Thirty Thursday's {5}

Week 5 Topic: What are the 3 things that make you most happy right now?

Abby: 
1. Alex & Moose
2. Traveling
3. Cupcakes and Balloons- it's my birthday month....


Alex: 
1. Abby and Moose
2. Alone time to play video games/watch ESPN/eat Doritos
3. Success at work.

I'm Golden!

Today is my "Golden Birthday" meaning: I turned 23 on the 23rd. Exciting stuff....so far I have indulged in ice cream and a cupcake. I have also received cards, phone calls, face times and messages from well wishers. My mom even got me a golden wig...she's pretty great.

We're those sad people who get our dog a treat for our special occasions...

Alex also has something up his sleeve for our dinner plans, so I'll keep you posted. 

Happy Birthday to Me  (and my Mom yesterday)!

Pink Elephant

On I-55 near Livingston there is an antique shop/mall that always catches my eye. They have a giant pink elephant, space ship, ice cream cone and a lot of other unidentifiable objects littering the front lawn of an old school turned antique store. I always want to stop on our way to Springfield/Decatur and Alex never wants to. But, yesterday I decided that we were going to go see what they have to offer....

We had a good time looking at their odd collection of "antiques" (apparently Hannah Montana paraphernalia is antique...). I tried on a lot of "fur" coats, silly hats and jewelry. Alex didn't admit to finding anything that caught his eye, but I know he secretly wanted to wear some "fur" too...

Also, the previously mentioned ginormous ice cream cone is a working ice cream stand. So, we had to indulge....I got Dirt 'N Worms- vanilla ice cream with marshmallow fluff, Oreo's and gummy worms- it was quite tasty. Alex had chocolate with brownie bits (less adventurous, but still good). 

Thirty Thursday's {4}

Week 4 and still going strong! Topic: List 5 things you would tell your 16 year-old self, if you could.

Abby: 
1. This is just the beginning.
2. Enjoy living at home...everything is free (ish). 
3. Pick and choose your friends wisely. 
4. You're never going to have to take another math class, so don't sweat the small stuff.....no one really cares about geometry anyway.
5. You're smarter than you give yourself credit for. 

Alex: 
1. Treat that Abby girl right, you're going to marry her.
2. Don't work so much-enjoy high school.
3. Play more Halo- you won't ever have as much free time again.
4. Don't worry about fitting in.
5. Be more confident in your abilities. 

Tasty Treats (via Instagram)

http://instagr.am/p/Px4MC5A1GO/

Where did our weekend go?!

We had a busy, unproductive, fun weekend.

We got to go home to Salem for one of my friend's weddings. It was a beautiful ceremony and a really fun reception. We got to catch up with a lot of our friends we haven't seen in a long time, eat, dance and take some awesome pictures in a photo booth (#1). It was a really fun night! Congratulations Amy and Jon, we wish you hundreds of years of happiness and love!  

On Sunday, Alex and his brother got to meet up with their uncle Tim to go to the Ram's game! They had a lot of fun and I'm (not so secretly) glad that Greg went so I didn't have to-I squeezed in a 3 hour nap. But, it was Fisher Stache day- he's the new coach who sports a nice mustache (#3). To top it all off, the Rams WON!!! A successful day was had by all.

On Tuesday of this past week I got to see my sister-Becky, cousin-Libby, their kids and our moms for a fun afternoon. I even got to help Ethan make some major bubbles...I'm a cool aunt (#2). 

Last but, not least, today was mowing day and poor little Moose has green paws...it's kind of cute...(#4). 

Happy Monday!

Thirty Thursday's {3}

Week Three Topic: Describe your relationship with your parents.  

Abby: I have a good relationship with my parents. When I was growing up, I don't know how I felt about them...they were definitely not the "cool" parents. But, looking back, the kids with the "cool" parents aren't as "cool" now as they once were. I think that my parents had an even balance of nice and dictator. They told me very nicely what was expected of me and saw to it that I did as expected. It made me a hard worker and gave me a strong(er) back bone than, I think, I would have had.  It's funny how things change as we grow up. My mom is now a genius. She knows every recipe, how to fix any problems and her advice seems like God placed the words on her lips. I really love and appreciate my mama. My dad is now (one of) the funniest men on Earth, he's hilarious. He use to embarrass me...but now he's just really funny. I have a great deal of respect for my father. He is ridiculously smart, witty and a good Christian leader of his family. I love my parents, I think they're the best. 

Alex: I have a great relationship with my parents. They taught me responsibility at a very early age. They gave me the option to make my own decisions and I would have to live with the consequences-good or bad. They taught me hard work and that there is more to life than making money. They have been a great example of how a marriage should be, that there is give and take in all relationships. They never argue about anything, which is what Abby and I try to emulate. But, they were the "cool" parents and I turned out alright.

Wednesday Pinsday {9.12.12}

Lately I've been pinning some (in my opinion) fantastic typography,signage and letterpress. It's beautiful art that often goes un{der}appreciated. We read and see some fantastic signs, fonts and letterpress every day and likely don't notice or appreciate it. So here's to you typography/signage/letterpress.

1. Billy's Bakery...looks like a yummy place to me
2. Look how great the L's are on all!
3. Boston
4. Talk Type
5. I would have no problem walking into Ralph's, look at that "S"!
6. Stay in school, drugs aren't cool....but this sign is.
7. Eat.

Confessions

I still eat yogurt with sprinkles. Try as I might, it's not likely to change anytime soon.

Does anyone else remember the yogurt that came with the sprinkles in the lid? That was the best. A psychologist would tell me I'm trying to hold onto my childhood and I wouldn't be able to disagree.

Oh, Happy Day!

