I'm An Auntie!

Presenting... Harper Joyce Dart-McLean!

My little niece!

Check out more about her at my sister, Jessyka's,  blog, Life at Latitude 60.56!  

fill in the blank friday...

1. The holiday season is usually starts with a time of stress and craziness then ends up melting into a time where you can just realx and enjoy family. This year, Erik and I are starting off the holiday right by going on vacation just the two of us. It will be nice to spend some time with my little family before partaking in all the extended family get togethers.

2. Snow makes me  happy. It just looks so pretty! But... here in Portland, OR, you pretty much are stuck if you live on any type of hill. Once the snow starts falling... you hope the temp rises so you only are stuck in your house for one day..

3. The best comfort food to eat when it's cold out is    pasta! I love whipping up a huge pot of yummy pasta sauce then eating it over a couple days. Nothing like homemade pasta sauce,noodles, and garlic bread!

4. Winter is the best time for    scarves and mittens and layers. I love how during the winter, you have to try to figure out a way to be stylish but still kep yourself warm. I loveeee scarves and pretty slouchy hats and sweaters .

5. I can hardly wait for    date night tonight with Erik and our trip to Austin! It will be our first time adventuring together to a place neither of us has been. And tonight! we are going to fancy dinner downtown then a movie. Can't wait!

6. When it comes to holiday gifts I prefer to    make them! This year I am making a lot of my gifts and I am so excited to see hwo they turn out. Hopefully well so I don't have to go on a shopping spree the night before to make up for ugly presents. :) .

7. If I were to  rate my excitement about the holiday season on a scale from 1-10, I would say I am at about a    10! First year that  I  know I will be graduated and in a good paying job after so I can actually spend money to make gifts and relax knowing that I don't have to go back to school in January and worry about all those expenses. YAY! 

So I graduate in 2 weeks....

If I can get through these next two weeks and pass all my finals... I will graduate!!

I will finally be done with school, and it will be such an amazing experience because this time.. I have a job to lookforward to when I graduate. It has been a super trying couple of years and it feels so good to be able to know that I will graduate and have a job and be able to support my family of two.

ALSO....

I will finally have free timeeee! As most of you know, I have been working and goiong to school for the past couple of years and it will be the first time in forever that I will just be working! I am so excited I might cry...

BUT...

These are my plans for my free time...

*Blog more!

*take more weekend adventrues

*learn to knit

*read for pleasure

*watch movies

*explore Portland

*hopefully decorate a new home or apartment

*paint my fingernails

*get a massage

*craft

*spend more time with Erik, family, and friends

*travel!!!- Austin at least!

* drink tea

*drink beer

* finally pat myself on the back for a job well done.

AMEN.

Happy Birthday, Daddyo!

Happy birthday to the best dad ever!

I love you!

Happy Brithday Katy-Bug!

i love love love love love you.

wish you were homeeee...

Flavors Blog

Click Here

This new blog site, Flavors, is finding a way to get bloggers and cooks all over the world to come together!

They are making a list of ingredients to cook with once a week to get in touch with your creative side and enjoy creating in the kitchen again.

You should really check it out!

My mom, husband, and I cooked with Plums last night, I will post tomorrow!

What are you cooking lately? And are you ready to be inspired?

To the New Frontier...

I AM SO EXCITED!

I just booked Erik, my brother Will, and I on flights to Cordova, AK to visit my sister and brother in law!!

I am so excited to explore the new frontier and get to know the area that Jessyka and Jonah live in!

I wish I was going tomorrow!!

And just a side note... when I googled "Cordova, Alaska" and looked at the images... my brother in law Jonah was in a picture on the first page!!

I feel like he is a celebrity!

I love it! CAN'T WAIT!!

Happy Birthday, Will!!

I love love love you sooo much!

I am so proud of the man you have become!

Can't wait to come visit you on Friday!

Happy 22nd Birthday!

i love you daddyo

Happy Father's Day!

Thanks for teaching us, by example, how to be thoughtful, generous, loving people. 

i love you so much! 

who wouldn't wanna live in albuquerque?

Check out this amazing house! I want to move to Albuquerque! It is only $325,500. And so pretty! Check it out here.


I have been thinking so much lately about how fun it would be to start an amazing adventure with Erik. As much as I love, love, love Portland and my family... I think it would be amazing to move to a new city and explore life with Erik. I would want to end up back in Portland when I have kids, because I want them to be around all their grandparents, because I never was. But...I think for at least 5 years or so, it would be really fun to live in another city and just make a life with Erik. A new adventure. hmmmm. And lately, I have been really obsessed with New Mexico. I just think it looks so beautiful there! And it is an entirely new color palate. Oregon is blue, green, and grey... sea tones. And New Mexico is orange, red, yellow, and brown... fire tones.

Where would you want to move??

WA: Seattle!

Sorry about the little hiatus from blogging, but this week was finals week for school and I started my new job so it has been hectic. But right now, I have a little bit of time. So, I thought I would share with you, my "Mid-Week Adventure" to Seattle to see my sister Jessyka, when she was there for work and for her blog, Let's Talk About Beer. 

So, I drove up to Seattle last Tuesday and stayed till Wednesday afternoon! My sister was there for a promotional event for her work at Copper River Salmon, and also to write for her blog.. So, I got to tag along to take pictures of beautiful Alaskan Salmon and drink beer! My kinda trip! So here are a few photos from this awesome adventure!

 To get reviews of the beers we drank, 

Check out Jessyka's Blog, Let's Talk about Beer!

Happy Tuesday!

Seattle...

In Seattle for a bit...

i'll be back later this week..

have a great tuesday!

Friday!

I am so happy it is Friday today and that it is finally the weekend! I got all my work done for the week so I can actually enjoy it! I am very excited for this weekend because Erik and I have actually planned a lot to do and even if it doesn't all work out, I am just so happy it is sunny today and hopefully the weather will stay nice.

Here are a few things we have planned for this weekend:

* Tonight is the first meeting of my book club! I couldn't be more excited, it has been something I have wanted to do for a looong time and never had the right people to start it with or never really thought I could make the time. But I am so excited with the group that is coming and realized that it is so much easier to make time if you prioritze correctly!

* Tomorrow we are going to a lacrosse game for the team that Erik is helping coach! Finally... I am getting a glimpse of my dream to be a coach's wife.. haha I feel like I am going to have to channel Tami Taylor and wear some coyboy boots and say "hey ya'll" a lot.. Even though Erik is helping coach lacrosse and not football and we are in Oregon not Texas. Oh well. Should still be fun.

* Later in the day tomorrow/tomorrow night, we are going to try to get out to the UFO Festival that Mcmenamins is having in Mcminnville. There is a "Dress your Pet like an alien" contest and live music, and of course beer. Should be a good time.

*Then Sunday, plans aren't exact yet, but if they don't work out... maybe we will just have a day of rest. But if they do work out, hopefully we will get some drinks with friends and have a great afternoon. hopefully the weather will compromise!

I am so happy Spring is FINALLY here in Oregon!

Anyone else have awesome plans for this weekend??

Currently Obsessed With...

My little sister, Kathryn, started her new blog, Currently Obsessed With..., and I love the concept so much that I thought I would share my current obsessions here to contribute to the creativity of the site!

So.. I am currently obessing over...

Statement Necklaces

Cowboy Boots



Fresh Produce

Drinking Out of Mason Jars





 What are you currently obsessing over??