on friendships

This past weekend, I traveled to Lexington, Kentucky for girls weekend. A group of girls from college get together every three or four months for the, always enjoyable, girls weekend. We travel from at least six different states and find a central location to meet up. From Friday to Sunday, we spend hours upon hours talking, laughing, eating, wine drinking, and sharing in life updates. One of my most favorite things about girls weekend, is that regardless of how long it's been since we've seen each other, it's like no time as passed and we pick up right where we left off.

One thing I've realized recently is the importance of friendships. Since we've moved to a new area, it is becoming more apparent that we don't have the same kind of friendships up here. I have been really blessed in my life to have some really incredible friends. I love being surrounded with people that I am comfortable with and who you can just share in life together. As we move away from college, get married, start working and having kids, friendships have to adjust and change. A lot of us move away from one another which makes it harder to keep in touch regularly.

I am so thankful that I still have a group of friends that can get together and just enjoy our time together. I definitely wish we all lived in the same town, you know...like in college, but it's just not the reality of the situation anymore. But it's really refreshing to spend time with those lovely ladies and I am so thankful for each one of them.

Making friends as a "grown-up" is tough. It's definitely not like going to the playground and just deciding that that girl is going to be your new best friend. My new challenge is to meet new people and find people to share in the day to day life with one another. We were not created to do the life alone. And I love my husband and he truly is my best friend, but really, he doesn't get as excited I do about my new shoes or what to dish out all the best girl talk topics. And I appreciate that because I can't be his "guys" either.

This weekend reminded me of the importance of old friendship and thankful for the opportunity to make new ones.

happy birthday husband

j-

today you turn 26. welcome. i hope you enjoy it as much as i have so far. i know birthdays aren't as big of a deal to you as they are to me, but my prayer is that you feel loved and celebrated today. you deserve every bit of it. you work so hard and i am so proud of all you do. i am so thankful that God had a different plan for my life than i did because that means i get to share it with you. you are my favorite part of each day. whether its spending the whole day together or talking over dinner, it doesn't really matter. all that matters to me is that you are there. i never really imaged a husband as good as you. neither of us is perfect but at least we can fail at being perfect together. and so far it has been pretty fun. so i look forward to all the birthday to come in our lifetime together and i hope that this one is extra special...because it's today. happy birthday babe.

love you,

sha

(P.S. - Another Happy Birthday shout out to this dear friend!)

friday finds

Happy Friday! There isn't a whole lot going on in the Bend today (minus the Te'o girlfriend hoax). A little reading, yoga, cuddles with the pup...not too shabby. One of my most recent reading finds is this book. I am loving it. It's a really easy read and I am just zipping through it. As a new wife and homemaker, I am constantly searching for idea, tips, and musings to help me find my niche in taking care of my home. Growing up, I helped out at home with dishes, laundry and general cleaning, but for some reason now that I have my own home to take care of I have taken a special interest in different ways to do so. (This could also be because I have extra time on my hands since I'm not working. I'm sure my desire will change once I'm back to the eight to five grind.)

What I am loving so much about this book is the ideas are simple and have been around for some time. And to be honest, I've probably heard my mother and grandmother share some of these tid bits with me but it wasn't something top of mind at that stage of life. I haven't come up with any new cleaning methods or products, but I am getting a lot of satisfaction out of using household items versus harsh store bought chemicals.

And if there is one thing that I have learned so far it's that vinegar and baking soda can basically solve all of your problems. Seriously, it seems as though those two ingredients hold so much power and they easy and cheap!

So today, I am attempting to get the moldy smell out of my bath towels and also cleaning the inside of the dishwasher. And I'm accomplishing both with just those two miracle products. I'll let you know how both ventures turn out. If you are a fan of a more old fashioned and simpler way of doing life, I'd suggest you check out this book, or maybe you could even borrow mine when my nose isn't stuck in it.

And just because I think she's cute...here is Winnie's rendition of a downward dog.

resolutions

There is lots of talk these days of resolutions. Exercising, eating healthy, spending less money, getting organized. So many changes we want to make in ourselves in the fresh start of a new year. Truth be told, I am not much of a resolutions person. I figure if there is something that I want to change in my life that I should do it when it is necessary, especially since the new year only comes once a year. So I don't have any great new exciting resolutions to share with you. In fact, it's quite the opposite, I feel.

