monday tunes: she & him, volume three

I feel like this Monday has been a bit of a marathon-probably because the weekend was SO nice and today just feels a bit hum-drum. Lucky for me (and you!), NPR has a new First Listen, featuring She & Him's Volume 3 for your listening pleasure! So buckle down, only a few hours left, and enjoy the fun and playful tunes of Zooey Deschanel and M.Ward.

Listen here! 

fave finds 3.0

from pinterest and around the world wide web...

chambray dress \\ birthday cake diy \\ leaf art \\ 1000Shillings circle scarf 

surprise, we went to duluth!



A few weeks ago, I realized that it had been practically 8 (!!!) months since I had last been in Duluth and I desperately needed to get up for a visit-I miss all these faces oh so much! Ry and I headed up last Friday afternoon and we were so excited to see (almost all of) our Duluth family.

Despite there still being 2+ feet of snow on the ground, the sun was shining all day Saturday so we spent the day watching the boys snowboard and grilling out at the hill in town, Chester Bowl. Sunday, I was able to grab coffee at one of my favorite spots with another lovely Duluth friend, which was the cherry on top! It was SO wonderful to catch up in person, soak up the sun, goof around, and just have an all-around happy weekend.  I definitely won't be letting another 8 months go by until the next visit, that's for sure!

monday motivation: do more.



Last week, I attended several sessions for the 2nd Annual Young Professionals Week here in Milwaukee and I have been having such a great time! Hosted by Newaukee, JSJobs.com and ART Milwaukee, YP Week was perfect for learning all about what Milwaukee has to offer and really feel energetic about everything that is going on in this city.

On Wednesday, I went to the Charles Allis Art Museum for a Women Creating Change "social" that was a part of their "Women as Leaders" theme. I was impressed with what I heard from WGirls Founder and President, Amy Heller, that I thought I would share it with you for some Monday afternoon motivation (you can never have too much of that, right??) Her mantra was very simple: do M.O.R.E!

M: anage your influences and environment (aka take control!)
O: pen to change
R: econcile with your insecurities
E: mbrace life!

I know I would like to try and incorporate some, if not all, of this into my life. I feel like it can apply to a lot of areas of your life, both personal and professional and at the very least is worth pondering for a little while. So let's get this week started off right and start (trying) to do MORE!

in the kitchen: chopped caprese salad

On most days, I try to bring my own lunch to work so I am not constantly going out for food. This also lets me be more thoughtful as to what I am preparing (I don't really trust the cafeteria food at work...)

Typically, a salad is my go-to meal and with spring slowly creeping in, all the vegetables are looking extra fresh and delicious. And of course, what goes better with fresh vegetables, but some fresh mozzarella cheese?! Enter: the chopped caprese salad...a light and fresh, but definitely satisfying, salad to delight your taste buds!

Chopped Caprese Salad serves 1

Ingredients

1 small roma or vine tomato, chopped

1/4 c red onion, chopped

1/2 c bell pepper, chopped (I used orange!)

1/2 avocado, diced

1/4 c carrots, grated

4-5 small mozzarella balls, quartered

2-3 tbsp of balsamic dressing (store bought or homemade)

Cilantro, optional or basil for a traditional caprese

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare all veggies and place into mixing bowl.

2. Toss with balsamic dressing, top with cilantro or basil. Season with salt and pepper

3. Enjoy! Pairing suggestion: toasted baguette or a cup of soup (if your office is as cold like mine!)

Bon appetit!

bloom

^gorgeous mom, gorgeous flowers!^

^one of my mom's favorites^

^one of my favorite floral arrangements with its' art inspiration^

^mom checking out the modern art^



as promised, here are some pics from my visit to the Milwaukee Art Museum with my mom this weekend.

Despite the windy weather, the wings were open at the museum, so everything looked so bright and lovely in the main atrium. It was really great to see how many people had come out for the exhibit-I had never seen it so packed! The floral arrangements, all inspired by a painting in each of the galleries, were pretty spectacular and the company wasn't too bad either ;)

currently 5.0

1 // 2 // 3 // 4

Reading  the insightful and incredibly educational, "In Defense of Food: An Eaters Manifesto" by Michael Pollan. After my girlfriend came to visit a few weeks ago, she left quite the impression me in regards to the food we eat, why we eat it, and where it comes from. Ry had read this book and with my renewed interest in the issue, I felt like it was the perfect time to dive into it. At times it is a lot of information to wrap my head around, but I would much rather be a thoughtful and informed eater, than clueless about what I am consuming. In my opinion, this should be on everyone's required reading list! 

