365 days and it's just the beginning

one year ago today i married a man straight from the story books. 

not a day has gone by where i haven't thanked the lucky stars for bringing him to me.

husband, our vow will always remain the same...

i vow to help you love life, to always hold you with tenderness and to have the patience that love demands, to speak when words are needed and to share the silence when they are not and to live within the warmth of your heart.

i give you my heart, i promise from this day forward, you shall not walk alone. may my heart be your shelter, and my arms be your home. 

happy anniversary, husband.

surprise!!

husband, you might remember that this is what the yard looked like when you left the states... in essence, a pile of rocks that the previous homeowner thought attractive. remember how i told you i was going to relax in your absence? i lied. sorry....you must forgive me.

with a lot of help (mom, dad, josh, and Kari....but mostly mom) i tackled one of the projects you have been dreading. not the most romantic anniversary gift, but one I know you will appreciate. thanks to my amazing family and a lot of gusto we tackled this project in two days. pretty bad ass if I do say so myself.

love you to pieces. happy anniversary.

a big shout out of appreciation to my family... you people rock in so many ways. thanks for helping me make magic happen once again.

joining the husband in spain

photo found here

life has been crazy good to me lately. as you can tell from my lack of posts (whoops) i have had little time for this creative outlet we call blogging. i finished up the school year with a bang and have been working on little projects around the house ever since. i promise to share some of the results real soon. i even have a big surprise for the husband i have been cookin' up for our one year anniversary.

tomorrow i will be joining the husband in spain (that is if they accept my passport with my maiden name... minor details, people...doh) who is currently gallivanting around and educating some of his students on the spanish way. we will be traveling around spain and celebrating our anniversary there as well. a rendezvous with siblings in barcelona is even store.

more good times await. happy as a clam.

happy summer.

husband tested, wife approved: harry's razors

we got crazy up in here. husband and i are doing a little switcheroo of sorts. he is having a go at this whole blogging thing and i am taking on the whole relaxing thing. let's see where this takes us....

husband here... writing my first blog post for pretty preened. i take this as an honor and privilege to share an amazing find with any and all of the gentlemen out there. ladies, feel free to share this post with the men in your life. better yet, give a shave...and give the gift of harry's. they will love you even more after their first swipe.

as you may have surmised from my last sentence, i am talking about a company that specializes in shaving accessories called harry's. perhaps you hip young cats have heard of a little company called warby parker. well they aren't just helping you to see and look better for poco dinero...they've branched out to whisking away those whiskers as well. jackpot.

as a fella that's always looking to be well groomed at a fair price, harry's is helping me to do just that. while a 12 pack of my gillette fusion cartridges cost about $35...i'm now getting a better blade at $25 for a 16 pack. i'm 5 shaves in and the blade is still going strong. score. one. for. my. pocket. and. face. 

harry's isn't just razors gents. they have stylish handles as well as shave cream. i started with a set called the truman. for a cool 15 washingtons i got a handle, 3 razors and an 8 oz bottle of shave cream. oh did i mention that they also have donate a shave program? not too shabby harry's. not too shabby indeed.

if you want to take a peek or dive right in, check out www.harrys.com. 

husband. out.

p.p.s..this is not a sponsored post.

back from cali and back to reality

husband and i really took this whole break thing to another level. we truly did break away from our normal day to day and didn't touch school stuff (or blogging material) until yesterday. spring break we did... and it was glorious. 

having a vacation planned prior to our home purchase really was a blessing in disguise. husband convinced me that if we hadn't gone to california, we would have spent our entire break working on the house. as much as I would like to put a drop in that bucket, we needed to get away and relax already. thankfully, husband and i did manage to get a little r and r in.

we traveled to california for a short visit in monterey with some dear friends and managed to get in a short jaunt to san francisco on the way out. we ate too much, drank too much, and walked too much. as it should be, i guess. husband and i thoroughly enjoyed the monterey area....with carmel, big sur and a brief run-in with a redwood as highlights.

