Friday Forecast!

Whatcha doin'? Nothin', climbing at the local rock gym...(if you didn't read that to the tune of Holiday Inn, you missed out)

BAAA--AAAA---RRRRRRRRRRR! Right? It's cold here, so it's probably even colder where you are. You poor things. Go get a blankie...or a blankie cleverly disguised as a sweater. I love my work appropriate blankets :)

Besides cozy-ing up with blankets and fluffy socks all weekend, Mike and I have a few other activities planned:

1) Back to the Summit. I almost hesitate writing this here. We've tried all week to go after work, but keep getting foiled by other things. We're beginning to think that planing to go climbing is a jinx.

2) The Healthiest Grocery Run EVER...Although hopefully it will become our new normal. We going to be shopping the heck out of the perimeter.

3) Bug Luv. My little bug-a-lug is going to get some lovin' in the form of a new rear window decal. I got a bunch of adhesive vinyl from my sis-in-law for Christmas, and I'm dying to put it to use. The project will be loosely based on these instructions, EXCEPT that I have a handy-dandy digital cutting machine :) The design will be something like this:

Happy Friday! Try not freeze out there!

My First OOTD: Look What I Made!

FRIDAY!!! And boy do I need it :)

Greetings bff's. Today I've got a special treat for you...My first ever OOTD!!!

What's an OOTD you ask? Outfit Of The Day of course! And this outfit is extra special because I made the dress myself! So without further ado...or bragging... here's how I'm looking today:

Schoolhouse Tunic dress pattern from Sew Liberated . Plaid fabric from Hancock Fabrics. Boots and tights from Target. (faux leather btw)

Easy bun and light make-up to finish it off.

I love how comfy this tunic dress is. I'm thinking I could have perhaps gone down a size, but I like the bagginess, and the pleating details on the skirt add some structure. As you can see it's super cute with tights and boots. I think it would also look great dressed down with leggings and converse-style tennies. Or I think you could dress it up with tights, flats, and a belt to cinch in the waist. I have a thin gold belt that I think would do the trick and would be festive for the holidays.

I'm wearing the tunic layered with a simple white cami, but there's plenty of space in bodice and sleeves to layer it with a long sleeve thermal or maybe even a turtleneck as I've heard those are back in vogue this season. Special thanks to Daily Grace for keeping me current on fashion trends.

Pattern and Class Review

First, a shoutout to Brooke at Beehive Atlanta for being a super awesome instructor. I'm confident that the dress would have had a few more boo boos without her help.

The pattern itself was really well made and super easy to follow, with only a couple steps that I needed guidance on. This was my first time completing what Brooke called an "independent pattern" meaning it wasn't from one of the big name pattern makers. Here's what I see as the major reasons to buy independent: 1.) Easier to understand instructions. 2.) Trendier styles. 3.) Supporting small business.

The class was awesome. It was my first time having someone professionally trained watch me as I sewed. I picked up a lot of great tips and tricks and definitely improved on my skill set. Last night one of the other ladies in the class mentioned how sewing isn't really a money saver the way it used to be, which is true. Fabrics and patterns can be pretty expensive, not to mention the cost of a class or two, but for me the class and sewing in general is an awesome hobby with totally usable results. See above ;)

Friday Forecast

Mike and I have a pretty exciting weekend planned. So exciting that it involves air travel! We are heading to Kansas City, Lawrence to be more precise, for my godbrother's wedding. It's our first time in KC and our first wedding now that we are on the other side :) Looking forward to kicking back and relaxing at this one.

Cheers to a fabulous weekend!

Friday Forecast: Guess the Costume!

We've made it to Friday. Swwweeeeeeet.

Quick post today, as we don't have any big plans. Tonight we might FINALLY venture all the way to the end of our block (not exaggerating) to this Cuban place called Cruzado.

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This place is seriously so close to our house is a bit odd that we haven't tried it yet. Chalk one up for laziness.

Mike got us both student tickets to the GA Tech game tomorrow. Last year Mike's dad bought us season tickets so it has felt a bit odd (lots of oddness in this post) that we haven't been to a single game this season. Once again I'm going to chalk one up to laziness.

That's us at a game last year. Awe...memories.

