Date Night

Trav and I have been so stressed and busy lately that we carved out some time yesterday to head out on a date.

We checked out a restaraunt in East Grand Rapids we've been meaning to try for forever called Olives (thanks for the gift certificate, Phil and Kim!)

Highlights of the meal (other than spending time with my wonderful husband, of course) were the appetizer... (and I'm not even a big fan of mushrooms!)

Mushroom Crostini
Sautéed wild mushooms, toasted baguette, herb goat cheese, scallion oil, demi


Yummy (but expensive - yikes!) cosmopolitans for me (sorry Mum, no photo!)

And dessert... a tiramasu cheesecake. YUM!


It was really nice to get out and try someplace new. Thanks for a lovely evening, hubby!

What's the perfect end to the weekend?

A yummy bedtime snack...


Hope your weekend was lovely. Happy Monday!

End of Summer Shin Dig!

We invited friends and family over to our house this weekend for a little get together to celebrate the end of summer and beginning of fall. It was a cool, dry day and we were able to spend the majority of the day outdoors.

The afternoon started with a little football. Bella was dressed up and ready to support MSU while the boys watched the game downstairs in "the man room"




Then it was time to get the grill fired up! I snapped a couple of photos inside the house before guests arrived - just for fun. We got a new rug and I am kind of in love with it!



Once the party got started there was much socializing...


Food to be eaten...


Bubbles...




Did I mention eating?




And time with the little ones...



It was a wonderful afternoon and evening! Thanks to everyone who came over and spent the day with us - we love you!

Status Quo

It's been awhile since I've posted. Know why? There's not a lot to report!

Last weekend with grilled and played some cards over at the Hill's. Heather made delicious kebobs...

(this was taken BEFORE they went on the grill...)

and Lily was cute as always...

On Sunday, Trav and I tried a new recipe... beer and cheese soup! Not bad - but needs a little refining. We made homemade croutons, too!

I've been spending some QT with my big cats during the day... they are the least neediest of all the animals in my house right now and sometimes don't get all the attention they deserve.

School is... going. To say I'm not in the swing of things yet is a bit of an understatement!

And I've been struggling with mad allergies and foot problems (I sound like an old lady!) over the past few days so I've been a bit down in the dumps.

This week has been a bit of a wash really. I wish I could start it over! I have lots to do in the next few days - our friends Justin & Kristen are getting married this weekend and we'll have a house full of overnight guests. It will be a busy weekend, that's for sure!

I promise to be a better blogger - expect another update from me before the weekend for sure!

Happy Hump Day!

Weekend Wrap Up!

Travis, Bella, the kittens, and I headed to the East side of the state this weekend for some Eversden Family fun.

We celebrated my (belated) and my Dad's (early) birthday with dinner at MAC's in Saline - the best chocolate mousse I have had in a loooong time!

My Dad got the toaster he's been dreaming of (haha!) and I got the SEWING MACHINE I've been wanting for forever! So amazing!

We also indulged in waffles (chocolate chip for me!) and shopping. What a great weekend!

(Click on photo collage to view larger!)

Five Things I'm LOVING!

My ears are loving...

Yes, yes, I know all the hype surrounding his death is obnoxious. BUT, you can't deny that Thriller is one of the most amazing albums of all time. And Thriller 25 has remixes of old classics with today's stars such as Kanye. Sweet!

My house is loving...

I got two small hampers similar to these, but with a cloth interior clearanced at Hobby Lobby for $7 a piece from $25.99 a piece. With a clear garbage bag they will be perfect, stylish garbage receptacles for my bathrooms. AND, since they have lids - my dear, dear cats (the big cats, not the kittens!) won't be able to get in and steal things. Nice!

My TV set is loving...

This is dorky. But have you seen this show? It's called PAWN STARS and is on the History Channel. It features these three guys who run a huge family pawn shop. It's like The Antiques Road show but with more cussing, more humor, and even cooler stuff! So fun!

My parties are loving...

