Back into my Illustration Groove

Good morning!

It's a short and tiny tree but it will do for our first married Christmas 

We most definitely put up our Christmas tree last night! We decided to just put the lights on it because we might be moving it to the top of our staircase since Andy has a tree that we still need to pick up from his parents house. Nevertheless, it was still super exciting to see the tree all lit up in our living room! I'll share another picture when we get the ornaments up!

The red cups are back!

Let's back up a little now. Yesterday afternoon was spent sipping coffee at Starbucks with Krystine while working on a project for work. We just learned earlier this week that we will be doing a collaboration design for our annual holiday gift for our clients. Each of the designers chose a month on Friday and then will design a calendar header for that particular month.

The end result will look something like this:

(source)

She chose October, while I went with the month of September, since it's my favorite month of them all. After chatting away while designing from opposite ends of the table, I came up with this. I'm still working on refining my tree and will add more leaves and branches, but this is the just of it! 

The apples/leaves signify Fall, while the cut-out letters reference the whole "back to school" craze that ensues the month of September. Do you think the picnic table needs something on top of it? Krystine and I were stumped by this and couldn't come up with a logical object to place on top. It's too early for pumpkins, and if I put a picnic basket, then I would need to add people to the scene.

Thoughts/suggestions are welcome!

While we were plugging away on our MacBooks, I mentioned to Krystine that sometimes I forget that I really enjoy design. I sit at my computer 40 hours a week designing all sorts of things but it is easy to forget what made you love it in the first place. For me, illustration is what gets me excited, inspired, and motivated and getting back into the groove of it all was a great reminder of this!

Alright, I'm off to wrap up some loose ends before hopefully heading over to the gym before 10am! Here's to being productive!

Enjoy the rest of your day!

Do you get excited for the red holiday cups at Starbucks? 
Is your Christmas tree usually real or artificial? 
Favorite holiday drink at Starbucks? I love the gingerbread one, only coming in second to the Pumpkin Spice latte!

Wedding Recap: The Days Before it All

Good morning!

After a much-needed vacation with my new husband (it's still weird saying that!), I am happy to be back in Minneapolis as we start this next chapter of our life.

Thanks to my Aunt Lori for taking some pictures during the ceremony! 

Our wedding turned out so well and as fun as it was, I am glad it is over! Planning a wedding is a lot more time and money than you expect! We are anxious to get back into our hobbies and have more free time to spend with each other rather than working on wedding to-do's. Everything went really smoothly though and just like they say, your own wedding always flies by much faster! I felt like the whole day was only 3 hours long!

The last few days have been kind of chaotic--we're still pretty jet lagged and it has been tricky getting back into a routine since we spent the last 8 days laying on the beach.

However, our honeymoon was so worth it. Andy surprised me by planning an 8-day trip to Maui! He had me guess where we were going while we were driving from the ceremony site to our reception so that I could tell our guests of our travel plans. Hawaii was absolutely gorgeous--complete with ocean views, tropical plants and flowers, amazing sunsets, and stunning mountains all around.

I'll recap getting ready, the wedding, and honeymoon in separate posts, so stay tuned!

The Days Before It All
Wednesday during wedding week was my last day at the office before taking the following two weeks off. My coworkers actually threw me a surprise wedding celebration before I left--complete with cake and gifts! What a fun surprise!

It was so nice to have Thursday and Friday off to run around and get last-minute things accomplished before the wedding. On Thursday afternoon, I drove down to my sister's place to do a wedding day makeup trial run.

My sister definitely got the girly gene and does an excellent job at makeup. She expertly applied my makeup for a fresh look on my wedding day. Since she works second shift and had to head into work, I headed out after the makeup application and ran a few errands before meeting up with my friend Kaaren for coffee.

During the last few weeks before the wedding, I didn't get a chance to spend time with friends and I was starting to really miss them. It was so great to catch up with her and hear pre-wedding advice from her since she's been married for a few years already.

