Where We Ate | Dinner for Two

dress: Target // necklace: New Eve Jewelry // shoes: Madden Girl // rings: my great grandmother's

Last year, Trevor's birthday was celebrated with cake and snow flurries, with our belongings still in boxes.  But on Friday, when Trevor celebrated his birthday once again, we were surrounded by sand and sun.
To celebrate another year, we put on our finest clothes and headed to dinner in Santa Fe. I'm in love with this little high-low number for the Target clearance rack and Trevor? Well, nothing makes him happier than red pants or the chance to wear a fedora.
Despite having a long list of places to eat and people to see, we settled on a tried and true Santa Fe favorite, Dinner for Two, for our celebration. Though settle is hardly the word for it. 
Fresh cucumber water. Bib lettuce with poached clams and shrimp. Marinated olives with bleu cheese. Calamari ceviche with toasted almonds. Roasted Hawaiian Opa with a compound crab butter. Prime rib and horseradish mashed potatoes. Gluten free key lime pie.
We dined. We laughed. We chatted with the chef.
We celebrated another great year with great food.  Like I said, we hardly settled.

Our Town | Saint Patricks Day

Since the day we arrived in Anaconda, we have been warned about Saint Patricks Day and the passion that the Irish population here has for drinking, celebrating and well, being Irish. After attending two events, working in Butte before the big day, and driving through the streets of our town late last night, I can say that the warning was justified.

It is said that Butte and Anaconda have more Irish per capita than any other place in the country. I would believe it.

The celebration began last weekend with a race to benefit the Ancient Order of the Hibernians - the oldest and large Irish-Catholic Organization in the United States. With over seven hundred runners and plenty of spectators, it seemed as if the entire town had donned green tutus, shamrocks, and running shoes to start the early celebrating of Saint Patrick's Day. And, despite the early time and open container law, many runners donned a can or two or beer along the way.

The streets were full of serious runners, moms with strollers, teenagers in kilts, and a handful of children in their best green apparel. For many, this race marked the start of the running season, the first thaw with Spring approaching. For our friend Michelle, the six mile run marked another step in training for the Seattle Half Marathon.

Throughout the week, members stopped in to the credit union to talk about the upcoming weekend - knowing that I wasn't a native to the area, and honestly, not a bit Irish. I learned about snakes in Ireland, and the proper ingredients for a Blarney Stone and cursed myself for being clueless about each and every one of these Saint Patrick's Day traditions.

Yesterday, the town continued to show its Irish pride with a small parade through the center of town. This time, even more spectators gathered - many wearing beads, shamrock headbands, and more green than I had ever since in one crowd.

I managed to find a shamrock adorned bow, green knee high socks and an appropriate emerald green top before the parade. At the last second, I even put green eyeliner on - the color aptly named "Dublin." Before leaving the house, I texted friends, "you better have green on! I look like a leprechaun!". Sure enough, I did look like a leprechaun but thankfully, most of town had found more green to wear than I had.

As I am to be packing our things to move to New Mexico, I sit here feeling sentimental and thankful for the town that we live in. While I know that amazing opportunities await us in Rio Rancho and Santa Fe, my heart can't help but to ache for the town that we are leaving behind. I feel blessed for the months that we got to spend here in this community, a community full of pride, love, and family. Not only will I miss the beautiful snowy mountains when we leave, but the people that have made our time here so rich.

Oh, Montana.

Ten on Tuesday | Valentine's Gifts for Him

I may or may not have just gotten around to buying Trevor a Valentine's Day gift today. Worse yet, I  may have found said gift while researching for this post - but don't worry, I didn't ruin the surprise. That being said, maybe you've waited to find the perfect gift, too. If so, you're in luck as today's Ten on Tuesday features non-traditional gift ideas for the man you're shopping for - most of which are Trevor approved (except maybe the whiskey stones, since those are actually on my wish list). There's still time to order online but if you're nervous about the deadline, perhaps this list will inspire your own shopping trip this week. I'd love to know what you choose.

1 // A Crosby portable record player is a great gift for any man who has a passion for music. Plus, hunting for vinyl together at local thrift stores is always a fun weekend hobby. As I mentioned in my goals post this weekend, putting a record player in our house is on the top of my to-do list.

2 // Trevor was the inspiration behind this pick since he's in need of a new alarm clock. Cell phones are great for a lot of things but one of those is not checking the time in the middle of the night. While the clap-on, clap-off feature is a bit of a novelty, this clock has a fun wooden design and it runs on batteries.

3 // These magnets are an ode to both loves in my life. Perhaps Buddy isn't quite bright enough to recognize magnets in his honor but they'd still provide a good laugh on our fridge. If your love doesn't happen to love Pit Bulls, Fab.com features magnets for other dog breeds, too.

