Free Owl Calendar

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Make your own owl calendar for the new year!
 So Cute! Check it out.

From My Owl Barn.

Flavors Blog

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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?

new seasons!

I cannot wait for TV fall lineups to start again!!

90210

Grey's Anatomy

Parenthood

And I am excited for some new shows!!

Charlie's Angels

Pan Am

What will you be watching this Fall???

Ahhhhhh!

Erik and I just bought tickets to see Harry Potter at Midnight and I CANNOT WAIT!!!! I loved all the books and all the movies and I am just so excited... that I can hardly breathe... 

AH AH AH AH!!!

YAYYYY!

Summer To Do List...

Its FINALLY Summer in Oregon! 

  

So now it is time to sit down with the husband and make a summer to do list!

*Concerts at the Zoo

*Late Night Walks in the warm weather

*Drinkin cocktails out of mason jars

*Beach Trips

*huevos rancheros

*picnics outside

*resturant hunting in Portland

*Drinking summer seasonals

*Attempt to surf in Pacific City

*Hike Neakahnie Mountain

*summer reading lists

*floating on a lake in an innertube

*more bocce and croquet

*CAMPING, CAMPING, CAMPING!

*Visit Alaska

*start an exercise routine

*BBQs

*Wine tasting

What are your ideas for summer???

outdoor dining...

I think of dinner as more of an event than just a meal. Especially in the summertime! I have been noticing more and more since I have gotten married that I always want to set the table with matching dishes and pretty napkins.. I want the serve-ware to look nice and think that even the arrangement of the food is important now. Sooo.. I thought I would share with you some pretty summer dishes I have found. I wish I owned ALL of them!

Now only if more people had time to come over! 

anthropologie

anthropologie

anthropologie

Crate&Barrel

Crate&Barrel

Macys

 

where is the sun??

I am so ready for it to be summertime! I am ready to have BBQs on the back porch without people having to be wrapped in blankets! I am ready to make seafood and put it on colorful plates. 

Some things I am looking forward to come summer:

-corn on the cob

-farmers market where we can get all out veggies and herbs for fresh dinners

-summer dresses and tank tops

-watermelon

-bathing suits 

-being able to wear bright, bold colors all the time

-sandals and in turn, pedicures!

-staying up late and it still being warm

-drinking beers on the back porch

-going swimming at lakes

-long drives to the beach

-picnics!

These are just a few things I am REALLY looking forward to!

What are your favorite things about summer??

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??

WA: Portland Farmer's Market

I have been seriously slacking on my Weekend Adventures section of this blog because I lost my camera and the one I have been using didn't have a way to put the pictures on the computer. But I found a way! So here it is, about a week ago, we went to the Portland Farmer's Market with my parents. It was really fun because I had never been there before, and even though it was a little overcast, all the colors and people made it a lively outing! I love fresh vegetables and seeing so many people buy local! I loved it!

What did you do this weekend?

Speaking of Wide Open Spaces...

...or big lights, big city!

I just found out that later this month.. I get to go to Seattle for 2 days and a night to meet my sister, Jessyka! I am so excited! I have been wanting to go on a trip and it will be so fun to hit the town with my sister! I cannot wait! 

Happiness Experiment: Spring

Spring. 
So, the last couple of days have been beautiful.

First, Friday and Saturday were so sunny and warm that I even wore a tank top for awhile. 

Then Sunday, was beautiful with family all together and rain that just took over. (I love rain though). 

But even when the weather isn't cooperating... 
HAPPINESS EXPERIMENT.

I have realized that happiness is totally what you make of it.
You choose your battles, choose your activities.

So. I choose: 

*more date nights with my husband
*more lesuirely reading time, right now I am reading two books:

* making accounting notecards so I am not stuck at home studying, I can do it anywhere.. including sitting outside

* Fresh cut flowers

* Cooking with fresh vegetables and eating fresh fruit

* Spring dresses and attempting jeggings? 

* Going camping and golfing

* drinking lots of coffee 

* figuring out how to successfully stay faithful to an exercise regimen

* 7/11 Slurpees

* Sunglasses 

* Exploring new restaurants, especially ones with outdoor seating

What do you have planned for Spring??

