- Trips to the Park and Walks in the Neighborhood: We took full advantage of the unseasonably warm weather this month and headed to the park on multiple days, as well as took many walks in our neighborhood. It's still very hard to believe we've had such little snow this winter and temps in the 40s, 50s and 60s!
- Birthday Celebrations: February is birthday month for me and we celebrated with a great lunch at my parent's house. It's always a special treat to have Dairy Queen ice cream cake - yum! Celebrations continued at home with lovely cards, presents and well wishes from many friends and family. I also used a gift card that I had won last summer to pick up a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Brown and Greene Floral in South Minneapolis.
- Valentine's Day Celebrations: We all dressed up in our reds and pinks to celebrate lots of love! Day was complete with dinner from Punch Pizza - one of our favorites! Frankie got a sweet package in the mail from friends out east.
- New Cards: Many new card designs appeared in the month of February and there's even more on the way next month!
Currently reading: The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller
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Highlights from the month include:
- Final cozy moments around the tree: We spent the first few weeks of the month still enjoying the glow around the Christmas tree and the colorful decorations. It's always hard to pack up the decorations, but it sure does feel good to have a clean, organized start to the new year when they come down!
- Time outside: On the days when it wasn't super cold we got out for some walks around the neighborhood. Frankie always enjoys getting in some good sniffs out and about.
- Park trip: On January 31 we hit 55 degrees with sunshine and blue skies, so we headed to BF Nelson park in Minneapolis with Frankie to play around in the field. He loves playing with his toy and it sure does tire him out!
- New card designs: This month many new card designs were added to the online shop! Right now Valentine's Day cards are really popular, and there's some new Bull Terrier Valentines added with cute silhouette add-ons
Currently Reading: The Paris Assignment by Rhys Bowen
Current Favorite Recipe: Baked Turkey Meatballs from Well Plated by Erin
]]>- Christmas Decorations: Every year we put up our tree and decorate for the holidays. We have lights and figurines, cute stuffed animals and candles. Our tree is full of lights, childhood ornaments and ornaments made by/from friends and family members. And there's a lovely assortment of ornaments that have been gifted to Frankie too.
- Cookie Baking with Family: We baked several kinds of cookies with my in-laws, an annual tradition! We made mint chocolate chip, ginger molasses, sprtiz and more! The cookies always smell so good and it's a fun festive day.
- Frankie's Ear Hematoma Surgery: Right before Thanksgiving we had a small hematoma on Frankie's ear drained. Unfortunately it came back (which we knew was a strong possibility) and he had surgery to drain and repair it early in the month. All went well, but it meant a few weeks of extra care and attention, as well as wearing an ear wrap 24/7 to let the site heal. Luckily we got him a maroon colored wrap so he was still festive for all his Christmas photos.
- Annual Lefse Day: A favorite of the holiday season, Lefse Day at my parents house. For the past several years, my dad and I make lefse for the holiday season. It's always a festive time and I love that we have this tradition together.
- Christmas Day: This year we celebrated Christmas Day at my parents house with tasty meatballs, good drinks and a great time.
- #bullysunitesccex23: Once again Frankie participated in the Bull Terrier Christmas Card Exchange and sent over 100 cards and emails out to his friends all over the world! It's one of the best times of the year and an incredible joy to receive beautiful cards from all over.
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Highlights of November include:
- Fresh Air: Took some final autumn walks in our neighborhood when the temps were still seasonable.
- Celebration: Had belated birthday celebrations for my dad complete with a White Castle Crave Case, brownies and pumpkin cheesecake ice cream!
- Final Apple Orchard for the Year: Visited our favorite apple orchard, Pine Tree, for sweet treats to last throughout the winter.
- Duluth Trip: We went up to Duluth for a few nights to enjoy views of Lake Superior and kick-off the holiday season! Highlights included Glensheen Mansion, Bentleyville and sunrises over the lake.
- Added some fun new cards to the shop!
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Highlights of the month included:
- Visited Pleasant Valley Apple Orchard: It's great that this apple orchard allows dogs and has a fun little nature walk to do while there! We picked up some cute little pumpkins while there, along with very tasty apple donuts. Glad that this place has become a yearly tradition for us.
- Visited Whistling Well Apple Orchard: Another great apple orchard that allows dogs! We walked around the orchard and checked out the pumpkin area too. Before we left, we picked up some yummy apple cookies in their shop. Lots of character at this cute apple orchard.
- Walks in our neighborhood: We absolutely love our neighborhood and we love going for walks in our neighborhood. There are so many great views along the river and from the several bridges that are right by us. Autumn is a great time to see the changing leaves and how different it looks season to season.
- Attended the 3rd Ave Bridge Reopening Celebration: After several years of this bridge being closed for repair, it opened to the public again at the end of this month. How fun it was to get to cross the bridge in the middle of the road and see new views! Frankie had a great time checking it out too!
- New cards to the shop: You may have noticed that the online shop got a little revamp over these past few months with a new design. I've been thrilled to add new card sets to the online shop and will continue to add more over the next few weeks.
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I also celebrated my birthday this week and got many lovely cards in the mail, as well as birthday texts and calls from loved ones 🥳 The day was made special with yummy iced coffee drinks, birthday donuts and cheesy noodles for dinner (one of my favorites 😊)
I've gotten into painting my nails quite a bit as a fun way to add color to my style and days. Over the holidays I got a 10 color set from Target that had these great neutral and pastel colors in it. I decided to go with this mauve/purple color this week and wasn't disappointed.
Continuing on my healthy skin care routine, I've been loving these two items from Salve Natural BC - a lip balm and a hand salve that is so hydrating and nourishing. I got both of these items as Christmas gifts and they are a perfect thing to have around to moisturize with.
]]>The dry and cold winter air has been super harsh on my skin. In an effort to combat that I’ve been drinking lots of water and taking good care of my skin! I love using this Rose Water Face Spray from Trader Joe’s - it’s so refreshing and smells amazing!
