Distractions

I haven't posted in awhile. I guess I've been waiting to put up these really awesome pictures of all the home projects and amazing meals that I have been busy with. However, I have allowed too many distractions take me away for even getting started! I have managed to squeeze in a few small projects on the sewing machine. Yes! I finally have a sewing machine and I am so excited about it! I finished my first skirt and three pillow cases all with zippers. Zippers, man those things are tough. I don't think any of the zippers turned out just right, but I'm still learning. I don't have pictures, but will share soon. Have a good weekend!

Weeks Two & Three

So I've been a little behind so here's a quick update on things.

Black coffee....Ryan says I've been doing it all wrong. I haven't yet made it through an entire cup and he says I should just down it! Haha. I'm going to stick with it for a little longer. I have switched to flavored coffee but I haven't decided if it was a good change or not. I smell this amazing hazelnut coffee in the morning, yet the taste doesn't really do it for me yet.

Veggies....You may laugh but my first new recipe involves potatoes. Haha! Not a new vegetable but new recipe. Mashed potatoes. Again, don't laugh. Traditional mashed potatoes (especiall in the south) are usually made with lots of yummy cream or milk and butter! Not this time:) This simple recipe is a bit more healthy. From the book Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop:

Garlic and Rosemary Mashed Potatoes
Boil 2 pounds russet potatoes with a generous amount of salt (I left the skin on, your choice)
Cook four peeled garlic cloves with the potatoes.
Drain potatoes and garlic.
Mash with 4 Tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary.
Season with salt and pepper.

Yum! It was a big hit at the pot luck last weekend. The next vegetable is....Rutabaga. Yeah, I'm a little behind with the one veggie a week:) I have already scouted out the recipe I would like to try. I'll let you know how it goes.

Workout...We have a great spin class twice a week at the gym! I've managed to keep up my 3x a week goal so far. If I happen not to make it in time I'll try to run a little and lift some weights. Ryan helps me out with the weight lifting. Fall is coming to I am looking forward to a little running outside!

Week One.

One week down and things are going pretty well.

1. 5 days of black coffee! The first few sips (everyday) were pretty rough, but I will honestly say that I am getting use to it. I think this week I'm going to try flavored coffee (still black).

2. Vegetables Everyday. This week was a little slack. We actually didn't cook as much as we usually do because there was a lot going on. So, no new veggie this week.

3. Workout! Spin two days and a few walks with Aeneas:) I'm getting excited about the classes at the gym and the weather for outside running!

1,2,3...GO!

So I am starting 3 new adventures in my life this week. Well, technically only two are new, but the third one might as well be new.

1. Start drinking black coffee. Yes, I am going to try it. Ryan says if I drink it black for a week straight I will be home free. (He actually said it may take two for me, but I am hoping for one) I really have grown to love my coffee, but I put about 1/4 of a cup creamer in it! Yikes! Not good for the waist line.
2. Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop. Its sort of like a mini Julie & Julia adventure. Let me start by saying, I am just a terrible vegetable eater! I tend to stay in the comfort zone of peas, beans, maybe a little salad, some corn and potatoes. Not anymore! I am planning on using this book to help me break free of boring and make a healthy lifestyle change of eating more vegetables and more variety of vegetables. It has the vegetables categorized alphabetically and goes through buying guides, how to prepare them, recipes and tips. Its really simple to follow. My plan is to buy what is seasonally fresh (which now supermarkets carry many year-round crops) and what is on sale. However, unlike Julie & Julia, this will be a weekly endeavor with a goal of introducing one vegetable a week. Some weeks will be vegetables that I already love, but prepared in new ways. There may even be weeks when I can use the vegetable in several different sides throughout the week, or really great weeks when I can use several new vegetables! The overall goal is to add new vegetables to my life!
3. Gym/workout x3 This is the not so new one, but right now it feels like it should be the first. I can't remember the last time I had a workout routine. All I will say is the goal is MOVEMENT 3 times a week.

I'm excited about my new little adventures. Most of all number 2. I will try an keep you updated on how things are going. If I don't do a good job, please keep me accountable:)

Exciting News:
Check out the Get to Know Us section for some exciting news:) ....no we aren't pregnant. Ryan has some new adventures that we will be tackling together.

A finished project!

Well, I finished my herb garden! I love how it turned out. The best part, I can walk outside for a fresh sprig of mint or a pinch of thyme. Here are some before and after picture of my first little house project!

