nothing like getting inspired from moments last weekend as we head into this weekend!
p.s. if you are a Nora Ephron fan, Joanna from Cup of Jo, has an awesome round up of some great moments, quotes and photos from this kick-butt lady! She will certainly be missed.
p.p.s. I am still in the throws of my detox and empowerment routine...more thoughts & reviews next week along with an exciting and somewhat unrelated announcement! :)
Yesterday I started reading the introduction to the Detox & Empowerment program and I really enjoyed/appreciated what Sadie Nardini had to say. Nothing was over complicated and some of the information I was even a bit familiar with. She's also got a good sense of humor and seems to be pretty down to earth, which makes the program much more approachable. I was ready to go and get started! Or so I thought...
I had my alarm set for 6am and went to bed completely planning on getting a jump start to my first day of yoga this morning....too bad my phone has a snooze button because man oh man did I use that this morning! Looks like I will be doing my first yoga session, "Core Transformer" later on this evening after work. Don't you hate when your good intentions just leave you feeling guilty!
On the positive side, I did get myself prepared for the first detox smoothie that I will be making myself for lunch-a blend of avocado, honey, almond milk, vanilla yogurt, and flax seed....yum! I have to admit, I am feel apprehensive about throwing an avocado into the mix. In my world avocado equals guacamole, so this will be new territory for me!
Honestly, I really am looking forward to my yoga session later tonight-I'm bouncing between both jobs today, so I think it will be a great way to refocus and prepare for the next day. Stay tuned for more updates AND a few pictures from the weekend!
Well the title says it all...the weekend was such a great time, but man oh man was I exhausted yesterday (hence the MIA post). I usually try and start off my Monday's with a work out to try and get back into my routine, but last night consisted of reading, quick grocery store run, sweet potato french fries and catching up on True Blood...sort of easing myself into the rest of the week.
I have also been trying to get myself back into a routine that includes yoga throughout the week. I had been going to a hot yoga class about two to three times a week throughout winter and early spring, but then I just got hot yoga-ed out and decided to just focus on going using my gym membership at Anytime Fitness and take a bit of a hiatus from the yoga world. Well, a few months later, I am feeling ready to hop back into it and I am excited about this program I found that works as a "detox and empowerment" program-best part is that I can do it at home!
The class is a 14 day program, all online, taught by Sadie Nardini (apparently a yoga guru for the celebs ha and Founder of Core Strength Vinyasa Yoga & Ultimate Wellness) and it's available right now on sale (always a bonus) so I figured I would give it a go! It includes daily yoga practices for you to do, lectures about healthy living, and recipes for detox smoothies (yum!). I am hoping to start it up tomorrow, so I will be sure to keep you posted on how things go :) Feel free to join in, especially while the session is still on sale!
p.s. Udemy, the host site for this yoga course, also has a whole bunch of other courses online if you are interested-some for a cost and some for free! Check it out here!
A crazy few days at both jobs, massive rains, getting the house somewhat ready for visitors, and everything else in between have made it one heck of week! I am SO looking forward to Ry's parents coming up...we will also be celebrating his cousin's high school graduation, so lots of quality time and hopefully enjoying some well deserved gorgeous weather and relaxation.
What will you be up to this weekend? Anyone going on a weekend getaway? If so, take a peek at Refinery29's adorable & always fashionable "What to Pack: Pack Like a Pro" feature...this combo is my favorite, mainly because a tropical getaway sounds divine!
Here are a few other of my favorite finds....
Since we got our blender, smoothies are the name of the game and this watermelon & mint smoothie looks so refreshing!
Holy flood batman! Seriously...you should see what has been going on here in Duluth (though apparently we have made national news). It has just been raining off and on pretty much since this past Friday, so as the rain kept coming all day yesterday and last night, it was clear we were in store for some flooding.
Woke up this morning to news of seals escaping from the zoo, cars falling into sink holes, homes being evacuated-total craziness! Luckily, our house isn't too close to the creek that runs through town and we have a solid foundation for the basement, but there were certainly some not so lucky homes around Duluth and the few towns over who are close to the St. Louis River.
Our poor Whole Foods Co-op lost it's retaining wall to one of the creeks...
One of the worst sink holes...apparently the passengers were in the car when it sunk down!
Ry and I decided to go explore a bit with Reef and check out some of the damage nearby...
Like I said, we were SO lucky that there was little to no damage done to our house or any of friends and family's homes, but man oh man Duluth is looking rough today!
