My great aunt wanted to help me decorate our house for Christmas. No, not my great-aunt, but my aunt who is great. Thanks Deb for pushing and providing for us to buy a wreath!
This past weekend I made a trip to Michael's to pick out a wreath. Over Thanksgiving us girls explored the store and they had quite a selection of Christmas decorations. This time... not so much. After looking through the couple aisles still dedicated to Christmas (seriously, the holiday is still a couple weeks away) I actually found the wreath I had mentally selected from our previous trip. Even better, it was marked down... like way down. I grabbed a few other things (nothing to be disclosed now, some items are Christmas presents!) and made my way home.
Joe was at work, but I was excited to get the wreath up so he would see it greeting him when he drove in. Things didn't go as I planned... I ran into a slight issue once I got the wreath home. Even though I had purchased the cheaper wreath hook, I got it position over the door to hook on and hold the wreath up. I got the wreath in place and tried to close the door. No such luck. I was a bit forceful and tried to shut the door all the way. It wasn't going to work and when I opened it back up a few of the hollies fell to the floor.
Now the wreath is hanging on our back door on the inside. We figured we still liked the wreath so much that we didn't want to return it. Plus this way we can enjoy it as well since that door is just off the kitchen. It's unconventional, we know, but we love it. I would still classify us as learning-as-we-go home owners and we're proud of it.
This is one of those success stories stemming from Pinterest. I pinned this recipe about a week ago and it didn't take me long to find time to make it. Not only did the bread taste delicious, it made the kitchen smell glorious for about an hour. Seriously, I had to text Joe (he was at work) to let him know how good it smelled. Wish he could have enjoyed it as well!
Another fun part of this recipe is the choice of beer. I already mentioned we have lots of leftover beer from Thanksgiving. I used Highland St. Terese's Pale Ale. So much better than just some Bud Light! Not that there's anything wrong with Bud Light... Next time maybe I'll even try something heavier like Guinness.
Directions Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x5x3 loaf pan.
In medium bowl mix together all dry ingredients (flour, sugar, baking powder and salt). Microwave honey for about 10 seconds to make it easier to stir. Add beer and honey to the dry ingredients and mix. Pour batter in loaf pan. Drizzle melted butter on top.
Bake for 50-60 minute or until the top is golden brown.
After Thanksgiving when all of our company had driven away we were left with lots of something. That something? Alcohol. Yes we did our fair share of consuming the alcohol when everyone was together, but we also bought A LOT. Joe and I have slowly enjoyed a few here and there. The first thing we reached for? Jerry's Heineken bottles. Sorry Jerry, they're all gone. Cheers!
As I mentioned on Friday, the ACC Championship game took place in Charlotte this past weekend. Joe and I thought it would be fun to get involved so when I received an email asking for volunteers we signed up right away. They required volunteers to sign up for two time slots. We could choose from a wide range of activities; from Friday welcoming groups to game day help.
We decided to sign up for the 5k Saturday morning. We were at the water station about half way through the race. We arrived, set up the table and got some cups filled. Then, we waited. And waited. Then we decided to wait in the car where it was warmer. The race started at 8 AM so we got ready around then for the sprinters. Sure enough there were a couple true runners sprinting down the street. Of course they didn't need any water, they would finish the race so fast, no need. Then the mob came and we got busy. It was a fun experience.
Our second time slot was around lunch time when the Fan Fest began. We were walking towards the Dr. Pepper stage when we heard a band doing their sound check. I recognized the song and got super excited. It was Little Big Town playing "Good As Gone." I just recently had heard of the group and listened to them on the radio. It was fun to see them for a bit.
Check out their song "Pontoon." It's a catchy song and the words will get stuck in your head. Consider yourself warned.
The game took place at the Bank of America stadium where the Carolina Panthers play. Joe and I went to a game here against the Bronco's in November (did I forget to blog about that game??) We got to watch Peyton Manning play. That was the main reason we chose that game to attend. Plus it was Veterans Day so there was a nice fly over before the game.
