The (Not-So) Ordinary Life and Times...

Family Reunion

So it wasn't a real family reunion, but Drake Choir was my family for four years, so the reunion was like going home. I really miss my Des Moines girlfriends too, so another kind of family was reunited as well

Friday night was girls' night out, and I got to see all my favorite friends from Des Moines. I was telling Dan the other day the only thing I would miss about Omaha would be Whole Foods. My friends told me that Des Moines is getting a Whole Foods this summer!! I would love to move back to Des Moines, but that just sweetens the pot :)

I miss these girls so much, and I love hanging out with them! It was a Coach girls reunion, too!

Me, Bonnie and Leah

The beautiful Lani, who graciously let us stay at her place for the weeend!

 

I guess this means it was a good night!

Lani, Dan and I went to Baby Boomer's for breakfast on Saturday morning. This is the restautant that President Obama always visits when he's in Des Moines for a chocolate chip cookie. It was pretty darn good!

I then went to my dear friend Ellen's jewelry boutique, Leona Ruby. This boutique is absolutely darling. Everything is white and grey, and the jewelry and accessories is of course amazing. I bought a pair of navy pearl studs, a fun flower for my hair and a pair of camera earrings for Christina.

Then it was of to Drake for a reception, rehearsal and concert. It was surreal to be back on Drake's campus, back in Sheslow auditorium, standing on the risers with my folder and music in front of Dr. ABC, and so good to see these people again.

Sorry for the not-so-great picture on these videos, I was more concerned with capturing the audio.

  

 Os Justi

 

 

Shenandoah

 

The concert was great, and of course, the trek to The Lift was inevitable.

Marcus came from Boston just to see me. Or probably for Dan, realistically.

The Hoff. How could you not love someone who speaks fluent German and has spent the night at ABC's house!?

Sweta Soni. A little slice of heaven.

 

I miss all of you terribly, and hope that it isn't another four years before I see you all again!

Happy Valentine's Day!

My mom and aunt told me about this recipe from The Novice Chef, and I decided it would make super cute treats to take to work.

These are Marbled Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies, and I used smaller cookie cutters to make them into bites. Enjoy the day of love!

Small World

I'm currently reading The Nazi Officer's Wife by Edith Hahn Beer, and what an amazing story! A Jewish woman living in Austria escapes certain deportation and potential death by marrying a Nazi. When he visits her in Vienna, he stays in the Hotel Wandl.

I had the opportunity to stay in Vienna at Hotel Wandl in 2008 during the Drake Choir Euopean tour. I couldn't believe that I had stayed in the very same place and had a connection to this woman.

Beautiful courtyard in the center.

Edith Hahn Beer was incredibly brave in one of the darkest times Europe has ever seen. I really enjoyed her story and feeling a connection to the past, however small.

I'm heading to Des Moines next weekend for a Drake Choir reunion and I'm so excited to sing with these people again!! Drake Choir was my family for four years, and I miss them all terribly. Reading this book and being reminded of a little Viennese hotel brought back memories of some of the best times of my life.

Isn't it funny how we're all connected?

 

Oh Baby, the Places You'll Go! A Dr. Seuss Baby Shower

I co-hosted a baby shower for my sister in law yesterday. We kept the theme gender-neutral since I don't know if I'm getting a neice or a newphew!! I'm very excited to be an aunt, and we had fun planning this very whimsical Dr. Seuss-themed party. You can check out more pics on my events page.

Calendar Wisdom: February 2012

Life isn't divided into genres.

It's a horrifying, romantic, tragic, comical,

science-fiction cowboy detective novel.

--Alan Moore

2012: A year of yoga

I have never been into yoga as a way to exercise. I did one class in high school and thought it was really boring.

Working two jobs is very stressful, and I got tired of having one too many nights when I couldn't sleep because my shoulders were wound so tightly I feel like my spine might break. Right before the new year I decided to look into yoga again.

The verdict: I'm in love.

I'm using yoga as a way to breathe. I never (ever) took a moment to think about my breathing. Yoga is the practice of matching breath to movement. I'm challening my body and mind in a way that really helps me focus. If I can breathe and relax on command, my day goes so much  more smoothly.

I love that doing yoga is referred to as a practice. I'm a creature of habit, and a routine is really soothing for me. So being able to say that I am practicing something makes me feel good. It also helps the perfectionist in me calm down if I can't do a pose perfectly on the first try.

I've mostly been doing it by myself at home, but would love to take a class. I can't believe how much more flexible I've become in just about a month of practicing.

I encourage anyone to at least try yoga.

You'll find a list of yoga DVDs I like on the Yoga page. And we'll end with a little inspiration:

 

 

Winter Wreath

You may have seen my Fall yarn wreath in a previous post, but this one is a little more appropriate for winter! Or at least it would be if we had any snow. We've had some flurries, but today is what I would call the first REALLY cold day...single digits. Enjoy my slight obsession with yarn wreaths:

Wrapping this wreath took a significanly shorter amount of time, partly because I used a styrofoam form this time, and it was white, so the form didn't show through the yarn as much as the straw one did for the other wreath I made.

I chose "wintry" colors for the felt flowers this time...and did you know they made glitter felt!? It's true. It had to happen.

I used an old package decoration (a pretty ornament or brooch would work too!) to decorate the wreath, tied it with navy ribbon and on the door it goes! This can last at least through February, I would think...unless I decide to ambitiously attempt a Valentine's day wreath. Happy crafting!

New year, new blog

I love blogging here about my life. I've also started a new venture that's just for fashion, food and parties. I'll just be posting little bits of my style here and there, as well as recipes and any events that I plan and style. Go check out Le Pink Popcorn!

Comfortable

I love New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. It's probably my second favorite holiday (Thanksgiving is the first!). For a details person like me, the beginning of any month or week is a chance to start fresh, get organized for the things ahead, etc. But something about January 1 is special. A whole year to plan! I also like cleaning out all my files, older items from my closet and house, and generally cleaning up the details in my life. The annual purge is very cathartic.

The lovely Christina Kahler got me a new quote calendar for Christmas, hooray! So I'll be posting musings every month. That's at least 12 blog posts this year, woo hoo! I've been wanting to post about our homemade Christmas, but we haven't celebrated Christmas with Daniel's family yet so I will post about that later (I don't want to ruin any Christmas surprises!).

I don't like to make New Year's resolutions, but I do think I will be repeating this little mantra this year: "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable." It sounds a little strange, I guess, but probably because it came from one of my Jillian Michaels workout videos. She was talking about physical comfort, but I think it can apply to other areas of life. Life isn't about being comfortable. The world doesn't owe you anything. Life will be hard sometimes. The more comfortable you are with being uncomfortable, the more likely you are to be happy even in hard situations. Another saying I've heard that I will try to remember this year is "God is more concerned with your character than with your comfort." I know God doesn't want anything bad to happen to me, but I do think a little hardship in my comfortable life is small potatoes compared to what Jesus did for us. So I'm going to roll up my sleeves and get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Happy New Year! All the best to you and yours in 2012.

 

Musings: January 2012

A new Quotable calendar from Christina Kahler means a new quote each month!

 

May every sunrise hold more promise,

and every sunset hold more peace.