ALL SO VERY MUCH

tiptoe through the tulips

2011-05-22T22:37:00.000-05:00

You guys! TULIP FEST!

On Mother's Day (Hi Mom!), we drove to Woodburn, OR (15 min North of Salem), to the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm.

GO VIKES!

cute, right?

Happy Spring!!

in which I explore new (to me) music that most people have already heard

2011-04-23T14:00:00.000-05:00

I am anything BUT on the cutting edge of what's hot and new and sweet in the world of music.
That said? If you aren't listening to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, you should be. They're just so happy!

if you JUST want to hear the song, you'll need to find a different vid - I think watching them live would be kind of unreal in a good-vibe-y, feel-great sort of way...

willamette burger co!

2011-04-15T20:52:00.002-05:00

I love places where you can draw on your table...

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a little Easter activity...

2011-04-07T15:57:00.000-05:00

If you know me, you know that my family is very close, and wildly entertaining (if you don't know me, read the last part of that sentence?), and last weekend did not disappoint.

My aunt shared a little Easter fun-tivity with us after dinner on Friday that I couldn't help but pass along to you and the interwebz:

(Also, I know it isn't Easter yet, but does it matter? nope, it doesn't.)

more than one marshmallow per person was consumed during this funtivity/photo shoot.

Hand out one large marshmallow to each person at the table....the marshmallow represents Jesus.

"The body of Jesus, jet-puffed for you .... the butter of Jesus, melted for you..."

Dip Jesus into a dish of melted butter...the butter represents the oils Jesus was anointed with.


"What have we done?!?"

"No, really....what have we done?"

Roll Jesus in sugar and cinnamon...the herbs that accompanied the oils.

Wrap Jesus in a crescent roll triangle - linens.

And pop Jesus in the oven---er---tomb for three days? More like ten minutes?


very cute!

Serve the buns piping hot - they should be hollow....Jesus is risen! (except not yet, okay?!?)

"AWE!"

"Where did he go?"


Again.... "What have we done?!"

I must say, as a bit of a disclaimer, that this post wasn't meant to offend, and that we take the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord very seriously - but as the daughter of a pastor, and wife of a soon-to-be pastor: if you can't laugh at life, you're missing out.

Also? the buns were DE-LISH! :)

beached part 2: Rogue NATION

2011-04-07T15:26:00.000-05:00

part 2!!

Rogue has a pretty sweet brewery with tons of beer (no DOY), and a pretty charming little locale - right on Yaquina Bay with views of the marina (although...after a few beers the moving water below is a little disconcerting) - beer tasting was the perfect "unwind" activity after an adventurous day.
Oh...you want proof? Fine. Here.

kirsten - Double Mocha Porter // Chatoe Ore-gasmic // Chipotle (MY FAVORITE!!!!) // Imperial Red

Cin - Juniper Pale // Hazelnut Brown // Mocha Porter // Ginger Beer

Marky ("Old Guy") - Chocolate Stout // (I can't read that...but it's an Ale...) // Chipotle // (Can't read that one either...)


Eric ("Young Guy") - noooooooooooo clue.

so much fun!

beached part 1

2011-04-02T13:18:00.001-05:00

The in-laws are en route to Minnesota, and we already miss them! It has been quite the week, and it started at the beach:

Our view for dinner at Tidal Raves - the food was amazing (I ate SEAFOOD. AND I LOVED IT!), the view was absolutely gorgeous, and the company was the very best.

Eric and Cin - E wore the "Cioppino Bib" ....I think my lens was smudged...


Stealth picture of our "Dinner Show" - these kids were in high school, and I think they'd super-glued themselves together while they were waiting to be seated; HOW EMBARRASSING FOR THEM! :)

We explored the coast, and went to the Hatfield Marine Science Center and found Nemo!

NEMO!

DORY!!!

Chinese Rockfish - Blech.

Look Mom! A Sea Anemone!!! (I always thought it was "anENome" . . . )

Part 2? Rogue NATION!

the view from here

2011-03-24T02:09:00.001-05:00

The view from here is.... cloudy? but not all the time! I really do love the rain here in Oregon - it smells wonderful and it's green here all. the. time. And the clouds? Some days it rains for five minutes, and then takes a break--Hello Sun!--it's very refreshing. The other days? Cloudy McCloud-pants. It makes me want to sleep.
Anyway (never anywayS, friends) - I'm here for my monthly check-in!

I'm active - I ran today. For a minute. On a treadmill. . . . the point is: I wasn't sure I could run anymore...it felt wonderful. (I'm gonna leave the marathon running to my family members, though...)

This dog's name is Eisenhower....he gives the impression that he can drive, but I think it'd be difficult without opposable thumbs... (Blogger is telling me I didn't spell that correctly...)

I'm addicted to 'Brothers & Sisters' - a special thanks to my Shannon, and Netflix streaming for THAT.

I ate my first oyster. I might as well have just licked the ocean...at least that would have been free.

My seeeeeeeeeeeester-in-law came to visit! She's pretty awesome!

We continue to own the cutest orange animal on the planet:

Annnnnd - the in-laws will be here on Saturday, as well as my father! Family visits are the very best....also, we only clean our house when family is coming...so...guess how many times we've cleaned our house this year? Gross. (just kidding....sort of....)

How are YOU? Does anyone have any great ideas for teaching consonant blends to children in elementary school? (consonant blend example = "th")** What's new this month? Fill me in.

**I had consonant blends mixed up with consonant digraphs! Thanks to Kari for giving me some sweet games to teach digraphs!

Tell me THIS: how do you judge a staring contest between a human and a cat? Does blinking disqualify? or is it not smiling...? Eric thinks that a no-blinking contest with a cat is unfair because the cat doesn't have regular eyelids...You decide.

oh! i turned 24!

2011-02-25T16:18:00.000-06:00

Okay, maybe it isn't a cat blog... no...it probably is...oh well...

I turned 24 on the 8th... Eric and I went out in Portland with my cousin and some friends - we drank from a fishbowl!

My pictures won't transfer from phone to computer right now, so you'll have to take the fishbowl thing on faith.

I looked like THIS when I was little:

Lucky me, right? also - you're welcome.

the yellow wallpaper, and the yellow beast in my house

2011-02-25T15:56:00.000-06:00

First: Apparently this is a cat blog. Don't be disappointed, we all expected it.

Second: My cat is living the story, 'The Yellow Wallpaper' right now.

You know the story, right?... Charlotte Perkins Gilman's horrifying portrayal of a young woman spiraling into madness with the aggressive help of old-fashioned doctors and her well-meaning young husband.

Well, there's a scene in this story that's oddly and eerily playing out in my kitchen as I type. The beast has been nervous and grooming himself raw... (he's a neurotic cat, okay?) so we bought a cone from Petco, strapped it around his neck, and now he's circling the table, hugging the walls, and cabinets.

"But here I can creep smoothly on the floor, and my shoulder just fits in that long smooch around the wall, so I cannot lose my way."

Just read the story, okay? It's here - thanks, 'Project Gutenberg'!

little lion man photoshoot, or, how i wasted 30 minutes

2011-02-02T17:49:00.000-06:00

yeah? what did YOU do today?

how to bathe a bag of fleas.

