Five Things...

I saw this post on Tara's blog and thought it would be a great way to get back into blogging! So, here it goes...

1. I LOVE to cook and bake. I'm always searching for new and inspiring ideas. I go to a cooking class about once a week and have met some really sweet friends through the class. Along with cooking and baking is my passion for wine. It doesn't get better than a fabulous meal paired with a delicious glass of wine.

2. Second to my love of cooking/baking, is my LOVE of Travel! I just love discovering new places. Rarely to I go back to somewhere I've already been - there are just too many new places I want to discover. Here's a few places on the top of my travel list: Ireland, Thailand, Fiji, Costa Rica and Alaska. The next "new" place I visit will probably be North Dakota though...pretty exciting, right!!! Kevin and I have a contest to see which one of us can see all 50 US states first, I have two left - North Dakota and Alaska. Anyone have any travel tips for North Dakota??? I'd love to hear them!

3. I *always* have a hair clip around. Since Spring has officially arrived, driving with the windows down & sunroof open is a must. My hair is pretty long these days so, I've gotta have hair clips or my hair is just everywhere.

4. I am such a dog person, I love all animals really BUT I'm such a dog person. Soon after we adopted our little Molly, my friend Katie said that I would get to a point where I'd ask myself "What did I ever do without her; and, what would I ever do without her." She is SO, SO, SO right! That little dog has Kevin and I wrapped around her little paw.

5. I LOVE podcasts!! Ok, here's a confession - I just learned how to use my iPod. I know, I know crazy embarrassing. I've had an iPod for years now, I just didn't know how to use it. A few months ago, I made an appointment at the Apple store, walked in with my head hung in shame....and walked out an iPod whiz!! And now I can't get enough podcasts!!! My favorites are the "stuff you should know" series...and particularly the "Stuff You Missed in History Class."

If you decide to do a "Five Things" please leave a link in my comments 'cause I'd love to check them out!! ;)

Hope everyone is having a gorgeous spring day!!

Hello March!!

Which means...Spring is near!!!! Yay!!!

Come on March 20th!!

How sweet it is to be loved by you

Have a wonderful Valentine's Day!

"Three things will last forever: faith, hope, and love, and the greatest of these is love."

1 Corinthians 13:13

Happy Super Bowl Sunday

Gosh, can you believe it's already time for the Super Bowl?!?!

{Gooooo Steelers!!!}

Don't get me wrong, I loooove me some football...but, I think we all know that the Super Bowl is about so much more than just the football.

Friends

{This was taken at last year's Super Bowl party}

Food

{Buffalo Chicken Dip - a definite football fav!! It's soooo yummy....kinda dangerous though, one bit and you'll understand why it's nickname is "crack dip" - Ha!!}

{BLT Dip...if you've never had this one before you have to make it immediately!! It will be the hit of your party - it's that good!!}

{Guacamole, couldn't forget this football game day classic!!}

{No football party would be complete without chili!!}

{How cute are these football cake pops?!?! Perfect for the Super Bowl!!}

And…Commercials

So...Who will you be cheering on today??? We'll be cheering for the Steelers!!!

...Yeah ah ha
you know what it is
Black and yellow, black and yellow
Black and yellow, black and yellow...

Thinking about Spring Flowers

In case you missed it, there was a HUGE snow storm that hit the Midwest - it was not fun. Tons of snow, ice and wind. The whole time, I just kept telling myself that no matter what happens this summer I am not going to complain about the heat.

I'm pretty pumped that everyday that passes is one more that gets us closer to Spring - yay!!! One of the things I'm most excited about for this Spring is all the flower planting I have planned. I've been collecting pics of flowers I like....here are a few that I'm just loving right now...

L-O-V-E all these!! They are all just so delicate, pretty and PINK!! A bouquet of any of these would be just perfect for Valentine's day....don't you think? ;)

Happy Birthday Molly!

I just can't believe we've had our little Molly for about a year now!! I feel as though we've had her forever. She has been such a blessing to us - she is just the sweetest little pup!!

Her birthday cake....from one of Molly's favorite place in the world, Three Dog Bakery

I tried to get a picture of her with her cake before it got demolished, this was the closest I got. She was pretty excited about her cake.

And, of course, she LOVED it!!! ;)

The "P" word...

Yup, I'm talking about Procrastination.

I don't know what has gotten into me lately but I just cannot seem to get (and stay) on track. I start my day with such great aspirations and then around early afternoon, I just run out of steam. I manage to get a few items on my to do list checked off but, I'm constantly left feeling as though I should be able to do more. It's almost as if I spend way too much time and energy thinking about all the things I need to do - crazy, I know.

So, after a while of this craziness, I did what any other 20-something girl would do - I turned to Google. Because after all, Google has all the answers. ;) I found a great to-do list that breaks down tasks in order of importance. I'm not sure it's going to solve all my "p" problems but, I do think it will help me visualize my goals better.

As a side note, I've talked to a few people about procrastination and so many people have recommended I read Steven Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective People...reading this book is definitely going on my to do list. ;)