A hint of fall in the air

This morning we awoke to cooler temperatures and the perfect, Sleep in a little longer and snuggle weather.

And man, if that is the earliest sign of the next season we get... I sure am ready. I recently decided that fall was my favorite season. I so appreciate living somewhere that can enjoy all four seasons, but there is just something... crisp and extra special about fall.

So here are a few things to look forward to with the upcoming weather change:

1) At least for us Coloradoans, the weather provides the opportunity to switch between all clothing in your wardrobe. Yesterday, it was 85 degrees with barely a breeze... just hot and stuffy: the perfect opportunity to get more use of those cute shorts and tank tops. Today is topping out at 65 degrees and partly cloudy: time to bust out the hoody for the early morning, wear a long skirt or capris... and by nightfall it will be time for long sleeves! In a couple more weeks, we will add coats and scarves and boots into the mix, but there will still be some shorts days until early November. I have a new found obsession with long skirts ever since I made my own a few weeks ago... it is almost all I have been wearing!

2) Vegetable Harvest!!! Our vegetable garden was fairly successful for how little effort I could put into it in the last few weeks. We have crazy amounts of Kale, have gotten creative in how to eat a 5 lb zucchini between the two of us, and are looking forward to the continuing harvest in the next couple months. When our garden isn't feeding us quite how we like, we go raid our friends: every time she sees us she says, "please... come over and take some tomatoes... or tomatillos, or... herbs... or, squash..."

3) Warm beverages, hot cereal. Its been too too hot for these things! Sure maybe a cup of coffee in the morning, but in the heat of summer, I usually brew coffee for tomorrow! Pop it in the fridge and drink it the next day cold. With the cooler air, sipping on a warm cup of anything is comforting, relaxing and delicious. And nothing says good morning to me on a chilly morning like a bowl of hot cereal: oatmeal, quinoa, rice... it doesn't matter. 

4) Pumpkin, Apple and/or squash on everything. Yep, I am that kind of girl. Put pumpkin on something, and I will at least try it... but probably really love it. I like pumpkin bread, pumpkin oatmeal, pumpkin... everything. And then there is carving time at the end of october. We are even growing our own pumpkins this year! We only have two so far and neither of the plant is doing great.... but this year's garden was kind of an experiment that in the heat of summer and extreme work schedules was sort of abandoned... so I will be happy with anything I can get out of it. 

5) And speaking of pumpkin on everything... Fall craft beers are the best seasonal beers. From the breweries that switch gears to browns and darker beers, to octoberfests, to pumpkin ales... I love them all. Sure I will sing praises of a winter oatmeal stout as well, but there is something extra special about octoberfest and pumpkin ale. They are the perfect middle of the spectrum beers for the middle of the spectrum season. Here are some I have been enjoying:

           New Belgium Pumpkick Ale: Pumpkin and a hint of cranberry... be still my heart.

           Bristol Brewery Red Baron Octoberfest

           Bristol Brewery Venetucci Pumpkin Ale (this one is EXTREMELY hard to get a hold of, and only available for purchase for about 6 seconds in Colorado Springs every year, but somehow I always strike lucky and am able to score a bottle or two)

          Sam Adams Fall Variety pack. Figured I should list an option available in more than just Colorado. From the brown, to the ruby mild, to their octoberfest... this one is a crowd pleaser.

I could go on... but with no fall leaves pictures, no first frost, no fuzzy sweaters... its still time to enjoy the last of summer. My ode to fall will continue with recipes, fuzzy sweaters, maxi skirts, and the complete embrace of what comes next: in the seasons and in life.

What are your favorite things about fall?

Day zero goal 71: Write myself a letter to be opened at the end of 1001 days

Hello lovelies!

I just recently returned to work from having 9 days of vacation! It was glorious!!!

"Oh, where did you go?" Everyone has been asking me.

Not really anywhere. Sure, we camped for a short period (1 night, blog to follow... sometime). But for the most part, I just hung out. It was so refreshing to be away from work for that amount of time, especially since upon my coming back, we are short handed both with managers and servers. And it is tourist season.... ahhh, summer. I journaled, I read, I played in the yard, I went for a few jogs, I played with my dogs, I crafted, I cooked, I cleaned.... and I RELAXED!

I also re-visited my day zero list with the intention of crossing off a couple of goals. I meant to blog too, but man did nine days spin by quick and suddenly I was back to work!

One of the first things I crossed off my day zero list was to write a letter to myself that I would open at the end of the 1001 day project. I thought this would be a fun documentation of the project, but also... I thought it would be an easy item to finish off. You know what they say, set yourself up for success.