2011-01-16T17:11:00.002-06:00

{Okay - just to be clear - we've got the whole flea situation under control. So, I'm not going to give you fleas. You can come into our house and not worry that you'll "catch" them. We've got it covered.}

We've come to the disgusting conclusion that Luka has fleas.

So, this morning I went around the house like a crazy person tossing everything he'd possibly touched into a pile in the middle of the floor to throw in the wash and then rounded up the cat to give him a bath. Have you ever bathed a CAT? guh.

Eric vacuumed everything while Luka and I had an adventure that went something like this:

Now he's making weird hiccup noises and glaring at me. HAPPY WEEKEND!

Holy Geez! 2011!

2011-01-09T00:47:00.000-06:00

source

I don't make resolutions anymore... I get all crazy-like and obsessive and, well, sick. I've made some doable goals, though. I'm working on mindfulness in all aspects of my life. Intentional living. Making my health, and the health of my relationships a part of my decision-making process. Reconnecting. Not extremely concrete, but super important. Here's to the many intentional directions of 2011! Thanks for sticking with me this past year, friends and family!

Much love,

kirsten anneke

Dear World, ummm...what?

2011-01-09T00:30:00.000-06:00

source

I do not envy my husband, who, at the moment, is reworking a sermon to appropriately address the day's absolutely tragic events.

I don't think anything I can say about the shooting in Arizona will accurately and fairly express my feelings - I'm frightened, saddened, disgusted, bewildered.

A friend of mine is "scared that our country is broken." - and I think she's right on.

Hope. Let's hope. Let's do more, but first let's not give up on hope.

top movies for the crazed holidaze according to moi

2010-12-13T23:21:00.001-06:00

in this lovely, "grey-area" period in my life that we'll call "fun-employment," (surprise! it's been less than fun!) I have time to watch a lot of movies. Which, fortunately, is something I love to do...
(Is there anyone that doesn't love to watch movies? We can't be friends. Sorry.)

So. Without further ado (read: mindless chatter?), here are the movies I watch during the holiday season....which starts with Thanksgiving, FYI. (If you listen to Christmas music before then...I don't like to judge, but...I'll probably judge you...Again. Sorry. Boy, this is an alienating post...)

Pieces of April - Holy CRAP, this is a great movie... (wouldn't it be great if I said ONLY THIS about all the movies I'm going to list? ha.)...but really. It's a Thanksgiving movie. Katie Holmes is in it (yes, before the whole brainwashing-i-can-only-dress-like-a-school-marm-but-my-2 year-old-daughter-wears-kitten-heels thing happened).

source

It's about a family that's had a rough go, and tries to pull everything together for Thanksgiving. It makes me weep. Watch it. Stop reading this, and watch it.

Love Actually - This is actually a pretty bad movie...but Hugh Grant is in it. And a lot of other big names...and it's heartwarming (in the worst cheesy Christmasy way) and there is Christmas music involved.

source

All around, a successful holiday movie...They don't have to be good, that wasn't part of the criteria...

Little Women - The one with Winona Ryder, Susan Sarandon, Claire Danes, and Kirsten Dunst, OH! and Christian Bale (I never know what the other actress' name is...the one who plays Meg... oops.)

source

I know it's sort of lame. Get over it. Spoiler Alert: Beth dies.

Elf - If I have to explain to you why this is a great film, you might be the Grinch, for real. For. Real. Will Ferrell used to be my best friend Shannon's boyfriend...now she's dating a guy named Steve. He's pretty cool, too.

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(My mom was writing songs for a musical based on this movie...she was devastated when I told her, a few weeks ago, that there was one such musical already....)

White Christmas - It's old-fashioned. But that's part of what we love about old movies, isn't it? It's why we call them old. Three whole sentences and I've said absolutely NOTHING.

source

Singing, dancing, romance, drama...it's lovely. I love it. (It's on the list, isn't it?) We used to watch it while we decorated our Christmas tree.

It's a Wonderful Life - This might be my favorite movie of all TIME, and it is definitely my favorite holiday movie.

source

It's very long, I know (that is what she said), but it's super worth it...all the exposition, and crap in the middle...and the beautiful, famous ending. Shove a few tissues up your sleeve - this one's for crying.

With that, I'll take my leave...to drink Raspberry Mead (mmhmm, jealous?), eat warm fruit soup, and watch The Sing-off...where (I hope) Nick Lachey will explain super difficult musical terms to me like "a cappella" and "swan song" ... PEACE.

apparently you'll only hear from me once a month.

2010-11-28T23:30:00.000-06:00

We have been so gloriously busy this month! So busy, in fact, that I haven't taken any pictures of our adventures. Don't cry though - the Christmas fairy is stopping by tomorrow and there will be lights and sugar plums and ornaments and tinsel...

//one time, my really good friend's cat ate a piece of tinsel, and they only realized he'd done so when it was hanging out of his rear a few days later... Just a fun little holiday tidbit that you can't unread//

...and ornaments and sappy Christmas movies and, of course, pictures.

//source//

In the spirit of this past week (and every single day, right guys?), I have a helluva lot to be thankful for.
I'm thankful for you, and you, and maybe even you.
I have food in the kitchen. There are clothes in my closet. I'm surrounded (literally and virtually) by family and friends that love me. I am relatively healthy. There is a roof over my head.
While I'm thankful for the comforts of food, clothing and shelter, the people in my life are the real really amazing blessings.
So. Thanks. Thank you so very much.

with abounding love and gratitude,

kirsten anneke

I have an embarrassing amount of love for Halloween.

2010-11-01T00:16:00.001-05:00

This Hallo-weekend (I can't stop myself. I'm sorry! leavemealone! GAWD), Eric, Matt, Daniel and I spent a few hours prepping ourselves for Ingrid Michaelson's show in Portland, at the Wonder Ballroom. If you read this little bloggity-blog, you're already aware that I've seen Ingrid in concert a few times and I've even met her. (and hugged her. and haven't washed since. WHAT.) And if you know me personally, you know that in the mix of eighteen or so songs on re-freaking-peat in my car/on my computer/in my head, Ingrid takes up the majority. I. was. excited. Our Halloween-y preparations only added to the excitement, let me tell you. I'll let you guess what we decided to dress as:

A special thank you to YouTube, the makers of toilet paper, fake blood recipes on the internet, and my Aunt Jan for giving up her kitchen/HOUSE for a few hours of bloodcurdling creation.

THE CHARACTERS OF MAD MEN! YOU GOT IT! Jokes all 'round, friends: We were the cast of Jersey Shore.

Okay, no we weren't. But you know who was?! Ingrid and her band. Mmmhmm, the show was great - she played all the goodies, and a few newbies that I can't wait to hear again. On our way home (in torrential rain, by the way...I thought we were in Oregon, not Minnesota...), Eric asked me which song had been my favorite...the answer? It will probably always be 'The Way I Am' . . . a close second? Her rendition of R.E.M.'s 'Nightswimming.' uh-MAZE-ing.

These are phone pictures, blerg - to the right? Ingrid as Snooki!

All in all. In conclusion. At the end of the day. So I don't go on for the rest of our lives: It was a wonderful night. With wonderful people. And a wonderful soundtrack.

Merry Halloween to all, and to all? a SPOOKY NIGHT! **cackle cackle cackle**

(I'm completely unapologetic about how cheesy I am. Deal with it.)