The third thing that brought me joy this week was my Simplified Planner. I love using a paper planner and this one is the best. It helps me track my work days, but also things I need to do, meals we’re eating for the week and a great place to write random reminders. The layout is really clean with pops of great color throughout.
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Looking ahead helps me to know cards I need on hand and when I'll need to mail them by to arrive by the special date. I will often make a note in my planner of the event, but also the mail by date so it can arrive in a timely manner. Think about the last time you got a fun piece of mail - maybe it was a card for your birthday or a thank you for hosting a gathering. Be sure to share that feeling with someone else when their birthday rolls around!
]]>My friend Alyssa has recently gotten into making candles and has made some that truly smell amazing! I've burned through several different scents, but Pine Berry from her winter collection is one of my favorites. After burning through one over the holidays, this week one of my joys was lighting a brand new Pine Berry candle and letting the scent fill our home. You should check out her candles: ajlt candles
Since I work from home, I’m pretty frequently snacking. And while the majority of the snacks lean towards the healthy side, I’ve got to have some sweet treats around. I just ordered these Dark Chocolate Covered Pretzels in my last Target order and they are truly delicious! And just a few hit the spot for a sweet snack.
I've made it a goal to read more often, and read more books. Since the start of the pandemic, I've been making it a point to try and read a little bit each day. I recently started this book, Anxious People, and it has been really enjoyable to read. I have read several other works by Fredrik Backman, and each one is unique but lovely. Cold winter days are also perfect for snuggling up with a fleece blanket and getting lost in the book pages.
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I just order these sets off USPS.com and they arrived quickly and packaged very well, so as not to be crushed when shipping! Check the links below to order the sets I got.
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Photo by NarrowLeaf Photography
2020 has looked nothing like we planned for or dreamed of. We're all aware of the changes that March brought, how our social lives were halted, our normal routines dramatically changed. I don't need to get into the weeds right now of the hardships this year has brought for so many, or the emotions that we have all experienced this year because we all know them too well. We've been living a different experience for months now.
I'm excited to jump back into writing blog posts here and hope to share with you recipe/meal ideas, how we're celebrating the holidays this year (with many changes from a normal year), crafting ideas, organization ideas, and some of my favorite products/items these days. I look forward to connecting with you all again!
More to come soon!!
]]>June and July were very busy months as summer kicked into full swing! We spent a lot of time with family and friends, crossed off more things on our "wedding to-do list", and took the opportunity to get outside and enjoy the days when we could.
Shawn's birthday is in early June and I took the day off to spend with him. We went for a nice bike ride around Como Lake and ended the day with dinner over on Main Street at Hideaway Burger Bar in the St. Anthony Main neighborhood with my parents and his parents. It was a beautiful summer night and the food was great!
Summer is the perfect time to attend events and explore new breweries! Our goal was to get outside as much as possible, and to take Frankie out and about as well! We attended the Dogs and DJ's event at Utepils Brewing in the Bryn Mawr neighborhood of Minneapolis. Frankie jammed out to some tunes (and made new friends!) while we enjoyed a nice beer in the backyard patio. We also made a stop at Able Seedhouse in NorthEast Minneapolis for an afternoon beer and to use our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass. We went to Urban Growler for lunch with my parents and checked out the Summer Buzz Craft Show. Afterwards, we stopped at Bang Brewing for a beer under their nicely shaded patio. Sociable Cider Works hosted the MPLS Vintage Market in June and even though it was a little cloudy and cool, the event was well attended and Frankie had a blast meeting a lot of people! We made a couple of visits to Pryes Brewing in Minneapolis and we attended the Save-A-Bull Summer Brewery Tour night at Indeed Brewing and enjoyed a lovely evening out on the patio. Using our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass even more, we checked out Union 32 in Eagan, as well as enjoying some time on Summit's patio in St. Paul. We made sure to celebrate National Donut Day with coffee and donuts at the Finnish Bistro. And we made it to Lake Monster for a nice patio night and pizza! Headflyer was also an evening visit one week with patio time and we ventured to White Bear Lake to Big Woods Brewery as well.
We celebrated with both of our families for Father's Day. With Shawn's family we went to the Pryes Brewing Block Party and then went for a nice walk along the river to a park all the nieces and nephews could play at. Frankie had his first ice cream experience with a pup cup from MN Nice Cream - he loved it! On Father's Day, my dad and I got coffee and donuts and then went to the airport to watch the planes land from the viewing area. It turned out to be a nice sunny day and we met up with mom and Shawn at Bang Brewing for beer and brick oven pizza.
Shawn's side of the family hosted a very lovely bridal shower in July with yummy food and a fun mimosa bar! It was a great day with some wonderful women and I'm so excited for our upcoming wedding (under 80 days as I write this!)
We celebrated the 4th of July at Pryes Brewing and brought Frankie along. It was a warm day, so we got a very delicious and sweet ice cream treat from MN Nice Cream.
We took Frankie to the Minneapolis Pride Festival and walked around Loring Park. Additionally we went to Stillwater to pick out our wedding rings and had a beer at Maple Island Brewing to celebrate!
We went to the farmer's market at Keg & Case in St. Paul one Saturday, as well as the Como Zoo with our friend Dan. We checked out all the fancy cars at the Wheels of Italy event at Pazzaluna in downtown St. Paul in July.
My mom turned 60 this year and I spent the day celebrating with her! We went shopping and had a great lunch from Cosettas. We ended the day with beers and cheers at Bad Weather Brewing.
Lots of cards headed out the door to various customers and shops!
We had many family celebrations, including celebrating a family birthday at Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit in Northeast Minneapolis. We had lots of great food and drinks. We also celebrated our niece Hazel's first birthday and our other niece's graduation from preschool.
April was National Letter Writing Month, and I once again took part in the #write_on challenge to write 30 pieces of mail in the 30 days of April. While I didn't quite get 30 pieces of mail sent out, I did send quite a few and had a lot of fun making different cards and adding lots of stickers to the pieces I mailed out. I enjoyed sending out some fun spring time cards!