{Before}

{After}

{weeds are gone!}

{basil}

{parsley, lavender, chives, and oregano}

Animal Collective

Strange title? Well, you should here their music. It is one of Ryan's favorite bands so I bought us tickets to a concert for his birthday (back in June). It was actually an awesome show. I'm still getting use to the electronic music that he likes. I don't think I could listen to them other than at a live show, but their stage (super artistic with lots of lighted crystals and stuff) and performance was far better than I'd imagined.

A Beautiful Year...

My friend Mikaela Fuchs is an artist. Both with a pencil and a oven. I wanted to share her awesome calendar with you. She draws each picture and then screen prints it. I have no idea how all that works but the end product is amazing. I know its halfway through 2011, but she's in the works of a 2012 one so here's a peak at her beautiful year....

April (our wedding month!)
May
June (one of my favorite pictures)August

and on the back of each screen print are her sketches. The sketch for October.

I displayed them in our living room because I wanted to see all of the at once. They're too pretty to only enjoy for one month! Plus, I am planning on keeping the ones with special meaning such as our wedding month!

Check out more of her amazing goods:
The Fox Fix (blog)
The Hungry Fox (bakeshop and paper goods)

Just a Seedling...

seedling. ~n. a very young plant produced from a seed.

That's me alright. A beginner, a wannabe, a seedling. I started gardening. Yep. Scary for many of you who know just how well me and plants get along. I have not been very fortunate in keeping house plants alive. I even killed ivy. Really? Who can kill ivy. Not when its invading your backyard and you wish you could kill it! Well, I really wanted to give it a try outside. I love being outside and love fresh flowers and herbs. So why not? I thought I would start off small. We have this great little raised bed in the front of our house. It already has some small hedges in it so I thought I would plant a few flowers and greenery and see how it went.

(Just realized I didn't show you the front of our house in the tour. Here it is!)
It was pretty well maintained. I did a little weeding and put some mulch from the backyard.
(I know it looks like just leaves, but these things have been composting for a long while and they are rich!)
Then I put some nice top soil over the mulch. It looks so pretty now! I haven't actually put flowers in it yet because I had a few other outside mini projects to complete first. Plus I haven't decided 100% what I am going to plant. So here it is for now.
My other projects are the real gardening I've been trying out. Beside our steps is a great place for a little herb garden. (I'm planning on using in a few containers) It needed a little more TLC than the front bed. Some intense weeding!!

And a few well placed bricks did wonders!

So on to the herbs! Yay, some real planting. So to go for a less expensive option, I decided to seed my herbs with the exception of a few transplants from my sister. I also thought it would be really cool to watch them grow from seedlings, to transplants and end up in my garden (prayerfully)!

I started with some good soil, seeds from Green Thumb West (a local nursery, I hope the name rubs off!), and a seed planter. I planted two entire planters (12 different herbs/vegetables). Herbs I love to use in cooking including basil, dill, rosemary, thyme, lavender, sage, parsley, cilantro, and Cheyenne peppers. My veggies include Roma tomatoes, jalapeno pepper and onions.
Some are already started to grow! The basil and dill are growing strong.
And my Roma tomatoes! I hope the others show themselves soon.

I'm so excited to see what the next few weeks and months bring. It's so hot these summer days I have to make sure my little seedlings don't dry out! I'll keep you updated on their progress:)

Check It Out...

I came across some really cool blogs while reading Flea Market Style today (they also have a blog). Check out the new "People We Love" and become a follower too!

A Tour of Our Home

Welcome!
This was the first day we looked at the house and just fell in love with it! We are only renting right now because we will be moving in about 2 years when Ryan finishes school.

Walking in from the front door you will find the living room to your right...

...dining room to your left.

Straight, you will find the hallway that leads to....
(p.s. check out the cool transom windows above the doors!)

the kitchen!
(insert smell of freshly baked cookies)

(another view from the pantry)

Continue down the hallway to the master bedroom....

guest bedroom (come and visit!)...

bathroom (tiny, I know)....

and a second guest room (aka. Aeneas's room).

Through Aeneas's room you will find a secret passage....

or small stairs through my closet (yes, ladies, I got the big closet!)...

to the office and laundry room (to the left not pictured).

Thanks for visiting! Please (actually) come again!
I'll post pictures soon of us moved in.

Honeymoon:)

1842 Hotel

Cocobay Resort, Antigua