Where have YOU been? and October Jokes...

2010-10-31T22:18:00.001-05:00

to be really honest? I don't wanna bore you with the details of my October. You'd get "Octobored" . . . get it? (get it? I put "bored" and "October" together....still don't get it? ugh.)

Let's just say that I was vacationing in Bora Bora and simply couldn't be bothered to even drop you a line. (I so badly wanted to make another "bored" joke using "Bora Bora"...but I didn't. You're welcome.)

Anyway, I'm back. So get ready, mmkay? k, great.

this is all i have for you. Happy Halloween! -- source

xoxo kh

Look what came in the mail today!!!!

2010-10-01T14:38:00.000-05:00

It's official. I'm a graduate of Luther College. I couldn't be MORE excited about this!

WOOT! :)

"come back for mo"

2010-09-27T01:05:00.003-05:00

on Friday night eric asked, "so...what do you wanna do tomorrow...wanna go to the coast?"

um. hell yes.

it was sort of the. perfect. Saturday. Seriously. We slept in, ate a huge, great breakfast, cleaned up a little bit, and then drove to the beach! Lincoln City to be exact, and as we were driving memories of my childhood were flooding my brain - I'm pretty sure I annoyed the husband with some extremely pointless stories about random beach happenings/trips I took with my family when I was little (and then this one time....we went to the bea-OH LOOK! there's the pronto pup place! I remember that!) . . . I was a stream-of-consciousness narrative for a little over an hour...

e: gawd, kirsten, will you just eat your food?

The weather was great (a little cloudy, but we're in OREGON, and I am NOT complaining), I picked up some shells, and sand, and rocks, and then we went to Mo's. I ate fish and chips (yes, I ate fish-despite my usual "I don't eat things that have lived in water" policy), and CLAM CHOWDER . . . I yelled because it's great, okay? (I. Love. Mo's.) I sent my friends and family text messages that said, "The weather is here! Wish you were beautiful!" (because I have my dad's dorky sense of humor...HI DADDY!) and we drove home with a bag of salt water taffy between us...which is gone now. Did you know that salt water taffy doesn't actually have salt water in it? google it.

obligatory.

Mo's. OMG.

you knew this was coming, right?

so...come visit us and we'll go to the beach, okay? okay, great.

live it - Maya Angelou

2010-09-24T17:40:00.003-05:00

My great hope is to laugh as much as I cry; to get my work done and try to love somebody and have the courage to accept the love in return.

- Maya Angelou

{image via}

most people i know are needing a little encouragement/pick-me-up lately (myself included) - what helps you on blaaaaaaaaaaaaah days? (weeks, months, etc...)

ball o' acid...

2010-09-13T01:24:00.000-05:00

exploring our new city has been pretty sweet, and we're not even close to uncovering all the gems Salem has to offer...

so far, I recommend (because it's all I've really done? hey. i've only been here for 2 weeks. ...right?) McMenamins. Any McMenamins. When I was little, we went a ton! but I was that picky kid who got PB&J . . . This place is WAY more fun as an adult. Jalapeño ale on nitro? yes, please. OMG.

Tacos Del Sur! They don't have a website, but this is the taco place I've been raving about...that is LITERALLY a five minute walk from our apartment (please don't stalk me. thanks.)

The...Acid ball? Hear me out.

There used to be a paper mill near where Salem's Riverfront Park currently resides... the huge ball full of acid they used to process wood pulp into paper was emptied of aforementioned acid, donated to the city, and was covered in 86,000+ tiles and art to make it look like THIS:


better explanation than the one above...


uhhhhh-dorable.


eric being artsy.

Today, the church had a pantry shower for us - our cupboards are FILLED with food! (yeah, I cried...this congregation is pretty amazing.) Just counting our blessings here in our little apartment. xo

Our first Sunday, and a Pickle Tasting Party?

2010-09-09T17:01:00.000-05:00

believe it.

First...we went to church! Eric and I had to stand up in front of the congregation while E said a little something and I looked pretty. Everyone was SO nice - we are so blessed! We had a small receiving line after the service where everyone told us their names (it's gonna take me a few weeks...) and said nice things and welcomed us - it was wonderful.


Pastor Doug took our picture in front of the church!

Also...we went to a pickle tasting party!!!! A parishioner and her daughter bought tons of cucumbers and made like....twenty different types of pickles, and pickled things (YESSSSSSSS!), and had us over for salad, and wine and pickles! Seriously, guys? I was in heaven. I have to say, my favorites were the old standards: bread and butter chips, and old fashioned dills...but everything was so wonderful!

here are a few images from our night (i feel like i have to prove it...who has ever heard of a pickle tasting?!)


omg, guys....seriously


artsy, right?


DESSERT!

we had so much fun! and we left STUFFED FULL of pickles, and pickled things... it's a rough life we're livin' here in Salem, let me tell ya.

(I was just looking through my iphoto, and I have SEVERAL posts lined up...but I'm trying to stay current as well, so....)

we're here! (here is Salem...OR)

2010-09-04T01:42:00.000-05:00

you guys, we made it! we drove, and drugged the kitty, and ate fast food, and drove some more, and we're HERE. in Salem! Eric started his internship and I've started...laying on the couch... (hey, I'm trying to heal my back...and bruised tailbone? thank you, tiny car.)

I'm really excited to be able to unpack some stuff, and set up my craft space, and get a damn job - once I'm able to stand for more than ten minutes - so for now, I sort of feel like this:

we've gotten a lot unpacked, actually - i exaggerate. (i had to type that word three times before the little red lines disappeared underneath it.)

also - we've already become regulars at the taco place down the street...like RIGHT down the street. they're open till ten. cheap. awesome. tacos. and other things... and both (yeah, we've only been there twice, but we're regulars, okay?) times we've been in there i've tried to order tamales and they've been out....so i'm guessing they have amazing tamales, and i've been feeling the urge to go at different times of the day just so i can catch these elusive tamales...

ramble ramble ramble. eric's so tired from doing EVERYTHING that he's fallen asleep sitting up on the couch. time to wake up sleepypants and carry him to bed. 'night!

blerg. blerg. blerg.

2010-08-28T14:18:00.001-05:00

the title is for shannon. so fetch.

okay, guys...are you sick of me posting about the cat? i will say this and only this: giving a cat a pill is...not the most wonderful experience on the face of the planet, but watching a cat on sedatives is iMMENSELY entertaining. so. good outweighs the bad? visual representation? here.


awesome.

we're currently residing at Chez Hoffer (my in-laws are wonderful!) ...weekend highlights? does Friday count? We went to Broders' (the pasta bar) - great wine, great food, great company (in no particular order) ...and I just had a leftovers party....perfection. The rest of the weekend? Fair, maybe...harness races, maybe....chilling with the fam, for sure...chilling in general, yes....packing our little baby car for the upcoming TREK, unfortunately yes.


just say no, Luka...

tanti baci! (yeah, i'm a jersey housewife now. deal with it.)

please refer to previous post.

2010-08-24T13:58:00.000-05:00

really? really.

it was only a matter of time...

