Monday, September 30, 2013
My Favorite Things | September
Topics:
Archives
Sunday, September 29, 2013
A DIY Jewelry Frame
So the other morning Parker says to me: "You know, I'm thinking we really need more storage. Especially for things like jewelry. I've been looking on Pinterest and I think we should make something pretty for you to store your jewelry, while adding a nice display feature to our empty bedroom wall. We could make it together." And I was like: "Totally!" So that's how we ended up making this jewelry frame.
I think it went something like that anyway.
Which brings us to one of my latest projects: my Jewelry Frame. And I love it. I got the inspiration (okay, so it wasn't his idea) on Pinterest {see here, here, and here} and kind of combined a bunch of different examples, took a walk around Hobby Lobby, and created my own version.



I used a basic white hook and some twine tied around the frame to hang it on the wall. I wasn't able to hang it directly to the wall because of the ends of the knobs sticking through the back but I think the twine sort of adds to the rustic look. I also took over one of my husband's small drawers in our dresser to store the rest of my jewelry because it can't all fit on this frame and it's nice to keep the "finer" things (along with my jack-o-lantern earrings) somewhere a bit more safe.
And ta-da! Isn't she pretty? Good idea, hubs-o.

Again, let me tell you, I am not creative. Nor artsy. Nor am I very good with a paintbrush or staple gun. Believe me when I tell you, if I can do it you can do it. I hope this can inspire you to try a project you never thought you could pull off. You go, girl :)
Friday, September 27, 2013
H54F #14 | The last Friday in September
This has been a great week and it flew by! Can you believe it's already the last Friday in September? It's been pretty nice here so it's hard to believe it's already October next week. Crossing my fingers for some nice fall weather still and no snowflakes this month. Check out my highlights from the week and have a great weekend! Oh and there's still time to enter these two great giveaways here and here.

Topics:
Archives
Wednesday, September 25, 2013
Fall Bucket List

Topics:
Archives
Tuesday, September 24, 2013
A Love Letter: To the man who makes my speakers go boom-boom
Dear Parker -
Happy Anniversary :) Three years ago today I made the best decision of my life and married you; if given the chance, there is absolutely nothing that I would change. I used to laugh when people referred to someone's spouse as their "better half", thinking they were making a joke. But you really are my better half. I've already learned so much in the past 3 years. You make me have fun, relax, and be spontaneous, and I love you for that. I love you because you put up with my crazy, obsessive, can't-sit-down-until-that-fork-is-washed personality - God bless you. I love you because you try so hard, but there are just some pieces of clothing that you can't coach yourself into folding right. I love you because you make me laugh with the funny things you say - like giggle, or actually belly-laugh, or burst into laughing-tears. Eight and a half years ago you asked me to be your girlfriend and I still get butterflies in my stomach when I get to see you after time apart. I love you even though you talk to me about your fantasy football team or Madden like it's real life. It's not real - DWTS is. I love you because you try so hard to understand things like blogging, organizing, or dance so you watch DWTS with me; but you're so chill, you probably won't read this until next week sometime :) I love you because you make me happy. You are the best thing to happen to me and I feel so thankful for our life together.
I hope I get to spend 18348934092 more years with you.
Love you forever,
Sam


Topics:
Archives
Monday, September 23, 2013
Eat: Peanut Butter Banana Bread
Well helloooo Monday, we meet again...
I had a nice relaxing weekend getting caught up on things and ready for fall. I made a Target run, planned meals for the week, and shopped at the brand new grocery store in town. I also gave myself a quick little stop at Hobby Lobby and Bath + Body Works to get a few "fall" things. I love that the weather right now is still warm enough to be comfy in shorts and a sweatshirt, but cool enough to sleep with the windows open.
That husband of mine spent the weekend hunting with family and I wanted to make sure he brought something with him to be a good guest. So last Thursday I whipped up this yummy fall treat:

I've always loved banana bread, probably because it's one of those foods that brings back yummy + happy childhood memories. I have to share this Peanut Butter Banana Bread recipe {via} because it's to-die-for and it's from Cooking Light! It's a healthy version, only took me about 30 minutes to prepare (excluding the baking time), and made my place smell like fall goodness!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana
1/3 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
3 Tbsp. melted butter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups (approx.) flour
1/4 cup ground flaxseed
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbsp. chopped dry-roasted peanuts {Original recipe called for - I did not use}
Chocolate chips {optional - Original recipe did not include but my hubs requested :) }
[Glaze ingredients]
1/3 cup powdered sugar
1 Tbsp. 1% milk
1 Tbsp. creamy peanut butter
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine your dry ingredients (flour, flaxseed, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and allspice). Set aside.
2. Combine your wet ingredients (banana, yogurt, peanut butter, butter, and eggs) in a large mixing bowl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed.