this vacation marked a first trip to san francisco for the both of us. we stayed in a marvelous b and b (highly recommend the chateau tivoli...super reasonably priced to boot!!) for a couple of nights and managed to hit up many of the sights and neighborhoods recommended by many. our only regret was not having more time there to explore.

here are a few of our favorite shots from the monterey area.

wedding wednesday: the groom

i sure know how to pick em. well... it worked out for me that one time. the time when it mattered. this guy is sticking around and i've got the ring to prove it. one of the best moments of our big day was walking down the brick pathway to this face. at the end of the aisle was my dream. at the end of the aisle was my future...and it looks to be a good one at that.

as i sit here and reflect while all of the madness and chaos of life surrounds me nine months later, i am so grateful and thankful for this man. he grounds me and supports me like no one else can. he puts up with my incessant requests to bring me things while i toil away at my computer. he puts up with the stubbornness that surrounds me and my need to always be right. he actually wouldn't have me any other way. that's what i like to believe anyway.

all joking aside, when you find that "one," make some room for their nuances and annoying habits. i like to think they make life interesting. they did in our case....don't get me started on all the things i have to put up with. he he...

a change is gonna come

this lovely print is found here

this darling image is a mild description of my life lately. well, minus the whole onesie and typewriter of course. oh... hang on for a sec. you thought this was going to be a baby announcement. not so much. 

things are chaotic to say the least, but for good reason. work is fulfilling as always,  yet this time of year gets insanely busy between countless iep meetings, professional developments, grades and upcoming parent teacher conferences. that and all the other normal life chaos aside, i am happy to report that husband and i are closing on our very first home this friday!! i think it is safe to officially tell the world. nothing can go wrong at this point.. at least that is what i keep telling myself. come friday we will be wearing two new hats...those of homeowners and landlords. yep, we bought a duplex. score.

husband and i couldn't be more thrilled. this is unchartered territory for us both, but thankfully we come equipped with a "better" half to guide us through whatever mess we are in for. i say mess, but hope for smooth sailing. however, i don't think people normally put home ownership and smooth sailing in the same sentence (especially when said home is over 110 years old). whatever, we'll give it a shot and hope it sticks.

a few deets...our "almost" home sits atop a hill with a sweeping view of our beloved milwaukee. our backyard butts up to a park...with a band shell and squirrels (lots of them i hear...tate will be in heaven). summer can't come soon enough, people!! i look forward to sharing our new journey, but you will have to bear with me. i honestly don't know how often i will get to post in the next month...and a lot that i might jabber on about may primarily focus on the house and diys galore. i don't foresee many outfit posts as most weekends will be spent in paint stained overalls. though those might just be making a come back.

that being said, i plan to remain true to myself and not push it. i love, love love blogging, creating, cooking and plan to make it part of my everyday, yet know that some days it just might not be possible. i don't want to drive myself mad or give any less to my students.

i know you understand. some time life just takes over. (smile)

happy day + ode to husband

i am a sucker for valentine's day.... though not in a way one might normally think. growing up, valentine's day was a big deal in our household. we are talking big big. no matter the day of the week, my parents would wake us up early and gather my brothers and i around the table for a grandiose valentine's breakfast. this was always accompanied by red themed gifts found at our dining spots. valentine's day was yet another opportunity for my parents to show us how much they loved and valued us for the individuals that we are.

because of this tradition, there has never been a valentine's day where i have grumbled and moaned if i found myself sans a man to share it with. i always welcome this day with great fondness as i think back to the yearly family breakfasts filled with pancakes and chocolate. now that we all live apart, my family is beginning to start new holiday traditions.

this year, for the first time ever... i get to have this day as a wife to quite frankly, the world's most kick ass man. i know, yuck.... get a room, blah blah save the mooshy, gooshy stuff...nobody wants to hear it. yada, yada. whatever, it's true. so there. today i share with you my ode to husband. being the blogger that i am, i guess it just may be in my nature to bring my pda viral. so here goes. beware of the nerdiness to come.

p.s. ...my editor is not allowed to see this post prior to publishing so please feel free to ignore any undetected grammatical errors. feel free to ignore it all, whatever floats your boat.