We were assigned to the UNC mascot, Ramses.He was considerably calm compared to most of the other mascots. We waited outside the tent for them to get changed and some of them (the Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket in particular) came flying out with so much energy... it was amazing.
We were also assigned to the Virginia Tech mascot... but he had a stomache virus and didn't make it out of the tent right away. We figured we'd give him some extra time and check in on him later. Well we did see him later wandering around the Fan Fest. I guess he made his best effort to at least be seen.
We basically just followed Ramses around and made sure he was keeping on schedule. That lasted all of maybe 30 minutes before we just let him roam with the UNC cheerleader and other mascots. So many people stopped him and just wanted a picture. Even people wearing Florida State or Georgia Teach shirts. What is the allure of a team mascot that doesn't belong to your team? I'm not sure, but Joe and I fell into that category as well.
Ramses jumped into a car with the Yellow Jacket and was filmed for I think the ACC Road Show or something like that. We later saw the Clemson Tiger and Duke Blue Devil in the car. I think they actually let the Blue Devil drive too. Not so safe.
Then he taunted some kids at the Dr. Pepper field.
Ramses was really good with little kids. I mentioned he was stopped constantly with people wanting to take his picture. This wasn't only kids, it was adults too. This little guy had a UNC sweatshirt on and was a bit shy at first. He warmed up quickly though and gave Ramses a hug and his mom took a great picture. Gotta love it!
We happened to walk by during a mascot dance off. I wish we would have seen more, it was too darn hilarious to watch these adults basically act crazy for attention. Not bad attention, fun attention. Did I mention how much energy these guys had? It was incredible.
Oh yea, I almost forgot this picture. There was a practice field set up for drills where kids would run through and get timed. The Virginia Tech Hoakie must have been feeling a bit better because he joined us here and was actually trying to tackle Ramses. It was pretty funny!
Joe wanted to make sure he got his picture with the Maryland mascot. Joe told him "welcome to the Big Ten." The mascots response was funny... he acted like he was throwing money in the air. Which is appropriate since the main reason Maryland would consider joining the Big Ten is due to revenue dollars they would receive!
I wanted my picture with the Clemson tiger.We already visited Clemson for a game and we decided to become fans of the "local" team. Like I said lots of adults were taking pictures with the mascots. We were not shy about it.
We had a great day volunteering for the ACC Championship weekend. Although I will also say it was great to head home early to relax and watch some football on TV. We didn't end up staying for the game, but we were just fine with that.
Well, it's not much of a show like the title suggests, but Joe and I are proud of ourselves for finally putting up some Christmas lights. Neither of us have ever really put these up before and we've definitely never lived in a place where we've put them up together. One box of lights from our recent trip to Walmart plus maybe 15 minutes stringing the lights around our front porch pillars and we have ourselves some Christmas spirit.
Have I told you about our neighbor's lights? The house right next to us is going all out with their lights so initially we figured no need to put our own up. Well then the other neighbors in the cul-de-sac put some up and we felt a bit obligated. No worries though, we're both happy with how they turned out. We're even thinking about getting some more for the bushes next to the front door.
PS - you can actually see some of our neighbor's lights reflecting in the window in the first picture. He put a sign out front yesterday that the light show will officially begin December 9th. The show, meaning the lights will all blink along to Christmas music on the radio, will be awesome. I can't wait to share!
The ACC Championship game is this weekend. It's in Charlotte and the town is already buzzing. Joe and I decided it would be fun to volunteer at the event. In return we got these way cool wind jackets. We're officially ambassadors.
I think it was the weekend after we moved into our house here in Charlotte that I suggested we host Thanksgiving. I also think the second that thought hit my mom's ears she was excited. We were luckily to have so many family members join us in Charlotte to enjoy the holiday.
