maybe I'll have a fireplace to hang them on...

Bell garland and beautiful M & N ornaments (thanks Holly!) And if you look in the background...yes it really is laughable. Drywall goes up tomorrow, I think!!!!Believe in the Magic sign #2. Yes I do. And no, I didn't buy both of them by myself.Finally, my little peace basket that's right next to the door.This is what I will sit and enjoy each night. Sitting with the lights of the christmas tree is one of my favorite things in the whole world. Sigh.

Old Pictures - The C's Wedding

2009-12-04T13:29:00.007-06:00

With this whole, new computer business, I'm having to transfer all my old stuff onto the new one. I've found myself going through a lot of the pictures I haven't looked at in quite some time. Case in point, pictures from Claire and Clint's wedding. I picked out a couple of my faves. Although, there were a lot more, I kept it to a minimum. What a great day it was for the two C's. I don't know if they know just how good of a time the rest of us had.

Who cut the cheese? (Sorry I had to)

2009-12-04T08:00:00.001-06:00

I walked into the kitchen tonight to find this:
I immediately started laughing really hard and said where's my camera. Obviously we have no counterspace (or countertops for that matter) and you have to set things where you can. Gotta say though, this was not my doing. I generally keep my food out of the sawdust. :)

Here I am on my new friend

2009-12-02T20:49:00.006-06:00

Type, type, typing away from my new laptop. I've got to say, its pretty awesome sitting on the couch and doing this. Yeehaw. So here it is.

Its so pretty (and no I didn't choose it for only that reason). It was affordable with great memory and hard drive space and hello, I get to pay it off in six months. This is the link I got it from http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16834157061 And thankfully I definitely got it cheaper than that on Black Friday.

Another thing that's awesome is that it came with a card reader so now that my little camera no longer works and the cord for my old camera is still MIA, I can upload pictures no problem!! I think I'll be tinkering around on this and the internet a lot more. Oh and it has Window's 7 too! I have new and current technology. Yay to having my very own, fully functioning computer!!

Glass Candy

2009-12-02T10:07:00.007-06:00

So yesterday I sent out a text that said, "Happiness is driving to work on a brisk day with a hot chai latte, blaring music, and the knowledge that you're going to spend the day making candy at work." So here it is (if I only had brought a camera instead of just having my phone). The candy we made:

Boiling hot mag-ma (think austin powers) of corn syrup, sugar and water.

Once it hits 302 degrees exactly (hard crack temp) you pour it onto a buttered marble slab. Wait for it to cool the tiniest bit, and then pick the damn stuff up with your bare fingers, cut some off with scissors and then cut it into bite size pieces, all the while letting out little (and sometimes big) yelps of pain.

You drop it into powdered sugar (oh and don't forget to coat your poor little fingers in the powdered sugar before you grab onto the candy to cut it up, it really does help), dust it off, and then voila!

You get glass candy. We did this process 23 times yesterday. With 21 different flavors. Oh, and let me add, be careful not to breathe in the fumes when you add the flavoring. Some of it quite literally will take your breath away, make you cough, burn your nose, and make your eyes water (clove especially).

All in all it was a good time and fun to learn a new process. I'd do it at home if I had a marble surface, although, I'm sure there's another way to do it. But I would definitely not do it on this scale. However, here, I'd choose to do it over pricing items and doing inventory any day.

Gobble, Gobble

2009-11-20T12:14:00.005-06:00

Here's the fun little things we did at work yesterday :)

What is the deal?

2009-11-17T11:11:00.003-06:00

So driving to work today I noticed a pair of shoes on the side of the highway, not an uncommon sight. I ask, what is the deal with this? Where are they coming from? Are people throwing them out the window because they are of no use to them anymore? Am I supposed to equate them to a can on the side of the road(boo, if that's the case)? If that's not the case, how do people not notice a PAIR OF SHOES fly out their window, or even the cab of their truck. And if its a truck, why are you just throwing things that can easily fly out of it once you hit 55? Oh life's questions...