2010-08-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

...before the cat went batshit-psycho about moving... i mean... i thought i was stressed. every time eric and i move to a different room he's at our heels all like "please don't leave me! something's going on, and i know you're going to leave me!" ... let me just say that we're not horrid cat parents... we don't just up and leave this animal! all i know is that i've got a furry orange MANIAC running around the apartment crying and clawing at things.

:: i'm the saddest cat in the whole united states ::

we have his yearly vet appointment on Wednesday (waiting till the eleventh hour, alright!) and i'm going to look into some sort of sedation --"natural" or otherwise-- for the cross-country drive we're gearing up for... partly because i know i'll be a nicer person if the soundtrack to the trip doesn't include yowling (no kidding, i've made mixes titled "Sounds to Drown the Meows" ...of course they had the same 18 songs i put on every mix...but whatcha gonna do?) ...and mostly because i think he'll be a happier cat if he's asleep and then wakes up surrounded by all the things that smell like home that are already in the apartment in Salem.

Does anyone out there (reading this...) go the "sedation route" on long trips with beloved animals?

p.s. i have great pics/stories from the FIRST trip out to Oregon ...but i'm on my way out for the evening, and this seemed a much more pressing matter. you'll just have to chill.

8/8/09 . . . the one year anniversary of the 2008 Summer Olympics....and also my wedding day...

2010-08-16T01:39:00.000-05:00

i got married a year and 8 days ago! i've been asked many times: "how's married life?!" "what's it like being married?" "how was the first year?"

wonderful.

i'm not saying we live in candyland, but i'm married to my best friend-the love of my life-do you want me to keep going?

our anniversary celebration was very "us" . . . we got all gussied up, went to a fancy restaurant, wrote cheesy love haiku while waiting for our meal (which was a-mazing, by the way....), drove around to find a nice place to walk, and then got tired and retreated to the apartment with a bottle of fancy champagne, season 5 of The Office, and scratch lotto tickets...

we're sort of boring in a really awesome way. also...we won $200! woo hoo!

we're in love. no big deal.

here's a little blast from the past for you:

super duper in love.

last few phone calls...

2010-07-29T14:51:00.002-05:00

me: it takes like ten minutes to hook up the box

customer: oh, I see so it's pretty easy

me: super easy, yes

customer: waaaait a minute, who're you calling easy...I mean, I was easy in college...but...

me: ohhhhhdear, really?

**cue creepy customer cackle**

me: that's a lot of information...

Five more days of this BS. but who's counting, right?

Last Ditch Top Ten: okay, I lied.

2010-07-28T23:02:00.001-05:00

Did any of us think I'd be dedicated enough to pull TEN WHOLE THINGS out of my you-know-where, and then write one post each day for TEN DAYS IN A ROW?! Who are we kidding, folks?

I'm in the middle of a cross-country move!

Here is the first installment of my "Last Ditch Top Ten" ....it's in quotes because there won't be ten posts. I'm not even going to quote you a number.

We'll call this first look "A" because it's a letter, and you have no idea how many letters there will be! Color you 'on the edge of your seats,' right?

I love post-its. I love receiving drawings. I love writing notes. I love drawing stick figure cartoons in the middle of meetings when it looks like I'm diligently documenting important corporate goings-on. I promise you that I work. But in between taking phone calls from screaming customers and cleaning up other peoples' messes, this is something I do really well:

Sometimes Trixie will write me reminders so I don't forget to do (or not do) the important things in life:

Sometimes I draw pictures of things that have happened around the office:

And sometimes Trixie and I create million dollar ideas to put into our "Ideas" folder:

{if you steal our ZenClocky idea, I will HUNT YOU DOWN. for reals.}

Our supervisor has asked us what this is for:

clearly it's not for eating.... {it's for killing, okay?}

are you noticing the clovers? that's a game - I'll have to cover that in a whole "nother" post.

...and this is a zoo. One of the first pieces of artwork to grace the walls of my little cube.

what do YOU do at work? (other than work...)

Oh, let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France...

2010-07-11T22:19:00.000-05:00

oh my, this weekend has been busy!

We threw a party! I went to the Basilica Block Party with seeeeeester-in-law, and saw Ingrid Michaelson, Guster and the Barenaked Ladies, and an old friend from NoDak!

:: standin' for hours in the hot hot heat! ::

I had such a great time, and I'm exhausted. I think that's the sign of a good weekend...

also...we have like...two clean dishes in the 'partment. I think that's the sign of a great party...

list of highlights from Ingrid's set:

*the broken heart dance

*the MARRIAGE PROPOSAL before 'the way i am'

*sangin' along to my favorites with seester-I-L

*cover of Toxic...

:: phone pic of Ingrid! ::

and before I leave to clean sticky things off the kitchen floor...

I say "things" because a) there is more than one thing.... and b) I don't know what they are...I'm assuming some sort of alcohol mixture...

here's my "brush with fame" story-that happened last year...

Once upon a time--last summer--a few darling friends and i trekked to ermmmm--i don't know where it was... to see Ingrid perform! Traffic was TERRIBLE and we got there as she was wrapping up her last tune...we were heartbroken, and i was DETERMINED to meet her...i elbowed my way into line (because i'm a badass, okay?) with the girls right behind, and one of her security guards looked at me and said, "You're the last one, sorry." . . . bittersweet. i was going to meet Ingrid, okay? but the girls were left behind. They assured me it was fine, and i pulled out the only thing in my purse that was autograph-able...A Father's Day card i'd meant to send weeks before....oops.

Ingrid: Hi! Thanks for coming to the show!

me: Thanks for playing...confession...we caught like..the last note of your last song....could you sign this card, please?

Ingrid: wasn't Father's Day like...two weeks ago?

me: I'm a terrible daughter, apparently....

Ingrid: ha...okay? *signs my card*

me: so...I know this is a lot, because it's super hot out here, and you've already said hi to tons of people...but I came with a few other girlfriends, and they were kind enough to offer me up as the one in our group that would stay in line to meet you....could they come say hi?

Ingrid: SURE!!!

:: last year at...some location, with the girlies and Ingrid Michaelson! ::

pictures happened, signing things happened, laughing happened, hugging happened. it was great.

hope y'all had a nice weekend!

well.

2010-07-02T11:49:00.001-05:00

caller: Hi...I'm having trouble getting picture on my TV...could you activate this digital box for me?
k: sure! *sends signal through complicated cables and crap* okay...you should get a picture in about 30 seconds...
**30 seconds later**
k: so...are you seeing anything?
caller: the screen is still blank...
k: hmmm....is it on? or plugged in?
caller: oh...i need to plug it in?
k: *facepalm*

i.love.my.job?

buhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

"his capa was detated"

2010-06-27T22:38:00.000-05:00

holy guacamole, guys. do you get migraines?

i do.

Since Wednesday night, I've been seriously incapacitated by the *Perfect Storm* of migraines. most of my conversations with Eric have had something to do with "detating" my "capa" --removing my head...The Office? anyone?--I've taken the pills, iced my neck, turned off the lights, drawn the shades, slept, and not slept--staying hydrated all the while, and to no avail. This headache would not leave ...until yesterday....sort of...

{i, for real, have looked like this for the past few days....except for the pink...and she looks like she's showered...I didn't do that till yesterday. tmi? whatever.}

I ended up in Urgent Care I was blind in my left eye, for gosh sakes! and I got two shots... and no sucker or sticker...being a grown-up sucks sometimes one in each arm. The first one was fine-I'm sort of a champ at getting shots...