My parents arrived early to spend almost a full week with us. I have to admit it was fun having my parents all to ourselves for a day or two. We went out to eat in Uptown (yes, that is what they call "downtown" around here) at a not-for-profit restaurant. They serve southern dishes and donate their proceeds to feed people in Charlotte and around the world.
Mom got to try her black eyed peas and grits to complete her southern experience. Dad got to try some local beers to add to his beer app. Yes, he and Joe have a beer app where they recommend beers to each other. There truly is an app for everything.
Deb and Jerry made their way from California on Tuesday. We watched their flight track on our iPhones. It turns into a nerdy app party when you get 6 people together who all have iPhones. I think we all got a few new apps to download during the week.
Scott and Amy arrived Wednesday afternoon and the party could officially start.
We have a bunch of random pictures taken from the family gathering. It was amazing the amount of alcohol we had in the house for the week. You name it, we had it. Here's evidence of our beer cooler on the porch. We did have a great selection!
Let's see, what did we do the whole time everyone was visiting? We watched a lot of football. Unfortunately Iowa lost a close game on Friday which would have been a great upset. We played a lot of frisbee. Our back yard is so perfect for throwing around a ball or flying saucer. The neighbor kids even got in on the action. Consider that good or bad... Scott and Joe had to share their frisbees. I took a few people on a tour of Charlotte. We went through Uptown and walked around the historic 4th ward district. We also drove to the Dilworth neighborhood (where we saw the Santas). We cooked, we ate, we drank and just enjoyed each others company.
Before everyone left Saturday morning we snapped a few family pictures. I can only show you this one... mom made us promise not to share the picture with them since she will be using it for Christmas cards.
Mom and Dad took off for West Virginia to spend an extra day with Scott and Amy. They sent us picture throughout the day of their adventures. Here they are at a winery in Virginia.
Deb and Jerry also took off for an extra trip. They spent the weekend in Asheville, NC. Joe and I recommended they make the short trip to experience the mountains and the Biltmore. We haven't made it there yet, but Deb and Jerry just loved it. Here is a picture they sent us from the grounds of the huge house.
We had a great week with family. It was so nice to fill up the big house that is usually so empty. Thank you to everyone for making the trip to NC!
There were a couple more pictures I was going to share, but I actually hit my limit for picture storage... I'm going to have to figure this out.
Still working on a recap post from the holiday. In the mean time, enjoy these spirited photos.
After all our guests took off on Saturday morning we got into the Christmas spirit. We have our 4 foot tree which fit perfectly in our past apartments. Now it looks a bit weak in a house. I can't complain though, it's great to have the tree up! I do plan on watching for sales though because I think our house deserves an upgrade.
Yes, we did stick the tree right next to the TV. And yes, we did watch lots of football before, during and after putting the tree up. Plus now I can enjoy the tree while watching anything on TV. I love the Christmas season!
Someone else was also in the Chritmas spirit. When driving around town last week we spotted this house in the Dilworth neighborhood. We didn't count how many Santa's in total, but check them out!
Thanksgiving was full of fun, family and food. This is just one example of the great food we ate. My mom and I had fun picking a few recipes from Pinterest that we wanted to try. I think we both picked this same recipe for breakfast. Luckily it was easy and a hit with our guests. I'm hoping to get a long post together this week to recap our Thanksgiving week.
2 cans (12.4 oz each)
Pillsbury® refrigerated cinnamon rolls with icing
4 eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping
cream
2 teaspoons cinnamon
Directions:
Heat oven to 375°F. Pour
melted butter into ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish.Separate both cans of dough
into 16 rolls; set icing aside. Cut each roll into 4 pieces; place pieces over
butter in dish. In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add cream, cinnamon and vanilla
until well blended; gently pour over roll pieces. Bake 20 to 28 minutes or
until golden brown. Cool slightly and drizzle with icing over top.
Some weeks there just isn't much to blog about. Not to say I haven't done anything, but just nothing worth sharing with the world.