We celebrated Easter at my parents house and at Shawn's parents house. We ate lots of yummy food and the nieces and nephews all ran around in a very exciting egg hunt at Shawn's parents house. It was nice weather the whole weekend, so it was great to be outside and get some fresh air.
With the return of spring and warmer temps, we definitely got out and about more! We visited the Galleria and saw the spring flower show. We went to Able Seedhouse with Frankie and had a nice walk around Northeast Minneapolis. We went to the HAMMS event at Urban Growler and saw some great booths from local artists.
We also started using our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass at local breweries including Urban Growler, Pryes, and Wooden Hill Brewery. And we visited Bang Brewing in St. Paul on a sunny Friday afternoon.
We wandered around Minneapolis quite a few weekends, and visited many neighborhoods that we love! This included lunch at Red Cow in the North Loop as well as a lunch at Wilde Cafe along St. Anthony Main.
Now that it's finally not freezing out, we have taken Frankie on many walks and I have stopped to enjoy several beautiful blooming flowers. I love when all the colors come out at this time of the year, and all the great flowers!
My wedding dress arrived at The Wedding Shoppe for me to pick-up at the beginning of May. It's beautiful and I can't wait to wear it in October!
We attended the Bad Weather Brewing Arcade Weekend on both Friday and Saturday in May. Lots of great beer, food and games - and time with family. It was also Mother's Day - so I got to spend some time with my mama!
I had my first Bridal Shower thrown by my aunt's on my mom's side. It was a great time with family and friends, and I felt very honored to have such wonderful ladies surrounding me for the day. Lots of laughs, great food and drinks!
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We started the month by having our food tasting at Jax Cafe for #thislittleweddingofours ! It was a fun date night and we loved how the matchbooks were all set-up with our wedding date on the table when we arrived. The food was delicious and I can't wait now for our wedding dinner this fall!
My cousin Heather came in town and we grabbed brunch at a cute little place in St. Paul and caught up on life. We had breakfast sandwiches at Augustine's and enjoyed the leisurely morning.
This month I grabbed coffee at a few new places: Five Watt in NorthEast Minneapolis and Gray Fox Coffee in downtown Minneapolis - both were quite good coffee!
We celebrated Frankie's 7th birthday! I can't believe he is already 7 years old - seems like just yesterday he was a little pup climbing in our laps. His birthday was complete with a fun "Happy Barkday to Me" bandana and new toys and treats! He truly is the best pup ever!
Shawn and I went to the Auto Show in downtown Minneapolis. We've gone several years now and it's a fun way to see all the different cars and dream about what our next one might be!
We celebrated St. Patricks Day at Bad Weather Brewing with my parents. Even Frankie put on his green bow tie for the day.
Lots of fun crafting items arrived this month from Thatch and Thistle, as well as another great The Hi Five from 1canoe2.
Shawn and I went to Stillwater on a sunny spring Friday to look at wedding rings at Allure by Greatons Jewelry and start planning what we want to do. We first grabbed lattes at MADE Coffee and later grabbed lunch with his parents at Feller which is located inside the Lora Hotel. I would highly recommend the burger there!
At the end of the month Shawn was honored with the Outstanding Student Award in Engineering CAD Technology from Century College. He has worked so hard in his program and this award was very well deserved. My parents and his parents were all able to be there for the ceremony and we went to dinner afterwards to celebrate.
April is National Letter Writing Month and I am once again doing the #write_on challenge - to send 30 letters (handwritten pieces of mail) out over the 30 days of April. I gathered all my snail mail materials and stocked up on some fun cards to send out!
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November marked two years since we said good-bye to my grandma - so Shawn and I went out to the cemetery. Afterwards we stopped at Summit Brewing and had a beer in her honor.
Frankie started to gear up for winter and all the cozy time inside. He got a bath and was so relaxed that we actually had to hold his head up in the water so that he didn't fall asleep. He really is a goofy dog! He spent much of the two months bundled up in his blankets and squeezing himself into boxes.
My mom, Shawn's mom and sister, and I went to Craft'za in Northeast Minneapolis and had a fun day checking out all the neat booths. It was a nice variety of vendors with all sorts of products. I love getting out to local markets and supporting fellow creatives whenever I can. We had a yummy lunch at Wilde Roast along the river in Minneapolis after the market. We also made a stop at Keg and Case in St. Paul!
A work retreat took me to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum for the day in late November. It had been quite awhile since I had been there and it was fun to walk around and take in some greenery! They were right in the transition of putting up all the holiday decorations and it was fun to see all the lights and trees going up.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with my mom and dad at their house with a full turkey meal. Even Frankie got to join in on the fun of the day! We also celebrated Thanksgiving with Shawn's family and had a yummy steak and fried rice meal at his sister's house.
We visited many breweries in November and December - especially with Frankie to use our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass beer stamps before they expired. We went to Bent Brewstillery in Roseville, Headflyer Brewing in Minneapolis (also to kick off 12 days of vacation) and Able Seedhouse in Northeast Minneapolis (with my mom and dad). It's great that so many breweries allow dogs inside - Frankie loves to get out and meet new people!
I participated in two cookie days this year - one with my mom/cousins/aunt and one with Shawn's side of the family. It's always fun to bake lots of yummy cookies and get into the holiday spirit!
My dad and I continued with our traditional Lefse Making Day and enjoyed a nice holiday morning making lots of lefse. It's always a nice thing to have around during the holidays and a tradition I look forward to with my dad!
I was very excited to be a part of the Santa's Shoppe event at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe once again this year. It's always a fun, festive event and I love connecting with people and being able to share my passion of making cards. There were other great vendors there again and lots of yummy cupcakes and treats!
Shawn and I brought Frankie to the Holidazzle in Loring Park, as well as the holiday market that was happening at Lakes and Legends that day. Frankie was pretty festive in his plaid coat and it was nice to get out and walk around in Minneapolis. The large art displays at the Holidazzle were pretty cool to see.