Dogtooth Tonight!

Tonight my friend Jason Oppat and his band Dogtooth, are playing at:

Alberta Street Public House

1036 NE Alberta St, Portland, OR
503-284-7665 

Doors open at 9pm.

This is a benefit show for Jason and his roommate, whose house got broken into a couple of days ago. 

Come check them out! 

You won't be dissappointed.

Pita Chips and Dip

Yesterday I made really yummy pita chips and dip.
So I thought I would share the recipes with you!


Cheese Dip

8 oz Cream Cheese pack
3/4 c. sour cream
1/4 c. minced fresh chives
5 strips of bacon cup up
salt and pepper to taste!

Mix all these ingredients together.
Enjoy!

Baked Pita Chips
5 whoel wheat pitas
Garlic powder
olive oil
sea salt
pepper

Cut the pitas into 4 equal parts
Spread out on baking sheet
pour oil so each piece has a light covering on it
sprinkle garlic powder, sea salt, and pepper on top

cook in oven at 400 degrees for 8 minutes
broil at 400 degrees for about 2 based on your oven
just watch so it doesn't burn

let sit.. enjoy with dip!


adapted from Everyday Italian on Food Network! 
And not an accurate picture of what it looks like...
i need to start making sure to take pictures of my food...
before Erik and I eat it...

Happy Friday! 

Happy Birthday, Jefferoonie!!!

... And GOOOOO DUUUUUUCKS!

Happy Game Day!

I Love This Song....

"Only Girl (In The World)" -Rihanna

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world
Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love
Like I’m the only one who knows your heart
Only girl in the world…
Like I’m the only one that’s in command
Cuz I’m the only one who understands how to make you feel like a man

Want you to make me feel like I’m the only girl in the world
Like I’m the only one that you’ll ever love
Like I’m the only one who knows your heart
Only one…

New Year, New Plans!

So, 2010 was an amazing time for me! It is going to be so hard to top it!

 This year I...

• Got Engaged on New Years Eve
• Got Married in September
• Vacationed in Hawaii
• Got to see my extended family three different times!
• Started school again
• Watched Erik start Chiropractic school!
• Was a bridesmaid in my older sister's wedding

But, 2011 I have so much hope for you... Erik and I drove back from the beach where we went to celebrate my sister's wedding and the whole way back we talked about the things we want to do during the new year. Usually we make the mistake of making all our plans too vague and therefore hard to accomplish or know when they are accomplished. So this year we are trying to be more detailed on the plans. 

Here are some we came up with:

• Travel to New Mexico for our one year anniversary trip
• Take more day trips to go hiking or wine tasting
• Cook at home more (make pies, yummy one dish dinners, and homemade granola)
• Hold hands when we're having an argument
• Go to the wildlife safari (We've been talking about it since our first month together)
• Play more games instead of watching television

Here's to an amazing new year!

Word of the Day Wednesday!

re·lax·a·tion

  [ree-lak-sey-shuhn]  

–noun

1.

abatement or relief from bodily or mental work, effort,application, etc.

2.

an activity or recreation that provides such relief; diversion;entertainment.

3.

a loosening or slackening.

4.

diminution or remission of strictness or severity.

5.

Mathematics . a numerical procedure for solving systems ofequations by successive approximations of the variables.

6.

Physics .

a.

the return of a system undergoing dissipation to aninitial state of equilibrium after being displaced from it.

b.

the approach to steady-state operation of a system thathas undergone dissipation and a change in state or hasbeen subjected to an abrupt periodic disturbance.

Origin: 
1375–1425;  late ME < L relaxātiōn-  (s. of relaxātiō ), equiv. torelaxāt ( us ) (ptp. of relaxāre  to relax; see -ate¹ ) + -iōn- -ion

—Related forms

non·re·lax·a·tion, noun

—Synonyms 
2.  fun, amusement, pleasure. 

Taken From Www.Dictionary.com

What have you been doing to relax lately?

I am about to go watch Giuliana and Bill and Kendra that I have DVRed... :)

Reality TV= Mindless Relaxation.