mid week randomness.

It's been too long once again, but such is life these days.

Here's a little of what's been going on. 

• We had another doctor's appointment on Monday and all is good with the growing gummi bear. A 17  week bumpdate is coming tomorrow!
• My little sister got engaged a few weeks ago! I'm so excited for her and my future brother in law! They are getting married next July 14th. So in addition to baby stuff, I've also been getting to relive the whole wedding planning process which I have missed terribly.

meg & kyle

•  Did you know dogs could be allergic to bee stings? Me neither, until yesterday when poor little Lilly got stung and had a slight anaphylactic reaction. The poor thing was so scared. Luckily, a trip to the vet 5 minutes down the road, some Benadryl and Decadron {a steroid}, and she was back to her old self. 
• We finally ordered a living room couch and it should be here next week! I have lots of house updates to post about. So much to blog, so little time.
• Starting in the end of August I'm cutting back my night shift hours at work a little, with hopes of having a somewhat more normal life. Working two nights a week instead of three should make a big difference and I can't wait.
• Two of my best friends came up this past weekend and we had a blast! I miss them already. Nothing compares to girl's weekends. It was their first time seeing the house and we did a lot of summery Rhode Island things...Newport, Block Island, beach, shopping, & eating!

lunch in Newport. Block Island Sunset.

sunset view from the ferry. my girls.

Thursday's Random Thoughts

• My little sister is coming up for the weekend. She hasn't seen our house yet, or met the new pup, so I'm really excited. On the agenda: manis/pedis, shopping, and going to see Water for Elephants.

• Speaking of pup, I can't believe how BIG she is getting. How did she go from a little ball of fluff, not able to climb the stairs...to this big baby who is into everything?...in less than a month! They grow up too fast!

no, she's not supposed to be on the couch. but she looked so cute.

• We are having Easter dinner at my in-laws. I'm thinking of bring these and these. And possibly these.

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• I cannot believe it is almost May. My birthday is three weeks from today. For anyone who's reading  and curious (husband, parents) ...I'll have a wish list next week :)

• After tonight, I'm off work for six glorious days. It's been a long and busy couple weeks so I'm ready for a little break.

 Happy almost Friday!

tulips, vegetables, & chalkboards.

What do these three things have in common?

Not too much, other than they have been making my week a little sweeter!

I bought a couple bunches of tulips at the grocery store at the beginning of the week, and they have been brightening the house ever since. I had enough to scatter small bunches and bud vases around. Is there anything better than fresh flowers? Well...besides maybe, puppies, but I'll get to that!

If you follow me on twitter, you might know that the hubs and I went to visit some little baby chocolate labs on Monday night. Well, everyone should be aware that you don't go visit puppies unless it's something you're really serious about...they are kinda irresistible. So needless to say, we'll be having a new addition to our little family in about a week! More on that to come :)

After visiting what will be our new baby, we made a little dinner. Have you ever tried roasting vegetables in the oven? If not, you definitely should. So delish! This week we tried brussel sprouts, which are SO much better roasted than any other way I've ever tried. 

Start with some finely chopped garlic, and saute it in a generous bit of olive oil, {enough oil to drizzle on the veggies, depending on how much of those you have} then add some kosher salt and cracked pepper. Music is also a necessity. Makes cooking that much better :)

Drizzle that mixture on top of whatever you are roasting. In addition to the brussel sprouts we also tried some loose spinach, which was also good, just cooks much faster!

Sorry this is a little blurry.
Roast at 400 degrees for about half an hour. {less time for the spinach} The outside turns crispy and the inside turns soft. Then enjoy! We've also tried asparagus which is equally as good, and only takes about 20 minutes. You can also add lemon or other seasonings to mix it up.

 

We found this vintage chalkboard at an antique shop. Last week when my nieces were over, I asked them to draw me a picture for the new house and this is what they came up with. Makes me smile.

 

Anything making your week a little brighter?

Maybe if you won my giveaway, that would help!

Enter here, you only have until noon tomorrow.

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, friends! I apologize for my lack of blogging this week. We've been super busy with projects around here, trying to get things in order for our house warming party coming up in two weeks. I wish I could invite all of you! It's *hopefully* going to be a really good time. 