But writing a letter to Lia 2.5 years in the future was harder than I could have expected! It was almost like writing a letter to a complete stranger. I mean, think about it. Your future self: sure, you share the same past... but in the time between where you are in life any number of completely unexpected and unforeseen experiences and events.
I mean, to put it all in persepctive, 1001 days ago from now, I was ecstatically pregnant. I was sick out of my mind and my doctors had informed me of the high risk. But I had no reason not to expect that everything that would be totally fine. So I know... that can be the difference of 1001 days.

I actually started the letter... by introducing myself. Just like you do to a complete stranger. I mean, hopefully I will remember what I was like now in only 2.5 short years, but WHO KNOWS??? I talked about all the little nuances of our life today... our crazy dogs, our grief that continues even if no one remembers it, and why the dayzero project appealed to me: to gradually finish things I had always wanted to do, and create some semblance of habit with things I have been meaning to do more frequently.

And on November 26, 2015, I will get to open it up and read what a silly or immature or inexperienced person I was. Hopefully the doubt will be replaced by confidence, the sadness will be tolerable on more days than not, and the celebrations will have been many and extra joyous.
But no matter what happens during this time, I will at least read that letter in November of 2015 knowing that I set a goal to make my life better, and I worked towards making things happen rather than letting life happen to me.

For more information about the dayzero project, visit their website at dayzeroproject.com .
To see my 101 things I hope to accomplish in 1001 days, visit my initial dayzero project post

And as always, Stay crafty friends!
LiA

Day Zero Project

Well it has been a little while since I have finished my 101 tasks in 1001 days. My end date is November 26, 2015. It feels like NO time and a TON of time all at once. In looking back at this list after a few weeks with no thought of it, I realize I have kind of already missed items on the list. I made a number of items on the list as _________ once per month. Well, it has been March and April without any of those things occurring. I do want to be more mindful of these things: because I DO want to do them. But I am not going to be too hard on myself. This list of goals is written solely based on the type of things I want to commit to now to help shape the kind of person I could be on November 26, 2015. If I miss a month of two, so be it. But if I make an honest effort, I will call it a success.

So, here is the list... in no particular order: *tasks in progress are in italics, task completed are bolded

1) Summit a 14'er
2) Pay off all bad debt
3) Ask 20 friends to suggest a book, read them all
4) Have a no spend month
5) Have an overnight trip once per month
6) Commit to an athletic event and do it well
7) Host a dinner party
8) Make a new friend
9) Re-read the books I was made to read in school (and therefore did not enjoy)
10) Grow something I can eat
11) Write a meaningful letter or card once per month
12) Eat Vegan for a week
13) Save $10 for every task I complete
14) Try one new recipe per week
15) Donate $5 to charity for every task I don't complete
16) Get a tattoo
17) Find a personally inspirational quote and work it into home decor
18) Brew a batch of beer per month
19) Visit Mesa Verde national monument
20) Visit Dinosaur national monument
21) Take the Mollie Kathleen gold mine tour
22) Visit the great sand dunes national park
23) Visit Flourissant Fossil beds
24) Bicycle entirety of gold camp / old stage road
25) Walk across the royal gorge bridge
26) Go white water rafting
27) Hike the incline
28) Buy a house
29) Make a list of friends & families birthdays & anniversaries (and actually acknowledge them!)
30) Start a compost bin
31) Build a piece of furniture I will want to hand down to family
32) Write a list of 100 things that make me happy
33) Leave an inspirational note inside a book for someone to find
34) Leave annonymous encouraging notes
35) Spend a weekend with art, books, music: "unplug"
36) Spend an afternoon reading in a park
37) Learn to speak Spanish
38) Do a 30x30 challenge (30 minutes of physical activity for 30 days)
39) Complete a 365 photo challenge
40) Take a photo of each challenge completed
41) Make a workout routine and stick to it
42) Give someone a handmade gift
43) Organize my recipes
44) Make a custom recipe book
45) Update my blog at least once per week
46) Attend the Aspen food and wine festival
47) Make a list of 25 things I like about myself and stick it to the mirror
48) Visit Portland
49) Do a stray boots tour
50) Attend a dinner at the Iron Springs Melodramatic dinner theater
51) Ride the cog railroad
52) Join a book club
53) Join postcrossing.com and send 10 postcards
54) Cook my way through a cookbook
55) Pay off my car
56) Have my own savings account
57) Contribute to a cause I believe in
58) Finish (er, start) our wedding album
59) Make a year in pictures album
60) Attend a concert at red rocks
61) Run everyday for a week
62) See a movie at the drive in
63) Go one month without facebook
64) Go screen free for a week
65) Walk my dogs everyday for a month
66) Track down Carter's travelbug and put it somewhere new
67) Honor my daughter's memory without being awkward
68) Send Christmas cards
69) Have a regular date night
70) Write a journal / blog entry about each task completed
71) Write myself a letter to be opened at the end of 1001 days
72) Sell something I have created myself
73) Contribute to a community event or cause
74) Learn to and practice upcycling thrift store items
75) Take a class on making my own beauty products
76) Have an organized and inspiring hobby space
77) Watch a meteor shower
78) Send a random gift
79) make and maintain a realistic chore list
80) Be more outgoing
81) Take a picture for each letter of the alphabet
82) Fill up the piggy bank ENTIRELY before spending it
83) Complete a smashbook
84) Make an "at your leisure" book
85) Use the library
86) Have a chemical free cleaning regimen
87) Have a chemical free hygiene routine
88) Have completely over the top decor for a holiday
89) Get in the best shape of my life
90) Keep a spending diary
91) Go to a vineyard
92) Create a will
93) Publish something
94) Ride my bike to work
95) Go to a water park
96) Have professionally done photos taken
97) Go to a roller derby
98) Ride on a train
99) Read 3 banned books
100) Write thank you cards
101) Watch a play at a local theater