Sunday will be Halloween prep day in our house. We didn't end up getting pumpkins last weekend so plumpykins from TJ's it is. Oh well, not everything in life can be precious. I'm also totally going to use this as an excuse to get a jar of my favorite Cowboy Cavier. Another point for laziness I guess?

In other news....

We received a very important package this week with a major component to our Halloween costumes:

That's right, green zip hoodies. 10 points to anyone who can guess what they will become! 

Final Tally: Laziness 3, Us 0. If that's not motivation to kick butt this weekend, I don't know what is.

Friday Forecast: We're Gonna See the Heck Out of Rock City!

Raise your hand if you've got a 3 day weekend headed your way!

Sorry for bragging, but I'm pumped that next week Monday I won't wake up and think, "noooooooooo!" Remember guys, it's the little things.

Even though next Tuesday is a filing deadline, and I'm currently up to my ears in returns, it's also Mike's fall break. Meaning we get a very rare and precious long weekend to do some serious adventuring. Shoutout to my bomb-digs boss who totally gets this :)

Our original plan was to head out for a second camping trip, but we we didn't know if I would for sure get Monday off with the above mentioned deadline looming. So instead we are opting for a pretty extensive day trip into the north Georgia Mountains. How far north?? All the way to the Tennessee boarder: Rock City, Baby!!

Seriously?? Is this a cult??
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On our very first trip down to look for an apartment, we stayed at this little B&B in our desired neighborhood. Hanging outside near the entrance was a "See Rock City" birdhouse. Interesting... After moving here last year I started noticing a lot more birdhouses scatted all around Atlanta. Even more interesting... Then last week in the midst of our "What the heck are we going to to do make this long weekend awesome???" convos, I saw a random piece of trivia:

Q: Where in the US can you stand in one spot and see 7 different states??

A: Lover's Leap, a point in ROCK CITY!

Ok universe, I hear you! So, tomorrow morning we'll be waking up bright and early to make the 2 hour trek to Rock City.  And I'll be coming home with a birdhouse to prove it!

Our voyage North!

We have some pit stops planned. Supposedly there is a whole group of orchards all along a highway up there that's been nicknamed Apple Orchard Valley. On the way home from Rock City, we are going to cruise that valley like two winos in Napa. Mental note: pick up a jar of peanut butter for the car.

Hopefully we'll find a sincere pumpkin patch to pick up some Sunday entertainment and achieve further fall bucket list completion. Fingers-crossed.

Oh and for car ride entertainment...Harry Potter on tape!! Well actually cd, but you know what I mean. A word to the wise: if you've got a long car ride in your future, check out your library's selection of books on tape. I was seriously impressed.

Sunday and Monday will be much less action packed. We might try to make it to the Packer Bar for Sunday's game. I'm petitioning to use our empty Monday morning to hit up Flying Biscuit sans the typical hour long weekend wait.

Happy Friday! Have a ROCKin' weekend :)

Friday Forecast & Fall Book Review

Sigggghhh....weekend, thank you for gracing us with your presence.

First off, a Fall Bucket List update: Fall Reading List Complete! Woot Woot! 

Divergent Series, The Fault in Our Stars, Looking for Alaska, Wonder, and The Giver.

Now technically I have not officially finished the list because Allegiant won't come out until October 22, but I've already pre-oredered it for my nook. I might need to call in sick that day :) 

Here's my super quick review of each:

1.) Divergent Series: I couldn't put it down, but I could have done with less of the unrealistic teen love nonsense (i.e. girls sulks in secluded hallway, boy magically shows up to console her). I preferred book 2 over book 1, and am expecting the greatness to continue.

2.) Wonder: This was so cute. Very funny and very uplifting with some serious messages about bullying and being kind. Great read for all ages really.

3) The Fault in Our Stars: Loved it! So great. Definitely worth the tears. This book is about teens with cancer, so you know what you're getting yourself into from the start.

4) The Giver: This book was nicely inline with the themes in Divergent minus the love story, but I found myself wanting more plot. I felt like the first 80% of the book was setting up for what turned out to be a very short plot line. I'm excited to see the film adaptation.

5) Looking for Alaska: I had a hard time connecting with these characters. I'm not sure if it was because it was from a boys point of view, or just that The Fault in  Our Stars was sooooo good, but i found this one to be overall meh.