Watching The Place Beyond the Pines! I have been looking forward to the opening of this movie (Ryan Gosling, Bradley Cooper, and Eva Mendes-a no brainer) and can't wait to go see this film tonight with Ry and a few friends. It's probably not the most uplifting film to watch on a Friday night, but I am hoping that it won't disappoint! 

(Not) loving the rain. It has been raining, practically non-stop, since Sunday and I am just itching for sunshine and warmth. Meanwhile, back in Duluth, almost everything is shut down because of a snow storm...so I suppose it could always be worse! Still, just a few rays of sunshine would do wonders! 

Excited to  check out the Milwaukee Art Museum's special exhibit, Bloom, this weekend with my mom! When I read about this exhibition of artistic floral arrangements, I knew this would 1. help to remedy the lack of spring here and 2. that my mom would be the perfect date to bring along :) I'll be sure to document my favorite arrangements to share with you! 

in the kitchen: spinach burgers

image via

I came across a recipe for spinach burgers the other day on Pinterest and decided to whip up some up for dinner the other night. I made a few changes from the original recipe based on what I had in my fridge, but I am pleased with how they turned out! You can serve these burgers pretty much anyway you'd like-in a pita, with a dipping sauce (I'd vote for plain greek yogurt with a bit of lemon juice!) or on your favorite toasted bread. 

Spinach Burgers adapted from villagecook (makes approx. 4-6 medium patties)

1 large container, fresh spinach

1/3 C mushrooms, diced

1/2 C diced onion

1/2 C bread crumbs (I used whole wheat)

1 egg

1 egg white

1/2 C feta cheese

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp salt

1. Heat olive or canola oil in pan. Sauté spinach, onions, and mushrooms in the pan until the spinach is wilted and mushroom and onions are soft. Set aside.
2. In a medium bowl, mix breadcrumbs, cheese, pepper, and salt together. Add in spinach mixture, and eggs-stir until well blended.
3. Form mixture into balls (this is the messy part!), then press down to flatten into patty. Repeat until all the mixture is used.
4. Heat oil in pan. Place 2-3 (depending on the size of your pan) patties on the pan, letting them cook for about 5 minutes on each side.
5. Serve the burgers any way you please! 

Bon appetit! 

fave finds 2.0

back at ya with some favorites from around the web....

floral blouse // tea tins for herbs // booties // avocado cilantro bean dip

mapping your city

I just discovered this really great project through a friend and had to share! Becky Cooper, writer and cartographer, had a brilliant idea to pass out blank maps of Manhattan as she walked along the streets of the city-asking people to create a map that showed "their Manhattan". After receiving all different versions of the map, documenting everyone's different experiences throughout the city, Cooper created the book "Mapping Manhattan: a Love (and Sometime Hate) Story in Maps" and it's pretty wonderful.

Now, here in good ol' Milwaukee, Milwaukee Magazine has challenged local Milwaukeeans to create their own personal map of Milwaukee based on their experiences throughout the city. Love stories, epic nights, unforgettable concerts, amazing meals-you can document it all on your map (and have a chance to win a prize!). I love the idea of orientating yourself in place based on the memories you have or those that are still waiting to be made! Where do you call home and what would your map look like?

You can check out more of Becky's Cooper's work here

monday tunes: the shouting matches

say hello to Bon Iver's Justin Vernon's latest music project: The Shouting Matches and their debut album, Grownass Men. The album comes tomorrow officially, but thanks to NPR and all its greatness, you can check it out right here!

Vernon joins some of his musically talented friends in creating a piece of work that is just as appealing as his work in Bon Iver, but certainly taps into a different kind of sound..."presenting itself as something lighter in spirit than anything by Bon Iver; even before the opening riffs, a mere glance at the cover shows a smiling Justin Vernon, hanging out with his hometown pals. This isn't the stuff of mystery or misery, of yearning, of finding one's voice in a secluded cabin. It's the work of a guy who loves playing music..."

enjoy!

be right back

via breanna rose

I've got a case of "blog neglect" this week...mainly because work has been unexpectedly busy and by the time I get home, I just haven't had the gusto to put in the time I normally would for creating/curating a lovely lil post for all of you. So rather than force it (this is supposed to be fun!), I am going to take the rest of the week off to focus on the 9 to 5 gig and regroup.

I promise to return after the craziness subsides (with my full time job) and be back to regularly scheduled programming. Until then, just breathe....