A very special thanks to the absolutely terrible nurse, who drew our blood, in the {clink} hospital....that's a whole "nother" story.

...the second shot? nurse: this one's going to hurt...

k: oh...excellent *poke* oh! you weren't kidding!

nurse: that's nothing! just wait!

k: ohhhhhwow, you *really* weren't kiddingohmigod*ouch*stop!

at least she warned me, right?

and that's the last thing I remember... okay, just kidding... sort of

the thing knocked me out! made me loopy! I'm still sort of loopy....I had to lie down, then eric had to-pretty much-carry me out...i passed out upon our arrival at home.

and it's gone! for the most part... I'm left with the residual neck tension, and some pain around my eye...and I'm still loopy. I hope to return to real life tomorrow morning! I'm bored as hell.

My work, as of late, is figuring out what triggers these effing things. I got some good advice from friends so far, but I'd love more!

honestly. anything to prevent this ordeal from happening ever. again.

do you get migraines? what triggers them for you? what do you do to prevent them? what do you do to get rid of them?

migraine barbie image via flickr

in which eric runs a marathon!

2010-06-24T23:51:00.000-05:00

so...I'm sort of REALLY proud of my husband....

(to the point of telling him so much that he told me to stop....)

he ran a freaking MARATHON, guys... wanna see?

(i've realized lately that I ask "yes-or-no" questions, and don't wait for the answer...you'd better answer yes, because yes is what you're gonna get.)

in which eric runs a marathon from kirsten hoffer on Vimeo.

so cool, right? i know!

**I promise I'm not avoiding my blog....I've just been really busy! I'll be better, I'll be better!**

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekend!!!

2010-06-06T15:23:00.002-05:00

Saint Anthony Park Arts Festival - 'Get Him to The Greek' - India Palace - Scott Lyons at Bryant Lake Bowl - Town Hall Brewery - Dunn Brothers and the Finnish Bistro - SmashBurger - walks with kitty in the woods - Greek Farmers - Just Around the Riverbend - Sewing Lessons . . .

Mommy and Daddy visit the Twin Cities while Eric gallivants around Vegas!

:: aren't they just the cutest? ::

:: ordering breakfast at the Finnish Bistro.... rhonda: what's in the Greek Farmer's omelette? cashier: Greek Farmers... kirsten: shredded? that's the only way I eat them... --kid got a sizable tip. ::

:: rhonda and david's first smashfries experience.... i could eat an ice cream bucket full of smashfries. not kidding. ::

:: david - okay kirsten...smile, please. ::

:: david - rhonda..smile! ::

:: rain fair! ::

:: Scott Lyons - Just Around the Riverbend! "...should I marry Pokemon..." ::

:: "The Empty-Nesters visit the Big City...in search of sun, fun, booze, and handicrafts."
...original art by kirsten anneke hoffer ::

such a wonderful weekend!

what did YOU do?

xoxoxo

Princess Cutie Pie: High School Graduation!

2010-05-31T21:13:00.001-05:00

Jazzy graduated from Central High School this weekend, and I couldn't be more proud of her!

We watched her walk the stage at the Alerus, cryin' on the big screen during a friend's speech, and then we had a party!

:: there she is! ::

:: up in the nosebleeds of the Alerus! ::

:: Irene came to visit from Winnipeg! ::

::graduates with Momma::

::my beautiful family::

:: sister sequence begins *now* ::

:: roommates next year! ::

:: drankin' ::

my...absolute favorite picture from the weekend....only my little sister...

Happy Memorial Day Weekend, friends!

turns out...

2010-05-26T10:46:00.002-05:00

if you bitch enough about needing a calculator that you can hold...

your coworkers come through with innovative solutions custom-made just for you!

observe...

Thanks, Trixie!

In other news:

i have bangs now!

i have no idea why i look so pissed about it - this is my...."do you hate it?" face....

I'm starting to not hate it.

Sorry for my inadvertent hiatus from the blogosphere...

we're moving. i'm figuring out what my life will look like next year. life's riDICULOUS right now. great, always. but just plain crazy.

Happy Hump Day!!!

xoxoxo

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

2010-05-13T20:02:00.000-05:00

Because we're leaving the Twin Cities in August, I feel as if I need to jam pack our remaining months here with things I've always wanted to do, but haven't because I live here, and I could do it anytime...

I've become a tourist in my own city...

yeah. I'm the girl with the camera surgically attached to her hand. sue me. please don't sue me.

this last weekend's adventure? the Minneapolis Sculpture Garden.

p.s. why is it so freaking cold outside?

life imitating art. ...sort of....

mmmmmmm....

love this man - this is his favorite sculpture!

interactive art.

senior pic, much?

in. love.

what else should we do?!

xoxo

in which eric and kirsten see Martin Sexton in concert for the third time

2010-05-05T09:35:00.001-05:00

have you heard of Martin Sexton? have you seen him in concert?

what about Ryan Montbleau?!

oh man. get on itunes right now. download their stuff. it. is. sogood.

Once upon a time.... at Luther College... there lived a boy named eric, and a girl named kirsten...

they'd met before, and really hit it off the first time...and then one day she sent him a post-it through campus mail (this is a "whole 'nother" story...)

fast forward to their liiiiiiike second date..... (after the one where kirsten went straight to her roommate/bestie shannon and said, "I'm...pretty sure I'm going to marry that guy...") to Marty's (in the huge corner booth...) late at night, when eric said, "I'm going to this concert this weekend...it's in the cities...and we'd have to stay at my parents' house...do you think you'd wanna go with me?"

to which kirsten said, "uh....yeah..." and in her head said, "ummm....this is all happening very quickly, meeting of the parents, and traveling together, and such....hmmmm....okay!"

Well, the concert was Martin Sexton at First Ave in Minneapolis. and it was the best. they even took a picture on kirsten's phone (really terrible quality...) to commemorate the experience....

:: I met the parents (Hi Mark and Cin!) ...in my pajamas, the morning after the concert, after sleeping in Hannah's bed (Hi Seeester-in-law!) . . . and got to give them my version of the previous night's events (including the part where eric and i walked around downtown Minneapolis for....very nearly three hours....looking for the parking garage in which we'd parked.... ) before e woke up and had the chance to give his side of the story (including the part where we weren't lost at all...which is a lie.) ::

FAST FORWARD AGAIN! (are you with me?) to....present day.

(they're married now....who called it? oh yeah, moi)

they'd seen him twice already, and prepared for the third time (at the Fitzgerald!) by listening to his new album "Sugarcoating" over and over. and over...and over again. (i make it sound terrible....but Martin Sexton is amazing...so it was awesome.)

does this picture look familiar?

this concert's highlights?

*drunk girl in front of us...

*the encore!

*holdin' hands.

(in no particular order...)

now go out and listen to Martin Sexton and Ryan Montbleau. and find them in concert somewhere near you. and go. because they're awesome. soooooooooo awesome.

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHey!

2010-04-22T20:44:00.000-05:00

Hi! It's been awhile! I've been really busy (being awesome....) ...didja miss me? thought so. (I was actually sick...and busy with work....) (sorry I lied.)