Friday morning was spent grabbing a hot cup of coffee at Starbucks--it was freezing out! After picking up a warm drink, I spent the remainder of the morning being pampered by getting a shellac manicure and pedicure--a gift from one of my good friends, Kara Lynn as a bachelorette party gift!

This was my first time having a pedicure and oh my goodness--it was amazing. They had a huge tv, massage chairs, and hundreds of colors of nail polish to choose from. I ended up choosing "Strawberry Margarita" for my toes and a shellac French manicure on my hands. The lady at the salon added a quick sparkly top coat on my fingers before I headed out the door--what a fun touch!

Don't worry, Andy didn't get his toes done...

After the salon visit, I ran a few other errands before stopping home to change and get ready to head to the rehearsal. The rehearsal was great since it was laid back and we all got to chat with family and friends. It was great to connect with those close to us before the big day. The only freak-out moment happened when our wedding coordinator informed me that the flower girls could not use real flower petals on the hardwood floors of the chapel. Ahh! Luckily my amazing personal attendant, Krystine, stepped up to the challenge of running to the store to find fake rose petals!

After running through the ceremony order twice, we headed over to the restaurant for a delicious dinner. Before I knew it, we were headed home to try to get some sleep. Despite my excitement, I actually fell asleep pretty quickly!

I'll continue where I left off in my next post; it's time to scoot out the door to work. This week is flying by since it's been a short week for me--thankfully! After work, I'm headed out to grab coffee with my friend Bre before joining some friends for Krystine's birthday party later this evening. I'm looking forward to catching up with them!

Have a great Friday!

Where did you go for your honeymoon? If you aren't married, where would you like to go?
Mani's/Pedi's--love them or no?
Do you get jet lag after returning home from a far-away trip?

Peace Pipes, Friday Five + Photo Challenge

Hello! 

Good morning! I hope you're have a great Friday so far! Only 8 hours away from the weekend--yeah! Tonight Andy's coming over and then tomorrow will be spent hitting up the gym, cooking, and cleaning like crazy for my party! Ahh!

Mini Asthma Attack

Yesterday I ended up taking an unexpected half day from work--the past few days have had my asthma all riled up and I awoke Thursday morning hardly able to breathe normally. I pushed through the first few hours of work, but when 10:30am hit, I knew I had to go in to get a nebulizer treatment. I had this happen a few years ago (on Halloween, actually) and a neb session is usually the only thing that makes it better. 

Catching up on Real Simple while at the appointment

The beast

My peace pipe! 

I have exercise-induced asthma but over the past few years, it has really settled down a lot. When I mentioned the fact that I haven't been doing a lot at the gym lately, my doctor mentioned that stress and changes in seasons can also bring it on. 

Luckily she sent me home with a new inhaler so hopefully that and some rest will do the trick! This little device helps to open up my lungs so I can get enough air with each breathe--kind of important!


The Friday Five

Remember our fun little game from last week? Here we go again! 

1.  What I’m Reading:
Still working on the Shack--I have to admit, I'm only a couple chapters in so far! Normally I'm a fast reader, but with all of this wedding and work business going on, I've found myself swamped lately. 

A little Laura!

2.  What I’m Listening To:
Last weekend I headed over to Andy's house to work on our wedding slideshow. Naturally, I listened to the songs that are in the movie over and over again trying to perfect it. The song that I chose to be played during my "growing up" pictures is What It Means to Be Loved by Mark Schultz (just the second half of the song, though!). However, after chatting with Andy last night, I might be changing it to that "Cinderella" song by Steven Curtis Chapman...any thoughts on this?

3.  What I’m Watching:
Still watching season 2 of Grey's! Most nights I watch an episode before bed but end up drifting off to sleep before the episode ends...which means I've been watching the same episode for the past 3 nights...one of these days I'll get through the whole thing!

My all-time favorite flavor

Apple Straws!

Moose Lake Fudge Froyo's best part = mini peanut butter cups

4. What I’m Eating:
Ice cream has definitely been worked into the menu for this week! mmm, so delicious and something I rarely purchase at the grocery store. Other snacks of note include copious amounts of Apple Straws, and various Luna/Clif bars since they're my go-to snack when I'm rushing around.