Curious Like a Cat

2009-11-12T13:23:00.005-06:00

Like what we've done with the kitchen floor?? Jealous much? Mike was working in the basement on the heating vent and the cat's just didn't understand what was happening.

Here's what they saw:

Here's what Mike saw:

Aww, the joys of living in a construction zone, sidestepping literal holes in the floor...:)

Brr...its cold out there

2009-11-03T08:00:00.000-06:00

A couple weeks ago I came out to my car to go to work and found my ENTIRE car covered in a gorgeous and ridiculously hard frost. I couldn't even scrape it off with my window scraper, leaving me to wait out my defrost (and be a little late for work). Annoying? Definitely. Pretty? Yes.

When did this happen?

2009-11-02T08:00:00.000-06:00

When and how did I become a cat lady????

Is it too late for me?? Sigh.

Poor, poor Sven.

2009-10-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

Bosslady said she wanted a Halloween display in the window using Sven, our one and only scandanavian moving (like 60 lb) mannequin. Perhaps a sheet over him like he's dead, she said. A bit gruesome?? Well here's what we came up with instead...

Sven has been found murdered, complete with evidence. In case you're wondering, no, we weren't afraid to use dated pop culture references as material.

Poor guy, death by kayak paddle. The worst way to go. Look at that pool of blood. Oh, and can you please note the fact that sven regularly wears a lime green turtleneck...

Murdered while trick or treating. Let that be a lesson, we thought, to kids walking by the window and seeing this.Are you wondering Hoo done it??

All evidence suggested it was Bosslady herself. Whoops.

Want to see what I did yesterday?

2009-10-28T11:26:00.002-05:00

It's apple season in these parts (well just about over, really) and this is what we did at work :

That would be ten or eleven 5lb bags of peeled and sliced apples. Yes, that's using just a knife and peeler. Or just a knife for Debbie. That was my last apple slicing day for the season. By the time I get back to work on Friday she'll have finished the rest. While my hands and back would hurt at the end of the day it was kind of nice just to stand there and chat the whole day. I'll kind of miss it.

Goldfish Crackers...

2009-10-15T12:15:00.002-05:00

Does anyone eat these only one at a time? I can't get away without having at least three in my mouth (I'm trying really hard to avoid the that's what she said comment...didn't work). Wait, maybe a better question I should have asked is, does anyone else eat these?

Quick update.

2009-10-07T11:48:00.003-05:00

In case anyone's wondering. I made it through another applefest. Barely. With the shady (cold and rainy) weather came the people inside. It was busy and that's all I have to say about that. Now could you people go away for a little while? Ok. Thanks.

Also, Angie and Holly....We got the stains out of mike's jersey :) Shout! (the stainfighter)

A weekend away! (in pictures)

2009-09-24T11:28:00.014-05:00

So Mike and I were able to get away this weekend and head to good Ol' Eau Claire (thanks sister and kurt for letting us crash!) . My cousin was getting married and it was the perfect excuse to get back to that city that I sometimes really miss. We were able to squeeze quite a few things into the weekend too. We went out Friday night so Mike could meet up with a friend. How could I have not taken a picture or video?? Helium voice karoke to "I'm too sexy"???? Yeah, why didn't I have my camera with me? And Angie and Holly.....how could I have forgotten that I had my camera in my purse. So sad we didn't get at least one pic. Anyways, here's a few that I did.

It's my little Ally. Miss her muchos. It was nice to see she was just as excited to see me as I was her :)
This is Pugsley, Kurt's dog. He'd probably be ashamed if he knew I put this picture on here.

We did the ever imformative and a little underwhelming Leinenkugel's tour. Who wants to go on a beer tour when you don't even get to see the stuff being bottled? Hello. I so wanted to live my Laverne and Sherlie fantasy.

We even managed to head to the local "free zoo" that I didn't even know existed. (Black bear, cougars, capuchens, elk, bison, etc. wow) Check out the way that Lemur is sitting. I think he might have osteoporosis.