Highlights of the last week?

Whelp. My kitty is really cuddly at 3 in the morning! I took my last class for my undergrad on Saturday!!! A fellow employee with whom I've never spoken asked if I was pregnant yesterday. (I most certainly am NOT) Ummmmm.....Sha-NA-na-na brought me a milkshake last night!!! Uhhh-MAzing! and...work has reached all time lows.

Awesome and happy things, right? whew! (okay, some awesome and happy things!!!)

Here are some pictures of Shanana-Banana and me from ...sophomore year? to keep you entertained...till I can write a real post...

:: soooooooooo emo ::

:: I'm sure there were captions to go along with these... ::

:: mainly just big weirdos. ::

:: but so darn cute, do you deny it? ::

:: and a few beautiful girls I miss every single day! ::

xoxoxo kh

cake in cups, cups, rain rain go away!

2010-04-13T12:04:00.001-05:00

Sick in bed. In and out of sleep. Left to my own devices on the interwebs.

I really want some cupcakes. and pretty teacups. and flowers.

{ hint, hint, husband? :-) ... }

images found here, here, here, annnnnnd here.

Because there's no SmashBurger in Oregon, or, I just like burgers a whole lot.

2010-04-12T21:42:00.006-05:00

SmashBurger? Oh goodness, yes.

My fave is the "Twin Cities" burger...but I've decided that we need to tour the country to taste the wondrous specialized burgers we found on the SmashBurger website...

The "NorCal SmashBurger" boasts brie and applewood smoked bacon. Yes, please!

Our Date Night got a little more hilarious when it came time to decide whether or not to see, well, "Date Night" (the new Steve Carell and Tina Fey flick...)

Since I'm always wearing my indecisive pants, and Eric wears them more times than not, we (read: Eric.) came up with a new way for us to make decisions. It went like this:

husband: Do you wanna wait the thirty minutes and see Date Night?

wife: Do you? I sort of do...I'm kind of tired...well...I don't know...

husband: yeah....me too, we could just go home and do homework till SNL....Tina Fey is hosting...

wife: yeah....I'm down for that. I'm down for anything. You pick.

husband: I'm not picking! You pick.

wife: [the look.]

husband: okay...let's try this...it's like heads or tails....except with smiles and frowns...we'll use the camera - two smiles? we see the movie...one of each? we go home....

wife: two frowns? . . .

husband: we see the movie.

wife: ummm....what are you doing?!

husband: I thought you were going to do that ridiculous frown you always try to pull off!

wife: I wanna see the movie!

husband: wha? why did we even.....

Date Night was great! And we even made it home in time to watch the pure hilarity that is Tina Fey, and the sickeningly adorable-ness of Justin Bieber....I tried to do it, but hating him would be like hating puppies... it's impossible! Damn him!

Sidenote: We've used our new "decision-making" method since Date Night....it actually sort of works...

husband: why do you insist on bringing the camera everywhere?!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

all soooooo very much to tell you right now!

2010-04-11T13:10:00.012-05:00

Have you been waiting for this post?

ERIC GOT HIS INTERNSHIP ASSIGNMENT ON MONDAY!!!
AND GUESS WHERE IT IS!!!!!

(Sorry I yelled.)

SALEM, OREGON!
...I was born in Oregon (i've probably mentioned this before...), and most of my extended family lives on the West Coast....so I'm pretty darn pumped to be living way closer to my grandparents, and aunts and uncles, and cousins, and cousins of cousins, and we'll be a little closer to some of Eric's family, as well...and...well, I love Oregon. (win. win. win.)
Needless to say, we're very excited to have the opportunity to live out West for a year . . . leaving the 'rents and sisters and so many great friends, though? I'm nervous.

In celebration of this scooper-duper (I stole that from "Date Night"...) exciting news, I did a little research about our new town-for-a-year, and I'm gonna share what I've found with YOU.

*Nickname? The Cherry City (cherries are big there...festivals and such...)

*Jon Heder lived there....

(how long has it been since you've said to yourself, "I like your sleeves" ?)

aaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnd.....

* One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest was filmed at the Oregon State Hospital....in...you guessed it: Salem, Oregon...

(That's right, Mr. Martini. There is an Easter Bunny.)

points of interest, if you will...
details: E starts September 1st, so we're not exactly sure when we'll be moving out West... I'll keep you posted!!
xoxoxoxo

Images found here, here, annnnnnd here

in which kirsten and eric find their way up North in search of the Easter Bunny, and friendly faces

2010-04-11T12:55:00.000-05:00

boy, do I ever have a lot of news...but I have some things to take care of before I dive into all of that:

I love having two families (my parents and sister, and my parents-in-law and sister-in-law) because it's fun to see just what exactly we all do differently for holidays and special occasions! My parents and sister and I grew up in Oregon, so all our extended family lives out West (Hi Grandma!!), so holidays for us are a little quieter, and we tend to do crazy stuff like bowling on Thanksgiving, and grilling ribs, and steak for Easter. Eric's side is definitely a little more traditional, which I also love (Hey Momma Hoffer!) because most of the fam is out here and it's a little easier for all of us to get together. Either way, we are so blessed to be able to spend holidays with our families--we divide them up between the families and switch off each year--and our holidays are always a blast.

(count how many times I wrote *holiday* in that last paragraph and I'll give you a prize? no...I probably won't...but I will laugh...)

These photos are in no particular order...and the quality sucks because I took them on my phone...

Saying bye to Vinnie...

"bye bye" to Michael Corleone...yes...we named our cats after "Godfather" characters...

Who is this handsome man driving me around?

North Dakota...flat.

This is what we look like when the girl at Caribou spills sticky hot coffee all over Eric in the drive-through....

Saying "Bye, I love you!" to sister :) Asleep sister...it went like this:
Jazz: kirsten what the hell are you doing?
Me: taking a picture! (DUH!)
Jazz: I'm ASLEEP!
Me: love you! see you soon!
Jazz: love you too!

Bye to Momma - it's sooooo early!

Bye to Daddy! (Daddy: I haven't even done my hair yet...)

ear in my face!!!!!!!

Momma made Pineapple Upside Down Cake...with bits of candied ginger.
SO FREAKING GOOD!

Hope your Easter was glorious!

He is Risen!!!! Alleluia!

On the road again, and, I'm starting to love Grape Crush?

2010-04-02T16:09:00.001-05:00

For as long as I can remember I have simply loathed grape flavored things (NOT GRAPES I LOVE GRAPES!)....I think it stems from having to take that absolutely vile grape flavored cough syrup that, even now, is giving me the heebie jeebies just thinking about... but this week Grape Crush has crept across my radar, and I'm obsessed. Okay...it's not like it's all I can think about, but man...it's so good!

What's your Spring Obsession?

On a completely unrelated note, E and I are heading to The Great North....and for as much crap as I give the Peace Garden State, I'm so excited to drive up there and see my mommy, and daddy, and sister, and cats, and dogs. And maybe eat some tostadas from The Red Pepper. And accumulate wonderful Easter kitsch that only my mother can find (and probably lots and lots of jelly beans...my favorite are the black ones that turn your mouth black for hours...). And dye eggs Ukraine-style. And crawl into bed with my sister and wake her up. And...well. you'll just have to wait and see the pictures, won't you?