I spent the day with my parents checking out some holiday festivities around the Twin Cities. We first stopped for breakfast at Augustine's in St. Paul which was quite delicious. We then headed over to Rosedale Shopping Center to check out the holiday light displays they had up - including the giant moose in the middle of the mall. We were also able to stop at the holiday flower show at the Como Conservatory. The flowers were absolutely gorgeous and incredibly festive for the holiday season!
Shawn and I enjoyed a fun bavarian breakfast with my parents at Clutch Brewing within Keg and Case. It was a great event with really good food, fun music and great beer. If you haven't been to Clutch Brewing you should check it out - lots of great beer and fun seating up on the second floor.
Holiday break brought 12 days of vacation for me that involved a lot of fun and relaxing. Holidays tend to bring family and friends from out of town back to Minnesota and it was great to see my dear friend Franny at the new Revolution Hall in Rosedale. We had yummy tacos and great beers and caught up on life! I also had breakfast with my friend Leeah at The Copper Hen before she takes off on her next adventure! Shawn and I went to the Minneapolis Institute of Art and visited our favorite galleries.
Christmas celebrations were had with both sides of the family. We had extended family Christmas with Shawn's side the weekend before Christmas. The two of us were "gifted" the legendary family duck in what we thought was just a nice engagement cake baked by cousins. We spent Christmas Eve with my parents having a nice spread of appetizers and a good meal. Christmas Day we spent with Shawn's family with apps, drinks and all the energetic kids! And of course Santa Paws came for Frankie!
Frankie was once again a part of the Bull Terrier Christmas Card Exchange with all his friends on Instagram. We ended up sending out over 100 Christmas cards to families all around the world and received so many back! It is always so fun to get mail from other bull terriers and dog lovers. He also loved being festive in his holiday robe and holiday pjs!
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Frankie being the only child that he is, was spoiled with a new plaid hoodie and Halloween treats from friends out east. He's a pretty fashionable dog and likes to stay current with the trends :)
I went to happy hour with a friend at The Beacon within the Graduate Hotel on the East Bank Campus of the U of M. We enjoyed some yummy apps while catching up on life. I always forget how cozy that place is. I also had a fun Saturday shopping with my mom checking out the outlets in Eagan for the first time. I was excited to see the new store at Rosedale Shopping Center - Rose and Loon. It's full of locally made items and carefully crafted goods. Stop by the next time you're there!
We had an early birthday celebration for my dad at the beginning of the month. We celebrated with brownies and beer! On his actual birthday him and I checked out the new Bogart's Doughnut Co. and Five Watt Coffee in the new Keg and Case Market on West 7th Street. The donuts were very yummy and we liked the chocolate cake donut the best. Keg and Case is really neat with a very open feel and lots of shops and restaurants to check out.
Shawn, Frankie and I spent a day in Stillwater. We first went to the Dogtoberfest event at Lift Bridge Brewing and then enjoyed a beer on the patio of Maple Island Brewing. It was fun to take Frankie out and about and he enjoyed sporting his new plaid hoodie.
We had our first visit to Sociable Cider Werks with Shawn's parents one afternoon. I love cider so it was fun to get a flight and try a couple different kinds while we were there. We also brought Punch Pizza and enjoyed that. Frankie got to come too as they allow dogs inside and we used one more stamp on our Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass.
October 21st is our dating anniversary (7 years this year) and we typically try to do some fun things around it, especially if it lands on a weekend. This year we took a long weekend to relax and do some of our favorite things and little did I know the weekend would end on such a happy note! We went to lunch at Groveland Tap on the Friday of our long weekend and then enjoyed a lovely autumn drive up and down the St. Croix River thru Stillwater and Afton. It was a beautiful afternoon and nice to get out and see the fall colors. On Saturday we went back to our favorite neighborhood, St. Anthony Main, and had a cozy lunch at Aster Cafe. We walked up and down Main Street and onto the Stone Arch Bridge. We headed over to the North Loop and walked around some shops over there. It was a nice leisurely afternoon walking around Minneapolis.
Another tradition we have is to go to Pine Tree Apple Orchard every autumn, and usually around our anniversary. This year it ended up that we were able to go on our actual anniversary - Sunday, October 21st. Shawn was very adamant that we got to the orchard at 9:00am to beat all the crowds, which was fine because neither of us really enjoy big crowds. It was a beautiful blue sky sunny day, a little chilly but perfect for cozy outfits and autumn boots. After we got there we got our usual apple cinnamon donut and apple turnover before walking down to the lake that is at the orchard. It's really pretty down there and we usually take some photos. Little did I know that we had to get there early that day because Shawn had the biggest surprise ever planned for me by asking me to marry him and having a photographer capture the entire thing! I was so extremely surprised and so, so happy!
We had a great time after the proposal taking photos with NarrowLeaf Photography all around the orchard. Check out the photos here! Our whole engagement story was even published on the How He Asked website: right here! The rest of the day was spent going to both of our parents and sharing the good news with them. We are so happy to be engaged and I'm so excited to marry my best friend!
The rest of the month was filled with sharing our engagement news with family and friends, having a family autumn birthday brunch celebration and gearing up for my favorite time of the year - Thanksgiving into Christmas into New Years!
I also received the October HiFive from 1canoe2 and it was the best one yet! I loved getting so many fun holiday cards in anticipation of the upcoming holiday season.
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The month was filled with little visits to Twin Cities restaurants and coffee shops. We got lattes and "puppy dog tails" (the best cinnamon twist pastries ever) at Isles Bun and Coffee and grabbed burgers at Selby Bar and Grill. We also went to The Happy Gnome to enjoy one of the last truly nice weekends of the season. Even Frankie had a great time sitting out on the patio.
The annual tradition of going to the Nativity County Fair on the Friday night of the three day festival continued. We went with my mom and dad and enjoyed a nice night outside with burgers and beers.