Today I do have something to share. This morning Joe and I voted. This was my first time actually going to the polling location on election day. The past elections I have been moving or not in a permanent location and always voted absentee.
Here's to everyone who has worked so hard fighting for a candidate. Here's to the power to vote.
We had a great weekend in Chicago. So many factors made us look forward to it for a long time: it was Joe's birthday, his entire family (significant others included) would be there and we had an Iowa football game to attend. Let me break this down a bit more... it wasn't only Joe's birthday, it was Joe's golden birthday. Do you know what that is? He turned 27 on the 27th. This is the first time in a long time Joe's entire family was able to be together for a couple days. We had a blast with everyone. Oh and of course the football game. We haven't been to an Iowa football game in over a year. We didn't make it to any last year while we were living in San Francisco. Can you see how this trip was meant to be so special?
I don't have a lot of pictures to show, but some I do want to share. Before the football game we met up with some of my family. Here are my aunt and uncle who made the trip from Decorah to Chicago. We also spent some time with their son during the tailgate, but I didn't get any pictures of you Daniel! I blame the cold weather on the lack of pictures. It's hard with an iPhone... you have to take off your glove to snap a picture and my body was refusing quite often. Oh and don't you love Drew's tattoo?!
We watched the team warmup before the game. Here is a good glimpse of Kirk Ferentz speaking with the officials. We sat on the Iowa side and could see the coaches and players talking between plays and such. I wish I knew what they were saying!
A couple of us walked over to where the Iowa team swarmed the field. I did take a video too, but thanks to a couple certain Ellerbroek boys it's not appropriate for some ears.
This was our view during the game. Ok, these aren't our actual seats, but we got really lucky and found enough open seats in one area to fit nine people.
This was the whole group shot we got before the game. I love how this picture turned out! We all need to make sure and frame this. I already have it set as my wall paper on my laptop.
We might not have celebrated an Iowa victory, but we did celebrate Joe's birthday in style. Thanks to everyone for such a great weekend!
I know I just blogged about this last week, but I wouldn't be back so soon if there wasn't a huge development in the story. Remember our pumpkins sitting outside our front door? Well over the weekend whatever was eating them got a feast. I kept waiting for the rodent to dig a hole all the way through. And look, now we have pumpkin guts and seeds on our front steps. How inviting!
Put this one in the books. I have officially completed my very first crochet project. Granted, this took me probably about 2 years to finally get put together. In my defense we did move to San Francisco for six months and I did not bring any yarn with me. We had to pack light, all right?
Anyways, I promised Joe a Hawkeye blanket ever since I took that crochet class back in Des Moines. You can see below this blanket consists of 63 individually stitched granny squares which were then all stitched together. Can't say this will be my best work, but I think it's pretty darn good for a first try. Oh and I also told Joe I never plan on using black yarn again, that was a pain!
Thank you Joe for being my model.
I'm happy to say I've moved on to my next project and can't wait to share!
Once again I've been gone on business travel for a couple days. Now we're getting packed for a long weekend trip. But I can't complain, I love it all!
Joe and I have never gotten too excited about Halloween. Since we've been married (and really even in college for both of us) we never dressed up in costumes or attended costume parties. Carving pumpkins has been one tradition we've tried to keep.
Here are our pumpkins in 2008. This was back in our North Liberty apartment shortly after getting married. Ohhh scary!
Here in 2009... our Des Moines apartment. Joe got excited with a chance for the Iowa football team to make the Rose Bowl. Needless to say, they didn't. And yes, my tiger hawk was carved free hand.
I guess we haven't carved pumpkins since 2009. So much for that tradition! We did decide to buy a few pumpkins a couple weeks ago when we picked up our groceries. We set them outside the house and planned on carving at least one of them at a later date.
We were driving home one day last week when I told Joe maybe I didn't want to carve either of the pumpkins (I was really the one that kept pushing for it) because I liked they way the two of them looked on our door step next to the columns. Plus if we didn't carve them we could keep them for Thanksgiving as some decorations for our visitors.
