Update via pictures

I figured since I really have nothing to write about I should go through my phone camera and post some of the stuff we've been up to, in NO particular order!

First and foremost, in case you don't make it all the way through this post, I'll post the most important thing first.

A couple weeks ago we took a bottle of Stoli vodka and a pineapple.  Cut up the pineapple placed it in a big drink dispenser poured the vodka in and let it sit for just over a week.  Now some just drink this on ice (called a Stoli Doli), but we had other plans for it.  There is a restaurant in Duluth that makes a drink (which name escapes me) - it's a muddled cucumber, a shot of pineapple infused vodka, sprite and a splash of soda.  Sounds odd, but it's seriously amazing, especially for summer - extremely refreshing!  My brother made a variation of it by putting soda with a splash of sprite (less sugar, great idea!).  He said it was probably the best drink he's ever had... and coming from my brother, that is saying a lot!

You should probably get off your ass and give it a shot.  You don't even know you're drinking, it's gold.

What else?  Have I told you that Steve and I celebrated 3 years together?  I think I mentioned it was coming, we'll it's come and gone.  On our anniversary (it was a Friday), I went downtown Minneapolis and we had food truck lunch, yum!  We went to Solera that night for dinner, a first for both of us, and delicious.  We also stopped by a little restaurant for a rhubarb dessert sampling - I'm a sucker for rhubarb anything.

We also tried a new burger at home - Steve is in love with Pizza Luce pizza's... so he wanted to see if we could make a burger to taste the same.  This burger has garlic mashed potatoes, tomatoes, scallions, and feta on it.  It was good, but the pizza is WAY better.  Yes, garlic mashed potato pizza.  I need a Pizza Luce fix!

This past weekend we spend a fortune on a number of things - we got the items pictured below - 2 floor lamps that look like the top pic, and 2 boxes of tiles (second pic) to make a backsplash in our kitchen.  Both items were normally very expensive - we got the lamps for $50/each (Tiffany lamps) and the tiles were normally $28/sheet, we got them for $5.00/sheet - SCORE.

We also purchased (not pictured) 7 sheets of Oak veneer - which will hopefully be enough to fix the oak table we have along with the newest item we've added to our collection of antique family pieces (the picture is when it was still at my aunts house with stuff all over it, but you get the point of what it is) - it's an Oak buffet, which may or may not go with out oak table, no one knows if they are a set - BUT these pieces were in the house my dad and aunts grew up in for their entire lives... and now I have them both.  The best part is hopefully we purchased enough veneer to restore them both to their original beauty!

The veneer is like 60 years old (both pieces are older than that), so we're hoping it will look right on theses pieces.  This stuff retails for upwards of $30/sheet... we got it for $10/sheet!

So we spent a lot this weekend, but saved a ton too!

Pam's shower and bachelorette party were a success - obviously, if I'm involved in planning, it's bound to be a success!  Here is the bride and her ladies:

Lastly, I'll leave you with a photo of my adorable kitty snoozing on the couch (yes, I'm aware he is overweight):

That's all for now people!

Valentine's Day + Random

I'm crabby right now.  So I'm going to post about something that made me happy.

My valentine's day last week.
I got flowers at work:

Then I got home to a boyfriend... who left work early to surprise me!

Then, we made salt roasted salmon, my choice, and it was delish!  Steve said his didn't get all the salt brushed off, but I thought it was amazing.  Basically, you crisp the skin of the salmon in a hot pan, cover it with salt, and stick it in the oven to finish it off.  Yum!

This weekend my kitty was sick again - he had a bad episode on Friday.  I took him in on Saturday... so I was kind of bummin' all weekend and stayed close to home for the most part.

I met up with some ladies that I've been meeting with for the past couple months; Kristi, Dana, Heather, and Tanya... we went to brunch and I pretty much stuffed myself.  Not the good kind of stuffing though.  Is there a good kind?  Dana has a photo or two of us... I'm waiting to see it before I post anything, but we basically burned off all the calories we consumed just in laughs while trying to take this picture.  I make it sound epic, but it might suck.  Stay tuned.

I turned my facebook off on Thursday ... and I've re-activated it again today.  Call me weak, call me stupid, whatever you want.  I like having a way to know about the people I care about, facebook gives me that.

I'm gonna go back to being crabby now.

Oh Hey!

When was the last time I blogged about anything of importance?  Seems like I've posted some random crap over the last couple of weeks just to have a presence in the blogosphere!