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I didn't have time to put together a fancy Friday ensemble, but honestly, I'll take this dress, and the bike, and the flowers, and some warm spring sunshine...please & thank you.

I have a little something special coming your way on Monday...in the form of a giveaway. 

So until then, have a great weekend!

Such Great Heights

Yikes, it's already kinda been a long week, and it is only Wednesday. I'm battling another cold...about my fifth time being sick this winter. I used to never get sick and this time it's a sinus infection. I'm blaming my night shift lifestyle. We're constantly butting heads, but I will win!

At least we're one day closer to the weekend, right? I'm looking forward to a long weekend off, only two more nights of work to go. And to top it off, the temperatures here in the tundra of Rhode Island are supposed to reach the 50's by the end of the week. I can't wait for all the dirty snow to melt away, and be able to see my backyard again. So I'm ready for this little taste of spring. Here are some more things that have brightened my week. Luckily, I've got quite a few :)

Red Velvet cookie sandwiches for my Valentine. I posted the recipe here, and let me tell you, they are as good as the look!

Pretty roses from the hubby.

Enclosed in one of those envelopes pictured above? Tickets to see Iron & Wine at the House of Blues in Boston. SO.excited! Do you remember this song from Garden State? It's one of my favorite movies.


Last night, I got this email while I was at work. Just because. LOVE my hubby. And yay for a spa day. I so need it!

And last but not least, I'm taking part in this little blog crawl, organized by the lovey Jillian of cornflake dreams, which I'm so excited to be a part of! Check out the link of the left side of her blog to follow along with some pretty awesome bloggers...and stay tuned for my post on Saturday!

Anything making your week extra special? I'd love to hear about it!

Over the Rainbow

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i need this. 

hope you're enjoying this lovely weekend!

Thursday's Random Thoughts

•  As much as I love the snow, I can feel spring fever starting to creep in. I'm sure it will be out in full force after a few more weeks of this winter stuff. Can't wait to fill some of my mason jars with pretty flowers like this.

• The floors in our bedroom are done and we were finally able to sleep in there last night with the mattress not on the floor. Now we're in the market for a bed. These are a few of our top choices. Hopefully we'll be making a decision tonight after we check out one more store. 

ashby sleigh bed

farmhouse bed

• Did you know the Pottery Barn website has a little "design studio?" It lets you try out different pieces of furniture together and has ideas based on rooms. Love it.
• Valentine's Day is a month from tomorrow. How is January half over already? Although J & I aren't big into Valentine's day, I love a reason to give a pretty card.

{via}

•  Got the post Christmas blues? Sign up for the "DEFEAT THE XMAS BLUES SWAP!"  This will be my first swap and I'm really excited!  Check out the details here!

Snowy Day Photo Update!

Well, now it's our turn. We've got a lot of the white stuff up here in southern New England and today? I don't really mind it! I love the snow when I don't have to work, and luckily, Hubs and I both managed to have the day off. Yay for snow days!

{snow day essentials: breakfast sandwiches, snowmen & hot cocoa}

{Lilly, part puggle/part snow bunny, with her new friend! & the view up the street from our house}

And I finally got around to uploading a ton of photos from Christmas until more recently. Is it too late for Christmas photos? I think not.

{Christmas Eve: The Hopkins tree, gingerbread houses & my cute nephew on his new pony}

{Christmas morning surrounded by boxes: Our new festive pajamas we exchanged on Christmas Eve & our little tree complete with filled stockings and some extra presents Santa brought for the new house!}

{The post Christmas blizzard that delayed our move by a day! & our old apartment packed to the max}

{January has brought birthday celebrations, my father-in-law's 60th & many renovation casualties!}

Thursday's Random Thoughts

• It is way, way too cold here. I forgot how much winter and I do not get along. The static hair, dry skin, runny nose. I'm not a huge fan.

• Thank goodness for these things in my life. Without them, I would not be the same.

restoration hardware throw. lollia handcreme. UGG boots

• While I'm on the subject of the cold, I'm already scared to see our first heating bill in the new house. We are spoiled right now that our heat is included in our rent. Oil heat in an older home...I think we're in for a rude awakening. I hope we don't end up like this!