4 // A new watch is perhaps the most classic gift on the list. That being said, this watch from Red Line is a little edgier than most with its black and red features. It just so happens that these colors happen to be Trevor's favorite.

5 // If your guy loves sports, but you aren't up for watching or attending his favorite game as part of a Valentine's Gift this year, a LeRoy Neiman print might be the best compromise. Art and sports - the best of both worlds.

6 // I happen to live with a chef who would find new kitchen knives to be a great gift (in fact, that's what I got for our first Christmas). If your guy is into cooking, or maybe you just want him to be more into cooking, this knife set is a comical and perfect addition to a bachelor's kitchen. While most guys love chrome, other colors are available too.

7 // While there is no link for this one, a bottle of his favorite liquor makes a great gift. If I was shopping, it'd definitely be for a bottle of Pernod, an anise liquor from France. (And if you aren't celebrating Valentine's Day with a guy this year, consider a bottle swap with the ladies in your life. If you do, make sure to include me on your list.)

8 // Trevor happens to be a coffee connoisseur and I know he would love a bag of french roast coffee beans from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. Perhaps your beau has a favorite roaster or a favorite flavor of coffee, too - even his favorite K-Cups make for a thoughtful and fairly inexpensive gift.

9 // As I mentioned, I've been eyeing up these whiskey stones for that bar cart I've been dreaming of. Any guy is sure to love these as they are able to keep drinks cool without absorbing or diluting any flavor. Plus, these allow you to skip my least favorite task - filling ice cube trays.

10 // Most guys aren't thrilled with the idea of his and hers pillow cases, these caught my eye. Lately, we seem to choose The Dark Knight Rises over any other movie in our collection and so for us, these pillows are the perfect fit. It also helps that my guy has a total crush on cat woman. 


So tell me, have you already finished shopping and planning for Valentine's Day? Or perhaps you haven't even started? If you've found the perfect gift for the guy in your life, do share in the comments - I'd love to know what's been on his wish list. After all, May isn't far away.

Snapshots | A Very Merry Christmas

Some Christmas Cheer

Since my boyfriend isn't a big fan of my eclectic music choices, I thought I would pop in to share some of my not-so-classic Christmas favorites - with some Ella Fitzgerald and Bing Crosby thrown in(for Trevor).  I know that some of you are finishing up last minute present wrapping and cookie baking - a perfect excuse for Christmas music. Though, if we're being honest, I've been making Trevor listen to Michael Buble for days. Tonight we are planning to watch Groundhog Day and eat artichoke dip.. in bed. (It's the holidays, people). And, as you can see, Scrappy can hardly wait for Santa - he's hoping for a pile of treats and maybe a toy or two. I'll be back soon to share my first attempt at gluten-free cinnamon rolls & snapshots of our lazy long holiday weekend.

Christmas Days & Christmas Nights

If it's been quiet here, it's because Christmas has been occupying our time. With it being our first Christmas in the same house - let alone our first Christmas in a different state, far from family - we've been consciously creating new traditions and holiday favorites.

As I mentioned before, one of our ideas was to create homemade ornaments together. With the help of some cornstarch, and Trevor's patience with the dogs, we created clay and gold paw print ornaments of both boys. While Buddy's isn't likely to change, Trevor is hoping that Scrappy is twice this size by next Christmas. On the other hand, I've been quietly wishing for him to stay tiny - though next week's three-month vet visit will probably be a reminder of just how much he is growing. 

Though we have yet to pick a special ornament for 2012 to add to our ornament collection, I'm happy to say that a few more have been added to our collection already. I participated in a blog ornament swap and received a sparkly Santa gnome from Anna, a photographer from Indianapolis. Though Trevor merely "supervised" the decoration of our tree, mostly due to his distaste for glitter, he happens to find gnomes quite funny (then again, who doesn't) and it's safe to say that this little Santa is definitely his favorite.. that or the new, giant, glittery red bow that tops the tree.

Thanks to family and friends back home, we were able to add gifts under the tree this week. With the start of my winter courses, I had been expecting quite a few packages this week, mostly new textbooks. Instead, I was surprised to come home to a stack of gifts (and books) nearly three feet high, yesterday. While some were opened (I can't wait to share what was inside), others were tucked away beneath the tree for Christmas day. 

With being more than two thousand miles away from home, the Christmas activity I have missed most this year is wrapping gifts. Though I'd like to say that I have chosen the perfect stack of presents for Trevor, that couldn't be further from the truth. Instead, the only gifts I've gotten to wrap have been for our work's Secret Santa. While office Christmas activities are usually filled with terrible-scented candles and weird gifts like eggnog mix, I have been spoiled all month long - with perfectly picked gifts (wrapped in paw print wrapping paper, of course) and homemade treats like breakfast pasties and artichoke dip. 