Happy Monday all! I hope this post finds you doing well. I, somehow, managed to get a four day weekend this weekend and I will happily take it! This weekend was relaxing, not necessarily lazy, but not busy either. A happy weekend, with no further delay, our weekend in pictures:

The pictures are slightly out of order, but who wants to see a giant storm cloud blown up?! Not this girl...

On Friday, I made cookies  (#3) for our new neighbors. But, they haven't been home, so we had to eat them. Bummer...But, they were really tasty and so easy. You should give them a try. 

Saturday we headed to Forest Park to enjoy the absolutely gorgeous weather. The storms from Friday night (# 5) brought in a cold front, so it was very fall-esque. However, the rest of the city had the same idea. To say the park was crazy busy is an understatement. It seemed like everyone, their kids, cats and grandparents decided to go to the park. No trip to Forest Park is complete with out going through the zoo, but the crowds made it less than relaxing, so we left. The fountain in front of the World's Fair pavilion is a favorite of ours (#1) so we sat, people watched and dipped our toes. 

After leaving the park Alex was a doll and took me to the Galleria, more importantly Nordstrom and Anthropologie my two favorite stores. I was a happy girl AND to tip the scales of happiness even more, I had my  first Pumpkin Spice Latte of fall 2012 (#4)!! We had a great day. Then on Sunday, we headed to church for some great worship and watched the Rams lose.

Moose Update(#2): He is doing great and growing like a little weed, weighing in at 12lbs. Little chunk! He is still teething and chewing like crazy, but he's a sweet little fella. 

How was your weekend? 

Thirty Thursday's {2}

This weeks topic: Describe 3 legitimate fears you have and explain how they became fears.

Abby: 
1. I am afraid of the dark. I do not know why but, I hate darkness. Maybe it's a deeper, psychological or philosophical reason that I'm not aware of...or I'm just scared of the dark along with all other 10 year old girls....

2. I am afraid of uncontrolled water sources (oceans and rivers). They have the ability to suck you under and you have no control over the situation. What prompted this fear? When my family went to the ocean (or Gulf) when I was little we were boogie boarding and I got pulled under for hours (or 5 seconds) and it frightened me.

3. I am afraid of not getting the approval of those I care about. I guess I'm a people pleaser to a certain extent, mainly with my parents, Becky, Alex and other's that I'm very close to. 


Alex: 
1. I'm afraid of failure, for obvious reasons. Who wants to put effort into something and then fail...it scares me.

2. I'm afraid to lose people that I care about. Also for obvious reasons.

3. I'm sort of afraid of heights, but it's an adrenal rush that I like...I'm weird. 

Wednesday Pinsday {9.5.12}

Happy Wednesday! I hope September is bringing you as much happiness as it is me! It's my birthday month, which means that fall is just around the corner! I L.O.V.E fall! It's my favorite season; crispy leaves, sweaters, pumpkin spice latte's, caramel smells wafting through the house, bonfires, pumpkin spice latte's, boots, carving pumpkins, baking, corn mazes..I could go on forever. Oh boy, I'm excited! So, it's not hard to see why most of my recent pins are fall themed. Without further ado:

{1} Essie Hot Cocoa nail polish
{2} A fall color palate for the home
{3} Pumpkin Spice White Hot Cocoa
{4} Fall color palate for the lady
{5} Cozy layers
{6} Pumpkin Decorating **
{7}S'more Cupcakes
{8} Photo Transfer DIY

**Alex hates loathes/despises glitter, so please, if you are planning on bedazzling your pumpkins, let me come over to help. (Along with fall, I love glitter!)

What are you pinning this week?

What a lovely holiday!

We have had a fantastic holiday weekend and I'm not ready for it to be over. But, all good things must come to an end or so they say...

To celebrate the beginning of the holiday, Alex and I went to a local eatery we really enjoy: Cleveland Heath.  I haven't had the same thing twice and I have not been disappointed. If you're in the area, stop by. It's worth it...yum. 

Later, we headed up to my sisters for a fun filled 36 hours. We got to play with Ethan and Nora and their fantastic parents. The rain put a damper (no pun intended) on our outdoor adventuring ideas. But, we had a good time relaxing inside. We even headed over to Springfield- the Illinois State Capitol & home to good ole honest Abe {Lincoln}. We went to Scheels, which is a sporting goods store with it's very own Ferris wheel! Becky, Ethan and I hopped aboard while Alex, Jared and Nora were our paparazzo.  Then we went to a Collier family fav-Chipotle. It was a nice lunch and a good time (and nap) was had by all. 

Becky and I even made a Pinterest recipe  for some Auntie Ann's pretzels, which I have dubbed Auntie Abby's pretzels. They were very tasty, but I'm glad I didn't try to make them by myself. It was really messy/greasy/sticky, but they turned out well and I would probably make them again...with some assistance. 

What excitement did you have over the holiday?

Picture Details

{1}: Becky, Ethan and Abby on the Ferris Wheel at Sheels! It was a fun ride, probably because there was a three year old sandwiched between us.

{2}: Sheels Token: Good for 1 ride.

{3}: Twisting the pretzels just like the pro's...

{4}: While we're here in the lower 48, my parents are off being Alaskan Adventurer's with my Aunt Linda and Uncle Wayne. I had only one request: find a moose and capture it's picture....this is what I got. They're quite the jokesters. 

{5}: While at Cleveland Heath I enjoyed my adult beverage for the month a Moonshine Blueberry Mojito...yum! 

{6}: Becky and I making, rolling and twisting the pretzels (Becky hates, HATES messy hands, so we did what everyone would do, greased our hands with Pam to avoid the mess and it worked)!

{7}: Ethan and Alex my the giant fish tank at Sheels. Ethan tried to mimic my fish faces and he ended up looking very squishy.