(legendary...)

What are YOU doing this weekend?

(Okay...we're not going to Jamestown...home of the World's Largest Buffalo...but it's what I think of when I think of NoDak, so I thought I'd share . . . )

And I promise promise promise I'll start my sewing project this next week!

sistersss...sisterssssss!

2010-03-29T21:28:00.005-05:00

you've all seen 'white christmas' right?

Hannah came home for Spring Break!

Papa Hoffer took us to brunch - which is why we all look so bright and shiny in this pic...

and I get to see my Jazzy on Friday night!!!!

mmmmm....life!

xoxoxoxo

this one time i made a meal

2010-03-29T21:19:00.003-05:00

. . . almost all by myself!

and even though it looks a little sketch'...

...it tasted less sketch' than it looked...

i'm in the market for a bundt pan and a butter dish.

2010-03-25T20:03:00.000-05:00

i probably need these for some sort of art project...

landpeel? yes, please!

obsessed with silver rings!

if you've been around me in the last few days, you'll understand why our cat might need this...

pretty!

okay...this might really be coming to live with us...

Happy Spring-y Weekend!

czech stamps, landpeel, nosce te ipsum, rear gear, cursed kids, hen butter dish

i realize there's no bundt cake pan.... still looking...

Lent: a little bit of a le(n)tdown?

2010-03-24T23:05:00.000-05:00

because I'm clearly not sick of the lent jokes...

My little Lenten experience began just as so many other projects in my life:

thundercats! hoooooooooooo!

...and then went straight downhill. (like so many projects in my life . . . )

what is it about finishing things that I start?!

but since I'm starting this thing (which doesn't have a set "finish" so I think we'll be safe here...) where I build myself up instead of cut myself down... here's what I did do...

*I've incorporated a little more physical activity into my life... I did some yoga, okay?

*I cooked my first meal for my husband and myself... it wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible!

*I went to the fabric store, bought a pattern and some fabric (and all the correct notions plus some seamstress' tape).... I haven't started sewing yet, but I'm nervous! It's really pretty fabric! (yes, I called my mother while roaming the aisles because I was afraid to ask a question of someone who actually worked there...)

and I've started some pretty sweet things with my therapist - like a daily gratitude journal

(thanks to shannon for the journal--she made it in her book arts class..it's gorgeous)

so. not what I expected. not what I planned. that's probably the way things should happen.

Easter's coming, I can't wait to dye eggs and sing the "A" word!

(and maybe go to NoDak to visit the fam!)

(found that picture/quote here)

crazy--er....ummm...Mad for MARCH MADNESS

2010-03-18T20:31:00.005-05:00

the silly thing about all this (this being March Madness...)is that I've never really cared about it...yeah, I've watched games with guys I've dated...

--Yes, I had boyfriends before the love of my life came along--
but this year, I filled out TWO brackets...and now I'm glued to my little CBS Sports website that refreshes itself every 75 seconds so I can be abreast of the situation at. all. times.
and I'm conflicted because both of my brackets are different.... OH THE HUMANITY, right?

(photo via blogs.gonzaga.edu)

working at a cable company has its perks, p.s. there are TVs everywhere . . . and most of my coworkers are crowded around them as I type... so much for the work week, eh?

did you find me yet?

2010-03-16T23:20:00.000-05:00

find me? did you? did you?

tell me all about it...

and while you're at it, tell me all about what you're doing to SPRING-CLEAN UP your life!

all my love!

kh

in love.

2010-03-11T13:01:00.000-06:00

me: why are you so good to me?

him: 'cause I love you . . . and 'cause I'm crazy.

me: true story.

(photo via weheartit.com)

birthday backlash.

2010-03-01T21:37:00.000-06:00

we had a party - lovely friends came to celebrate my 23rd year of life...

these are a few images from the evening!

obviously excellent decisions were made.

I have the coolest friends.

the love of my life holding the cake of my life...

it got sweaty.... yeah, sweaty. I said it.

(photos via Shannon B, my bestie)

hilarious things that probably scar us for life.

2010-02-24T22:34:00.000-06:00

i've found a kindred dark spirit in one of my coworkers, and I'm not afraid to proclaim it to the world...mostly (mostly I'm not afraid) because I'm not going to share her name with you (I'll refer to her as Trixie from here on), and also because my newfound friendship allows me to segue into something I've never really explored before...

our conversation sparked from one about how I sprained my hand,and forgot to do my physical therapy exercises all day - I nonchalantly conjectured that the PT would likely amputate my hand out of spite for my thoughtlessness regarding its recovery...I asked Trixie if she'd come with me to hold my hand..the one that would be removed...she quickly responded, "yes" so she could keep it in a jar on her desk.

I laughed out loud (not lol'd . . . I don't do that.), and proceeded to tell her that my parents once kept my tonsils in a jar in the freezer for--what seems to me now--an excessively gross amount of time after they were removed...

Full disclosure: I have no idea how long they were in the freezer...

I was like four or something - but the fact that they kept them? well.

This launched into a comparison of childhood hilarities, including how Trixie's mother tossed her fetal pig-in-a-jar, and that my parents used to keep my baby teeth in a box.

We've both inherited a love of popping zits from our mothers. (Thanks, Momma)

Trixie: We grow up thinking these things are normal...

The fact of the matter is...

I'll probably do the same things to my children...

and the (maybe) sick thing is?

I can't wait.

(photos of random children whom I feel represent my own childhood via weheartit.com)

Lent: Le(n)t's get physical! physical!

2010-02-23T12:36:00.000-06:00

I wanna get-- okay, enough...

(photo via weheartit.com)

Week One has begun, and I'm already off to a disappointing start - my "intense yoga practice" turned into:

Monday AM: downward dog while laughing at the cat...for approx 3 minutes...

Monday PM: stretching in bed...YogaNap-ing my way to dreamland....

Tuesday AM: wake up late? Shower Yoga!

and then on my fifteen this morning, Work Yoga!

Conclusion? Not intense at all...and not really all that spiritually fulfiling...maybe I'm going about this in the wrong way...

and I must admit, I went into this looking to lose weight...I don't think that's in the spirit in which adding/giving things up for Lent is intended

I'm already planning dinners for next week, and making up a grocery list

(and I will be going to the grocery store...unheard of!)

but I'm having doubts about this little Lenten Experience I've planned for myself..

ON A MORE POSITIVE NOTE:

I'll begin volunteering for Store to Door on March 3rd!! More on that this week! I'm super excited!

sit, eat, sew, and a few more things...

2010-02-21T22:52:00.000-06:00

"you are dust, and to dust you shall return" Gen. 3:19

(photo via weheartit.com)

It usually takes me a while to figure out what I'm going to do with myself for Lent - one year I gave up pop (Soda for all you WestCoasters...) but this year, I want to add things...I want to make a lasting impact in my life and in the lives of others....so I've outlined a plan--or part of a plan for now...

The title of this post pays homage to Liz Gilbert's 'Eat, Pray, Love' - go out and buy it. read it.

(I have two copies if you'd like to borrow one.)

And my Lenten journey will begin with a week of intense yoga practice.

I'm going to try something different each week, including one week of making dinner for myself and my husband each night, and a week of dedicating myself to a sewing project...