Continuing with that today....
I need to make a resume.  I don't have one.  I haven't had to apply for a 'real' job ever.  My current job was a very informal interview; my aunt hired me over a lunch at Panera.  I'm in my 7th year here and I've learned so much that I can add to a resume.  My jobs for the 4 years before that were at shoe stores, selling shoes.  Before that, I did home health care for elderly people and before that I worked at a Target store, first as a cashier, then moved to the service desk (returns, how fun!) and then I moved into the cash office, which I loved!  The Target cash office is basically taking all the tills from the registers and counting the money to make sure it matches the reports as well as wrapping bills and wrapping coins to deposit all the money!  OMG, I LOVED that job!
Anyhow... I need to build a professional resume.  I have little idea where to start, I'm soliciting help!

I'm sick again - twice in one month.  My stress level is weakening my immune system - this is absolutely ridiculous.  I'm at home today, being sick.  It's a sore throat this time.

We've got some snow in the past week, but yesterday is was in the 40's and the next few days are going to be the same, so the snow will be gone soon.

Here are some photos of what I've/we've been up to in the last few weeks (I'm on android, so I don't have any fancy camera effects on my photos like those of you with instagram):

Homemade Onion Rings!  yum!

Homemade cupcakes!!!!

Monster Trucks!!!

Natalie (Pam's little girl) sleeping on me at a baby shower of a mutual friend.  I love this little girl!

AYCE Crab Legs at a new restaurant in Anoka

The piece I painted at a pottery shop with a group of about 17 other women for Diva Night

The Inside of the same bowl

Cheesecake from Manny's - the biggest piece of cheesecake  in the world, short of giving up the entire cheesecake (that's Steve's hand, for size comparison)

Orpheum Theater for The Lion King!!!

the chandelier at The Orpheum 

Other than that... I feel like we've been watching a lot of movies lately.  Yesterday I came home from work and watched Horrible Bosses and Bad Teacher I have Little Fockers lined up for today.  Steve and I watched Mission Impossible last night, and recently we've watched V for Vendetta, and a few others I'm having a hard time coming up with.
I'm might see what else is available at redbox when I go to return my movies today.

Lastly, one of my best friends, Pam - you may remember her from the shower I threw back in September and the adorable little baby Natalie that I'm pictured with above - well, her and her man, Nick, are getting married and it looks like they're about 95% sure it's going to be on June 30th!  I'm so happy for her!  She already has her dress and her shoes, so everything beyond that is just simple!

Year 2011 in Pictures

If you've been with me for a year or more, you know that I've taken to review my years in photo form.  Click these links through to see my photo reviews from 2010, 2009, and 2008.

So... prepare yourself for a long and picture heavy post!

First let's look at the trip Steve and I took to Hawaii back in February - what a beautiful place!

Then let's talk about great friends and great times:

Linnea's bachelorette party

Milwaukee and Six Flags with Krysten and Izzy

Jeff and Linnea's wedding!

Amanda and I at the Vikings game

Shotgunning my first beer EVER!

Second annual pumpkin carving

Monthly girls dinners with my best friends from way back when (me, Amanda, Pamela, and Abbie)

Dinner's with these wonderful ladies (some more than once this year!!)

My best friend, Pam, being preggers and throwing her a wonderful shower!

Natalie Marie - born 11/14/11

Continuing to develop a close friendship with my cousin, Shannon

Steve buying a house shortly after returning from Hawaii and him asking my to move in with him:

One of many shopping trips to Home Depot for the house

First big project - taking down wallpaper in the bedroom and painting it to suit us

painting our dining room a BEAUTIFUL shade of deep red

under cabinet lighting!

My wonderful brother and sister-in-law - and their amazing daughters, my nieces:

Doing a boudoir photo shoot!

Random photos of my year:

Diamond earrings for my 30th Birthday

One of my favorite photos of the year - taken along the North Shore of Lake Superior.

Found me a nice little red barn to photograph

Grand Marais Lighthouse

Winning first class tickets to fly somewhere!

My sweet kitty Boomer, though he had a bit of a rough patch, I feel like he is doing well now, he eats bland food only, but at least he's eating and keeping it down.

Cuddling on the couch

Fun drawings on the white board wall:

Getting a new baby brother - Wyatt Lewis, born 10/19/11

Good times with my amazing outcast cousins

Saving the best for last - this year of my life has been simply incredible and I owe that entirely to one person; Steve.  He has been my rock when I've broken down, he has loved me without question, he has expressed his love for me in ways I never knew possible.  If 2011 is any indication of how the rest of my life with this man will be, then bring it on!  My dear sweet boyfriend, I love you with all of my heart and soul; thank you for being with me and sharing in my joys and sorrows all of 2011.  I know 2012 will bring some difficult times, as we're already preparing for, but together I know we can get through it - you lean on me and I'll lean on you.  In the end, we have each other, and that's a lot.  I love you Steve.