here's to 2010.

Since I inadvertently decided to take a hiatus from the blog for the month of December [where did it go?!] I had to get one additional post in before it officially became 2011.

In light of the big blizzard of 2010 which has kept us bundled up inside the past few days, I did some thinking about the new year and the resolutions that tend to go with it. At the turn of the calendar year in the past I have decided to lose weight, exercise or drop ten pounds [see a trend, by any chance?]


The most memorable of these was during my freshman year at NDSU when my good friend Lynnette and I decided we would get up every morning and make the trek across campus from our dorm room to work out at 5:30am. Naturally, as freshmen in college, we had class at 8am every day [calculus, of all things] so we needed to work out, walk back, shower and get ready before heading to class. Every morning after we got back from break, Lynnette would come down to my room and we would manage to drag ourselves [through every warm building we could find] over to work out and then come back. After a short time, sleep got the best of us. Getting up at 5:30am when you go to bed at 12:30am or later, well, let's just say, it didn't work out for us.

So this year, since we are starting off a new decade, I decided to give myself 11 goals to accomplish in 2011. Some are short-term and others are long-term, but this seemed to be more meaningful and appropriate going forward...and also ties in with a little something I will be doing for my birthday as well, so keep reading for the next few months if you want to find out what that is. So without further adieu, here's wishing you a safe and cozy New Year full of life, love and happiness!


11 Goals for 2011

1. Use less water and electricity
2. Floss my teeth every day
3. Leave the computer in my bag when I get home from work
4. Create a budget
5. Put more money in savings [hoping to increase this by 50% or more]
6. Eat breakfast [along WITH my coffee]
7. Go to bed earlier
8. Organize the guest bedroom closet
9. Donate/Support to Save Japan Dolphins
10. Start a Bible study with Jeff and Sarah
11. Be content :)

makeover.

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving was just over a week ago and we are already under the three week mark to Christmas. Where in the world does the time go?

Well, in honor of the fact that it is now December [okay, I admit I am officially 5 days behind the turn of the calendar but my energy level has been a wee bit on the non-existent side] I decided to change up the look of the blog for Christmas. Isn't it cute?! It was tough to pick just one layout but I am certainly looking forward to updating monthly with other adorable winter themes. I just love changing it up...or maybe I love utilizing my own creativity...either way, I love it!

So what have we been up to? First things first - D won his first conference game of the season on Friday! They are on a two game winning streak [their game Saturday was postponed due to the weather] and we hope to see some more W's very soon!

D and I spent part of the day putting up the Christmas tree and carefully placing all our cute little snowmen in locations where they can best be showcased. With limited space, I think we did a job well done! By the time we finished decorating [and watching Elf in between football games] I decided I need to either make or buy more decorations. Oh, and I also need to install a mantle or fireplace of some sort. Does anyone else feel like it just can't be Christmas without a chimney or fireplace? I guess I was spoiled with that growing up but I miss it!


Here is a blurry and dark glimpse at our beautiful tree! My childhood memories are scattered throughout which brings a big smile to my face. Mom and I went through all my ornaments when I was home for Thanksgiving so I could put them on our tree this year. But my favorite ornament is a cute little snowman in a tux holding his snowman bride. I placed this ornament right in the middle at the top of the tree for everyone to see; it is the most wonderful reminder that I am not only celebrating over a year of blissful marriage, but we will be celebrating our 2nd Christmas as a married couple.

Time continues to tick away but there is no moment too small to take for granted. Here's to our life, love and happiness!

i heart dave barnes.

While I spent one of the best summers of my life interning in Nashville, my boss C introduced me to an artist she knew I would instantly fall in love with. She was right. I instantly fell in love the moment I heard the first melodic sound. Dave Barnes. *sigh*

I still remember sitting in the passenger seat of her car as we drove out of the big city on our way to her hometown in southern Illinois. I remember almost every moment of that summer, but having C take me home with her meant more than she could ever possibly know. It felt so easy with everyone, almost too easy, so when I first heard this soothing voice coming from her speakers, it was hard to stop listening. He instantly became my favorite artist of all time, even above Rascal Flatts [boy is that a whole other story...or twelve...].