So there you have it... now there is a list of goals! Looking forward to attempting each of these things and seeing the outcome of having such a goal list for the next 2+ years. If you are interested in joining me for any of these activities, I am certainly game... just let me know!
So far I think this is a really fun project. I have found that it is really helping me to focus in a positive way on what the future could bring and what I can work towards making it.

Hope everyone is out there creating... even if it is just creating a great day!
Lia

meditations

Well friends, here we are at the last few minutes of March 6, 2013 (so last minute, this will probably post on March 7). I have survived yet another anniversary with... little wear and tear.
I miss our pretty girl just like every other day and her birthday will probably always be a day that messes me up a little inside, but there were things that were especially hard and especially easy about this birthday.
I can count my blessings and still wish the little miss was here.

One of the things I have really been... thinking on this last couple of weeks is if I am acting in ways that are aligned with my values. This started to come to a pass when Pete and I took a "finance class" called bootstraps. It was not your typical money class where you discuss income versus expenses equal dispensable income sort of thing. This class spent a lot of time talking about what your values and goals are. Finally, about halfway through the class, they introduce the fact that your values and goals should align with how you spend your money.
To me, it was more of a stress relief technique. If your actions are in line with your values, your life is more at peace and less stressful. When they are not, the term is Cognitive dissonance ("Cognitive dissonance refers to a situation involving conflicting attitudes, beliefs or behaviors. This produces a feeling of discomfort leading to an alteration in one of the attitudes, beliefs or behaviors to reduce the discomfort and restore balance etc." http://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-dissonance.html)

Well my friends, there has been some dissonance in my life as of late. And... a lot of stress. It has at times seemed to come at me from all sides, making it rather difficult to conclude how to stop it, and what action to take first.
My top 5 values are, in no particular order: Relationships, Peaceful & serene environments, service to others, creativity, and courage. 
So I am meditating on what areas are in dissonance and how I can act more towards those values, putting those 5 things first and relieving... the DISSONANCE (I like how the word even has an ominous sound to it... dissonance...). 
In the meantime I have been enjoying a song on the Mumford and Sons Babel album, so here it is, for your listening pleasure:

And, for those of you who like to know what they are saying through the mumbly parts... (or like me, always hear it just a little different and then your hubby laughs at you for messing it up)
You were cold as the blood through your bones
And the light which led us from our chosen homes
Well I was lost

And now I sleep
Sleep the hours and that I can't weep
When all I knew was steeped in blackened holes
I was lost

Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

And I was still
I was under your spell
When I was told by Jesus all was well
So all must be well

Just give me time
You know your desires and mine
So wrap my flesh in ivy and in twine
For I must be well

Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Oh keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn
Oh keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

Keep the earth below my feet
For all my sweat, my blood runs weak
Let me learn from where I have been
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn
Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn

Songwriter(s):Edward James Milton Dwane, Winston Aubrey Aladar Marshall, Benjamin Walter David Lovett, Marcus Oliver Johnstone Mumford
Copyright:Universal Music Publishing Ltd.

Lyrics from <a href="http://www.elyrics.net">eLyrics.net</a>

So, this week, that is the concentration over here. Keep the earth below my feet... let me learn from where I have been. Keep my eyes to serve, my hands to learn..."
Who knows what that means as far as long term planning for me. But as it comes along, I will keep you updated :)

Also, I joined a website called the dayzero project. I have started a list of 101 things I would like to do in 1001 days. Some are simplistic, others are something I would like to make a more regular habit. I have not quite gotten to 101 yet, but I will post the full list for you to follow along with once I get it all down. Also, you can take a look at their project here: dayzeroproject.com

My fancy new dining set...

