Monday, March 24, 2014

Spring cleaning

Last Monday I took a day off work. I was so excited for a three-day weekend and at the possibility of accomplishing so many things around the house. I had plans (the most important one was to not go to work).

Clean the kitchen. Take out the trash. Get a colorful rug for our entryway. Pick up, vacuum and rearrange the living room. Do laundry AND put it all away (lofty goal). Work in a run. Replace the Winter Wonderland mantle décor with something springy and colorful. Enjoy a beer on the deck at some point during the supposed 50-degree day. Write a blog. Yes, all in one day. It would be equally restful and productive. I threw in a load of laundry, folded some towels and did some time on the treadmill. After cleaning up, I was ready to cross something bigger off the list. And, wow, it was already 10 a.m.

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Giving a little love

I really don't get into holidays much. I don't have boxes of decorations for all seasons that I unload out at the most precise times of year. Maybe now that I'm a homeowner, I'll eventually start collecting and decorating...if my husband will let me.

We had some holiday spirit at work for Valentine's Day. I'm part of the company's art department. We're creative types, so for the second year, we decided to exchange DIY Valentines.

Last year, I used porcelain pens and made personalized XOXO heart mugs for all the girls. The best part is they all use them still, some daily for their coffee or tea. So my challenge this year was to come up with a gift that was equally original and still useful. I struggled for a few days until I remembered a pin I had come across during wedding planning.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Fuel me up

It's no secret that I'm a fan of coffee. I probably started out earlier than I should have. Grandma and Grandpa brewed a pot every morning for breakfast and every afternoon for 3:00 lunch. My dad and Grandpa would dip their cookies and sandwiches in it, drink it down and then head back out for more chores. When I got curious enough, maybe around age 12, I would wait to see what was left over, pour a cup, heat it up and dip Rice Krispie bars in it. Something about the marshmallow and coffee really worked, and I that's how I began to love coffee. Seriously.

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Carpe diem

It's January. In Nebraska. And guess what? This past weekend it was 65 degrees. Hey-O! So, we did what any sane couple would do: fire up the grill.