• We tried to shop for some furniture this week. Normally, I would think this would be fun, however, I really can't stand the sales people that follow you around like stalkers. I know it's their job but seriously, just let me be. I need time to look and space to breathe. {We still have not made any purchases!}
• On to some more happier thoughts, I get to see my family this weekend! We are headed to the lovely state of New Jersey to celebrate Christmas with my mom's family! Yay for Christmas festivities, yummy food, and family. I haven't seen them since August and that is far too long.
• Christmas is only NINE days away. Seriously cannot believe it. J's stocking is stuffed and Lilly's is too!

{not our actual stockings}

• I LOVE my husband for handling the transferring of the utilities to the new address. You rock, babe.
• I realized today that I should have shared this on my O Christmas Tree post. My sister-in-law's tree, complete with my cute, curly haired little nephew underneath. I love it!

•  I'll just let this photo speak for itself!

{via}

•  It's almost the weekend and I have five glorious days off. Hallelujah!

{via}

Winter Song

This is all I got today. Because it's freezing cold. My phone said 15 degrees when I got my butt out of bed for the gym. And I'm about to go brave the cold again and have my Christmas shopping COMPLETE. This pretty song will carry me on my way. Enjoy!

happy friday?

I have to admit, having to work Friday nights and/or the weekend nights really don't make for such an exciting week end. But at least I can look forward to tomorrow & Sunday. Some QT with the husband who I haven't spent a night with since Monday. Sigh. Just gotta make it through work tonight.

I saw this photo and it reminded me of the days when my family used to drive around different neighborhoods looking at other people's Christmas lights. It was a little tradition we had. There were always neighborhoods that went all out!

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It is a bit extreme, but secretly, it makes me really happy. I love this time of the year.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving!

{via}

I thought this little illustration was too cute not to share, and so very appropriate.

Today involves lots of fun things: a hair appointment, manicure, and lots of time in the kitchen.

Baking pumpkin pie, {my fave!} a cranberry salad, and candied yams {another fave!}

Tomorrow will by spent with my husband and in-laws & then my work family.

Looking forward to yummy food and a long weekend off with that hubby of mine!

Hope you all have a lovely Thanksgiving!

Oprah's Favorite Things

Did you miss it? This year, for her grand finale, the lovely Miss Oprah had not one, but TWO favorite things episodes! And they did not disappoint. I know people usually have some pretty strong opinions about O...love or hate. But personally, I think she is pretty awesome. I mean the woman has a great rags to riches life story. She may be a billionaire, but I feel like she does give back, a lot!

{all photos from Oprah.com}

Case in point, her favorite things shows. She literally gave away thousands and thousands of dollars worth of her favorite things to multiple audiences. How AMAZING would it be to be lucky enough to be in one of those audiences? Seriously, I couldn't imagine. People were pretty much having heart attacks with excitement right there.

Some of my most favorites:

Tory Burch flannel flats & tote; a week-long all expense paid CRUISE; a brand spanking new 2010 VW bug; $500 to Nordstrom lingerie for you & a friend.

Diamond earrings; Chicago's famous Gardetto popcorn; a custom Le Creuset set!; IPAD

Are you an Oprah fan?

Thursday's Random Thoughts

Another random post. These are my favorite anyway!

• It is COLD! 29* when I left work yesterday AM. Brrr! Time to break out the winter coats. I am on the hunt for a short pea coat, one that looks cute with skinny jeans and tall boots. These two are at the top of my list. And, the lovely J.Crew has a 25% off discount going on right now. Maybe it's meant to be?

{via}

•  If you need something for your favorite pooch to match...how cute is this?