5.  What I’m Pinning:
Check out this neat idea--you slice up one of your wedding invitations, place the strips in a glass ball ornament, and hang it on your tree to symbolize your first Christmas together. How cute!


Photo Challenge Day 2: 


What I wore:
(Click here to see yesterday's photo challenge)

Target ruffle tank, Target cardigan, and khakis, story of my life. Please note how well I blend in with my bathroom...

I also wore this outfit for Valentine's day this year...my hair looked better on that day though. However, I blow dried and straightened my hair today! I haven't done that in a long time; I kind of forgot I actually had bangs since they've been hidden by headbands. But really, let's face it, my hair will be up in a ponytail by 10am...


Off to the office! Have a super day!


Do you suffer from asthma? 
What are you pinning this week?
What song should I use during our slideshow? Also, Andy is having a hard time finding a song to play during his little boy pictures...any ideas?

Melt my Heart + Easy Peasy Mac n' Cheesy

Good morning!

Soy lattes for myself and a coworker. After my early start to the morning on Friday, I was thankful that I made mine a triple! I must say that those little green sticks to put in the drink spout on cups is one of Starbucks' most brilliant ideas ever. 

(source)

Well, that is after the Pumpkin Spice Latte...which is coming back soon! I think it usually arrives after Labor Day--correct me if I'm wrong! 

Another Wedding Weekend

This weekend was jam-packed with wedding festivities! Friday night, Andy and I headed out to look at a potential townhouse. It was okay but the kitchen was set up super awkwardly (the fridge door touched the stove when you opened it...?), and the master bedroom was painted such an obnoxious color.

Luckily, Andy scoped out another place this weekend and we went to view it last night. As soon as we walked in the front door, I was sold! I really, really hope we get this one! It is exactly our style!

Saturday was my first bridal shower, and then on Sunday we met with our musicians to go over ceremony music! I also found my bridesmaids gifts so I can check that off my list as well! Things are really coming together and I am so thankful that Andy has been so helpful with all of this. What a keeper!

Back to Monday

It's hard to believe it's already Monday again! Yikes! I'm sure this week will fly by since it's Andy's birthday week and the start of the fair!

On Saturday morning, before heading to the gym, I checked my mailbox and a huge smile spread across my face when I found these two brightly colored envelopes sitting in my box. 

I immediately flipped them over to open them. Check out the cute stickers! haha

Inside were two of the cutest homemade cards ever! My cousins had made them especially for me--with my name and initial on the front! 

Melt my heart!

My two cousins mean so much to me and I am so excited to have them in my wedding as flower girls! They are actually my only cousins, so they mean that much more to me! It has been so much fun watching them grow up over the years and spending time with them doing crafts, going to the park, and playing outside. It's funny because now they're the age I was when they were born! 

Easy Peasy Mac n' Cheesy

The other day I was stumped about what to make for lunch. I desperately needed groceries (and still do! Hopefully heading over there tomorrow night!) and nothing really sounded good. I opened my fridge and saw that I had a tupperware of cooked pasta from the day before. Hmm...maybe I could make some mac n' cheese. However, that sounded like a lot of work, so I improvised. 

I dug around in my fridge until I came across this little gem! Lately I've been loving this cheese on wraps and with crackers--so why not give it a whirl with pasta? I plopped two wedges into a bowl, added a splash of milk, and microwaved it in increments of 10 seconds--stirring each time. I then heated up my pasta, poured the cheese on top and stirred it up! I also added in some fresh basil and olives to jazz it up a bit.

The verdict? It was actually really good! The flavored Laughing Cow Cheese gave it a nice kick and it really hit the spot! I'll definitely be making this again! 

While I was home this weekend for my bridal shower, my dad had stopped at a local bagel bakery. Hello, toasted chocolate chip bagels with butter. I forgot how much I love these things! Paired with some fruit and a homemade iced coffee--it was delicious!

Off to work I go! I've got another huge website project to dive into this week--it's for a real estate company, so it should be fun for something different!