Mike pointing at his favorite bit. Black Bear poop.

On second thought, maybe this was his favorite. The cougars. Mike. We already have enough cats.

My beautiful cousins, Megan and Kasie. They stood up in the wedding.

And finally, Tola, the party man (he's not, and that wasn't even his beer).

Thanks Angie and Dave, Holly, and Heidi and Luke for meeting us for lunch and the packer game. I caught myself smiling for no reason while you were there with us. Thanks again. Miss you's already!

So amazing

2009-09-17T12:11:00.003-05:00

I have been waiting YEARS to have my very own space to do my scrapping. Years. Now, here it is. I have my own spot where I can work and not have to pick everything up, put it back and haul it into another room. Beyond excited about this. We were going to try and squeeze my twin size bed into this room but after much consideration we decided this was just going to be our office. When we finally made the decision, it was time to put up my new shelf and mike's new map.LOVE THIS SHELF. Oh, and yeah, I heart my ricky gervais picture in the middle. Imagine that. I've still got to fill the drawers and label the outsides, but already SO MUCH better.

I want to run right home and start making some things! Now I've just got to find a space for my sewing machine and all my knitting stuff....

Look what I did!

2009-09-16T12:11:00.006-05:00

I made this:
Wait, let me show it to you on a better model:
It's my hooded scarf! Or as the pattern called it, The Grownup Bonnet. Whatever it is, I think its kinda cute and it was fun to make. Now i'm off onto my next project...making garland for our Christmas tree. I'm pretty excited about this. Yee to finishing projects!!!

Want to see the kitchen?

2009-09-10T10:53:00.004-05:00

Well here it is. And there's my soup pot. The sawhorse and drywall in all its glory :) Oh and don't forget the table saw table and the plastic drop cloths.
This is the wall that disappeared. This was like the third step in demo. While he was tearing down the wall, underneath he found what was probably the old siding to the house. There was a little addition on here and they apparently just sheetrocked right over the siding.
There's the last little piece. That's gone now though. This is where the little breakfast bar thing is going to be. So basically there will be a little wall like that with a counter on top. Next step, replacing the window?
While it is a mess, it already feels a bit easier to deal with than the old kitchen. With that wall gone it really opens the place up. Unfortunately right now it opens up to the mess that is the house, but in time it'll open up to a beautiful brand new kitchen. Mike worked his little heart out.

I know today's not the best day for soup

2009-09-09T11:37:00.002-05:00

But I'm making it anyways. I'm going to make some chicken wild rice soup tonight and do my best to rush the fall season upon us. Later on, I'll post some pictures of the kitchen I made it in. Pretty awesome. I'm going to try and make a bunch so I can freeze it and have containers for yummy lunches one day (I'm getting sick of peanut butter and jelly and 100 cal snack bags). So if anyone wants some...I'll have a whole pot full. The only catch is you have to come visit me for some.

It's time for demo, yo.

2009-09-03T11:10:00.002-05:00

So Mike took today, friday and he has the weekend and monday off....all to work on the kitchen. It's exciting stuff. He hasn't had that much time off all together since he started the house renovation. I think today its getting the last few things out of the kitchen and plasticing off the ceiling. At least I think that's what he's doing. All I know for sure is that I'm excited that the work is beginning in the kitchen. I guess we'll probably be grilling a lot in the future :) Yummmmm. Wish Mike luck!

4?!? Already?

2009-08-26T12:06:00.002-05:00

Nope, not a brett favre post. My little niece is growing up. She's turning the big 4 today. Happy birthday McKenna! Wish I could see you! Hope you get to do all the things four year olds want to do on your special day.

Yay to a new shirt making you happy.

2009-08-19T11:46:00.003-05:00

This new shirt, in particular, that I just bought. I have a special place in my heart for the "lumberjack print." As a kid, the whole family had this print and this color fleece zip up. I suppose my dad being a logger had something to do with it :) I can't remember if my dad's and brothers were red though....makes sense I suppose. Anyways, I was beyond excited to find this. Now every time I wear this I'll be reminded of how I'm a logger's daughter and remember just how nerdy our family was to all have matching coats.