{via}

• Newport restaurant week starts tomorrow. Last year we went and tried a couple new restaurants which were both amazing, so we will definitely be taking advantage of this deal again this year. Participating restaurants offer 3 course meals, lunch for $16 and dinner for $30.
• We are taking our Christmas card photo this weekend! Our first married family photo!
• I got my second Shellac manicure yesterday and I'm loving it! The previous color I had here lasted about 10 days before it really started to chip and peel off. This time I chose a more neutral color so we'll see how it works out. The Shellac polish came off really easily. It has the qualities of gel and acrylic nails without damaging your nail underneath.
• I'm so glad I started this blog. I really started it because I felt like my life was going in warp speed (still feel like this!) and I wanted a way to keep track of my thoughts. I can't wait to be able to look back a year from now, see how this little blog grows and how I grow. I'm sure I'll probably have a good laugh, and that is just fine with me!
• Yesterday I got the Pottery Barn holiday catalog in the mail. I love these entry ways and can't wait to have one to decorate! Can you believe the holiday season is just about here?

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Two Fun Things!

Today I got a Shellac manicure. Have you tried this? This stuff is awesome! It is so hard for me to maintain nice looking nails being a nurse, constantly washing and sanitizing my hands. Well, a few of the ladies at work have gotten the Shellac manicure and have had only good things to say, so I wanted to give it a try. So far I love it. I feel like it's extra shiny and my nails also feel stronger. Hopefully it will last the 14 days it's supposed to!

I've been looking for appetizer and dessert recipes for our Halloween party on Friday. I recently purchased this cookbook and I love it!

Bakerella

I'm excited to make some Halloween cake pops. Festive and yummy! The cake pops cookbook has recipes for every season/holiday/festive occasion. So fun.

Bakerella

Thursday's Random Thoughts

I typed that title and literally just had to stop for a minute to make sure it was actually Thursday. Working night shift does this to you...all the days run together and sometimes I don't know if I'm coming or going. This is another random post because right now it is all I can handle. I've slept for 3 hours and have a to-do list a mile long...so here goes:

• I love my job, I really do. Cardiac ICU nursing is exciting and challenging and extremely rewarding. There are some nights though...like last night for instance...when I got peed on, that really make me question what I was thinking when I chose this profession!
• I'm so looking forward to my vacation days coming up the next two weeks. I really need a break. Stay-cation here I come. 
• Tonight I am making grilled cheese and tomato soup for dinner. I think J and I are equally as excited for this meal. Quick, easy, and delicious...it's up there on my all time favorite list.

• Speaking of dinner, I'm thinking of trying out meal planning. Getting a list together on Sunday and planning for the entire week, with one trip to the grocery store. I'd love some advice if you've tried it!
• Tomorrow I'm going to a Cardiac Symposium conference. I love learning and am kind of a nerd so I'm looking forward to it. The heart is one of my favorite topics of course.

• I am not looking forward to getting up at 6 am to attend said conference.
• That mile long to-do list today includes getting out the camera and taking some pics of the foliage. The colors seem to be getting better every day!

Hope you have a happy day. The weekend is almost here :)

Thursday's Random Thoughts

Yay for some sunshine today, and for the entire weekend forecast! I love that we have no plans, sometimes those weekends turn out to be the best.

• J and I decided to have a Halloween party and I'm so looking forward to it! We haven't really had any parties or big get-togethers since moving to RI so I think it will be nice. We both love to entertain, but our schedules rarely coordinate enough that we are able to. We are renting out the "common area" of our building which is a loft with tv, a pool table, and foosball. My mission for the weekend: figure out our costumes!! buy some decor, and party plan. Ideas are welcome!
• I really need some new boots. I love these, and if the weren't over $300 dollars, I would buy them! I need a more affordable option.

source

•  I am about to start up the 30 Day Shred again. I did this workout before our wedding and it really worked. Granted I was also running and going to the gym, but this is a start. My post-wedding workout hiatus laziness ends today. Jillian Michaels, bring it!

• Hubs surprised me with tickets to see the Radio City Christmas Spectacular that is coming to Providence. I have never seen the show before and I can't wait! Love him.

• This got me thinking about the holidays. Am I really filling out my work schedule requests for November and December? Is Christmas really only a little over 2 months away? I started working on Christmas lists and would like to start my shopping SOON!
• This also prompted me to begin looking for Christmas cards. Have you seen the options on Minted? There are so many great ones. I think I convinced J that we need a "family" portrait. Yes, I'm talking about Me, J, and Lilly...our family. I will be that girl. These are a few of my favorites:

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