Snippets from the weekend

How was your Thanksgiving?  Hopefully full of good times.  Mine was spent on my parents' farm and it was pretty quiet and relaxing.  I love spending time with family but it is always nice to be back at home and sleeping in my own bed.

I didn't capture any photos during Thanksgiving (the camera never made it out of the bag) but took a few snapshots with my phone during the drives.  We had a rental car instead of our Jeep and the dogs (creatures of habit) were not sure what to think about the back seat.  Besides family time and traveling, this weekend I finished a 2012 calendar that includes some of my favorites shots of Chicago, Paris, and New York.

 

A few goals for this week**...

• This week I need to decide on whether to do an advent calendar and what to do about holiday cards.  I have long been resisting the photo card but I kind of want to do one this year (three years of holiday card posts!). 
• I really need to have a solid week of working out... boy have I been lax on that front! My goal is 5 workouts this week.
• Finishing a couple handmade pay it forward gifts is high on my priority lists. Once they are delivered I will share what I made - it has been way to long since I posted up about a craft project!
• And crafting up a post or two to share the handmade gift ideas that I am tossing around for the people on my list in case they are helpful for any of you.
• Lastly, not to order delivery for dinner.  My interest in cooking has been pretty low lately but I filled our menu plan for the week with easy, no fuss type of dinners to keep us from eating Thai food or pizza yet again.

Hope you have a lovely week as we finish off November and head into December!

** I really enjoy posts that share bits from the weekend with goals for the week (like the ones that Mary writes) - so I am going to borrow the idea and try it out. 

Minnesota Weekend Getaway

Weekend getaways are kind of necessity.  I absolutely love to travel and need to get out of the city every now and then.  Weekend roadtrips maximize the travel budget, make it easy to take the dogs, and give me a nature fix.  This past weekend we set out for northern Minnesota.

I can't believe that I have lived the majority of my life in the northern(ish) midwest but had yet to make it to the northern portion of Minnesota.  What a beautiful area.  There were many conversations about how lovely it would be to be close enough to have a vacation cottage up there...

 

It was such a good time.  A simple trip for sure but so nourishing.

The hiking was amazing.  I want to go again and experience more of the trails.  And we kind of want to see this area in the winter... even though it would be so very cold.  Minnesota is very pretty and quite the welcome place to visit.  I was not even close to being ready for fall before this little getaway... I was feeling pretty pouty about summer ending so quickly to be honest.  But the crisp air and hint of pretty fall colors won me over.  I am ready now for the fun that fall will bring.

Oh and that last picture - it will be the family pic of September. 

If you haven't entered in the Minted Giveaway you should do so now as time is almost up! Details on this post.

Snippets from the weekend

That third day in the weekend is such a treat.  Our weekend was pretty low key, mostly relaxing and also quite productive.  I spent a lot of time with my favorites - Dan, doggies, hiking, photo work...

We have been eating a lot of tomatoes so a recipe of that nature should find its way onto Two Cooks One Kitchen very soon.  The Logan Square market and a very cute family portrait session along with a giveaway will be finding its way onto this blog very soon. 

Hope you had a fantastic weekend!

Sunday Edition, Volume 8

Volume 8 of 2010, February 14th - 20th

This volume includes Valentines day.  We went to visit my family as it was a three day weekend and our Valentine's day consisted of orange bowknots (sooooo good), a goat cheese frittata, brownie hearts packed in bags as valentines to give to my grandma's, my dad making homemade french fries, and a family movie night.  So not romantic per say.  But filled with so many sweet memories.

The next two days after our road trip were pretty quiet as the whole family was in need of extra nap times.  The next big event was the delivery of our new rug... and I am in love with it.  I know it is lame to love a rug but seriously it was worth the wait. 

On a little neighborhood walk this Saturday I noticed a magnolia tree with buds... umm hello little sign of spring!  But I hope that they don't get frozen and then not bloom, they have a while to go before it is time to blossom in this part of the country.  But I will take any sign of spring that comes my way.

Have a great week!

Sunday Edition, Volume 7

Volume 7 of 2010, February 7th - 13th

It is not Sunday but as I had today off for President's Day it is essentially Sunday for me... so it is time for Sunday Edition!

This past week I pulled out our polaroid which had not been used since the wedding a year and half ago.  It is fun to use and definitely quite different.  This past week was pretty lovely (meaning the moments and people I got to spend time with, not the photos :) ).  That might have more to do with having a long weekend visit to the countryside.  Countryside sounds so romantic doesn't it?