Earlier this year we got the Sidewalk Dog Brewery Pass and have been making an effort to use the pass to explore new breweries in the Twin Cities. One sunny Sunday we headed to the west metro and went to Excelsior Brewing and Unmapped Brewing Co. Since it was warm and sunny we walked around the water in Excelsior and Frankie had a great time exploring new areas. Beer at both places was really good!
My October HiFive from 1canoe2 arrived and was full of fabulous cards!
We visited Waldmann Brewery for the first time by attending their Oktoberfest. It's a super cute brewery off of West 7th Street in St. Paul and the inside has a ton of character!
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With some Fridays off during the month, Shawn and I hopped around the Twin Cities. We visited one of favorite spots to get a latte - J&S Bean Factory in St. Paul. We also went over to our old neighborhood and grabbed lunch at JL Beers. If you've never been there I highly recommend it as a great place to grab a burger and fries with a large selection of beers on tap. We spent time outside on our patio too with Frankie so he could smell all the smells outside!
Having actually never attended the Uptown Art Fair, we decided to go this year. In true MN summer style it was a hot and humid day, but we enjoyed grabbing a beer and walking around all of the different booths. Studio Ink was there with some great new greeting cards and you were even able to take a few home for free. Lots of great color and design on their cards!
We attended a dog event at the New Bohemia restaurant in Roseville out on their patio. We'd never been to this location (having been to the NE Minneapolis one as well as the one in St. Paul on West 7th Street). Yummy food and a big selection of beers.
Towards the middle of the month Shawn's aunt and uncle were in town from Colorado and it was a great time to have a family gathering with everyone. Hosting at our place allowed for all of the nieces and nephews to go swimming in the pool and be outside on the nice sunny day. It was a great time and everyone had a lot of fun.
I spent a fun Saturday with my parents hopping around the Twin Cities. We started the morning with coffee and pastries at Cosettas in downtown St. Paul. The Cafe inside has a great seating area and the decor is really pretty. After there, we went over to Minneapolis and visited Homespun MN - which is one of the stores that carries raindrop paperie cards. It's a super cute shop and carries work from a lot of wonderful MN makers. From there we headed to Venn Brewing, had a few beers and food from the food truck that was there that day. Shawn met up with us on our next stop - Lake Monster - and we sampled a couple of beers there as well. We were growing hungry at this point, so we went over to Urban Growler and had apps and beers on their patio.
A big milestone was hit for raindrop paperie as it turned five years old! Back in 2013 it officially became a small business and I started selling in local shops and creating more designs. I had no idea all that would happen within the five years that I've had a small business. There have been late nights and long hours finishing up special orders, but there have also been many wonderful opportunities and connections made by being a creator here in Minnesota. Thank you to everyone who's purchased cards, to all the store owners who have taken a chance on carrying my cards, to my family and friends who have supported and encouraged me, and all my followers on social media for liking and sharing posts! Look for more cards to come in the next five years!
We enjoyed the last few parts of summer by attending a few more events and spending time outside. Neither of us had ever been to the Greek Festival in St. Paul at Saint George Greek Orthodox Church. Shawn got a gyro and I got spanakopita, which was amazing! With the introduction of Lime Scooters to St. Paul, we were on a mission to find some around Como Zoo and the lake. Unfortunately we were only able to find one instead of two, but Shawn had a good time riding around and I walked around the paths after him admiring the flowers. It was a warm summer night, but always good to get some fresh air.
I finished the month out with my dad and I's annual trip to the Minnesota State Fair. We started the day early and are were in the gates by 7:15 a.m. to have our mini-donut breakfast. Afterwards we roamed the fair grounds and got our usual: pronto pups, french fries, and all you can drink milk. We wandered some of the animal barns, checked out the Education Building, saw many "as seen on tv items" in the Grandstand and saw the baby animals at the Miracle of Birth building. We couldn't have asked for a better weather day with cool temps and and a nice breeze! Great time had by both of us. (Stay tuned for September's post - I go back to the fair two more times!)
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July started with a lovely Sunday spent with my cousin Heather getting coffee and wandering around the Como Zoo and Conservatory. Despite the rainy start to the day, it turned out to be a lovely afternoon. The Conservatory is one of my favorite places to to - I love looking at all the different plants and flowers - so many different colors!
We celebrated the 4th of July with food and drinks at my parents house. Frankie came along and enjoyed the day too!
A couple of our favorite breweries released new beers this month. On a nice afternoon, we stopped by Bad Weather Brewing to try their new Pineapple Wheat beer. Bad Weather is a favorite spot of ours with a nice patio and one that allows dogs! We visited Urban Growler for the release of their Blueberry Wheat beer as well.
I went to the St. Paul Farmers Market with my parents on a gorgeous sunny Saturday morning. Stocked up on all the good things: zuchinni, tomatoes, spinach, and basil. I love walking around the market and admiring all the beautiful flowers and produce. Tip: there's a surface lot parking lot just a block or so away off Kellogg - super easy parking and cheap for the time you're at the market!
On a warm Sunday afternoon, we took Frankie over to Lake Harriet in Minneapolis for a little walk around the lake. I love any opportunity to be around water and we couldn't have picked a better afternoon to go here. While the sun was very hot, we also got a very nice breeze off the water. We had our first experience at Bread and Pickle and fell in love with the food there! Highly recommend the burgers and fries!
As has become tradition, I took Mom's birthday off to celebrate with her. We started the day with coffee at Lake Nokomis Coffee and a walk around Lake Nokomis. We got in our walk around the whole lake before the humidity crept in. After, we did a little shopping and had a yummy lunch! We ended the celebrations at Bad Weather Brewing - even Frankie came to celebrate! It was a great day all around!
I went down to Waseca for work one Friday to visit our Research and Outreach Center and afterwards made it a day adventure with dad on the drive home! We grabbed lunch in Waseca - with really great food! We stopped at Giesenbrau Bier Co. in New Prague - a new brewery for both of us! We ended the day at Summit Brewery in St. Paul on their opening day of the newly remodeled taproom.
