Today, the birds were chirping, kids were outside laughing and playing football in the street, and Alex and I got darn near the whole house cleaned and a bunch of little projects finished! IT IS OFFICIALLY SPRINGTIME PEEPS. (Edit: It is not Springtime, it is Second Winter...) I'm over the moon excited, over here! And tomorrow I plan to eat myself silly at our annual friends brunch (photos to commemorate our 5th annual brunch to follow, for sure).

I actually wore this outfit to work the other day, and applied lipstick for evening. One of my absolute favorites to date. I wish I could just dress this simply and easily everyday! Well, I guess I try.

And a few angsty shots, for good measure...

white button up: F21
jeans: free shelf! (brand?)
suede booties: Jessica Simpson, DSW
gold bangle: Madewell
frames: vintage

Sorry I haven't been around lately, guys. I've had the winter doldrums setting in. You know, the "just hibernating and feeling completely unmotivated and uninspired" type stuff. And to top it all off, a good friend and colleague of mine passed away last week... It's been rough. But I have to say that after this weekend, I feel revived. I was surrounded with fun times and great friends. It helped me to feel so thankful for what I have!

Friday we went to see Sarah perform her heart out at the Minneapolis Burlesque Festival along with countless other sexies at the Ritz in Northeast, and closed down the after-party at the bar next door afterwards! So much fun!

Saturday, Alex and I did some errands (including a stop at Fulton Brewery, only our second brewery on what is looking like a looooong checklist) and then went to a see Ben's band, Coat Pocket Whiskey, at one of their most low-key performances so far.

Finally on Sunday, our friends Emma and Bryan hosted their 4th annual Superbowl / Halftime show viewing / chili cookoff extravaganza! It was definitely the best yet. Three kinds of delicious chilis, wings, meatballs, cornbread and CAKE. Plus, Beyonce was awesome! And Destiny's Child?!?! I die.

Thanks friends for being there for me! I cant wait til next weekend, for I have brunch plans with ladies and video game competitions scheduled. That should definitely help me out of my doldrums this week. Plus, I have some exciting blog posts scheduled, now that I am back in action and feelin' pumped. Stay tuned!

Photo above is the lovely city of Saint Paul, as viewed from Indian Mounds Regional Park, taken with my iPhone.

The third annual Alli & Alex Halloween Party Spectacular was another screaming success. Thanks friends for coming! And you, Lomo-C camera with Ilford 800 speed film, YOU are my new favorite. Just look at these babies!

As usual, more can be found on my Flickr!

Hey peeps, I've had so much going on the past few weeks, and no time to blog! But I thought I'd share a little instagram round-up of what life looks like for us lately. Fortunately, we arent all work and no play (though we are definitely more biased towards the former)! We did have time to have a few people over for beers and hot dogs on our brand new Weber grill! And some taco night hang-out time with my sister and brother in law. I cant tell you how nice it feels to have family and friends rally around you when you're knee-deep in grown-up stuff like loans, cutting down trees, and general-first-time-homeownership.

Highlights from above: OUR BACKYARD, finally free of trees, vines and debris! Our friend Chance, being classy in said new backyard! Our beautiful neighborhood, on the first particularly beautiful fall evening. Herbs on the kitchen sill. And our light filled living room (now that it is painted white)!

I just had to take a moment to mention this recipe of Roasted Bell Peppers with Capers and fresh Mozzarella I made for dinner last night (and prepped the night before). IT WAS SO YUMMY. And, I've never roasted my own pepper before, and it was pretty satisfying. All images and recipe credit goes to Deb of the Smitten Kitchen (because we sadly scarfed our meals up way too fast, before even thinking about pictures). People, this is probably the number one blog I turn to for recipes. Everything she photographs looks so delicious, and everything I try turns out so delicious too! If you havent perused her recipe archive, I highly recommend you do that.

PS: Deb now has a cookbook of her images and words coming out, and I cant wait to get it!!

Yesterday was my 26th Birthday, and man was it great! Unfortunately, I had to work all day on Saturday and then got a tiny bit done at Laurel (we finished painting the living room! yay, finally!), and pretty much passed out early after that. But my best friend Emma came over to Laurel bright and early (ish) make me savory delicious birthday pancakes for bfast, and I cant imagine a better use to initiate our new stove! (You seriously have to get the recipe from her, they had corn, and herbs and BACON in them!) Then my parents came over, and our good friend Trygve too. The boys took down the fallen tree in back with a borrowed chainsaw and lots of elbow grease. The whole thing was covered in vines, and so were the surrounding trees. I can't believe what a mess it was back there. But we now have a good tree-sized pile of waste to take to the garden center. Finally, I got a good head start on painting the entryway (flat black! its going to be so fancy!) while my mom scrubbed everything she could get her hands on (the kitchen and bathrooms, the windows and baseboards, oh my!). Oh also! My dad power-washed the front and back porches for us! They look so amazing and shiny and clean now!