As can be expected, we've also enjoyed a few nights of classic (and not so classic) Christmas movies. Thanks to Diane, Trevor was able to add to his movie collection with his favorite holiday film, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Not failing to point out that the movie is indeed older than I am. Funny.

With a week until Christmas, I still have cookies to bake, another day of Secret Santa to attend, and seven more countdown cards to be flipped so like I said, I apologize if its quiet here - just assume that Christmas got the best of us. 

Snapshots | Winter Weekends

After nearly losing my computer, I haven't been able to find a download for Photoshop CS4 anywhere. And, after moving across the country, I can't seem to find the disk either. Unfortunately, that's inspired me to leave my camera to collect dust. Instead, I've been snapping too many pictures of the dogs on Instagram. What can I say, it happens. (But if you happen to love photos of snuggly puppies, you should definitely follow along.)

While I had plans for engagement and family portraits this weekend, Montana had different plans in mind. While our winter weather normally consists of snow, this December weekend brought with it two straight days of rain and wind. Though, a quick trip to let the pups out has shown me that the rain turned to snow and snow after the sun set for the night - like they say in Montana, if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes and it will change.

With a quiet cold weekend spent indoors, we managed to decorate the house for the holidays. Thanks to my mom, ornaments from home arrived safely packed in a cardboard box. The post master insisted the ornaments must be broken as she shook the box in my face, dumping glitter all over her counter. Let's call that karma. Fortunately, she was wrong and between that box and ornaments given to us by my boss, we were able to decorate the tree we found for $20 on Craigslist.

This year, I'm thrilled to have a real fireplace and with it, a mantle. With a few minutes of ironing, Scrap's stocking was ready to join the grouping and to be honest with you, I can hardly wait to fill it with treats. In the Christmas spirit, we've already completed two days of Trevor's Christmas countdown, though the rain prevented us from attending the Christmas parade. And if I'm being completely honest, we haven't quite finished today's project of making homemade ornaments. Though the dough is made, we've yet to roll it, cut it, or bake it. (Fortunately, tomorrow's activity was "decorate the tree" and since I couldn't wait, we've got a free evening ahead).

For now, I'm headed back to writing the remaining fifteen pages of a forty page research paper while Trevor naps and the dogs destroy something, anything, they can get their mouths around. If you happen to have a few free minutes of your own, please take a moment to answer this quick survey. Hopefully tomorrow will bring finished ornaments and real photos but if not, just assume we are enjoying Christmas music, a funny movie, and the end of all this rain.

Making Time | To Celebrate the Holidays

As a student paying my own way through college, I've been forced to learn a thing or two about time management. It's always a struggle to balance work, classes, homework, activities, and time for friends & family. Even with a busy schedule though, I have found that I must always make time for certain things - things like eating well, exercising, and relaxing. Though I've learned a few things that work well for me, I know that my advice might not work for everyone and so, over the next few weeks, on Saturdays, I will be hosting a series called "Making Time". With holiday season approaching (quickly!), balancing a busy schedule is bound to become even more difficult and so, I thought now would be the perfect time for a few friends of mine to tell you about their own balancing acts. If you have a topic that you think would fit into the series, please let me know - I'd love to feature your contributions!



It's hard to believe that today already marks the first of December. We've gotten a head start on Christmas, though. The stockings are hung. Christmas ornaments decorate Trevor's cactus. There are pinecones on the mantle. And our tree is even put up (without decorations, that is).

I know that I promised a post on exercising this week but as things would have it, Trevor and I couldn't find the time for taking pictures. There's something strange about walking around the gym with a camera when it's terribly crowded. And, I refused to photograph him working out in his pajamas.

Money isn't plentiful for this year's Christmas budget, though, so I've been trying to find creative ways to celebrate the season with Trevor. One of my ideas was to do a fun Christmas or winter activity together every day. Not only is this an affordable way to celebrate but it also gives us a reason to spend time together, despite my growing pile of homework and Trevor's love of Facebook. (Just kidding, babe. Sort of.) For busy families and students, finding time to do the little holiday things can be a challenge. This countdown provides quick activities and also didn't take much time to make. It also keeps us accountable - it would seem awfully silly to flip each card other and then spend the day ignoring it.

I'm also hoping that this might bring many posts your way as I plan to share most of our activities here as the month goes along.

While there are many different options around Pinterest and the blog world for Advent Calendars (I personally have my eyes on this one for next year), today is the first of December and you don't have much time to spare. So, this DIY is one made with materials we already had in the house and chances are, you do too. (Though the links in this post will provide you with some other more in-depth options if you'd like to store treats for each day.)