I hadn't heard anything new from DB for quite some time so imagine my utter joy today when I found out he not only had a new album I hadn't heard many songs from but he also has a new Christmas album! With the snow falling and quickly turning our fall into winter, it seemed like the perfect discovery of the moment. And my heart was instantly happy; filled with his voice and overall sound. Needless to say, both of these albums are on my wish list. Now if only I had an mp3 player to download them to...hmmm...I just may have to find myself a good Black Friday deal.

Click on either of the photos below and you can listen to DB for yourself. I linked to one song from each album which thus far, are my favorites. Invite DB into your library of musical loveliness and swoon along with me.

friday. oh friday!

I can honestly say, I am thrilled it is Friday! Not only does D have a game at home [and boy do I love game days] but I found a pair of earrings I instantly fell in love with from Lauren Elise's Etsy shop. Seriously?!

I.N.L.O.V.E.

[I am fully aware this isn't proper use of punctuation or grammar]

Lauren is stocking up her Etsy shop so if you have a jewelry lover on your Christmas list, you should definitely check her out.

One last thing, if you think about it this evening at 5:30pm, send up a little prayer for D's team - a big ol' W against a Division II team would be a nice touch. Go Comets!

hope.

Here in our home, we are slowly working ourselves toward financial stability. It has been an ongoing process, and likely will be that way for most of our lives, but I feel just a little lighter in my heart knowing we are making headway. I've made mistakes, and continue to do so with spending money, I think we all do no matter how disciplined we are, but I cannot express enough gratitude to my Mom for teaching me the things she did [and continues to teach me to this day]. She is hands down, the most inspirational person I have met in my life.

Now I entitled this blog entry hope because once we do reach that point financially, I am hoping to be able to give back. Give back to my Mom, give back to those in need, give back to the issues which weigh heavily on my heart. I have learned through my own life that very little bit makes a difference...and I want others to see and know that too. This has become another financial goal on my list.

One of the issues that continue to plague my heart and soul is what is happening over in Taiji, Japan and the work being done by the Save Japan Dolphins organization. If you are reading this and don't know much [or anything] about the brutal slaughter occurring over there, I encourage you to watch the video in the right column at the top of this blog, visit the website listed above or go out and rent [or Netflix!] The Cove and see for yourself why this continues to haunt me.

Part of the things that can help the Save Japan Dolphins organization is the purchase of their merchandise, which you can imagine, have been at the top of my "want" list for quite some time. But because the needs far outweigh the wants, always, these things have moved far down the list and have nearly fallen off completely. I want to show you just a few of the items that are on my list; not only because they help raise awareness of the issue and are great conversation starter pieces, but because a portion of the funds from all merchandise sold goes directly to the cause. And that is why I am trying to move these items up my list.

A daily reminder: Save Japan Dolphins bracelet


A simple statement that means so much. I love this.

Who doesn't love a comfy hoodie for a good cause? I know I do!


A conversation piece and a statement. If you click
the photo, you can see my favorite part of this tshirt on the back.
Adore. It.

i actually won!

Over the last year I have increasingly become what I would consider a savvy consumer. Or maybe you'd just call me cheap. Either works. If you've ever seen my Firefox browser, you know that I have a very special folder with my favorite links entitled "must read blogs" that I check on a daily [okay, more than just once a day] basis. Things are just far too expensive to not take advantage of savings when and where you can; that's my whole-hearted opinion.


There is a point to this post, which I am getting to right now. I need to share some love for one blog in particular called The Frugal Girls. If you want a free sample, free music downloads, coupons and deal ideas, money saving tips, recipes or craft ideas, well then this blog is for you. I love it. What do I love even more? The fact that The Frugal Girls also has giveaways...and I just WON!

Today my name was selected for a $25 gift card for TJ Maxx - one of my all time favorite places to shop! Along with all the freebies and coupons I got in the mail today [it was so full our mail lady had to put some of it on our steps!] I am one big happy camper.

p.s. I woke up to the sun AND next to my dear hubby again this morning. Perfection.

simple joys.

