•2 min read
Make bars instead
I love baking. I truly do. The difference between a bad afternoon and a good one can be as simple as a baked good. I love the slow process, the premonition of preheating the oven, sometimes playing around with different flavors. My favorites are...
Read more•3 min read
Happy little November things
November is a funny month. Not quite fall, but not quite winter (in my mind, anyway), and in that way, it feels like an ending and a beginning. The days are getting shorter, especially where we live. And maybe that's a little bit of an excuse to...
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Reclaiming lunch
The midday meal has always been tricky for me. When I was working 12-hour shifts, but even now when I run errands, oftentimes, the lunch hour comes and goes and I find myself famished and desperate. Enter: emergency food choice. I hesitate to use...
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Baby's first snow
On Halloween, we had cold weather, and then a mixture of rain, then sleet, then snow fell. I love snow more than most, so I was thrilled. And it was so fun to show Cooper! We didn't venture far because the wind was a bit brutal, but we had the...
Read more•6 min read
A fall visit to Minnesota
Last weekend, we drove north to Minnesota to visit my family for a long weekend. It was our first long car ride with Cooper, which had its ups and downs, so to speak, but I'm so glad we were able to visit.
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All the earth
The other day, my sister-in-law and I went for a walk on one of the prettiest paths I've ever been on. And all I can think is that the whole earth shouts His praise. The leaves, the seasons, the rolling-green-turned-rolling-gold hills of Wisconsin...
Read more•5 min read
Life lately and October favorites
I don't know how to write about fall and all the emotions it stirs up without sounding trite. This is our first fall since we moved back to the midwest, and it's been refreshing, on a surface level yes, but also for my soul. The leaves turning gold...
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Creativity check and finished projects, mid-fall 2019
It's been awhile since my last creativity check-in. I like to keep a log of what I'm working on, what I've finished, and what I'd like to make next, knitting- and sometimes sewing-wise. This time around, I haven't done any sewing, but there's...
Read more•6 min read
Dune hikes and apple orchards
A few weeks ago, my dear friend, Jessica, who lives in Texas, came to visit with her little boy. Having lived in southern states for her life, and knowing she loves fall, she booked a ticket to come visit us up north and get a taste of Midwestern...
Read more•7 min read
Twenty-nine (a birthday post)
On Monday, I turned twenty-nine. On every birthday, I enjoy writing about how we celebrated, and also about life right now.
Read more•4 min read
Tecumseh sweater, finished
Just as the weather is changing and fall is beginning, I've finished knitting a colorwork sweater! This one has been a bit of a labor of love. And like any other big creative project, it has a bit of a backstory.
Read more•6 min read
Ushering in fall + life lately
The last couple of weeks have been a flurry of activity, with visitors and 3-month appointments for Cooper and Costco trips and fun activities nestled in between. I've been itching to write here, but haven't had a moment until now. I'm writing with...
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Little baby in a big city
Last weekend, a friend of ours from Texas was visiting Chicago, and we drove to the city on Sunday to spend time with him. Trips out and about are feeling less daunting, the older Cooper gets. And this past Sunday was no different. We had a...
Read more•3 min read
Vertices unite shawl, finished
Some projects come along at just the right moment, and this shawl is one of them. After several rather hectic months, I wanted to get back into the rhythm of knitting, but wanted a fun, low-pressure, but still creatively inspiring project. I love...
Read more•3 min read
Abundant skies
Lately, I've been listening to a lot of music circa 2000, like Switchfoot's older albums. I'm definitely prone to nostalgia (for better or worse), but in this case, it's enjoyable and harmless. And it's a bit of a challenge with myself to see just...
Read more•5 min read
Early September bits & pieces
I've noticed a distinct change in the air: mornings are cooler, breezes are more refreshing, and I'm consistently seeing temps in the 60's at some point in any given 24-hr period. There is so much chatter about PSL and "fall bucket lists" and...
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Morning sing-a-longs
My mornings look radically different than they did just three months ago. And personally, I love them so much more. I usually nurse Cooper around the time Nicholas leaves for work, and then since it's still early, he will usually sleep for another...
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Six years of us
This past Saturday, August 17, marked six years of marriage for us. This anniversary was wildly different for us for lots of reasons (hello, baby boy!) When I look back on the last year of our marriage, there was so much that was hard and good, and...
Read more•4 min read
The edge of the season + Cooper at 2 months
The air feels a little bit different this week. It's still very much summer, but there are subtle indications that we are on the cusp of fall. A few golden and bright red leaves, here and there, a cooler morning and breezes that are not quite as...
Read more•6 min read
Little summer victories
When we had a baby, I had the assumption that a lot of things in life would be more complicated: errands, cooking, getting dressed, sleeping, etc. That assumption is based on reality, yes. Getting out the door takes more thought, more planning, and...
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The quiet
I like to notice patterns. I notice them in the mannerisms of people I love, in my surroundings, lately, on our daily walks, and in my own life. One pattern that is undeniable in my own heart, is that when life feels full, I typically neglect some...
Read more•6 min read
Creativity check & finished projects, summer 2019
I thought it was time I wrote about my recent reative pursuits, since I haven't done a "Creativity check" since February! In the interim, I didn't work on as many projects as I usually do, in part because moving and transitioning took precedence....
Read more•5 min read
Late July life
It's full-blown summer here, evidenced by the forecast. We've had some very hot days, along with more mild days (my personal favorite), like today. Each week seems to bring a bit more routine and familiarity. And by that, I mean Cooper is constantly...
Read more•6 min read
Newborn and postpartum essentials that we love
I'm loving my new life, taking care of Cooper and learning (so much learning!) about being a mom! That said, we have had a chance to use a myriad of "baby stuff" for Cooper and postpartum things for me, and I thought it would be fun to share what we...
Read more•3 min read
Fully present
I've been thinking a lot about how my little boy is growing up in a world that has a very different relationship to technology, compared to my own childhood. And I'll be the first to admit that I often feel pulled away from what is happening right...
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