A short while back when I was visiting family on the East Coast, I had the chance to do some exploring in the Times Square neighborhood of New York City. One of the best moments of the day was when I got to watch a few dance performances put on by a group called Naomi Goldberg Haas: Dances for a Variable Population (DVP) and seniors from Project FIND Woodstock Senior Center. Goldberg's DVP program explores the way we can facilitate communication, wellness, and genuine human interaction through dance.
The group featured both the young and the old-collaborating to create unique and lively performances throughout the day. I really loved watching the numbers that paired younger dancers an elder dancer. It was amazing to see the different ways that each of their bodies moved and interpreted the dance.
"...I have been working with senior populations, mixing this community with young modern dancers, exploring how these disparate groups can learn from one another about the nature of movement and expression. This has led me to realize that those with limited movement ability can often find maximal expression in the movements they are capable of creating" -Naomi Goldberg Haas
This performance was hosted through the Times Square Arts, a program of the Times Square Alliance, which hosts a wide variety of art events throughout the year.
I unfortunately very little to report to you this Monday afternoon...my weekend consisted of too much work and not quite enough play. I had a bit of time though to play with Reef (Ry's pup), help with painting the house, caught up in the first episode of True Blood (madnees!) and of course, get some reading done. So not too shabby considering too much time was spent inside!
One awesome thing I can tell you is that we officially are owners of a classy Kitchen Aid blender!!! Ry had purchased one (after months of me talking about how we needed one) and we are both pumped. Naturally, I had to start my day off with one of the many smoothie recipes I have had stored away on Pinterest.
1/2 cup fresh blueberries 1 small peach, peeled and roughly chopped 1 heaping cup (or more) fresh spinach leaves, thoroughly rinsed splash vanilla soy milk 1 tablespoon Greek yogurt 2 teaspoons honey 1/2 cup crushed ice
Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately. **the original recipe on Sing for your Supper makes about 2 servings, but mine made about 1 serving**
Instagram has got to be one of the most popular apps out there for smart phones and you can definitely see why-great finishes for all your impromtu shots and a fun way to share with your friends and family...especially if you aren't into tweeting everything (guilty!)
With all the great shots you get using Instagram, it's only natural that you would want to have way to gaze upon them in all their insta-glory with some hard copies of these photos! Lucky for you, Kanvess makes this possible and even better, it's affordable!
Only 25 cents a print and free shipping when you order over a 100, which may seem one too many, but for only $25, there are a lot of photo projects in the works for these puppies! The photos are 3x3 and could work really well for decorations in your house or apartment, like these ideas below....
About a year ago, I stumbled upon this recipe on eat make read and it quickly became a favorite meal for Ryan and I. I even made it into a mini version to serve as an appetizer at my family reunion's app cook off (and yes, I did win-yay!)
my mini corncakes, app style!
The recipe is SO simple and you can definitely change it up a bit and add to it if you want. We usually have it with shredded BBQ chicken and salsa if we are having it for dinner. You could also whip up some scrambled eggs with it to if you want to go the breakfast/brunch route.
makes 12 4-inch pancakes modified from etherfarm’s sweet corn cakes
2 ears fresh corn, kernels removed from ear (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/2 jalepeño, thinly sliced 1 cup milk 4 Tablespoons butter (1/2 stick) 2 large eggs 1 1/4 cup flour 1 Tablespoon sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded butter
1. Combine corn, pepper, milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Heat until butter melts, remove from heat. 2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs well. 3. Add corn mixture to the eggs and mix well. 4. Sift flour, baking powder, sugar and salt into egg mixture and thoroughly combine. Fold in the cheese. Let sit for 5 minutes. 5. Melt 1/2 teaspoon butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan, depending on the size of your skillet, you should be able to fit a few in the same pan. 6. Cook for 1-2 minutes and flip, cooking another minutes or until golden. Repeat until all the batter is used
*For the appetizer version, all you need to do is make smaller, silver doller-sized pancakes and top with your favorite salsa (I used this peach & ginger salsa recipe) and a small dollop of sour cream!
**If you want to have chicken on the side, we usually grill two pieces, shred it and then toss with Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ sauce!
How great are these foodie T's from Fab.com? I'd have to decide between Minnesota, Wisconsin, or Illinois (I feel connected to all my Midwest states I have occupied over the years!)...which would you get?
New tunes are getting me through this Monday afternoon...that and some coffee :)
Glen Hansard of The Frames, The Swell Season with Marketa Irglova, composer/singer of Academy Award winning song "Falling Slowly" and now Tony Award winning musical, "Once" releases his first solo album: "Rhythm & Repose." Listen here.