Then as a surprise, Alex and I got changed and he took me to The Bachelor Farmer for a wonderful Birthday dinner! (PRESIDENT OBAMA HAS EATEN THERE YOU GUYS). I got to wear my dress that I had altered at the tailor (was long-sleeved and high-necked, now it has a LOW BACK!) My friend Katy is the hostess there, so she sent over some champagne as a treat (what a nice lady! Thanks Katy!) All in all, I have to say it may just be the best and most satisfying Birthday of all time. Thanks family and friends for being the best a girl could ask for!


dress: vintage 70's, thrifted, and altered by the tailor to be sleeveless
wedges: Mossimo, thrifted from Fake Target


OKAY OKAY HOUSE PIX IN THE NEXT POST, I SWEAR.

Oh pinterest, you slay me! (know what else slays me right now? These amazing hydrangea bushes bursting into life at MCAD right now! Ughhh my goddd drooooool... So big and fluffy and conical shaped!) My right brain loves the simple way I can visually categorize every item into the proper section, for later viewing and shopping. (This is sounding eerily like a blog post I would have posted about 2 years ago...) But my left brain thinks I'm getting a little out of control. You see, the other day I felt inclined to make a whole new board just for... wait for it... light fixtures. And I stopped dead in my tracks. Are you seriously so obsessed with these physical objects that you need a whole board dedicated to their deliciously mid century minimal styling?!?  (The answer is yes, but that is a whole other affliction that I wont get into here.)

And who am I making this board for, really? I'd like to think that I'm making it only for myself. So that I can virtually bookmark something I may want to come back to when I actually have the keys to our house in my greasy little hands, and make a decision to purchase one (or two, or maybe eventually three). I guess I really dont care if other people decide they want to follow my boards or repin my pins, because that, my friends, is getting into dangerous territory. A territory that I am not prepared to enter. In fact, I would much rather have the option of making my pins private, and for my own use. BUT, I think that's really more because I am embarrassed at the sheer number of lighting fixtures I pin (or exterior paint color schemes, or variety entirely-white rooms, or etc). More embarrassed, I have to say, then the whole lingerie board I also keep. Nope, no shame there. :)

More to the point, I guess I ask you this... When is enough enough? (Is Victoria from sfgirlbybay's 76 boards enough?) Is this an obsession that I need to quit? Or is it merely a side-effect of jonesing for a house that you do not have yet for a whole 6 months of waiting? Is it a way of coping, or of day-dreaming the stress of it all away? Opinions? Should I begin to dissect and categorize my boards to my hearts' content? Opinions and advice would be appreciated.

PS: I've found a few new blogs (that may help to alleviate my house-induced stupor, and instead replace it with a food-obsessed one) called Bon Appétempt (amazing cook-it-yourself blog featuring the lovely Amelia. Has hilarious little videos made by her husband Matt) and bigBANG studio (which I have come across once or twice in the past, but never really delved whole-heartedly into. Think valuable life lessons about work, love and marriage, amidst yummy food recipes and lovely travel photos galore. I adore it.) Recently added to the blogroll (do people still call this thing the "blogroll"?), check em out!

Does your partner annoy you? Joanna from Cup of Jo always asks her readers to weigh in on questions she poses. And this one really made me think. Because while I am totally head-over-heels in love with my partner, yes, there are still things that bug me about him. But she makes a good point (or rather, her husband Alex does) that annoyances are "part of the fabric of the relationship. They try to act like they're driving each other crazy but they really can't live with out each other. Annoyances aren't a deal killer. They're a natural part of a long, happy marriage."

Things that Alex does that annoy me:
-He is such a smarty-pants. He always has to explain things to me in a very calculated, scientific, smarty-pants way. When I dont understand the language he's speaking, I end up getting even more frustrated.
-His reluctance to try new things (which he has been getting better and better about in the last few years, but very slowly). He always wants to go back to his favorite restaurants, and go on the same vacations over again, and do things the way he's always done them. I hate doing things the same way twice, even watching movies for a second time! There are just too many things/places I havent gone yet to think about going back again!

Things that I do that annoy Alex:
-In general, I am very good at spelling and grammar. But the one that I never say right is "borrow, and lend." Somehow I manage to always say "Emma borrowed me this book," instead of "Emma lent me this book." (Did I say that right?)
-I watch bad tv. He cant stand being in the same room with me when Im watching Gossip Girl, Charmed, Law and Order or any crime show. He can be half-listening and still find fault with the plot or the legitimacy of the show. He hates them.

Also, I totally stumbled upon one of THE BEST twin cities guides! All thanks to Design*Sponge! It is written from the point of view of an actual local, instead of sounding like every other city guide out there (aside from The City Scout, of course!!!), regurgitated over and over again from soul-less internet articles and best-of lists. It is seriously amazing and comprehensive, you should check it out.