There are few things I enjoy more than waking up with the sun in my face. Very few things indeed. When you wake up feeling such warmth...such majestic beauty...it's nearly impossible to not wake up with a smile on your face, hope in your heart and spring in your step.

The long days of summer where the sun rises early and sets late, make my heart simply sing. Ultimately, what this means is that adjusting to the shorter days and darker skies does not bode well with my heart. Or my eyes. How do I know? Well, because I have successfully been waking up late for about two weeks straight. Oye.


Today, I woke up to the sun shining brightly on my face. I instantly knew it was going to be a fabulous and productive day and all felt right in the world. Although all is most definitely not right in the world, not even close, it was refreshing to remain in my bubble of happiness for even a short period of time.

I believe in finding joys in the little things; I think that's something that living in a small town has made me appreciate. Too often I take for granted my daily phone call to my Mom, feeling safe in my home and in my community, or hearing the sound of my sweet hubby's voice when he is on a road trip. I like to think that some part of me has always cherished the little things, but as I have gotten older and as I continue to learn, they deserve more than just that. Here is a small list of the little things that made this a perfect day:

1. Waking up with the sun on my face
2. A full hour of cardio dance routine thanks to my daily sidekick: NETFLIX
3. Listening to my Mom talk about what a pain the Christmas lights are; I miss being home to help with this project, although if you ask my Mom, I never wanted to help when I was actually living at home!
4. Catching up with Lynnette
5. Feeling a complete sense of accomplishment from scouring our apartment from carpet to ceiling, every room, and organizing while I went. It feels blissful!
6. Texting back and forth with Carly
7. Although there wasn't a live broadcast to listen to, the stat updates on D's game had me running around the apartment like I was actually at the game. They lost in overtime but they played hard and I am proud!
8. Watching my happy fish swim in their clean tank
9. Writing a "welcome home" message on our entryway chalkboard
10. Hearing my hubby tell me he is on his way home - zero sleeps until he's home!

What little things made you happy today? I hope you enjoyed every second of your Saturday as much as I did!

vintage beauty.

While I am thinking about it, I had to post a photo of this necklace I literally fell in love with after seeing it on Lauren Elise Design's blog. You may be wondering, who is Lauren Elise? Well...it would be my extreme pleasure to tell you.

Lauren is an incredibly beautiful and talented woman who I had the pleasure of meeting on the happiest day of my life...our wedding day! Lauren came along with Eden Photography to help capture our moments that day; and she did so beautifully! It truly was amazing to see her finished work with a different perspective. If you are interested, you can see all of her photographs right here at Lauren Elise Photography. Pst! If you stay on the main page long enough, you just may see D and I in a few photos...!

In addition to her photography, she just so happens to also be an incredible jewelry designer [i wish i had a talent for just one of these things yet alone BOTH!] She is the one who designed this beautiful necklace and I invite you to also check out her other items. You will not be disappointed! Visit Lauren Elise Designs and fall in love for yourself.

inspire.

I found this cute little quote while perusing through some amazing reading material. There are plenty of other inspirational quotes plus some really fantastic items available for purchase. Check her out at volume twenty five or if you want to go straight to her Etsy shop, just put your mouse here and click! Easy as that. Enjoy!

all hallows.

It's hard to believe another weekend has come and gone again in the blink of an eye. Somehow, it always seems to go by so quickly. Despite the speed of the days, I am extremely thankful for a lovely weekend spent at home, cheering on my hubby and my favorite girls and enjoying a goofy little Halloween!


D's game on Saturday unfortunately didn't have the outcome we were hoping for. With 38 fouls called on our team alone and 53 free throw attempts by the other team, let's just say it's hard to come out on top. More film to watch...more practices to endure...and lots of improvement to make...and I have all the faith in the world that the w's will start coming our way. I was able to snap a few photos at the game and happy to report my "action" shots turned out much better than last weekend. I'm hoping to sometime get this added to the MSU Women's Basketball Facebook page eventually...so if you haven't "liked" them on FB yet, head on over and show some love!




