{finding joy} hospitality here and now

A couple months ago, my small group did a spiritual gifts questionnaire, and the three gifts that hopped to the top of my inventory were Administration, Hospitality, and Mercy. 

Administration? Yes. As I flip through my planner and skim my detailed layout of to-dos and deadlines or turn on my computer to look through my budget in Excel, I see how this gift is realized in my everyday life. I'm organized. I plan. I get things done. I love being in charge and executing social events with friends. Mercy, too, is evident in the decisions I make and the things that move me. I'm the girl that chokes back tears almost every time I pass a homeless man on the street or read stories of deep poverty in America's cities or third-world countries. I organize toiletry and food drives and spend time with the elderly to make them feel noticed and valued. I'm leaving my corporate job to help reach under-served kids in inner city schools and get them into college. My heart hurts for others and rejoices in their victory over difficult circumstances. I'm not saying these things to "toot my own horn." I'm saying them because I think it's good to validate the gifts God has given us and see how we're using them to glorify Him and further His kingdom (neither of which I do often enough). 

{lately} in sunny minnesota

The sun finally decided to come out this weekend and warm up the arctic tundra that has been Minneapolis - and oh how sweet that was! 70+ degrees Friday-Sunday, with two 65+ degrees today and tomorrow before slipping back into some chilly, rainy days to finish off the (hopefully) last of winter weather up here. A, my friends, and I took full advantage of the beautiful weather, savoring every minute of the sunshine and warmth before heading back to cube-ville today!

i'm not the only crazy one

Guys. I'm seriously dying laughing right now. This video of Kristen Bell on Ellen is so hilarious and so validating for my "slightly" emotional self. At one point, she says, "if i'm not between a 3 and a 7 on the emotional scale, i'm crying." Well, ummm, that's me. This video is just too funny, though. Enjoy!

{lately} he's back!

A is back from Madrid! His flight landed last night around 7pm. We got to spend a couple of sweet hours together before jet lag got the best of him and he succumbed to the exhaustion. We are going out to dinner tonight, and I can't wait to get all the details of his trip in person - and discuss a really exciting possibility that popped up while he was over there! I'll keep y'all posted :)

{friday fashions} simplicity on a saturday

I have discovered the best t-shirt ever: the Simplicity on a Saturday tee from ModCloth.

{skincare 201} makeup must haves

I know I promised y'all a post on eating for healthy skin, but when I started my research I realized there is SO MUCH out there and I know so little! So hold tight, and I hope to get that post (skincare 301, of course) researched and written up sometime soon! In the meantime, I thought I'd share with you guys the make-up products I swear by and keep me feeling fresh (and pretty!) all day long. I am very much my mother's daughter in that I never leave the house without at least mascara and some tinted lip balm. She got it from her mama, and I got it from mine! It's really not high maintenance (in my opinion) to quickly brush some mascara on your lashes and swipe a tube of balm across your lips, and it's an easy way to pull yourself together - even when your hair's in a messy bun and your outfit includes leggings. I do not, however, wear makeup to the gym. I always make sure to wipe my face with a makeup remover wipe ($2.99 at CVS) before hitting the treadmill - it's a great practice to get into and can help prevent unwanted blemishes. Worth the time, trust me!

{favorite things minneapolis} the great outdoors

When I first decided to accept the job at Gen Mills and move to Minnesota, I got what seemed like the same question from everyone I told - but what do people do there?!

It turns out ... they do a whole lot more than people anywhere else I've lived. Minneapolis is a city filled with people that don't let 7+ months of winter fase them. They embrace the weather regardless of the season and find ways to stay active during months where others would prefer curling up on the sofa every night. In the winters, there's skiing at The Depot, observing or racing in the Loppett, dining at one of the many incredible restaurants  spanning the Cities, hitting one of the cities' many breweries ... the list goes on.

 I've never wanted for things to do in my time here - even when the temperature dips low into the negative realm. But let's be real. The BEST season to be a Minneapolitan is the summer.

{lately} with the other alex

I think I've got a thing for Alexs. 

A is in Spain right now - to return on Sunday (PRAISE THE LORD!) - but that didn't mean that I had an Alex-free weekend the past few days. No, no, no. A weekend without an Alex seemed unfathomable to me, so I had one of my best friends from IU, girl Alex, come visit me in Minneapolis! Okay, that's not why she came to visit. She came because she's amazing and lives in Madison and wanted to spend a weekend with me before I head south, BUT it did result in an Alex-filled weekend! 

The weekend started off a little rocky when Alex called me from the road to let me know that a) she forgot her wallet in Madison, b) she was out of gas, and c) she was still 45 minutes away in Hudson, WI. Never a dull moment! I quickly poured my full glass of Malbec back into the bottle (no waste here!) and hopped into my car to meet her in Hudson, laughing to myself because it was obviously something that I would do, too. After that, it was a great weekend, the highlight of which was brewery hopping in Northeast yesterday! I love the atmosphere at the local breweries here and wish I'd spent more time at them now.