>> ode to husband <<

crying during movies is that thing you do
your generous heart always open

spending long jaunts fixing your hair in the mirror
i stopped judging long ago

the master of friendship on call at a moments notice
lucky to call you my bestest

a man of routine who still conjures up a surprise
amaze me you manage to do

a faithful man with a heart of sparkle and gold
what did i ever do to deserve you

a son, a brother, a doting husband
can't wait for you to become more

thank you for being you
while loving me for me

-your wife




no worries...no plans to quit my day job anytime soon for the luxurious life of a poet.

happy valentine's day.

weekend in minneapolis

husband and i travelled up to the cities this past weekend for a study abroad conference. husband is taking a group of students to spain this summer... i just might get to tag along. as you can tell from the pictures, outside of the conference we didn't do much but eat amazing food and drink local beer. it's kind of a running theme for us...most things revolve around food. and beer. i also holed myself up in our hotel room on saturday to work and of course didn't get as much accomplished as i would have liked to. that whole house purchase offer thing has been occupying much of my brain space these past few days.

we did venture out in the evenings and managed to fill our bellies with some to. die. for. nosh. friday was spent at pizzeria lola, while saturday we got all fancy at tilia. both places knocked our socks off and if you live near minneapolis or find yourself in the area, you must make these joints a destination to hit very, very soon.

a few of our weekend highlights….

>> argument in the car about mcdonald’s coffee. husband claims i’ve tried it. i know i haven’t. we both have bad memories at times. i win.

>> husband’s one-armed air guitar while rocking out to radiohead in the car.

>> listening to our wedding playlist. husband’s doing, not mine. i think i will keep him.

>> husband admitting he has the worst singing voice he has ever heard. he is only half right.

>> aaron neville and louis armstrong impressions. (we must entertain ourselves somehow)

>> husband turning up the volume and bass for a lil Britney and exclaiming “chad would be proud.”

>> homemade soft serve ice cream topped with olive oil and salt. amazeballs. thank you pizzeria lola for the flavor explosion.

>> husband claiming minneapolis is the portland of the midwest. neither one of us has ever been to portland.

>> lady zaza pizza…going to try and recreate this one at home. maybe one day i can share it with you.

>> complimentary breakfast bar and cocktail hour. i am beginning to like you, embassy suites.

>> five comfy pillows on our hotel bed. 3 for me, 2 for husband. just how i like it.

>> finding my missing mitten. they just work better in pairs.

>> surly beer. come on surly, time for distribution to happen in milwaukee.

>> rocking a grown adult hickey. don’t act like it has never happened. it is totally ok because we are married now.

>> being holed up in a hotel room working while wearing my cozy fleece-lined leggings (although this was only cool for about an hour).

>> husband making friends with a pine bough. don't ask.

>> eating brussel sprouts at dinner on friday and saturday. tilia's wins...hands down.

>> watching a dad in a tuxedo take his little girl out on a dinner date. husband got all gushy and says he can't wait to do the same :)

>> getting all nostalgic roaming around my old neighborhood. i miss my minneapolis folk.

>> insanely huge mussels swimming in a broth of green curry, mushrooms and pumpkin courtesy of tilia.

>> ginger and blood orange cake. boom.

>> after bar at hotel bar- chez daniels courtesy of becky. we had a fab time but there was nothing chez about it.