We didn't do anything crazy for Halloween, but I was excited beyond belief to actually have trick-or-treaters this year! D and I got "ready" before it got dark so we could be prepared for anyone who came to knock on our door. I used to spend so much time decorating with my Mom for Halloween that it has become second nature. In fact, she has passed on the Halloween tote full of goodies to me so we could make our apartment a bit more festive. Buried deep in the tote [I am exaggerating] were a couple of masks that bring back fond memories for me from growing up. If I had a penny for every time my brother used one of these to scare the crap out of me...well...let's just say he did it a lot.

Anyway, we anxiously listened for car doors and voices outside [even opening the window despite the cool weather just so we could hear better!] and finally we got a little traffic! I have to admit, I was disappointed in the lack of costumes but was still happy to hand out candy to those who came. Here's a little sneak peak of what you would have seen had you come knockin' on our door...

Can you guess who's who?!

A man and his pet gorilla...

Not so creepy without the masks!

yum.

Although I accomplished making my seasoned pretzels and easy sugar cookies, in all my excitement for Charlie Brown I somehow forgot my cup of cider in the microwave.

I wonder if it's still warm? Zoinks... TGIF everyone!

oh, charlie brown!

If there's one thing you should know about me by now, it's that I not only adore Fall but also, everything about Halloween. This has taken some getting used to for D so I have been "breaking him in" with baby steps. I've kept the decorations to a minimum...at least for now! Yes, this means there are no spider webs at a five foot level...much to my Mama and old college roommate J's dismay, I am sure!

I just love the crunch of leaves, carving pumpkins, eating apples and going to the orchard, brainstorming for costume ideas, decorating and most of all, listening to little footsteps outside turn into whispers just before that knock on the door and a sweet little "trick-or-treat" spurts out of their candy-eager mouths...seriously...what's not to ADORE?

In addition to this, I am an avid Charlie Brown and Peanuts fan. One of the things I look forward to most are holiday specials around Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas when one special television station decides to make my day and air my lovable, irresistible Charlie!

Well folks, that just so happens to be tonight! A big THANKS to my Mom who told me about this but at 7pm ABC will be airing none other than It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! I am so excited I can hardly stand it.

Since D will be heading to Valley City to scout Viterbo University, whom they play at 12:00pm on Saturday, I will be snuggling up with some warm apple cider and some fresh seasoned pretzels [thanks for the recipe, L!] and indulging in a classic favorite. Perfection!

right up my alley.

I have several blogs that I check periodically...multiple times a day. Mostly I am looking for updates on free samples, coupons or one-heck-of-a-deal, but the other day, to my surprise, I came across a post for a DIY autumn wreath.

Now a few weekends ago, my good friend A [and former boss while I was working at The Forum] gave D and I our wedding gift. A is an Uppercase Living representative and has been struggling to find a frame to fit our names but finally found the perfect one and gave it to us. We absolutely LOVE it! So much in fact, that I changed where I had originally thought I wanted to hang it and decided rather to make it a focal point in our "entryway" right when you come into the apartment.

Well, after looking at it, I realized that what I currently had hanging on the wall wasn't going to work at all. So I took an old cupboard door that I bought at Habitat for Humanity Restore [in Moorhead] about two years ago, and decided to make a chalkboard to hang underneath it. I completed that little project and found myself with another empty space on the wall. And that's when I remembered the blog post I had read...and I knew right away it would be the perfect piece to my entryway puzzle.

The end result? An arrangement I am not only in love with, but also rather proud of how well it turned out. Not to mention, it cost me next to nothing to put together. The picture is a little fuzzy but you get the general idea!