The past year has been a great one, no doubt. Yet, it has also been a bit exhausting. A whole lot happened in a matter of just 365 days. So many weekends traveled, friends and family visited, boxes packed and unpacked, and wedding activities galore. It was wonderful and I truly loved each and every moment that came with it. But now, I am ready for some rest. Days with nothing planned, evenings at home with my hubs, weekends where I don't have to get out of my pj's if I don't want to. This year I want to spend it being a twenty-something wife. That's it. That's all there is to it.

I am still in the process of finding a new job, but the search is  going very well. Two interviews in! However, I am a bit hesitant to jump back in to work just yet. As much as I enjoying having a career, the past few weeks have been so welcomed. Now, thankfully I have a husband who works very hard and is able to provide for us while I am in the job hunt, or this story might be a bit more panicked. Yet, there have been many days where I can simply rest and do those normal things that I enjoy. I have loved getting our new home set up and feelin' like us. Of course, it's not finished yet, but it's definitely getting there. I am finding new recipes and making yummy dinners. I've even started my second book and second puzzle. (Come to find out, I love puzzles)

So as this new year begins, I look forward to a year of just plain ole' married life. 

first Christmas as mr & mrs

thank you 2012

2012 has been good to us. There has been lots of wonderfulness this year. Between my brother marrying one of my best girlfriends, to me marrying my best friend, moving to a new town and getting settled into our married life, we have been so blessed over this past year. I think 2013 has it's work cut out for it but, none the less, I am looking forward to a new year and all that is in store.

I hope you have a wonderful, safe New Year. See you in 2013!

dinner dilemma

Since I have more time than usual on my hands, I've put extra effort into my creativity in the kitchen. Over the weekend, Jake and I made some delicious chicken parmesan and with just the two of us, we typically have a decent amount of left overs. And there is nothing that I love more than being able to re-purpose left overs for another great meal. After an extensive online search of how to use the chicken, I became inspired to recreate my favorite dish from Noodles & Co.

Amazingly, I had all the necessary ingredients (sort of) to make truffle mac & cheese. If you've never had truffle oil before you are missing out. It's delicious but a little bit goes a very long way.  I took the recipe from this blog and adjusted it a bit.

Truffle Mac & Cheese with Chicken

• 2 cups pasta
• 1 tablespoon truffle oil
• 1 3/4 cups chicken or vegetable stock, warmed
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, finely grated
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 1/2 block cream cheese

 Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain the pasta, place in a bowl and toss with truffle oil.

 Cut pre-cooked chicken into bit size pieces, warm in skillet or in microwave. Set aside.

In a sauce pan, heat the stock on medium. Mix together the parmesan and flour, so that the flour coats the parmesan. Add to the stock and stir until the cheese has been melted and it thickens slightly. Add the pasta and cream cheese and stir until the cream cheese is completely melted.

Pour pasta and cheese mixture over chicken and mix gently. Add freshly, grated parmesan. Serve and enjoy!

It was delicious and thankfully there are still leftovers!

lately

You know that feeling when your socks are all bunched up and something just feels off. That has been my general feeling for the past week or so. It's been a while since I've blogged so let me catch you up. We found out the week before Thanksgiving that the Mr. would be relocated for his job, which is a great thing we've been waiting for. We went to Vegas for a work trip (his, not mine). The Monday we got back, we finished packing up the townhouse and on Tuesday it all got loaded in the truck and we moved three hours north.

We've been at the new apartment for just over a week now. Jake has been at his new building for a week and I have been unemployed for that long. The new apartment is looking great. Our things are falling into place and its beginning to look like us. Jake has been putting in long hours trying to get a grasp for his new crew. And I have been unpacking boxes, running errands, Christmas shopping and baking. Not too shabby of a week.

This is our first big move. At first I didn't quite realize just how significantly it would affect us. It didn't seem that big of a deal until we got here. Then it dawned on me that we're in a completely new city, with no awareness of what is where, and just a completely new surrounding. It's something we've been waiting for and have wanted for a while. But change is hard. This change was hard because the last time I moved some place new it was to college and I had a dorm full of girls and a full schedule to occupy my time. So, this was a bigger change than I anticipated. I'm working hard on making this place our new home and getting settled and cozy in our new town.

Now for a few pictures from our Vegas trip.