For the second summer in a row, Jell-O is selling limited edition packages of Pina Colada, Strawberry Daiquiri and Margarita instant Jell-O. Jell-O shots anyone?! Seriously, for a college flashback, mix up a batch of these and you're sure to liven up any party. Good times!

My tastebuds are loving...

Speaking of limited edition, I about flipped when I saw displays in my grocery store for these! YUM! I saw displays everywhere but no actual candy until I finally put my hands on some this week at my local Blockbuster. They were worth the wait. Delish!

What are YOU loving right now? Do tell!

What I do these days...

Not having to work would be absolutely perfect if I got paid for it... : )

So now that I'm unemployed, and classes haven't started yet... what do I do?

Well...

I hang out with a lot of four-legged friends.

There's Oliver...

(he likes to sleep in boxes!)

Beyonce...

you know Bella our chocolate lab by now I'm sure. And of course let's not forget our kitten friends. You know about them as well (note... if you're following the kitten progress over HERE and haven't added as a follower yet - please do! That way I don't feel like I'm writing to myself!)

I do things like re-cover chairs, and attend cake-decorating class.

I also tend to the garden... well, that's kind of a lie.

The rain destroyed my dahlias for the most part...


They need some major stakes and ties in order to survive. Some of the individual flowers still look pretty, though.




Then there's the green beans. We've had a couple handfuls of beans so far this season - but I've been scared to pick them too early, and by the time I've picked them they've gone bad! Anyone know when green beans are ready to pick?




And then there's the poor, poor tomatoes. I kept them inside for FAR too long and now they are way behind schedule. Plus Bella has knocked them over and pulled plants out several times. I was ready to write them off until yesterday I saw that they had started to FLOWER. Flowers then fruit, right? Is there still hope? Maybe I'll have tomatoes by October... : )

Happy Hump Day!

27

Yesterday I celebrated my 27th birthday!

It was a lovely day - and I was lucky enough to be able to spend it with people who are very near and dear to me.

The day got off to a great start. Cindy took me to brunch at one of our favorite local joints, Gaia Cafe. It's a vegetarian place and we pretty much always order the same thing. I had the "Jim White." It's black beans, brown rice, eggs, tomato, lettuce, and avocado. Delicious!


Cindy got me a gift bag filled with some handmade goodies from Etsy. So sweet!


Thanks for brunch, Cindy!


After Cindy dropped me off I laid down for a quick nap. Hey! Don't judge me! It was my birthday and I was entitled to that nap! : )

Later in the afternoon, Heather picked me up and we headed to the Olive Garden for a late lunch. It's kind of a tradition of ours to lunch there with their delicious soup, salad and breadsticks.



Because it was a special occasion though, we had festive drinks as well! I had some sangria, while Heather enjoyed a margarita.



After a quick stop at JoAnn Fabrics (hey - we like to craft!) we headed back to my place, where I got to open Heather's gift. Thanks Travis for the candid shots of my looking like a big dork!




She got me some fabulous cupcake making supplies. Yeah cupcakes! We got to work right away making some birthday mini cupcakes. They are so cute!


Thanks Heather, for all the birthday goodness!


That evening, I got to spend some time with my husband. He came home with flowers for me. Aw...


His gift to me was a gift certificate to the spa at the fancy-schmancy new JW Marriott hotel downtown. He said he knew I'd been stressed and sad lately and thought I'd enjoy it. Will I ever?! I am excited! I could totally go for some pampering right about now!

Then we headed out to dinner at Roses, our all-around favorite restaruant in town. It's become a tradition to go there on my birthday every year.


While we waited for our table I snapped a few photos. The restaraunt is right on the lake.






Once inside and seated we enjoyed spinach and artichoke dip for a starter...


I had the margerita pizza for my entree, and Travis had a burger...



And of course we HAD to get creme brulee to split for dessert. DELICIOUS!


Thanks Trav, for the wonderful gift and birthday dinner!


All in all, it was an absolutely wonderful birthday. Thanks to Cindy, Heather and Travis for the great food and even better company. And thanks to all of you who sent cards, gifts, facebook messages, and phonecalls. I appreciate it more than you know, and feel very loved.

Have a wonderful weekend!