I love this town

2009-08-18T11:11:00.002-05:00

So as an example of how small of a town I'm in, here's a little story my mom reminded me of this weekend:

One day she had the unfortunate experience of hitting a squirrel. She felt bad about it and mentioned it to my grandma as she was talking to her. My grandma says, "Oh in front of The County Journal?" It sure was.

My dad comes home from work and she again tells him about her vehicular rodent slaughter. Want to guess his response? Yes, he too asked if it was in front of The County Journal.

A person can't even hit a squirrel without everyone knowing about it...at least where it occurred anyways.

Thank you Kari, for making this possible.

2009-08-05T19:18:00.003-05:00

The calphalon panini pan that you gave me for Christmas is one of my favorite things, so is the plate that you sent me all the way back in college. I had a chicken, honey mustard, provolone, pickle, and tomato panini yesterday, tonight and yes I will most likely have one again tomorrow. It's a big loaf of bread and i'm not letting any go to waste! You won't hear me complaining one bit about this repeat. Sigh.

The Fanny Pack.

2009-08-03T22:54:00.002-05:00

So today a woman came in asking if we had any fanny packs. I told her no. She said, "there's not a fanny pack in this whole town." I was proud of that statement.

Oh how I love google images.

Carnval Chaos

2009-07-15T11:06:00.006-05:00

This was the awesome view I had last week. Boxes of cheap little toys....lots of them. Not going to lie, it stressed me out big time. I've managed to get it a little under control for the moment. Still quite a bit to do to get totally ready though.

How cute is a box full of dressed up rubber duckies?

It was dinosaur egg stuffing time for the Dino Dig

I put some of these little guys in there. I've never wanted to hug a dinosaur so much as when I saw these little things.

And finally, nerd alert. Here I am, with three of the prizes. Jealous much?

It was the first time in seven years, that I had the fourth off (as I've told so many people, already)

2009-07-06T22:27:00.007-05:00

I have a few pictures to share from the night:

Amazing, right? McKenna has the same knack for the camera as her auntie.

I got to go to the fireworks with McKenna, Connor (in the middle) and my brother. It was a hoot. Listening to the two of them sing in the backseat of the car on the way to them was adorable. Connor and Charlie (my brother's friends son) are both holding onto blackberries that have a countdown to the start of the fireworks. There were none too happy to be asked to look away from them and Connor said "Can I look back at the screen now?" immediately after the flash went off. Notice that he didn't quite take his eyes off of it. And btw, there was probably 50 minutes on there at the time...we got there a bit early.

It was a nice relaxing day. I ate grilled food three different times from three different households, spent time with family, got a blister from the driving range, met and held my niece Mallory, for the first time and saw McKenna experience her first fireworks.

When asked if McKenna liked her first foray into fireworks she simply replied, "No, they were too loud." And there you have it.

Recipe time

2009-06-18T16:29:00.003-05:00

Food photographer I am not. The pictures don't quite do it justice, but this is a pineapple orange cake that tastes mostly like pineapple upside down cake. It's from a recipe booklet I got while standing in line at the checkout. Its super moist and as far as deserts go, not that bad for you.... I should mention that its delicious (or so said everyone at work) and super easy to make.

1 pkg yellow cake mix
1 can (11 oz) mandarin oranges, undrained
4 egg whites
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (instead of oil)
TOPPING:
1 can (20 oz) crushed pineapple, undrained
1 pkg (1 oz) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
1 carton (8 oz) reduced-fat whipped topping

Beat the cake mix, oranges, egg whites and applesauce on low speed for 2 minutes. Pour into a 13x9 bakind dish coated with cooking spray.
Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool on wire rack.
In a bowl, combine the pineapple and pudding mix. Fold in whipped topping just until blended. Spread over the cake. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.