This summer has been so fun taking Frankie to lots of different places - including dog events hosted at local restaurants and breweries. In one weekend we went to the Lakes and Legends Dog Days of Summer Event as well as the Dog Days of Summer event at Bent Brewstillery. Frankie enjoyed himself at both events, checking out the VW Bug and the pool to cool down in.
We went back to Bread and Pickle at Lake Harriet with Shawn's parents on a beautiful summer evening. Enjoyed the bright blue skies, warm sunshine and got some very delicious ice cream as an end to a perfect evening.
Shawn and I enjoyed several Finnish Bistro coffee mornings - a coffee shop not too far away from us. I highly recommend their iced lattes and delicious donuts!
After a visit to the St. Paul Farmers Market earlier in the month, I was itching to get back there on a summer morning! This time we brought Frankie, and even though he's not allowed in the actual market area, he enjoyed sitting with us while we enjoyed our lattes and pastries from the Salty Tart. I once again got beautifully colored produce - tomatoes, zucchini, cilantro, green peppers and more!
With the arrival of electric scooters to the Twin Cities, Shawn was extremely excited and curious to try them out! While I'm a little more apprehensive on things like that, I'm so glad that I pushed myself and tried them out. We used the Bird scooters and picked up two of them in the North Loop area. We spent the next hour and a half traveling over 6 miles through Minneapolis - over the Stone Arch Bridge, down Main Street, along the Mississippi River and more! They were extremely fun and a great way to see the city and get around.
We attended the annual Wheels of Italy in downtown St. Paul in front of Pazzaluna. Despite the very spotty rain showers, it turned into a beautiful night and a fun evening walking around.
We got hooked on the electric scooters, so we bopped over the Minneapolis on a cooler weekend morning to pick up two Bird scooters and head around town. This time we picked them up in the North Loop again, but headed over to Loring Park. We enjoyed lattes at the Dunn Brothers Coffee (the one we frequented very often when we first started dating) and buzzed around Nicollet Mall.
Other fun happenings of the month include a great evening at Lake Monster with my friend Anne. The evening was a perfect temp, the beers were great and it was an all around fun night! Shawn and I also went down to the Lake Elmo Airport with a friend who's family has a hanger down there. While we didn't fly in any planes, we had a fun time learning all about them and I even got to sit in one!
Frankie was his silly self yet again this month - taking naps in boxes and looking cute.
And of course, lots of card creations were made and headed out to new homes!
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The month kicked off by celebrating Shawn's birthday. After appropriately celebrating National Donut Day, we checked out a new brewery - Pryes Brewing. Frankie came along and we enjoyed some nachos and beers on the patio. Afterwards we attended Grand Old Day and got in a nice walk up and down Grand Ave on a beautiful afternoon.
Two close friends were in town this month from out of state. Good times all around with a fun happy hour at Lake Monster and a yummy brunch at Selby Bar & Grill!
We met our new niece Hazel and she is an absolute peanut! Such a cutie! We also celebrated our niece Gwen's 2nd birthday full of running around outside and yummy homemade ice cream!
We celebrated Father's Day with my dad at Urban Growler for some pints and apps. Further Father's Day celebrations to come in July!! With Shawn's dad we all celebrated with a family gathering and delicious food.
As a University of Minnesota employee working at the St. Paul Campus, I got a fun sneak peek inside the new Bell Museum and let me tell you - it's pretty grand! Opening weekend is July 13-15 and I highly encourage you to visit!
With June comes the official start of summer and we took every opportunity to get outside (mind you when it wasn't raining or including a heat advisory with feel like temps above 100!). We walked up to Como Park a few times and around the Conservatory. Took a little drive to Afton one afternoon for apps outside. We also got a new leash for Frankie and took him to the park to run around.
Being a fan of Spyhouse Coffee, we swung in to the new location in St. Paul and I must say, the decor inside is adorable and the atmosphere very chill. We checked out The Freehouse in downtown Minneapolis on a Friday afternoon and adored the cute patio (and will be back when it's not raining!). The beers were good and the food delicious! Took Frankie to Longfellow Grill for breakfast one morning before the heat crept in for the rest of the day. I had the French Toast and it was the best ever.
Cards shipped out to different locations and custom orders were completed too!
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April was #write_on, National Letterwriting Month, and I had so much fun sending out snail mail to so many different people! I've participated in this campaign to write more handwritten notes and letters throughout the month of April for the past few years. I've collected many cards, envelopes, and stickers over the years and it gives me a chance to send out lots of those for happy mail!
More fun stationery and paper goods arrived in the mail! My monthly #thehifive from 1 Canoe 2 arrived with beautiful gold foiled cards for the month. This design company has quickly become a new favorite of mine and I love the quality of their products. I also won a giveaway from Cardtorial featuring Nicole Miyuki Santo's new book "By Hand: The Art of Modern Lettering". The pages of the book are absolutely gorgeous and I can't wait to work my way through them.
As weather in Minnesota can be odd... we experienced quite the blizzard in the middle of April with inches and inches of snow over only a few days span. So we enjoyed lots of Frankie snuggles and staying away from the cold.
Shawn and I celebrated being together for 6 1/2 years doing some of our favorites things once it warmed up a bit - grabbing coffee on a cute patio at The Finnish Bistro and taking Frankie for a walk. We also started summer brewery patio season with a visit to Urban Growler - Frankie came with too! We also had a relaxing afternoon at Surly celebrating some big accomplishments for both of us over the past 12 months!
Frankie's been out and about quite a bit these past two months as well. We took him to Total Wine in Roseville to start picking out his selection of summer drinks :) and we walked inside at Rosedale Shopping Center on their dog walking mornings. He came with us to Art-A-Whirl in Northeast Minneapolis and enjoyed the beautiful sunny day!