>> not dying in the car while tackling a drive through a nasty storm. thank you husband for your stellar driving skills (even though your winter driving has a tendency to make me nervous).

wedding wednesday: the rings

i am a huge fan of unique wedding bands and engagement rings... (and yes, this was before duchess kate came on the scene with her sapphire and such). from interesting stones to antique throwbacks, there is nothing better...that is, if rings are your thing. i personally love the tradition, but that is just me. 

back in the day when husband and i were just regular ol' boyfriend-girlfriend we had the whole wedding conversation when things got all hot and heavy. husband (then boyfriend) played it right when he inquired about "the ring" prior to making any big decisions. my response...something different. we did some looking around on the internet, but ultimately he came up with what you see above. this man has taste people... i think i'll keep him. he went with a green tea sapphire stone...can't get much more unique than that. even better, he got it off etsy from a small, independent jeweler who is passionate about using conflict-free stones...the engagement ring also didn't cost him the bank. triple score.

   

>> i did some digging of my own and found some other fab non-diamond alternatives... take a gander <<

rings 1,2,6 rare earth // ring 3 one garnet girl // ring 4 pompeii // ring 5 kristin coffin

new year's eve

image from 100layercake

two thousand twelve was quite the year. my best yet, in fact. i married the man who makes me whole and accepts me for all that i am. i seriously lucked out in the husband department even though he does things like this. i finished school (for the second time) and got a job teaching special education to the greatest, most diverse group of kids a gal could ever ask for. double score for me. 

i may be achy and sick on the couch today, but that doesn't get me down. two thousand thirteen is going to be equally awesome, if not better. i can feel it in my bones right next to the current fever aches. it looks like husband and i will be spending the night in, potentially making a cold curing soup. i might even gussy up my nails for the occasion. stay tuned.

what are you doing for new year's eve??

video found here and here

happy holidays and a crafty husband

holidays are a time of family and tradition.  christmas for us is typically filled with oodles of booze, holiday cookies, good times with family and friends, and often too much christmas cheer. there are board games to be played, movies to be watched, and treadmills to be left untouched.

in the midst of all the usual holiday hubbub, husband and i started our christmas tradition when we started dating in 2009. we like to take one evening for ourselves where we soak it all in and exchange little meaningful gifts. one gift is always an ornament for our family tree. this year, husband outdid himself and pulled a crafty card out of nowhere. i think he would tell you he even surprised himself. that sneaky husband printed out pictures from our wedding and added some paper from our wedding invitations to create the masterpiece you see below. a little crafter in the making.  now all i have to do is introduce him to our friend modpodge.

score one for husband.

happy holidays to all.

our wedding day

our wedding was beyond a day to remember. it was simply magical and i couldn't imagine a better way to commit to forever to my one and only. i thoroughly enjoyed planning our wedding. husband would certainly tell you that it was maybe a little bit too much. ok, maybe a lotta bit too much. it's not my fault. quite frankly, the advent of sites like pinterest and weddinggawker have shifted wedding culture to create little martha stewarts in all corners of the universe. i may have joined the ranks. i am sure some of you out there can relate.

as we know, weddings can be a lot of work and cost buttloads of dough. ours was no exception, however our diligence and willingness to get down and dirty saved us tons of the green stuff in the end. i will be sharing details of our big day and oodles of money saving tricks and diy projects. 

stay tuned, my friends.

oversharing starts here

starting a blog is daunting and lets face it... down. right. scary. swarms of thoughts surround this post. am i even interesting? will people want to read about what i have to share? what makes my voice unique? millions have been right here.... at this exact spot. most have survived and i will too. (i think). blogging is a challenge that i am going to, like most things, take head on. this is a creative outlet that i have been thinking about for far too long and never acted on. that stops now. 

today is the day, my friends. 

my goal: to share my inspirations, my loves, and my creative endeavors with my family, friends, and all of you out there who i have yet to meet. maybe, just maybe my musings will eventually inspire others in some way, shape or form.  gulp. i have been a blog reader (lifestyle, food, fashion, etc. etc) for years now and today marks the point where i jump into the ring.  

thankfully, i have a husband who is down with me sharing snippets of our private life as newlyweds, bffs, chefs, fashionistas and co-pilots to the crazy thing we call life.  he rocks in so many ways.

here goes nothing.