Geeze, I feel like that was harsh. You'd think I didn't enjoy reading those at all. Really though I read the last 4 books in 6 days. I've been quite a book worm lately. My obsession has quieted down a bit, but October 22 is only 17 days away!!

Back to the Forecast...

Have you guys seen the first Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs?? If you haven't go see it. Now! Or actually finish reading this post, THEN go watch it. Seriously underrated movie.

Mike and I have a special love for Cloudy and even made-up our  ( )'_'( ) emoticon based on the 2nd most awkward kiss of all time. For the first most awkward kiss click here at your own discretion (warning: you can't un-see this).

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Well Cloudy 2 has arrived!!! We tried going last week, but alas I was exhausted. Tonight's the big night! It's been FOR-EV-ER since we did a real person date. I'm pumped.

Saturday, Mike and I are heading to Hoptoberfest with some new Atlanta buddies. After a week of headaches, I have mixed emotions about spending Saturday day-drinking, but hey, I wasn't raised in WI for nothing. I might need to add making pretzel necklaces to my Saturday morning itinerary :)

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Mike is volunteering at a 5k on Sunday which means.....GIRLIE TIME!! I haven't yet decided how I'll be spending my precious alone time. Sadly I think grocery shopping and some cleaning might make it on to the list. I'm sure I'll fit in plenty of Glee to balance it out.

Happy Friday! Try to sneak in some romance if you can!

Friday Forecast: Happy Birthday to the Hubster

Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday!

WOOOOO! Can I get an Amen!? Sunday is Mike's b-day, and as a result we have some serious awesomeness planned for this weekend.

First up: Braves Game! I surprised Mike with tickets to tonight's Braves vs. Philles game. He was pumped, and now I'm wearing a Braves shirt to work. Win, win.

We're here to CHOP!

Saturday we are heading out to the UW-Alumni Association's designated game watching bar to see the Badgers take on a Bunch of Nuts. 

 Check out this Source link. Further arguments for the awesomeness that is Buckingham U. Badger.

I'm not sure if badgers actually eat nuts, but they could...because badgers are BA. Need proof? See Exhibit A.

Sunday I have a second surprise planned for Mike, and since he reads this it will have to remain a surprise for you as well.  Details on Monday I guess :)

Have a happy weekend! And also a Happy Birthday (to those that it applies to)!

Friday Forecast: Crossing off the Checklist Like It's My Job

Happy Friday everyone! Another week bites the dust!

After a long string of busy weekends, Mike and I finally find ourselves with one that's WIIIIIIIIIIIIIDE open. Love it. Just one more sign the summer is ending...we get our weekends back!

While we don't have any big plans for the weekend, I have a few little things in mind. For a long while now Mike and I have been building up a list of post-Ding to-do's. Most of which required a copy of our marriage certificate and a trip to a government building (read: headache city). Three different gov buildings were on the list for this weekend and guess what???? All three have been conquered. Name changes, new SSN requested, and new tags for the bug. Check, check, and check.

It was a struggle getting up early knowing that my time would be spent sitting in a not so comfy chair for who know's how long, but man was it worth it to know that I won't need to waste a good part of my Saturday. WIN!

Here's a peak at my weekend plans:

1) The End of Smoothies It's been truly a great experience. If you've ever failed at juice fasting or were too afraid to try  but are still looking for a health reset I HIGHLY recommend a smoothie cleanse. You'll get to fill up on lots of delicious fruits and greens, while still sucking down some hunger satisfying protein and fiber. 

Coconut water in smoothies. Life is good.

To break the fast, although as mentioned we've been snacking here and there, we are going to focus on whole food plant-based meals. After Wednesday's cooking class we picked up some udon noodles and dark miso for miso soup. We also have some kale and spinach leftover from the smoothies. I'm sure I'll come up with something delicious.

2) Dining Room Makeover Our new place is significantly smaller than our old place, and for the most part we've adjusted. Our last spot to tackle is our "dinning room" which is really just a nook next to our breakfast bar. We bought a nice metal shelf at Ikea last weekend to supplement our old plastic one. The new one looks fine, but the plastic one could use some sprucing up. Don't worry I have a plan!

3) Cider Bottling Our poor forgotten cider has been sitting in the aforementioned dining room begging to be bottled. Little things have gotten in the way all week, but tonight is the night! I cant wait to give it a taste. Fingers crossed it's turned out ok.