3. Add sugar and brown sugar to wet ingredients. Beat until well blended.
4. Lightly spoon flour mixture into banana mixture. Beat until just blended. Stir in nuts and / or chocolate chips if your heart desires.

5. I made one batch with chocolate chips and one batch without. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1 hour and 5 minutes. It's done when a utensil inserted in the center comes out clean. (You can bake 2 batches at the same time. I placed them next to each other on the same rack and switched sides halfway through the baking time.)
6. Combine the 3 glaze ingredients by stirring with a whisk.


Topics:
Archives,
Eat and Drink
Giveaway | Blogger Tee + Starbucks + Fall Scents
Topics:
Archives
Friday, September 20, 2013
H54F #13 | i love me a friday
not to be a downer, but this week really did seem to drag by. i love fall, totally, but it seems like now that it's not summer my mind isn't constantly looking forward to something like it was before (i.e. being at the lake, seeing my family, tanning, ... margaritas...) and P is leaving me for the weekend for some hobby he likes to call hunting, i guess. but that also means i can get lots done this weekend this weekend, think: blogging, grocery shopping, and possibly multiple target runs - starting with the peanut butter banana bread i'm going to whip up tonight for him to take with this weekend. it might shape up to be pretty darn good. friday, i love you.

Topics:
Archives
Thursday, September 19, 2013
VLOG: The Boys Behind the Blog Link-Up
They have been doing this on the third Thursday of each month in order to get to know the "boys" behind the blog better. I'm bummed I missed the first 3 but am so excited to join in now! Obviously in my case, the boy behind my blog is my hubby. He's cute, handy, compassionate, and charismatic. These are the questions we needed to ask our boys this week:
- If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
- What is your favorite meal?
- Do you use any forms of social media? What is your favorite?
- Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above?
- Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..."
I knew I probably wouldn't be able to get him to sit down and write out his own answers because he was completely preoccupied with fixing his phone because it crashed that morning (he is not normally so caught up in his phone!) So I video-recorded the "interview" because I thought that would be the best way for me to remember his answers to write out myself. He had no idea I was recording it until I watched it back on my computer and I originally had no plans of posting it (or else I wouldn't have told him 3 times to focus!). But I thought it was so fun and authentic that I wanted to share it, which he ok'd before I did. If you don't want to watch it, I'll highlight his answers below. But I highly recommend watching the cool guy on video :) And please notice how his eyes light up at the mention of social media.
1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
A liger. Then he proceeds to change his mind to a grizzly bear because then he can sleep for 6 months.
2. What is your favorite meal?
Prime rib or ribs.
3. Do you use any forms of social media? What is your favorite?
Twitter is his favorite. Although he recently got Instagram and tells us that he already has more followers there than on Twitter.
4. Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above?
Other - he states his favorite is his Jamaica Mons and whiskey is his go-to.
5. Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..."
Never have I ever... had a kid.

Topics:
Archives
Wednesday, September 18, 2013
A DIY Headboard



- 3 - 1x6x10 pine boards {I cut these in half because our queen bed is almost 5 feet wide}
- Distressing tools {see my post here about how to distress wood}
- Wood stain
- Polyeurothane
- 2 separate paintbrushes for each of the above
- Drill and screws for mounting to wall
- A sexy man to "install" the headboard*
*I'm kidding. You can do it yourself, too. But it was more fun watching my hubs do it.



- Jewelry Frame {completed}
- 3D shelf {completed}
- Rocket Red dresser {haven't even started - trying to convince my hubby this should be his undertaking}
- Real photos in my white frame above the headboard
Tuesday, September 17, 2013
DIY Basics: How-to Stain + Distress Wood
- Distressing wood to make it look unique
- Staining wood to pull out the grain
- Working with your husband so you don't kill each other while diy-ing
1. Distressing wood:
In order to distress wood you need a few tools. Well, first you need the wood, which will be specific to the particular project you're working on. Then, you need the tools. Basically, picture Law & Order SVU and use any object that has shown up in the show: hammer, chain, rocks, paint scraper, sandpaper, screwdriver, sledgehammer, fabric, etc... I enlisted my mom for help but basically, you want to "damage" the wood in any way possible - although, you're not actually hurting it. You're adding character and uniqueness. When you are done distressing, it will not necessarily look like much happened. If you look closely you'll be able to see the engravings or dents but the real transformation will happen when you stain the wood.