And Fiona Apple breaks her more than six year hiatus with "The Idler Wheel" and it explores a whole array of (sometimes heartbreaking) emotions, true to her style.
On Friday night, my roommate and I went to Ochre Ghost gallery to check our friend, Morgan Pease's, art show, aptly titled "Red, Wood & Blue"....I have always liked the geometry (despite my hate for the actual subject in school ha!) that he focuses on within his work, "looking at the movement they create"...here are a few shots from the evening!
Check out Morgan's website for more info on him and his work! More pictures and things from the weekend coming soon :)
Last night we celebrated our friend Sam's birthday with some bowling! If you had asked about three years ago if I would want to go bowling, you would get a big fat no/running out the door/rolling of the eyes/a million suggestions for anything other than bowling! I just did not have any interest in it at all. Period. Lucky for me, I swallowed my fears/dislike for the sport & participated in a bowling league through work (made up of a handful of area non-profits) and it managed to cure all my qualms about it! I found out I wasn't that terrible and it really is just another fun way to socialize with your friends (or coworkers).
I was definitely glad we went last night; I managed to break 100 on my first game-always a personal goal and we had a lot of fun with our friends!
Now the weekend is practically here and it's the first time I won't be working or traveling in awhile, so I am really excited to just have a good ol' fashioned weekend here in Duluth. A friend of ours has a gallery opening at the Ochre Ghost gallery, so my roommate and I are going to head over there to see his work. I am also realllyyyyy excited to finally be making it to the infamous Park Point garage sale on Saturday, deemed to have "over 100 yards with sales and four miles of great bargains!"
The lift bridge & Park Point
Park Point, a neighborhood of Duluth, is about seven miles in total and is connected to Duluth via a lift bridge...it is a really adorable neighborhood and the beaches there are where you will find many a Duluthian throughout the summer (and winter too!) catching some rays and playin' in the water. Since it is supposed to be nice & toasty out all weekend, I am hoping to enjoy the lakefront, along with some awesome bargain hunting. I will be sure to report back with any great finds :)
Do you have that music, maybe one song or a whole album, that just brings back memories and puts you in a happy place? Well, for me one of those singers is Brandi Carlile and she just released her new album yesterday, entitled "Bear Creek".
Of course I had to get it right away...her voice is just real and authentic, so there is not question about always supporting her work. I haven't always been the first person to purchase music, but after too many years of downloading from random sources, I decided it was time to give some real support to the artists I love!
The Seattle Times writes: With her latest release, "Bear Creek" (named for the Woodinville-based studio), Carlile has fulfilled her true potential. Where she once easily and rewardingly genre-hopped through bluegrass, folk and pop-rock anthems, she has seamlessly integrated and transcended influences toward a more complete voice. On "Bear Creek," Carlile becomes an American original no longer in need of critics' endless comparisons to other contemporary artists
I definitely recommend checking out the album....I'll be rocking out to it today!
Take a listen to "That Wasn't Me" from the new album...
p.s. bonus, the official video for this song too! Enjoy!
How awesome are these finds from the Knit Kid shop on Etsy?! Seriously talented and not at all what you would imagine for homemade knitting...might have to save & get something in the near future from this Berlin-based talent, Sabrina Weigt.
Also on the same note, how wonderful is etsy?! I love having access to so many talented people's work from all over. I have a whole heap of shops saved for when Ry & I have our own place to help with decorating and furnishing (I'm sure he can't wait!)
Finally! I managed to focus for about 30 minutes and accomplished a long over due diy...chalkboard wine glasses! So simple and it adds a fun touch to the glasses, especially if you are having company over.
The whole process was very easy, you just need:
-wine glasses (big red wine goblets are my favorite) -chalk board paint -a paintbrush *Special thanks to Ry for providing all the supplies...back in December (see I told you this was overdue!)
The process really couldn't be any simpler....
1. Open the paint; mix the paint with a paint stirrer...or a plastic knife like I did!
2. Dip paint brush in & apply the first coat to each base of the wine glasses
3. Let dry for about 20 minutes
4. Repeat step two and apply a second coat to ensure the base is fully covered
5. Let the glasses dry a full day before using chalk on them....viola!
After the first coat-looks dark, but trust me-a second coat is best!
Second coat applied!
Now to wait a day...then it's chalk time!
If you have some spare wine glasses, I definitely recommend giving this a whirl-it was so easy, I only regret taking so darn long to sit down and do it! Did you DIY this weekend? I hope I can find some time to get a few other projects on my list completed-check out all my favorites ideas on my d i y pinterest board!