I kid you not... not more than 2 minutes later we walked up to the door and I noticed there were bites taken from the pumpkins! I have never seen this before from all the years or setting pumpkins outside (I'm including my childhood in this).
Let's call this pumpkin #1.
Here is pumpkin #2
What kind of animal could do such a thing you ask? Your guess is as good as mine.
But wait, there's more... here is pumpkin #2 one day later.
Oh and once again pumpkin #2 one more day later.
Whatever was eating the pumpkins was having a midnight snack or something! Now we're just waiting until we get some pumpkin guts all over our porch. I find this somewhat amusing so I'm not about to bring the pumpkins inside to avoid this possible mess. We figure whatever is eating the pumpkins will probably want to eat the guts too once they get a hole in it.
Brace yourself for a long, somewhat random, post. You have been warned.
I love when I can get credit for making something, but in reality a machine does all the work. We tested out a new recipe in the bread machine this weekend, Cinnamon Sugar Swirl Raisin Bread. Yum! This bread did take more manual labor than the others I've tried. Just like the others you throw all the ingredients in the machine and let it mix, rise, knead again and such. Then when it beeps you have to be available and ready to roll it out, dust the cinnamon, sugar and raisins on and then roll it up. You can tell this was our first attempt and the bread is a little lopsided. You live and you learn. We made a second batch for a co-worker of Joe's and that one was almost perfection.
Well I guess we tried out two new recipes. We've been toying with the idea of Strawberry Rhubarb Jam for a while, but the grocery store didn't have any rhubarb. I should have known the last time I saw it in the store it wouldn't be there a couple weeks later. Oh well, we improvised by adding extra strawberries and just calling it good ol' strawberry jam. It only made two small mason jars that weren't even completely full. Next time we'll learn and double the batch because this stuff will be gone quick.
We also were productive this weekend by picking out a large enough table to seat eight this Thanksgiving. We have been torn between buying a nice dining room table or something more temporary. After searching for deals at furniture stores we couldn't believe how expensive large tables run for! With Thanksgiving creeping closer we decided it was time to buy this folding table with folding chairs. I will point out the chairs are very plush and nice. Plus we'll add a table cloth and nice place settings to make it look nice.
Here's another angle, but the lighting is bad. Now all we need is the table to be set and lots of happy people around it!
Speaking of furniture stores, I bought a Groupon for Ashley Furniture Homestore a loooong time ago. Basically I spent $50 for the Groupon that was a coupon for $150 at the store. Yes, I'd like $100 for free since we knew we'd need to start buying furniture for the house (such as a dining room table?) Well, we held on to the Groupon for a while, browsed the store and still couldn't come up with something worth spending the money on. We were forced to take a trip to the store this last weekend since the Groupon expires today. Here's a look into what we came up with.
We bought these fun pillows to match our brown couch. When we bought this couch it came with two pillows and we were given the option to pick out the fabric for them. Figuring we'd just buy some later on once we settled on some we liked, we just got two pillows in the same fabric as the couch. Now these new pillows are much more comfortable and add a little pattern to the room.
We picked up this woven tray that will be nice to use as decoration or function around the house. Here I have it sitting on the table in our entryway with a candle and small pumpkin. I bought a bundle of the small pumpkins and have them scattered throughout the house. I love fall!
We also bought a large basket that matches the tray above. This will be great to store blankets or yarn (for when I crochet of course... more on my latest project next week). Here the basket is sitting next to the chair and fire place. Please cut me some slack on these pictures, it was dark already by the time I got around to taking them so they're a bit grainy. Oh and look, there's the two brown pillows we got when the couch!
And last but not least, this guy. I'm not quite sure what to call him. A clear glass vase with lid? That doesn't much matter, what matters is how cool he is. Can you just picture this filled with Christmas ornaments come December? I can't wait to start changing up the items I put inside.
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