2. Staining wood:
After distressing the wood you will apply your stain or coating of some sort. In each of my recent projects I used one coat of Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain in Ipswich Pine, because I wanted to add some color to the pine wood I was starting with, but not go too dark. You can choose whichever stain color fits the look you're going for and can apply more than one coat if necessary. Since my mom was helping me, she taught me the basics of staining (which you can also read on the can): apply the stain to your material, let the stain soak for 5-10 minutes, then wipe off excess with a cloth. I chose to only do one coat, but you can apply a second or third coat if desired, just give the material about an hour to rest between each coat. Following the stain, you want to apply a Polyeurothane. I have not read about this step on every space that talks about staining + diy but I highly recommend it. Not only will it protect the wood from scratches and sun damage, it will also add a nice, smooth, finished look to your material. Again, I highly recommend it. I noticed huge difference in my projects from staining stage to post-polyeurothane.
3. Working with your husband:
Let's be honest. Two people can love each other more than anything in the world, but get extremely frustrated and snarky while diy-ing. My advice: be patient, be kind, don't get snotty, don't let him hold on to the drill for too long, and don't stand right next to him on a stool for more than 2 minutes. His advice: "Good luck. It wasn't that bad. You gotta be patient. Patience is a virtue. Is that good?" That's literally exactly what he said when I asked him what his advice would be. Like I said before, pretty sure he absolutely loved it all...

This was my first time doing any major diy project so these are the basics that I learned along the way. I would love to hear if you have any tips to add! My first project reveal is happening right here tomorrow so make sure you come take a looksie!
Monday, September 16, 2013
Football Food: Sombrero Dip
I have a super yummy recipe to share with you today! It was passed on to me from my mama and passed on to her from my grandma - we like to call it Sombrero Dip. So you should probably wear a sombrero when you make it.
What you'll need:
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup ketchup
2 1/2 tsp. chili powder
3/4 tsp. salt
1 15-oz. can kidney beans
1 cup shredded cheddar or colby-jack cheese




Topics:
Archives,
Eat and Drink
Sunday, September 15, 2013
Liebster Award + Nomination

1. What is your order at Starbucks?
Always the same. Grande caramel latte with skim milk and an extra shot of espresso. Personally, I think Starbucks always tastes a little too "milky" so I always ask for that extra espresso shot - even though it probably cost 95 cents! The only time I change my order is if I'm stopping by for more of an "afternoon snack", in which case I'd order up a grande caramel frappuccino.
2. What is the best gift that you have ever received?
My college education. I had a great experience and came out of it debt-free and I will be eternally grateful.
My college education. I had a great experience and came out of it debt-free and I will be eternally grateful.
3. When you brush your teeth, where do you start in your mouth?
Back left. Man, I really had to think about that.
Back left. Man, I really had to think about that.
4. Where is your favorite place to eat in your city?
If we're being honest here, we are in a city right now that is temporary so I am going to answer this question based on my hometown in ND which is probably where we'll be in shortly over another year. I honestly can't decide between our favorite "go-to" restaurants - Doolittle's, JL Beers, and Granite City. If I think about what makes them my favorites, not only is it that I have favorite foods at each, but they all have an outdoor patio and I love to enjoy happy hour or really any time on the patio!
5. What did you want to be when you grew up?
A teacher. My friends and I always "played school" with her mom's teacher textbooks. The funny thing is, I taught for 2 years, am not teaching right now, and don't miss it. I definitely miss certain parts of it but don't see myself going back to it.
6. What is your favorite part of your day?
Morning. No doubt. I'm a "sort-of" morning person. I love to enjoy my coffee, read blogs, type a blog post, workout, or work on our budget in the mornings. I don't like to call myself a full-out morning person because the ideal morning would be doing these things from about 6:30-9:30. Since I have to work for a living and be there by 8:00 at the latest, this doesn't work out perfectly, but I'd still consider myself a morning person.
7. What is the first thing that you do when you get home from work?
Put on sweatpants! And possibly pour a glass of wine.
8. Do you have any road trip rituals?
I sleep. Sorry, hubby. I honestly can.not.help.it. I guess sometimes we play 20 questions if the car ride is super long and boring. I also found this post on pinterest so we might have to try those out.
9. What is something you always wanted to learn but never got around to it?
I think it'd be cool to be artsy - I wish I could paint or draw but I have zero artistic skills. Unfortunately my math-oriented brain needs step-by-step instructions.
I think it'd be cool to be artsy - I wish I could paint or draw but I have zero artistic skills. Unfortunately my math-oriented brain needs step-by-step instructions.

