THANKSGIVING WEEKEND

Ahhh what a fantastic long weekend it was.

Minus the fact that I spent some time working... but that's what happens when opposing counsel serves approximately 200 pages of motions on you the day before Thanksgiving, due the Monday after Thanksgiving, and refuses to grant you an extension. KTHXBAI.

It wasn't even actually my case, but I'd asked the lead attorney on it for projects that day (baddd idea, haha). It wasn't too bad, the motions were easy enough to write, and we divided and conquered. Still will probably lose a few of them, but oh well. Enuf with the boring lawyerstuffs, Thanksgiving was great!

Thanksgiving we went to my aunts, and while about half the family was missing, I kind of enjoyed the smaller group. We stuck around longer than we usually would, and although it was a bit more quiet, it was nice. My dad and I went for a walk after dinner, in keeping with his cardiac rehab, and since my aunt lives a block off White Bear Lake, it was a chilly but pretty walk along the lake path.

I spent a lot of time lounging with this dude:

This also begins the season that TJ, aka Dennis the Mennis, gets shot in the face with a water bottle for attacking the Christmas tree approximately 5 times a night. The worst part is he has no interest in it as far as I can tell when it's not lit, and we're not in the room. The minute it goes on? He sits underneath it and just chaws down on the lowest branches, while maintaining eye contact. You may laugh or think I'm crazy but I'm dead serious. He's such an antagonist. I will sit up and look at him and he crouches into his "do it. I dare you." mode, ready to run.

Bloggers are all busy showing you their holiday home tours this week, but this is the best you get from me:

When we have kids, I'll start more fun holiday traditions, like elf on the shelf, and buying an ornament for my kids/our family to symbolize each year. For now? I'm enjoying the SHIT out of my clutterless, pottery-barn-esque (HA, but sort of), grown up christmas. We have our tree, some mini garland, and that's it. There may be a DIY addition or two, but for now this is perfect. I love curling up in my cozy redesigned living room (which I still need to share.. maybe when I put up the new gallery wall..), with my favorite fuzzy blanket from Mel, and wine, and reading (finally actually reading the Hunger Games- I said I'd go to the 2nd movie a few weeks ago, so I watched the first movie quick, saw the 2nd one, and then naturally got sucked in and had to go back and do it all backwards and read the books. I JUST finished the 2nd book last night, so I'm onto new material now! MEEP!)

Went to Target to get a tree skirt in an attempt to keep TJ out from under it, saw Target is stepping up their game: 

Friday night we went over to M's mom's for Thanksgiving 2 (after watching a Harry Potter marathon most the day).

Saturday, M and I went on a date. A real, planned, date. With all the family nuttiness going on and splitting shifts watching my parents (sounds so weird to say) we haven't had much "us" time. So M was scouring the internet for ideas and suggested a wine and canvas place. They were painting a rural barn that night. I liked it, but I also didn't want 2 barn paintings for our one house, so I suggested a slight modification: Paint Your Plate. It's a place you can go and pick out unpainted ceramic pieces (plates, bowls, cups, figurines) and paint them. They then glaze and fire them for you, to be picked up a few days later.

M picked out a goblin chalice.. because, duh.

And because I'm a perfectionist and didn't come with anything else to paint in mind (and therefore was not about to free-hand it), I did a little "N" (our last name) plate. I'm either going to get a tiny plate stand, and put it in the kitchen, or just use it as a small serving dish. Or both!

M, with his love for his alma matter, painted a U of M goblin chalice. The finished product was actually pretty cool- I'm excited to see it done.

After painting, walked across the street to Mozza Mia for dinner only to find out they'd taken the pizza that I FANTASIZE about off the menu. I was seriously upset. Their bruschetta aalllmooostttt made me forget (another favorite) and our substitute pizza was tasty, too. They do a ridiculously good job. It's artisan pizzas in a wood fired oven.

Sunday was a bit more work, and overall relaxing. Hard to work at home with TJ alternating between howling for dinner (he has an auto feeder now) and crawling into my lap.

Back to reality today, but we've got M's Christmas party this Thursday - it's at Aria this year, a fancy venue in town, and will be "formal" so I bought a new dress to fit in with the ad world Glamazons, as I've nicknamed them. Friday is a going away party/ugly Christmas sweater party that M and I are hosting at a friends' house (they have a bigger house), and Saturday is Pete's (of Syndal and Pete) birthday! So it should be a busy week! I MAY even bust out my real camera. O_O. it's been a while.

Hope you all had a good thanksgiving! And I'll post the remaining wedding posts the next few days (yes, that's still a thing).

Half marathon, wedding shower, birthdays, and more

Oofta. Labor day is already over!? How is it already September? 

This weekend was random, but peppered with fun events! 

Friday night, I got home from work and found M on the back deck shaking his head. He holds up his hand and I see it's wrapped up. Immediately I ask him wtf he did, and I was shown this: 

 

That'd be a fishing hook. In his hand. After a trip to urgent care, in which they didn't have the proper tools and had to slice it out of his hand, he was home. Disgruntled, and okay, but home. 