We celebrated Mother's Day with my mom and with Shawn's mom. For Shawn's mom all the kids made a fun flower pot with their hand prints on it (including Frankie) and we enjoyed a relaxing afternoon grilling. My mom and I spent time together at the Saint Paul Farmer's Market picking out flowers for her garden as well as enjoyed yummy treats and coffee at Cosetta's in downtown St. Paul. We also got great pasta salad for lunch and hung out.
I've gotten back into my outside walks during my lunch and it's nice to walk around the St. Paul Campus of the U of MN with everything blooming. There are so many different plants and flowers to stop and enjoy along my way.
Memorial Day hit record heat in the Twin Cities so we took Frankie to Como Park and the lake to cool off. He had a blast jumping in the water after his toy and splashing around.
New MN Mystery Card packs were launched and available now in the online shop. These sets are perfect for all your summer snail mail sending!
Other fun card styles made recently:
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We celebrated our little Frankie's 6th birthday! His birthday weekend was complete with a birthday bath and lots of treats. It's hard to believe that he is already 6 years old! We love him so much.
We continued with our Sunday morning walks at Rosedale Shopping Center for the Indoor Dog Walking events. Frankie loves going out and meeting other dogs and people, and especially seeing his bestie Ernie, another bull terrier! They love to sit by each other and hang out! One Sunday we made a special stop at PetSmart on the way home and someone got to take home a new toy he was pretty proud of!
This March 24th would have been my grandma Ba's 90th birthday, so my cousin Heather and I got together to celebrate her. We tried a new breakfast spot here in the cities, Black Coffee and Waffle Bar. If you love waffles, you have to check this place out! We went to the one in St. Paul and the waffle was so yummy and we both tried a new drink, a miel. I also had a lovely day shopping with my mom and we were very successful in finding new shoes!
Lots of cards were made in March and shipped out to various locations! I also started to stock up for a full month of letter writing in April!
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#write_on campaign is sponsored by some great businesses including HelloLucky!, EggPress, Sakura and Mohawk. Every year there is a writing kit that you can purchase and mine just arrived this week! It includes 6 notecards and envelopes, a sheet of stickers, a gel pen and a tracking sheet to keep track of everyone you send snail mail to.
I thought it would be fun to share with you some of my favorite items I use for letter writing! I like to keep these on hand so I'm always ready to send out fun pieces of mail.
Made for Retail Notecards
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The beginning of January took a little bit of a rocky turn when our pup Frankie broke a tooth while chewing on a bone. This led to his first time being put out (total nervous dog parents) while they removed that tooth (along with another one they discovered which had the potential for infection), as well as a full dental cleaning. This doesn't include the two small bumps/moles lasered off his back as precaution (nothing to be concerned about). Needless to say, the rest of the month for Frankie was spent getting lots of snuggles, warm blankets to sleep on and lots of love.
An old coworker and close friend organized a fabulous night out for a group of us at a new place in the North Loop of Minneapolis called Upstairs Circus. The concept is pretty cool - pick a craft project to do, get all the materials there, do the project (with the assistance of those working there), enjoy some fun drinks and jam out to lively music. I chose to make a set of bracelets and was very pleased with my materials and final product. I got to pick all the different beads to use and there was quite the variety of colors and materials to choose from.
My dad and I attended a listening session at the Germanic American Institute on the history of the Schmidt's Brewery. Having been born in St. Paul and growing up there, it's always fun to learn little pieces of history. Neither of us had been inside the GAI, and it was fun to see the architecture and interior design of the building. After that we went for a yummy meal at Sweeny's Saloon.
We celebrated two nephew's birthdays in January as Sebastian turned 3 and Markus turned 5! It's hard to believe how quickly they are growing up - so fun to see them change and develop even more of their own personality. We celebrated our niece Charlee's 4th birthday in February. She is growing even more into a spunky little lady. It's also fun to see our niece Gwen at these gatherings!
I had the joy of meeting a dear friend's little bundle of joy. It is always so special to see friends go through big life changes, and be able to share in their joy. Thanks for the baby snuggles little J :)
February is always a blast because it's birthday month for me! I take celebrating things pretty seriously and always enjoy any reason to be festive! Frankie also got pretty festive this month celebrating Valentine's Day by sending out some cards and getting some back too!
We did some dog stuff in February, including attending the Indoor Dog Walking at Rosedale Shopping Center on Sunday mornings. They have now extended this through May which Frankie is excited about! Before the mall opens, between 9 - 11am on Sunday mornings you can bring your dog on leash to the mall and get some laps in. We went a couple of times during the month and it was a great way to tire Frankie out, without having to be exposed to the frigid winter temperatures.
My birthday fell on a Friday, so I took the day off of work and celebrated the whole weekend! Shawn and I went out for coffee (at one of our favorite places - J&S Coffee Bean Factory) before heading to the Mall of America on my actual birthday. We hadn't been to the Mall of America in such a long time that it was nice to walk the various levels and snoop in the stores. I treated myself to some clearance clothes items as well as a new face mask from Aveda. Shawn got me a new book to start reading and I'm excited to dive in! Birthday weekend continued on Saturday as we went up to Shawn's sister's place for lunch. We also went with Markus to pick out his new beta fish (we gifted him the tank for his birthday). He chose the name Woodchuck for his fish, and it was so fun to see them get Woodchuck in his new home and start to care for him. Saturday night we went over to my parent's house for a yummy meal and DQ ice cream cake. I got some very fun gifts from them as well. Sunday of birthday weekend wrapped up with a great lunch at Urban Growler with Shawn's parents. The weekend after I met a friend for a very delicious brunch at Longfellow Grill - highly recommend the french toast!
]]>November Highlights:
The month kicked off with the biggest event of the year at my day job at Boynton Health - Make Time to PAWS. Along with other fabulous coworkers, we turn a large space on campus into a park for an event focused on stress relieving activities for University of Minnesota students. The event is full of trees, setting up quite spaces, animals, and lots of moving pieces!