For moisturizing, I use Chapstick brand Medicated chapstick or Aquaphor. For looking pretty, my favorite is Bare Escentuals Marvelous Moxie lip gloss in Hot Shot.
The Liebster rules are simple:
- Link back to those who nominate you.
- Answer the 10 questions the nominator has for you.
- Nominate 5-11 bloggers with less than 200 followers.
- Create 10 questions for your nominees.
- Be sure to notify your nominees.
1. Mosby @ Simplicity is Key
2. Brooklyn @ A Little Too Jolley
3. Laura @ Mrs. Laura Beth
4. Julie @ Becoming a Navy Wife
5. Bella @ Sea and Salt
Here are your questions:
1. What is the first thing you do when you get up in the morning?
2. What is your favorite part about the fall season?
3. If you're feeling lazy or don't have anything planned, what is your go-to meal for dinner?
4. Where is one place in the world you want to visit in your lifetime?
5. What would your "perfect" day look like?
6. Sweet or salty? (Which is your weakness?)
7. What does your normal Saturday outfit look like?
8. What is your favorite accessory?
9. What book, if any, are you currently reading?
10. How long have you been blogging OR why did you start?
Topics:
Archives
Friday, September 13, 2013
H54F #12 | high five for friday
Topics:
Archives
Thursday, September 12, 2013
"Coupons" for your Husband
Parks and I have been married for almost 3 years ( September 24th ) and before that we dated for........... almost 6 years. Wow, I had to think about that one. He was 15 and I was 16 when he officially "asked me out". Man, it's fun to think about how all that worked back in the early 2000s in high school.


Being newlyweds, we try to find fun things to do together or for each other that cost little or no money but are still special. We obviously still get each other Christmas presents and go on dates, but on a more daily basis we try to keep our love fun without spending money. We'll plan a "date night" where we stay in or we'll plan a "movie date" at home. We're always trying to think of new ideas.
So the other day, I had a card for P because I had made one on Cardstore. I had it for a few days waiting for the right time to give it to him and made these coupons just for something fun to throw in there:
Topics:
Archives
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Review: Cardstore
Ok, how cute are we? is this card?

I love cards. I really do. I love buying them, writing in them, receiving them, helping someone pick one out - anything! Some people think they're a waste of money because you read it and toss it. Well, I read it and keep it. It makes for quite the stash that takes up space in our storage room, but every couple months when I stumble upon them and flip through them, it makes it all totally worth it.
When I got an e-mail asking if I'd like to try out Cardstore I honestly did think twice about it because I've already read a few blog posts about people who tried it, reviewed it, and said all was good. But, in all honesty, I couldn't pass up a free card. So I decided to make one for my hubs - it started as an Anniversary card since our anniversary is coming up this month, but it turned into more of a just-because-i-love-you card. The entire process of making my own card was super easy, quick, and really fun! Here's why I loved Cardstore:
- Uploading photos was super easy! See, I have this problem where I can't make a decision for the life of me, so when doing something like this I tend to try 842 different templates with 79 different photo + font combinations. Cardstore let me upload photos from my computer, facebook, instagram, photobucket... basically anywhere you might have your photos posted or stored. And the upload took just seconds.
- There were so many templates to choose from! And I mean they are actually cute templates, not cheesy flowers and smiles.
- Editing was easy! I could tweak the template, change the font, add pictures... basically anything I wanted to do to take the template and make it my own.
- You can write what you want! I love to stand in Hallmark and find that perfect card, but we've all been in a situation when we just can't find what we're looking for. And using Cardstore gives you the ability to create your own perfect.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
A non-weekend Weekend
This weekend felt like such a non-weekend weekend and it's already Monday night Tuesday morning! [Edit: I started writing this last night with all intentions of posting and then continued to become obsessed with getting rid of the vertical and horizontal spaces between my photos in blog posts. So you better enjoy the pretty alignment of the pictures down there cuz girl worked hard for that. Okay, mini-rant over.]
+ Friday: These are all the projects I've been working on and I got them all ready on Friday for hubby to install on Saturday. I am loving our bedroom right now and will share once the few pieces are all pieced together for a pretty final project. Cupcake - my favorite wine. And what do we do on a Friday night in September? Well, if there's a hockey game in town, that's where you'll find us! There were.... mmm.... maybe 100 people at the game. It was an exhibition game which means their real season hasn't even started yet. Yup. Man I must love this guy. But, he did buy me a hard cider at the game so... And I got compliments on my Minnesota Wild hat so it's all good.







+ In other weekend highlights, I ordered my DSLR camera (!), which happened to be on the same day that P ordered his new pair of hockey skates. Looks like my recipe posts this month with consist of peanut butter toast and ramen noodles. I really could have used that $45.00 from football picks that I didn't win.
I'm realizing now that this is my weekend post and it's Tuesday already but better late than never! Sometimes life gets in the way. I'll be back this week with some posts that have a little more substance than weekend photos + captions. Or maybe not... but either way I'll be back.
Topics:
Archives
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)