If you are interested in creating your own wreath, check out the original post with step by step directions at Centsible Savings. I made mine pretty "fluffy" but you can do it any way want - so fun and easy!

boots = love

So after finishing my last post, I checked my email for approximately the 63rd time today. To my surprise [not really] I had a couple email blasts I hadn't seen yet, one of which was from Nike. Now because of my fanaticism with free samples and coupons, I have found myself receiving TONS of email. But the stuff I really take the time to read comes right to my gmail account, which is where the Nike emails just so happen to land. Although I choose not to buy regular priced Nike clothing or shoes [or anything else regular price, for that matter], these winter boots were too cute to resist posting. They come with a rather hefty price tag but perhaps an end-of-the-season-super-duper-clearance will emerge in June and they just may make the $15-or-less rule I tend to stick to with purchases. Who knows! But if you aren't as 'frugal' as me, perhaps you'd like to add these to your Christmas Wish List. These are my two favorites:

These beauties appear to be very warm,

but I'm not sure they can handle a true
MN/ND winter. You can find them here.

These are cute as a button if you ask me!
They come in black or brown - check them out.

a perfect day to post.

It seems dear Mother Nature has issued us a bit of a wake-up call today so since we are bundled up inside our apartment [still putting off turning on the heat] it's a perfect time to get this baby updated. Instead of offering a futile attempt at an explanation as to why I haven't posted, I decided that I'm just going to jump right back in with what's been going on with us over the last several months. Enjoy the photos and a bit of a rewind...

In June, D and I celebrated our one year anniversary! It's hard to believe how quickly the past year [and then some] has gone by, but we were able to take a weekend getaway to Bemidji. The hotel was fantastic [RIGHT on the lake] and we spent our time enjoying canoeing, hiking/trail walking, sight-seeing, soaking in the indoor/outdoor hot tub and eating some yummy food! It was only a few hours away but it was a really special weekend basking in our growing love!

The view from our room.

The trail we explored.

We thoroughly enjoyed the statues before heading back to Mayville [and before the rain hit!]


D + Chief Bemidji

A trip to Bemidji wouldn't be complete without Paul and Babe. Fun!

My "little" cousin marked a big milestone in her life: high school graduation! I made the trip down to Big Lake, slowly crawling through 5mph traffic, hail and torrential rains, but eventually got there in one piece. It was a fun day with family, but boy was it sticky and hot!

The graduate

Releasing balloons for the grad's future

I let loose the final three.

My good friend J got married at the end of July and I was lucky enough to share in the special day. Unfortunately, I had to miss out on good friends J+S who got married that same day, so Dave and I split up and I headed south and he went a little north so at least half of our duo could be present at both special events!

M + S + L

J and S

D's basketball season got going last weekend with the first home opener. There was lots of excitement, anticipation and perhaps a little bit of nervousness, but even though they ended up in a 91-93 loss, it's exciting to see the talent and potential on this year's team! I'm so proud of my hubby; it's truly where he belongs and hopefully that is evident in the next few photos [try to ignore the lack of skill from the photographer!],

introductions.

Without further ado...allow me to introduce you to our dear fish pals. The first photo is of our three fish all together. You may wonder why in the last post we only had two fish and now we suddenly have three. It's a good question but it can be explained relatively quickly. We bought another one. 

Crush, Belle and Meeko (respectively)

 Crush (dominant male) and Belle peeking in the back

Fair Belle (fertile female)

Crush and Belle are both creamsicle lyretail mollies, although you can see that Crush has a much more vibrant orange hue and Belle is more subdued and yellowish. Their tails are what set them apart from other mollies (and Meeko) as the lyretail looks like a giant "C" that seemingly floats and glides through the water. These two are often inseparable, although that's not for lack of trying on Belle's behalf. Crush is quite the brute and since he is the only male in the tank, tends to chase the females every second of every day.

Sweet Meeko (peace keeper)

Meeko was our latest addition and is a beautiful silver molly. Although we wanted another lyretail, we arrived at the pet store only ten minutes before close and didn't have the heart to ask the guy to fish out a different molly after struggling for what seemed like forever to get Meeko into the container. So although you could say we didn't really want Meeko in the beginning, she has quickly become one of our favorites due to her curious behavior and quick wit. She is definitely a keeper, although her tail isn't the "fairest" of them all.

These three together keep things very interesting in our household; as I am sure you will soon find out.

fish tales.