When we moved into our place in November, we debated over whether we needed a  dining room table. We ended up choosing to put my handmade kitchen island, in the small corner of the small kitchen that designated it an "eat-in kitchen." It fit there quite perfectly, and between appliances and cooking messes, I have been SO thankful for the extra counter space. Without that corner of the kitchen free, there wasn't a very logical place to fit a table.

We have had a dining room table on and off throughout our marriage and it had never been a priority for us. We are not sit at the table kind of people, so in our often small houses, it has seemed silly to have one.

However, this cute little puppy:

Has turned into a steely eyed, 50 pound, hungry girl who is far to solid to have to push her off you as you try to eat at the coffee table... So we came to the conclusion that we needed a dining room table, whether we had room or not, it was time to make room!

We were most fortunate that sitting in our backyard was... you guessed it! a dining room table. It had been cast off by the family as we were moving and while we didn't want it, a friend committed to take it off our hands and never did. So its been sitting in our yard all winter with us wondering what to do with it. I had ambitions of a patio table after a refinish and lots of polyurethane, but after shoving the dog off me during a meal once again, I set my sights on an inside table. So we shifted our living room furniture around a bit and found a corner for it.

The before picture. Its a solid oak table that is sturdy and was FREE, but that dated golden oak finish had to go.

Another before of the table and the monsters. Our older dog is not so food obsessed, but the puppy has some awful manners when it comes to people food.

"I was thinking of chalkboarding the top...." I had told Pete as we sat on our couch brainstorming ideas. "Yes, let's do that." He responded, and within minutes we were on our way to the trusty ace hardware store.After a few laps around the hardware store, I opted for a flat black finish on the bottom.

Here is the base of the table after one coat of black. With all the grooves and curves, I had to brush it on, which meant more coats, but the paint went on more easily than I expected... that first coat always looks sooo bad!

First coat of chalkboard paint. This we rolled on with a 3/8" thick nap just like the rustoleum chalkboard paint directions said to.

Here is the base after coat 2. still pretty streaky, but a significant improvement.

In all, we did 3 coats of black and 2 pretty thick coats of chalkboard to get a result I was quite happy with.

The instructions had us wait for 3 days to do anything with the chalkboard paint. I think that was the hardest part of the process. We were both ready to draw on it! To make sure that we did not cheat and start early (and risk ruining the finish), we just didn't buy chalk until the third day.

Once we hit that mark, I had to condition the chalkboard paint, by giving it a though coating of chalk all over it.

I did this just by turning a stick of white chalk on its side and coloring in the whole top.

This process made me a little nervous about the end result because there was some definite texture to the paint finish that really came out by scraping the chalk on it. But once I wiped it off, you couldn't tell and it looked great!

At this point, I had to head off to work and Pete was home for the afternoon enjoying some free time. While I was gone, him and some friends clearly enjoyed the new furniture addition because when I came home, every INCH of the top had chalk drawings... We had a futurama theme with nearly everyone from the cartoon drawn out, as well as a Colorado flag, a sunset.... 

I had no idea our friends were all such artists! But you know what they say, you give some men a box of multicolored chalk and...

Okay, that is definitely not a saying.

I hate to erase it, but I guess that is why it is done in chalk, so there can be a new masterpiece every couple of days.

Next project is some placemats so we don't mess up the nice refinish with dinner dishes....

I would love to hear what projects you are working on right now: whether it be for your work, your humble abode, your sweetheart (it is valentine's day afterall)... I definitely feel like we all need some creativity in our lives to keep things from getting too repetitive. Tell me what you are working on now... or would like to be working on soon!

And as always, Happy crafting my friends!

Lia

Wild Wednesday: Pete's birthday adventure!

On January 15, my dear husband turned 29. A week or so before this, I asked him what he wanted for his birthday. He had trouble answering... and when he came up with an answer, it was something far more complicated and technical in his realm for me to easily purchase for him.

So, he told me instead, that he just wanted my time... He wanted to be able to go on an adventure, to spend time as a couple, to enjoy each other's company.

I responded by giving him a surprise adventure to the mountains.
We started with a night at a bed and breakfast just south of Divide, CO called the Stonehaven Inn.We were in the "Asian" room. So we took corny pictures with the decor...

After an evening of hot tubbing and making fondue in our room, it was time for the real adventure! So we spent a gorgeous day hiking in Mueller State Park. This gets lengthy, but is mostly very scenic pictures, I'll keep my narration brief.