Saturday morning M and I got up bright and early to meet some other friends of mine to cheer on my bridesmaid, Dana, in her first half marathon in St. Paul. It was a beautiful morning to watch, and a bit cooler than it had been earlier int he week, and she did phenomenal!

 

 

Dana is a One Direction fan, so in a rare moment of creativity, I crafted up this (which made me laugh pretty hard): 

(above) law school ladies.
(below) Dana's parents flew up for the long weekend from Missouri

Dana's college friends, one of whom also ran the race: 

Saturday afternoon was traumatic, for me. I had went shopping to see if I couldn't find a last minute dress for our couples shower Saturday night. I came home empty handed, was walking out of the garage minding my own business, when BAM- it happened: I got stung by a F&#^@ BEE. I haven't been stung by a bee in probably 7-10 years, and I swear the older I get, the more of a baby I become for this type of pain. I screamed, and grabbed my right thigh, where it happened, and started to hobble/jog/whimper to the back door. M heard the commotion and met me in the kitchen, where I proceeded to lay down on the floor and SOB hysterically for about 30 minutes. We put some ice on it and Jess suggested I make a paste out of baking soda to help with pain, which I did, and which helped. But still, how freaking stupid. Who gets stung by a bee?!?! ugh. It's still sore today, since he got me right on the muscle. I hope that stupid little asshole died a slow and painful death afterwards.

Saturday night was our couples shower, which I was determined to bounce back from the bee sting and enjoy. There were 5 people who had said they'd come, and couldn't make it, so we had a slightly smaller turnout, but it was the perfect group. Everybody knew at least one other person it seemed like, so people could all mingle. My aunt and uncle just went over the top, per usual, and catered it in from Lunds & Byerly's. Their house is obscenely beautiful as well, and it was just a really fun night. 

FLOGGERS, and their husbands! I was so happy they could make it, and we definitely missed Lo. But she was at home with an almost-emergency with her puppy child, Apple. 

 
M and his best man, Brady.

Love these two. :)

 

My fabulous aunt and uncle. I can't thank them enough for hosting such a fabulous party! 

 

Sunday was Dana's birthday, so M and I headed over to her friend's apartment for tacos and drinks. We had planned to sit out by the pool, but the cooler weather kept us inside. 

D with her 1D birthday sash, naturally: 

Afterwards on Sunday, M and I went to help his sister set up her internet at her new apartment before she starts law school tomorrow.

Sunday night we were hanging out at the house, debating whether to play Guesstures with the cat (a game we were gifted Saturday night!) and killing time until Breaking Bad re-aired at 10:30 that night (we somehow spaced it was Sunday and new, so we missed it at 8:00) when my co-worker attorney/neighbor's wife facebooked us to ask if we were home, and invited us over for a bonfire! So, we happily grabbed some wine for the both of us, and made the quick walk down the alley to their house. We ended up sitting out back by the fire for 4 hours, chatting. It was an absolute blast!  So glad we did that instead of just sitting on our butts at home.

Monday so far has been super lazy. I got a frame from M's mom, and have plans to spray paint that in a bit.... but right now? I have a blanket on (DYING, I LOVE THIS) and there's a cool breeze coming in the window, and oh.. my favorite movie ever- the Negotiator, is on TV.

I have a few posts lined up this week about wedding stuffs, so stay tuned for that!  Hope you all had a fabulous long weekend!

Sunburn and 'Squitos: Fourth of July Weekend

We spent the long 4th of July weekend up nort' in Perham, MN. 

I know other states have lakes, but I firmly believe Minnesota has mastered "lake life." 

Summer weekends in the city are quiet because everybody makes the mass exodus to their cabin in northern Minnesota (or Wisconsin... but we don't talk about that here ;-)). 

We headed up Wednesday night and stayed through Saturday night. 

There was volleyball, 

bean bags, 

and washers. 

There was late communal lunches and dinners, even later nights by the bonfire, followed by surprisingly early mornings. But when Minnesota gives you consecutive days of sun and 80+ degrees? You don't waste a single second of it. (Saturday brought some rain, but my sunburns needed a break anyway).  

We wake surfed, wake boarded, knee boarded, and watched the dogs tire each other out tearing around the yard. 

There was a bizarre incident Friday night where a chair tipping over turned into wrestling, which turned into 6 guys throwing 2 tangled up girls into the lake in all their clothes, and then one of said girls tackling another girl into the lake. 

Then I left my purse with my wallet, checkbook, cell phone, and entire identity at Culvers in St. Cloud (an hour from home).. a fact we realized when we were a quarter mile from home. Thankfully we left early and there were a few couples following us home Sunday, one of whom swung by and grabbed it for me. Yay!

Anyway, here's a crap ton of photos from the weekend:

I'm exhausted, have racoon-eyes from my sunglasses, and my bra strap is currently scraping my sunburn. Which means it was a ridiculously awesome weekend.

And now, back to reality, I have to do a few hours of research regarding contract reformation.
Big woof.

Hope you all had a great long weekend!