Since I have absentmindedly ignored updating the blog for several months, I feel the need to get you up to speed on the latest happenings in our "house." Don't worry, I will keep it short; or at least I will try.

About two months ago, my wonderful husband finally convinced me we were ready for parenthood. NO, I AM NOT PREGNANT. But since we aren't allowed to have dogs or cats at our apartment, a perfect little ten gallon tank that has sat empty for many years, started calling his name. If you don't know that story, follow along.

Once upon a time, I had two beautiful roommates who blessed me with this complete ten gallon fish tank set for my birthday. It came complete with gravel, water heater, lid and decorations. I, of course, jumped the gun and immediately hopped in my car and went to the closest pet store. I carefully chose the "prettiest" fish and brought 14 of them home to my new tank. I named them all. And when I woke up in the morning, I rushed to that tank to greet my new scaly friends; and found a graveyard of what had once been neon tetras.

I tried out a few more fish, but those too died. The only thing I seemed to be able to keep alive was a pretty little beta, also a birthday gift, given to me by my good friend Brandon and appropriately named Sheena Fish. But eventually, Sheena Fish died too. And it was then that I swore I would never try to become a fish mama again; I just didn't think I was cut out for it.

Back to present day, I found myself staring aimlessly at the selection of fish at the pet store. We walked up and down and examined them all very carefully, knowing this was a large step we were about to take. I walked gingerly past the tank filled with neon tetras, remembering vividly the smile on my face as I brought them home and the sinking feeling in my stomach six hours later when I found them all lifeless and strewed about in miscellaneous fashion. Was I ready? We talked for a long time with the "fish expert" each time we visited the store before finally making an educated decision the fourth time around. Each person we talked to seemed to know just a little bit more than the other and so our knowledge, in turn, continued to grow.

Finally, we had made up our minds and decided we would begin with just two mollies based on their hardy nature and ability to fit well in a ten gallon tank. We were given a male and a female, which we didn't realize until many weeks later; one was a subdued yellow hue and the other, bright orange. Appropriately, they were given the names Belle and Crush, and they are the very beginning of our ever fascinating, fish tales.

now more than ever.

Eight months ago, I found myself in the middle of a dream come true. Sitting next to me was a handsome man I now call my husband that years prior to that moment I didn't even know. While I sat, staring at water that appeared to be so pure, so perfect and full of hope, I waited for the creatures I knew would soon appear. Anticipation. Excitement. Hope.

The music started and they appeared. So majestic and surreal to me - this beautiful animal that I had only seen pictures of or read stories about - was now right in front of me. I smiled, as though they were smiling back at me; as though our hearts were now connected somehow that I saw them in person. I envisioned myself there; in the tank as though I belonged there with them, just as I had done so often growing up. My face continued to beam as my heart filled with joy; my love at my side and this dream taking place before my very eyes.

Today, I have a difficult time with my emotions; reliving the picture, the sounds and the feelings all while in the back of my head I fight the issue of captivity as brought forth in the documentary, The Cove. Today, in those very waters photographed by our camera in Orlando, a trainer by the name of Dawn Brancheau, lost her life to one of these majestic creatures. A trainer that we, along with millions of others, watched in amazement as she worked with these animals. You can read the story here. The sinking feeling in my stomach cannot be explained but for reasons beyond my control, I fought back tears as I watched the numerous videos documenting the whales in their tanks thinking how unfair their existence has become. This life that they have been forced to live, is not truly a life at all but merely a captive existence.

I was one of the millions who dreamed of going to Sea World; I was one of probably thousands who dreamed of working as a marine mammal trainer to these very whales and dolphins someday; I was one that completely bought into the captivity industry. But I don't know if I can find joy where I only see sadness...if I can find purpose where I only see dollar signs...if I can find hope where I only see suffering.

In the words of a man I not only highly respect but admire, Richard O'Barry states that " Dolphins [and whales] are free-ranging, intelligent, and complex wild animals, and they belong in the oceans, not playing the clown in our human schemes." We need to see the bigger picture...we need to end it...now more than ever.