Unfortunately, I was up making our countdown at midnight and so I didn't grab photos of each step. That being said, it's fairly easy to follow along. While this isn't the most in depth advent calendar tutorial, it provided some fun winter color to our house without needing to leave the house or purchase any materials.


You'll need:

• 3 patterned sheets of 8x10 paper - you can use scrapbooking paper of your choice or you can print some from an online source. For mine, I chose three printed papers from this DIY from Oh Happy Day
• 3 sheets of colored card stock (8 x 10, as well) 
• optionally, you could print the patterned paper onto white card stock and skip the step of gluing
• printable address labels
• these printed numbered flags, once again found through Oh Happy Day
• 6 feet of twine, ribbon, or thin garland
• 24 mini clothes-pins (if you don't have this, festive colored paper clips or mini binder clips will do)
• scissors and a paper cutter, if you have one
• glue
• optional: a corner rounder

The Steps:

1. Glue your patterned paper to the card stock, let dry for a few minutes.

2. While the glue is drying, cut out the numbered flags. You won't need the "twenty five" flag.

3. If using the patterned paper from Oh Happy Day, cut off the white edges and black bar.

4. Cut each page into 8 equally sized cards - I approximated and they turned out just fine. If you have a paper cutter, I suggest using it for this step

5. Round the corners of each card if you'd like.

6. Arrange the cards in order by alternating the patterns.

7. Glue the paper flags onto the cards.

8. While the glue dries, print a list of 24 Christmas activities onto printable address labels. If you need help thinking of ideas, start with a search for local activities. For instance, one of our neighboring towns is having a Christmas stroll, parade and tree lighting tonight. You may also find local productions of the nutcracker or free movie showings. Other activities on our list include multiple christmas movie favorites, driving around town to see the Christmas lights, and baking cookies together. While I'd love to share our list with you - Trevor reads this and I don't want to ruin the surprise for him. 

9. Attach the activities to the back of each card. I highly suggest writing down the dates you want to do each event. For example, baking cookies shouldn't be a Wednesday night activity if you work during the week. Plus, some activities - like a Christmas parade - only happen on a certain date. You'll want to make sure to label them in order with flag twenty-four aligning with December 1st. This allows you to countdown how many days are left until Christmas.

10. Using the mini-clothespins, hang the cards on the twine from twenty-four to one. Then, hang your finished garland in a spot where it can easily be accessed. 

So tell me, do you use an advent calendar to get ready for Christmas? a countdown? or perhaps you celebrate the twelve days of Christmas with little gifts? I'd love to find some new holiday traditions.

Giving Thanks?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that I tend to find a lot of fault with - it seems strange to take one day of the year to sit down and give thanks for the things that we love, the things that we have been blessed with. I also find frustration in the comparisons made this time of year. "I'm thankful for the beautiful house that we have because others are living without a home." "I'm thankful for a great job because so many are unemployed". It seems unfair to give thanks by looking at what others are lacking. Instead, we're trying to be thankful every

That being said, we spent our holiday weekend in the most unorthodox ways. On Wednesday, I left work and our plan was to grab dinner at a summer favorite. Unfortunately, the indoor decor was lacking and the fries? Well, I thought I was dying a few hours later when I realized that they were fried in peanut oil. But hey, at least I could spend the next day thankful that I only ended up with terrible hives and the inability to breath for a few days.

On Thursday, we made a trip to Butte to take a glance in the depressing, toxic, Berkeley Pit - but unfortunately (maybe, fortunately), it never really happened. Instead, we spent the afternoon hiking up a set of trails uptown. From there, we were able to visit a memorial for the Granite Mountain Mining Disaster. Afterwards, with frozen toes, we went to our least favorite place in Butte to buy Christmas lights and movies for the evening. While I didn't end up eating any stuffing or pecan pie (trust me, I tried), we enjoyed roasted sweet potatoes and hard cider - favorites in our house.

Black Friday was spent preparing for the Anaconda Christmas Stroll, a fun annual event. While it was our first, we enjoyed the night. The local downtown stores stay open in the evening with a button contest, the judging of live mannequins, and other fun specials. For me, it was a great opportunity to network and promote my photography.

As for today? A four day weekend left plenty of time for cleaning the house, doing the laundry and grocery shopping. I just wanted to take a moment to stop in and let you know that I survived my first holiday away and in the time off work, I managed to fix my computer, too.

That means you can look forward to more posts this week. In fact, we're busy decorating for Christmas and even planning a party. This means recipe posts and decor ideas for you. And, the Making Time series will be back next week with a post on exercising. Perfectly timed after the biggest food holiday of the year, right?


So tell me, how did you spend your Thanksgiving? Was there stuffing involved?