Clockwise from top left: Check out the photobomber behind Alex at Indeed Brewing!;
Enjoying Let it Ride IPA at Indeed Brewing; I loved the Six and Rated R brews at 612Brew;
Beer flight at 612Brew

 

{friday fashions} penny parka

It's not the springiest of colors, but this green Penny Parka has become a staple in my wardrobe. I'm loving the fatigued army(ish) jackets, and I think this one does a great job of playing on that trend while keeping it cute and somewhat feminine. (They only have size Large on Piperlime now, but it is on sale!) I was originally inspired to buy this after seeing a similar jacket worn by Jessica Quirk over at What I Wore. I love her style, and she's pretty tall like me (I'm 5'10''), so I enjoy seeing the outfits she puts together and knowing they'll probably look similar on my extra long frame. Check out her blog if you're ever wanting to switch your look up a bit and need some ideas! She's a Hoosier alum and still lives in Bloomington, IN, so you know she's legit!

I wear this jacket over my work clothes on warmer days (ie, not this week) but especially love it with my more casual looks, my favorite being skinnies with a striped tee and fun flats or riding boots.

I hear North Carolina falls seem to last forever (yes, I am actually moving to heaven), so I'm excited to get plenty of wears out of this purchase in the many coming months!

Jacket: Penny Parka; Flats: Piperlime (no longer available); Shirt: JCrew

sophia & all her best parts

I miss Sophia. I found this little collage I put together when I watched her in February, and it  made me so happy! I'm amazed at how much she's grown already but love that I put this together and can look back on all my favorite little baby parts. I'm a rather proud Auntie. Can't wait to see her in a month for her Uncle Clay's IU graduation!

{finding joy} when it snows in april

Minneapolis is expected to get 6-8'' of snow between today and tomorrow.

Also, it's April.

Needless to say, I'm antsy to move south right now. But I'm also determined to enjoy my last weeks (6.5, to be exact!) I have left in Minnesnowta. So I've been working extra hard to find the joy in the little things this week, and that has calmed my anxiety over having to break out my winter coat and brush the cold, wet, white stuff off my car this morning.

{favorite things minneapolis} restaurant edition

Okay, friends. It's here. The (non-)critically-acclaimed favorite Minneapolitan restaurants of yours truly. I can hear your stomachs grumbling already (oh wait, no, that's mine. late lunch today!), so I won't keep you waiting.

favorite things minneapolis - restaurant edition:

{lately} lots of goodbyes

Oh, Monday. Here you are again! Five more days until the weekend, you say? I suppose I can handle that.

I've never actually hated Mondays. Tuesdays are the mean guys for me - it's like sealing the deal that the week is really happening, that Monday wasn't a fluke and you still have 4 days left in the office. This week, though, I'm happy to have work to keep me busy, the reasons why you'll quickly see in this week's "lately" post ...

{friday fashions}

Happy Friday, everyone! I decided that Fridays are to be savored and enjoyed - not spent writing long blog posts (even though I do LOVE writing), so my new plan for Fridays is to share with you a favorite fashion piece that I have either purchased or wish I could!

{finding joy} give a little love

Sometimes, I can be ridiculously self-centered. 

It's not pretty. It surfaces when I'm at work after 5pm and want to go home or hit the gym but a co-worker needs my help with a deliverable. Or when A has had a long day at work and needs to decompress but all I want to do is talk about me and how crazy my day was. Or when I'm shopping for a friend's birthday present and see the flats I have to have - so I contemplate downsizing the present I choose for them so I can afford both (yeah, that's an embarrassing one). Or when I know a friend is going through a rough spell and could use someone to talk to but I hate talking on the phone and haven't watched the latest episode of The Bachelor. 

{favorite things minneapolis}

In two short months, the last piles of Minneapolis snow will finally give in to the warming spring temperatures and begin their imminent melt into a perfectly splashable puddle on the walking path around Lake Calhoun. In two short months, Minneapolitans everywhere will have traded in North Faces and snow boots for t-shirts and Keen sandals, nights savoring a glass of red wine by the fire for evenings savoring local music groups by Lake Harriet, and winter comfort foods for fish tacos at Tin Fish. In two short months, professionals young and old will come home from a long day at the office and, instead of throwing on sweats and settling in with a sitcom on the couch, will round up friends and family for a walk around the nearest lake or dinner on a local terrace. In two short months, Minneapolis will emerge from its winter cocoon and begin the time of year that stole my heart almost three years and nudged me to call this city home.

{lately} in little rock

Happy Monday!

I just got back from an amazing weekend in Little Rock, AR, with A and his family. After 8 hours of traveling, we got in at 1am Friday and didn't fly back to Minne until this morning. The extra night in LR made it seem like an actual getaway, which it really was. Dinners with his best friends (and one new girlfriend!), spending Saturday morning with his dad (his mom and sister were hosting a friend's bridal shower), relaxing on his family's back deck, grilling out and playing cards with his parents and sister, celebrating Easter with church and brunch at their club ... the weekend was the perfect mix of relaxation and "g0-go-go!".