WIAW- Road Trip Edition

Maybe y'all have guessed why I haven't been replying to comments (or leaving any on your lovely blogs!) for the past two weeks... Yup, I was on VACATION! Oh, wonderful vacation.

We took a road trip to Virginia to visit tons of family and friends (it seems like lately everyone I know either lives in or is moving to Virginia...). I have so many pictures to share, but I thought it would be fun to first link up to Jenn's What I Ate Wednesday party and share some of the amazing foods that we ate on our road trip...









Because really, what is a vacation without some awesome food? So here is a smattering of just some of the incredible things we chowed down...

Ham and cheese sandwich baked into a croissant (does that just blow your mind like it does mine???) at a fabulous bakery in a little town called Middleburg.

Also from that bakery- THE best molasses spice cookie I have ever had in my life. I must try and recreate this at home.

Later on, we went to Georgetown and had pizza. I kid you not, it was the best pizza I have ever had. Maybe it was just being on vacation, but pretty much all the food we ate was the best. 

At my Aunt's house, we had an extraordinary chicken curry dish that she made for us. 

So good, it deserves two pictures. We also had homemade chai lattes to go with it (or chai masala, in keeping with the indian theme). Her secret is to use coconut milk- genius, right? Oops, guess it's not a secret anymore!

Josh and I went on a date one morning to Waffle House. I have some fond memories of eating here as a child when we would visit family in Florida. I love their buttermilk waffles and hash browns with cheese and onion... A heart attack on a plate, but so worth it. 

At the end of our trip, we got to stop by a fellow blogger's house and have a BBQ dinner! The whole dinner was fan-freaking-tastic, but the only picture I got was of the cupcakes. We're talking homemade vanilla cupcakes with strawberry frosting... YUMMY. Also, notice how the frosting was melting a little? It's really hot in VA. 

I also got to eat at Chick-Fil-A for the first time ever. Why is this restaurant not in Minnesota? I feel so cheated! I loved the waffle fries and the lemonade, I think I could eat there every day.

In case you were worried, nary a pound was gained during this trip either. In between eating, we were so busy swimming in the ocean, going for walks, and clambering up mountains (yes, mountains), that every calorie I consumed was obliterated shortly thereafter. Woohoo!

I'm so happy to be home again! I miss my family and friends, but there's something so wonderful about coming back to your own home after being away. Also, I can't wait to sit down and really catch up with what you all have been up to! Happy Wednesday, friends!

Sewing, sewing, sewing...

I was a busy bee the other day trying to whip up some curtains for our 2nd bedroom. I had some fabric that a friend gave me a while back that I was dying to use some how, and suddenly it dawned on me that it would be the perfect fabric for curtains!  

So, using some tips I learned from the folks over at Young House Love, I decided to use Stitch-Witchery instead of sewing the curtains.

I was so excited as I carefully ironed the hem, and them painstakingly pressed the no-sew tape into the seam with the iron.

I got about halfway through the project (1 curtain down, 1 to go...) when I realized that my seams were literally falling apart.

Crapola! Pardon my french, but I was not happy. So after all that ironing and no-sew taping, I still had to go back and sew over all the seams. The moral of the story? Make sure you are using the right strength of no-sew tape for the fabric you are hoping to not sew. I realized the tape I bought was for lighter fabrics like cotton quilting fabric, not heavy drapery material. Lesson learned.

It sure looks pretty in the photo below though, right? I mean, aside from the fact that if I actually hung them they would just drip right off the curtain rods in a matter of seconds...

As I was ironing and practicing my French language skills, Aggie was having fun playing with my measuring tape and then taking a wee nap. At least one of us had a blissful afternoon! 

So, once I have carefully sewn the 2nd panel, I will post pictures of the curtains! In the meantime, please enjoy this cute picture of my kitty napping. Thanks and have a fabulous day!

Edit: Thanks to my awesome commenters, I know know that it's just not smart to use no-sew tape for projects like this! Even if it works for a while and you have the right strength for the fabric, it just doesn't last as long. So, this is one of those instances where it's worth it to put in the work, and get better, longer-lasting results! Thanks guys! 

Relaminating Countertops- Guest Post

Today I am guest-posting over at The Flipping Couple! I'm sharing more info about our exciting countertop transformation. I would love for you to stop by and say hi!

Feathered-Friends

So last year, we had some barn swallows move in as our next-door neighbors! Actually, they kind of just built their house right on our house and we didn't have much of a choice but to accept them as neighbors.

 

We noticed that they had babies about halfway through the summer, but sadly we couldn't really peek at them since their nest was in an awkward location. The picture above was as close as I could get to that nest! 

But this year, they came back and built another nest, this time right next to our garage! 

And, you guessed it, they just had babies. Oh, the cuteness. Every time I walk outside I get dive-bombed by the parents, but it's worth it to be able to look up and see four little yellow beaks peeking out from their nest. I mean really, how cute is this? 

 

I'm just amazed by the beauty of God's creation, happening right outside my front door! Do you have any cute little feathered or furried neighbors?

Around Minneapolis

I love Minneapolis! It's not the biggest, most exciting city, but there are so many wonderful things about it. One of my favorite locations is in what used to be an industrial area but has now been turned into an arts/theater/condominium hot spot.

My dad and I recently took a little hike around that area and I had fun using my camera to capture some images!

The Guthrie Theater has an amazing "never-ending bridge" built onto the structure. The view is amazing! It's so wonderful to stand there and feel the wind in your hair and listen to the roar of the Mississippi River rushing by. 

Also- for anyone who's afraid of heights (me!) it can be a little frightening. 

We went up to the top floor of the theater and looked out of this amazing chartreuse-colored window. The photos below are straight from my camera, no photoshop used!

 

 Sometimes it is so fun to go out and be a tourist in your own hometown, you just never know what you may stumble upon! What are some of your favorite places to visit around where you live?

Well, Happy Friday y'all and I hope you have a seriously awesome 4th of July weekend! Muah!

Friends in the Fabric Biz!

I'm so excited for my blogging-buddy Jane (from The Borrowed Abode)! With much sweat and tears, she has finally been able to start up her dream business online! Even while working a full time job (probably hence the sweat and tears...).

Don't you just love that tagline? I'm all about celebrating fabric! I love her shop because it is filled to the brim with the most beautiful fabrics you can imagine, and each and every item is hand-sewn by Miss Jane herself.

 

I got this gorgeous sunglasses case (pic above is from Janery.com) and I am head over heels in love! It's the perfect size for my big sunglasses, no need to carry around a mammoth case for them anymore!

So if you are in the market for some beautifully handcrafted items, I would really encourage you to check out her site and support this awesome hand-made business. Happy shopping!

A fun photo-op

Last weekend, Josh and I went with a bunch of our friends to a beautiful art installation near Harriet Island in St. Paul. It was so breathtaking! I had lot of fun playing with my camera (with some help from my friend Ali who actually knows how those things work...) in order to get some good shots.

We had a pretty busy weekend- friends over on Friday, a visit to Valleyfair (a theme park nearby) on Saturday, and a church day on Sunday! Also, we are getting ready for a big ol' road trip to visit some family members in Virginia. What have you all been up to lately?