I got together with family members to have an all day cookie baking day at my cousin's house. The day was full of laughs and good times - and lots and lots of cookies!! We made 5 different types, including frosted sugar cookies, in preparation for the holiday season.
This November 3rd marked one year since we said good-bye to my grandma, Ba. Mom and I went out to the cemetery to visit the plot and look at how the fall colors had changed since we were last out there in the spring.
The month included other fun activities including a baby shower for a dear friend, a fun Target trip with my mom, and lots of holiday card making! We celebrated Thanksgiving with my parents at their house on Thanksgiving Day with a yummy turkey dinner with all the sides! We celebrated with Shawn's family later in the weekend and had a good time with the nieces and nephew.
The end of the month brought one of my favorite days of the year - the day we can put up Christmas decorations! I love everything there is about Christmas and love decorating our home with lights, our little tree and ornaments, cute Christmas decorations that we've accumulated over the years (including ones that we had as children that our parents have given us).
December Highlights:
The first weekend of December brought all of my mom's side together for a gathering in remembrance of one year since Ba's funeral. We gathered at my parents house in their garage for food, games and good times.
Frankie started getting lots of cards from all of his bull terrier friends as he is part of a bull terrier mailing group that sends out holiday cards to each other. It's a fun way for bull terrier owners across the world (including Australia, France, England, New Zealand, South Africa and more!) to connect with one another and send fun holiday photos of our little fur babies. In total this year there were 75 families part of the holiday card exchange!
Dad and I had our annual lefse making day. We've done this for a number of years now and it's a tradition that I truly look forward to each holiday season. Dad makes the mix the night before and then is in charge of the last minute mixing the day of and cutting it into the appropriate sized pieces. I roll it out and put it on the griddle. We make right around 30 pieces and I love to have it around throughout the rest of the month.
Lots of time was spent with family for dinners, coffee and fun times. I got together with Shawn's mom and sister for a day of cookie baking. I tried a new recipe from Sally's Baking Addiction - White Chocolate Chai Cookies. We had a very full day of baking!
December brought big changes for me professionally as I said good-bye to my position at Boynton Health at the University of Minnesota (and some amazing coworkers). Having been there almost 4 years I had the opportunity to work with so many wonderful coworkers and develop many great friendships over time. I am now in a new role at the University of Minnesota as Operations Administrative Associate at the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences on the St. Paul Campus. I am very excited about this new role and look forward to new opportunities with this position.
Christmas time always brings close friends back to MN for visits with family. I'm always lucky to spend time with two close friends, Paul and Franny, who I've known since grade school. I love that we are all able to connect with one another and see each other during the holiday season.
Shawn and I, with some of his friends, checked out Can Can Wonderland for an evening of mini golf. It's a fun place with lots of great design! Each hole was designed by a different artist and has it's own unique challenges as you play the course. Afterwards we got some apps and drinks and played some of the old style arcade games.
I once again participated in the Santa and the Gift Shoppe event at Amy's Cupcake Shoppe in Hopkins. It's always such a bustling morning fully of excited kids getting their picture taken with Santa. This was the only in person card sale I did this year and I loved being able to talk to so many people about my product! Thanks to all of you that stopped by!
Christmas weekend was a full weekend of family, food and fun. Christmas Eve we went to an open house annually hosted by family friends for food, laughter and drinks. We went to my parents on Christmas Day for a yummy brunch and time around the fireplace. We had our Christmas celebration with Shawn's family the day after Christmas for a yummy Pad Thai meal and fun with the nieces and nephew.
This was a busy end of the year for card making too and orders were shipped out to shop locations and many customers!
Wishing you the best for 2018!
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Simplified Planner - Emily Ley
I have used the Simplified Planner for two years and my 2018 Daily Edition is sitting in it's box all ready to be filled with special dates and reminders. I love the quality of this planner, the design of it and the colors that have been woven throughout the pages. It is a quality planner and one that will truly make you value what matters most in your days.
PowerSheets - Lara Casey and the Cultivate What Matters Shop
I used my first set of PowerSheets for 2017 and fell in love with them. Perfect for anyone who wants to set goals and achieve them over the course of a year. The pages are set-up to guide you on a very intentional goal setting process and one that you are able to achieve. The pages are beautifully designed with colors and gold foil throughout. Also a fun bonus - there's two pages of stickers in the back!
Rinse-Off Foaming Cleanser - Clinique
Hands down my favorite face wash ever. It is smooth, creamy and non-drying. I love the light aroma of it and a little goes a long way.
Paper Mate Flair Medium Pens - Paper Mate
I love these pens and the variety of colors that they come in. I use them daily and especially in my PowerSheets and Simplified Planner. They write very smoothly and the color is bold and bright.
Stationery Kits - Made for Retail at Target's Bullseye's Playground
If you know me, you know I am mildly obsessed with the stationery items that can be found in the Target Dollar Spot section. The Stationery Kits from Made for Retail that Target now sells online are great for someone in your life who loves anything snail mail related. I also love the idea of taking this set and breaking it up into smaller stocking stuffer gifts.
Socks - Smartwool
If you haven't ever owned a pair of these socks, you're missing out. They may seem a bit pricey, but you really get a quality, warm sock. I have a couple pairs and they work for being cozy at home or wearing inside my boots when I head out for the day.
Happy Mail: Keep in touch with cool & stylish handmade snail mail! - HelloLucky!
The perfect book for someone who already loves sending snail mail or for someone who wants to get into the habit of sending more mail. This book comes with creative ways to make your letters, cards and envelopes colorful, fun and personalized! It also includes over 40 cards and stationery designs that you can tear out and use right away.
Coffee Mugs - Target
The cutest coffee mugs perfect for tea, cocoa or coffee! I currently have two of these at my desk that I use daily for tea. The size is just right and I love the wide mouth on these.
Slippers - UGG
The most comfy and snuggly slippers ever! I love the rubber bottoms and wear them all the time when I'm at home. They are warm and fuzzy on the inside which is perfect for cold winter nights.