4) New Girl Season 2 Marathon What's the best thing about a weekend with no plans outside the house?? Netflix marathon! And since a lot of the new seasons have started, Netflix has become a bountiful garden of stay-cation entertainment. 

Get your groove on! It's the weekend!

Friday Forecast: Crafts, Football, and Smoothies

WOOOOOOO! Friday! Did this week go by fast for anyone else?

Random note: I just noticed that this is my 13th post and it's also Friday the 13th...spoooooky.

We had a pretty fun week. My dad was in town for work so we met up at his hotel on Wednesday and went out for dinner. We hit up Top Spice Thai, and it was amazing. Bonus: the leftovers are today's lunch.

Last night we went to a cooking class with my favorite Atlanta plant-based chef MJ Conboy. She rocks. Total idol for me. We had quinoa granola, blacken tofu Cesar salad, spicy collards on polenta cakes, and almond butter rice crispy treats. I love trying out her uber healthy dishes, and it's like a real life cooking show. So fun!

Our salty sweet treat.

Plus, she always brings a treat. Last night was Nori Nut Sesame Crunch. Usually I find sea veggies a bit overpowering (unless drenched in wasabi), but these were the perfect mix of salty and sweet. Definitively going to be giving that recipe a whirl.

I mentioned last week that I was getting an awesome new craft gizmo with my birthday money. Well it arrived and it's awesome!

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It's a digital cutting machine. I've been eyeing them up ever since my old roommate got a Cricut. I love that this one doesn't require cartridges. Instead all the cut files are created on your computer and are 100% customizable by you. These machines where originally made for scrapbookers, but quickly other crafters have seem the light. I personally have my eye on the textile craft scene. Custom t-shirt anyone?

Tomorrow we are heading to a GT game watching party at one of the first years' places. Tech plays Duke away. Should be a pretty interesting game. Mike and I will be hitting the store tonight for some game-day treats: carrot dogs for me and black bean salsa dip from TJ's.

Except we'll probably keep the PDA to a minimum.

Sunday Mike and I will begin preparation for our Smoose Cleanse! What's a Smoose Cleanse? Well, it's basically a word I totally made up to make a smoothie cleanse sound a bit more fun. A few weeks ago I picked up Kathy Patalsky's book, 365 Vegan Smoothies. She groups the recipes into months with a different wellness goal for each, for example: detox, slim-down, mood-boosting.

Check out her blog too! 

Our goal is to work our way through the months in 12 days with each day focusing on a different goal. I say 12 days is our goal because neither of us have tried to do a smoothie cleanse before so we really don't know how our bodies will react. I've tried to do juice cleanses before, but the detoxing always made me too sick to function so I've never made it past day 2. I'm hoping that using smoothies instead will be the answer. The fiber left in the smoothies does wonders for your digestion, and all the awesome flavor combos in this book should satisfy any craving we might have. Wish us luck!

Wishing you a Happy Weekend! Go Tech! To hell with Georgia! Buzz buzz buzz!

A Very Happy B-Day & Friday Forecast

WOOOOO Weekend!

This was a pretty easy week for me. Short week. Birthday. And now it's Friday :D

Mike did an awesome job on the bday celebrations yesterday. We met up for lunch. After work he set up a massage for me at my favorite place here in ATL. Then after the massage I can home to this:

Paul Frank birthday banner and cafe lights. He gets me.

AND Mellow Mushroom pizza! Pineapple and tempeh...delicious.

Love this dude.

The fun continues this weekend with some fun errands on Saturday. I have few craft ideas in mind, especially after my big gift purchase (thanks mommy 1 and mommy 2 for the spending money!). I'm hoping to hunt down some of this felt made from recycled bottles. Recycled materials and cruelty free?!?! How cool! More details once my gift arrives.

Sunday we are heading to Six Flags over Georgia with our church's young adult group.

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I'm pumped! I loooooove roller-coasters and have been dying to hit up Atlanta'a Six flags since we moved down here. Mike is less excited about the rides. We'll see how it goes.

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My number one target for the day: the Sky Screamer. It's like the carnival swings on steroids. 242 feet tall. Eeeeeee!

Wishing you a thrilling weekend!