Design*Sponge ALSO did a little home tour yesterday of Sarah & Greg's Los Angeles apartment, whom I had a chance to meet up with while visiting Miss Katie back in March. It was so great to see your amazing apartment Sarah & Greg, Katie & Scott talk about it all the time! (Go check it out, I especially love that vintage couch and chair set!)

TRAVELING... I have that itch again! I know, I just went to CA, but it was such a short visit! I was browsing Airbnb yesterday, and I found this adorable little flat in Istanbul for only $14/night (THOSE VIEWS OMG)! I think I might have to make that happen. UGHGhGhGHHHHHhhhh.

PESTO. It is taking over my life! We've had a few weeks of our CSA delivered now, and all we seem to be getting these first few weeks is spinach, arugula, swiss chard, salad greens and more salad greens! When we cant quite finish them at the end of the week, I've been throwing them all into the food processor with some walnuts, garlic, olive oil and S+P to make a quick pesto. But NOW I have too much pesto... a few small jars of it in my fridge. But I found out last night that I can just scoop it with some crunchy french bread and some spreadable goat cheese and it is to die for. BEST THING EVER.

What's up with you guys? I feel like we havent caught up in awhile.

A few weeks ago, our good friends Ben and Bill had a cookout/party to celebrate their recent (official) domestic partnership status. It had to have a theme of course, so they decided on Domestic PartyShip, a nautical party me maytee, arr! They even handed out sailor hats as party favors, and I have to say, everyone looked smashing! Almost as if we all walked directly off a (very fashionable) boat and into their lawn, haha.

It was one of the first perfect summer days with nothing but sunshine and a light breeze, just warm enough for a campfire late at night. Here are some of the pictures I captured with the famous Canon Demi S. For some reason, I must have been really into taking portraits that day. So here are a selection of those, with lots more on my Flickr!

I am so happy for you both, congratulations again Ben & Bill! I wish you both an eternity of happiness.

Alex and I are going to the cabin up north this weekend for the first time this summer (other than opening up the cabin and doing some prep work), and I am pumped! The weather looks perfect for laying in the lake all day and drinking mojitos on the deck each night. This got me thinking about summer and what plans I have this year. So I made a list! Here are some things I want to accomplish this summer...



1) Spend weekends at the cabin (obvs), relaxing as much as possible and soaking up the sun! (top photo taken at the cabin last year)
2) Go to a pick-your-own berries farm, preferably raspberries or blueberries. Although I hear the strawberry crop is outstanding already this year. Go pick them if you are in MN!
3) Have an outdoor dinner party (possibly for my birthday?). I saw this photo (above) years (maybe) ago, and have been dying to recreate it ever since. And boy, do I have big plans for that!
4) Pickle things and make some jams. (with my CSA! the first share was delivered TODAY, as demonstrated by the image below! there is mint, hence the mojitos mentioned above! I cant wait, gah!!)



See ya in a few days, peeps!

As promised, here are some photos from my quick trip to Los Angeles to visit Miss Katie (whom I just found out has a blog?!? I've been telling her to blog for years, so I am officially thrilled!) Angie and I had so much fun just trying to keep up with Katie-the-Total-Powerhouse, and seeing all of the most awesome parts of LA that I had never been before.

Mimosas, Margaritas and copious amounts of Mexican food were had (hello, Cinco de Mayo!), shopping, karaoke bars, flea markets, and playing on the beach were achieved and we even got spontaneous pedicures! It was amazing, and makes me want to move out there. Like for real. Echo Park/Loz Feliz/West Hollywood is my new favorite place on the planet, and I hope to go back very soon.

Thanks again for hosting us, Katie and Scott! We will be seeing you soon!

Y'all, now that that MASSIVE blogger template debacle is taken care of, I can finally show you the first roll of film I got back from shooting with a new (vintage) camera I got fixed awhile ago (note: there is a Christmas tree in one of these pictures!). It's called a Canon Demi S, and I am totally in love with it. It's a half-frame camera, which means that it shoots two vertical photos per 35mm frame, giving you twice the photos per roll of film! Plus, it's really cool to see how the photos line up, creating funny little diptychs.

I was worried that the old camera wouldnt wind perfectly anymore, which would mean that each photo would be off a bit, and that the frames wouldnt line up properly when scanned in (I go to Walgreens for all of my 35mm needs, so I'm never quite sure that the machine wont eat my film or screw them up, but so far so good!), but I neednt have worried, they turned out so so great didnt they?!

These are some of my favorites so far. Oh, and dont worry, I am so totally in love with this tiny camera that I brought it with me to California! (COUGH THAT NEW HEADER MIGHT BE A SNEAK PEEK COUGH COUGH) I'll be sharing some of those images soon.  I'll definitely be bringing it with me wherever I go from now on. As usual, more on my Flickr!

SIGHHH... Doesnt it feel good to be back to our regularly scheduled programming? Please let me know if you notice anything weird with the new look or find that you still cant comment (IN WHICH CASE you may need to update your browser to Google Chrome... that's what I use). Thanks lovelies!