Ready for adventure!

We consulted the map... A LOT. But we got to all the places we wanted to.

Look at this crazy rock!

I promised you beautiful scenary.

While consulting our "pikes peak atlas" map the night before, we noticed a number of historical buildings marked in the park. This one was notated as "Worley Ranch."

Another historical building.

Exploring inside.

I don't think this is remnants of the historical cowboy meal.

Well if this isn't the most ornate door plate you have ever seen, please email me pictures of yours... because I am intrigued. But, remember this one is a hundred years old or so.

Looking a little more tired than at the beginning. We had hiked about 8 miles by this point.

So there you have it, folks! We had a fantastic time and I hope you enjoyed a brief view into our adventure time. Hopefully there will be many more to come!

Menu Monday: organized for a busy, healthy eating week

Hello my lovely friends!

It has been forever since I wrote a post (I feel like I have been starting 70% of my blog posts with that), but I am determined to make it up to you with a glance at this week's menu.

Pete and I went on vacation to California over Christmas and yet, despite it now being FEBRUARY, are in some ways still recovering. Because after 6 days off, we both had to jump right back in with work and there was extra cleaning from being gone, and Pete's birthday, and more work...

That is to say, our menu planning has been... unfortunate. The meals we have had at home have been mostly thanks to my freezer prep of 15 meals in early December, but we have taken to lots of last minute trips to the grocery, takeout, delivery, and other less than ideal options.

But, I used this weekend to try and get back on track, and I have some excellent meals planned for this week. The kitchen is clean, the dishes are (mostly) done, and we are ready for another busy week of work and fun.

This week's recipes are half from pinterest / blogs I read regularly, and half from old favorites in the household. I have really been searching out meals that are more whole ingredients, and have starting perusing vegan recipes... not because I am about to give up all animal products, but because I feel like Pete and I could both benefit from recipes that are more vegetable and vegetable protein, and less meat, cheese, and butter.

Monday: we are having a meatless Monday with Apple Parsnip soup and a kale and brussels sprouts salad .
I am looking forward to a vegetable dense meal after a long inventory day at work. I think I will add some white beans to the soup for a little boost of protein in the soup. Pete and I love brussels sprouts and I am excited for this uber healthy, green salad

Tuesday: I am pulling a chicken pot pie out of the freezer. That is not to say that we bought some freezer aisle, preservative laden pot pie. A month or so ago, I found a recipe for pot pies that made two. So we made up one for dinner that night and one to put in the freezer for later. The recipe is from a "freezer cooking" magazine I got in November. Perhaps if I keep up with this blogging thing, I may post it soon...

Wednesday: Good ole' fashioned pot roast. We have a roast in the freezer, we have onions and carrots and potatoes in the fridge... Just throw them all together and you have Pete's favorite dinner.

Thursday: Another new recipe from menshealth.com. I found this one through a list of whole food crockpot recipes and I am excited to try it. Pete and I both love lamb, and curry though I am often limited on the curry side since I am allergic to coconut. So imagine my excited surprise when this lamb curry recipe contained no coconut milk!

Friday: Thai peanut noodles. A vegan recipe that looks super enjoyable, and quick to make!

Saturday: Tuna Casserole. A dish that was once a subject of nightmares (choking down a whole mouthful of things I didn't like just because I was at a friends house and my mom wasn't there to save me) became a recipe of interest in college when I tried a friends mom's version and I have been thinking about it ever since... Browsed a number of recipes to find this one that doesn't have any condensed soup in it: Martha Stewert's tuna casserole

Sunday: keeping it simple with pork green chile and quesadillas. I made up what turned out to be a HUGE batch of green chile after I went to the chile festival in Pueblo with my parents in late August. (early september?) Its delicious an another recipe that... maybe should I be habitual with this blogging thing, I will post at a later date.

So that's the plan! And who knows what may come up, but it is nice to have a plan for dinner for all 7 nights and adjust as needed when things come up. I am not doing much prep for any of these recipes but instead kept to pretty simple. Tonight, I will prep everything for tomorrow's soup and the salad dressing... and that is really all the work I need to do for Monday and Tuesday's meals. Since I close Wenesday and Thursday, I have some prep time built into my morning.

Building a weekly meal plan and doing a little extra prep during the weekend has really helped us to keep from falling into the "call the delivery guy" plan b that everyone secretly has. Since I eat restaurant food everyday as my meal break, I feel especially bad about going out during the week because restaurant food inevitably has more sodium, fat, calories and is more expensive than the make at home counterpart.

What do you do to help you enjoy healthy meals at home throughout busy weeks?