By the way, are anyone else's trees turning colors way too early? It's only August and my tree is half red, half green! Not that I'm complaining....

Alright, have a great day! 

Are your trees changing colors yet?

How many cousins do you have?

Ever made up a recipe on the spot and loved it?

Bags, Boot Camp, & Bagels

Good morning!

This morning I woke up with my contacts in and makeup still on--yikes! I must have fallen asleep while catching up on Grey's last night. Luckily I woke up feeling well-rested and ready to start this Friday!

So, once in awhile I check my blog stats just for the heck of it. I was amused to learn that this week someone found my blog by searching "butter biscuit designs?" Awesome. They might not have found what they were looking for, but hopefully they had fun visiting!

I forgot all about Starbucks' Treat Receipts in the summer! A coworker gave me hers on Tuesday morning and I was so excited to swing by Starbucks before heading to pre-marital counseling for an afternoon pick-me-up. The treat receipts let you purchase any grande cold drink after 2pm for only $2.00! Normally I stick with my tried and true iced coffee, but this time I cashed in the blue slip for a delicious iced soy latte--one of my favorites! 

Does anyone else feel like they always have a million bags to carry out in the morning? Usually I try to stash my gym bag in the car the night before to avoid carrying it in the morning, but still! A lunch, purse, and bag of toast gets hard to juggle while walking down steps in high heels! Maybe I should try putting my lunch in my purse...

After work on Wednesday, I had some time to kill before I met up with my friend, Danielle. Since there was a gym nearby, I decided to head in for a workout and shower before grabbing coffee with her. I was surprised to find that this particular gym had a track inside! After completing a strength-training session, I ran laps on the track while blasting the iPod and before I knew it, I was sweating like crazy! Almost ready to call it a day with working out, I glanced at the clock and decided to take a class since I still had an hour an a half before I had to shower and head over to Starbucks.

I saw that there was a boot camp class starting in 10 minutes and thought I'd give it a whirl. I told myself that if I didn't like it, I could leave. I figured it would be fun--jumping through tires and doing push ups...

This class was no joke and completely kicked my butt. We lifted this huge brick things and as we were lifting, the instructor walked around and added more weight to them! Ahhh. I wanted to die in the first 15 minutes of the class haha.

After the lifting, we headed outside and ran to a nearby elementary school. We used their playground, track, and parking lot to complete and hour and a half of insane exercises. Pull-ups, push-ups, sprints, running with resistance bands on our ankles, crunches, and running up hill while a partner put a rope around your waist and pulled backwards to make it harder. 

OH. MY. GOSH.

I thought I was somewhat "in-shape"....

Apparently not, as I left that class sweaty and exhausted! Since I wasn't planning on going to a class in the first place, I didn't even have a water bottle on me! Yikes!

After showering, I swung by my favorite bagel place to grab dinner before meeting with Danielle to catch up. Whole wheat toasted with peanut butter is one of my favorite combos! You'd better believe I chugged the water and iced tea that I ordered as soon as we arrived! 

Danielle and I go way back--we attended the same church when we were younger and were in the same dance class for a couple of years. She's married now and has two adorable little boys and a little dog! It was so much fun catching up with her and reminiscing over past memories. I'd definitely looking forward to seeing her again this Fall at my wedding! 

Lately I can't seem to get moving in the morning and breakfast has been enjoyed either in route to the office or at my desk. Lots of smoothies make it possible to get enough nutrients in the morning to start my day. I love bringing my cups home and reusing them for portable smoothies. I can just toss them when I'm done and there's no dirty cups to wash! 

Favorite snack as of lately? These cinnamon raisin pretzels are amazing! They taste just like a cinnamon raisin bagel! If you have not yet tried these, you are missing out! They're so delicious! 

With that, I'm off! I'm heading in early to proof a flyer that I got back from the printer yesterday and then wrapping up a website that is due on Monday! I'll be in and out on the blog this weekend--I've got my first bridal shower tomorrow morning! 

Favorite snack as of lately? 
Do you ever have to go into work early or stay late?
Favorite bagel flavor or combo?
Ever taken a boot camp class?