Got any ideas for me? I'm working on coming up with the service part of this experience...

Wanna join me? Let me know, we'll set up something sweet.

david and rhonda brave the ice and snow in search of warmer climates and to visit "the kids"

2010-02-16T22:23:00.000-06:00

well, this is overdue.

My parents came to visit me on the weekend before my birthday!

(aren't they cute?)

Adorable.

we ate cupcakes...from Cupcake (one of my Twin Cities FAVORITES! go there.)

that pink one was mine - the "Paris Hilton"

We went to church, we went to brunch at some great hipster diner (where you wrote your order on a slip and then handed it to the cooks...needless to say, we gave fake names), and we had dinner with my in-laws. I love when they come to visit me (although the sister was missed terribly!)

when I got home on Monday night, I noticed my parents had left a card for our cat....

I feel like this explains a lot of who I am....

All in all, excellent birthday weekend! I'm loved.

a birthday blast from the past.

2010-02-10T21:05:00.000-06:00

every year on my birthday, for as long as I can remember, my mother has recounted the story of my birth in full and wonderful detail...

for years it started like this: "the night before you were born, I woke up your dad and told him it was 'time' ...and he rolled over and went back to sleep..."

when I turned 21 the story got a new beginning: "21 years and nine months ago..."

my parents are hilarious.

it's my favorite story, and it always ends the same . . . "we named you kirsten, and your dad and I decided you were the best thing we'd ever done together"

I thought I'd take this chance to reminisce a bit....I mean....I was a really cute kid...it's time you got some proof!

and this one's for my cousin....who will likely kill me for putting this on the interwebs...

and probably rightfully so....

I s'pose I should make it right....

love y'all!

"you should blog more about work" - husband

2010-02-06T12:23:00.000-06:00

it's probably true...

without naming names, I work for a local cable company as a temp...

Ah, the life of a temp...

it's been pretty ridiculous so far, but I'd have to say my favorite part yet was our "meeting" on Friday morning....

we sat around a TV mounted to the wall and watched as Topanga from 'Boy Meets World' (Danielle Fishel) interviewed the CEO...it was surreal. She'll never be "Danielle" to me - so you can understand my confusion when her interviewees kept mispronouncing her name...it's TOE-PANG-GUH...in case they're reading this...

(she's all grown up now, but this is the kind of picture people don't forget... for my next post? kirsten as a child...you can't even wait, you just don't know it yet.)

(photo via ice ice babies)

I sit in a cubicle.

I have coworkers that make me laugh.

I speak to customers that make me scream.

I ate two donuts (doughnuts?) yesterday.

Overall, it's been a positive experience.

The sales department is right next to ours, and they have some stupid promotion going on where if they make a big sale they get to ring a bell... I've requested--from my boss--a bell in my cube so that I can ring it each time I complete out an order....I told her it's my birthday on Monday...so I'm saying there's a chance!

I'll def keep you posted on that one.

I'm trying to refrain from labeling my coworkers as characters from The Office, but ... so far, I've met my Creed, and for suuuuuuure my Phyllis . . . don't know who I am yet, but I'm not quite living up to my dream of becoming Ryan...

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo kh

angry voices and answering machines.

2010-01-28T22:03:00.000-06:00

i have a phone voice and a real voice...sometimes when I'm on the phone i switch into my real voice...

the switch always creeps me out...

starting a new job has put some things into perspective for me...

like how being an adult is a lot of work.

and that desk jobs aren't all glamorous and hilarious like on T.V.

i'm pretty sure i knew both of these things....

but, my, my, my how sitting at a desk with a headset and direct lines to thousands of angry people--for eight hours a day!--can really turn one's ideas about the world right around.

my eyes are tired. my throat is dry. i'm exhausted.

i google-ed "stay awake at your desk during the day" ...

apparently if I massage right under my knees I'm more likely to perk up and stay awake... mostly this made me laugh...which woke me up, so I counted it as a useful method...

i'm whining. i realize this.

i really am pumped to even be employed right now...

i'm going to take my cue from Mrs. Naomi Davis over at Rockstar Diaries, and end this post with some "little letters" . . .

dear domino's,

your new pizza mostly tastes like you upped the salt factor by about a million percent...

dear husband,

you're sort of a saint for dealing with how difficult I am about what we have for dinner...

dear cubicle,

i can't believe i ever dreamed of having my own one of YOU...

you're a prison.

dear outside,

warm up, you frigid jerk!

dear angry people everywhere,

cheer up - life's too short to bitch about cable.

with love and regards,

kirsten anneke

(photo via weheartit.com)

black and white photos and handwritten notes.

2010-01-25T21:13:00.000-06:00

title = two of my absolute favorite things.

it's been a long day, and I'm determined not to fall asleep until bedtime...so while I'm waiting for husband to come home from the grocery store (it must be an eating disorder thing, but I absolutely hate to grocery shop...) I've been looking through the guest book from our wedding.

It's a coffee table book of photographs by Tom Arndt... "Home: Tom Arndt's Minnesota"

our friends and family members wrote in the margins or directly on the pictures wishing us some pretty beautiful things

...this is the one thing (besides all our guests, my new husband, and the catering/museum staff) I made sure got down to the basement/parking garage during the tornado sirens that rocked our reception

(yes, it was ridiculous...yes, it was awesome... everyone was fine!)

and it's something I haven't looked at since the day after our wedding...I finished my "Wedding Malibu" this last Friday night... lots of "since the wedding" firsts, I guess...yes, I did say Malibu...pure class.

Well, we haven't yet sent our thank-yous --I can't believe I'm admitting this publicly...it's on our to-do list for this week....we have some pretty good reasons for not getting them out until now...

this book is a snapshot of love. cheesy, yes...but honestly. The photographs guests chose to comment on and used to express their love and happiness for us are hilarious, and mean so much! I couldn't possibly pick favorites, but here are a few pictures to give you the idea:

'Kirsten, Here's your Auntie in her next life. Love, Aunt Tammy'

thursday nights are the best nights.

2010-01-21T23:40:00.000-06:00

thursday night has been great for awhile now... when my dad was in seminary we'd all clean the apartment (read: just the living room, and maybe the kitchen...) and then a ton of people would pile into our living room to eat good things, and drink tea and watch ER... that's not still on, is it?

then in college, thursday was the night of The Office (and, for a little while there, Grey's Anatomy) - a night for gathering with friends around the television to see if Jim and Pam would finally get their acts together and, well, get together... spoiler alert: they're married now. GASP!

i digress. that's sort of a bad habit i have, apparently...

well thursday nights still house great television... except for The Office tonight...a clip show? ugh.

and tonight we had some great friends over

(to be honest, they're the only reason our 'partment has been clean for the past two Thursdays...we clean in the half hour before they arrive...)

we made treats!

and we played Monopoly...

except for Shannon. who hates fun.

"are you taking a picture?" "I hate when people do that...at least count..." "oh...you're counting"

clearly enjoying the goodies!

ladies and gents, the man I married...in a classic "my wife is ridiculous" pose...

keep your friends close! kh

am I still a housewife?

2010-01-20T22:05:00.000-06:00

as I've recently come into employment...be prepared for lots of jokes about taking over corporate and being able to clean out my desk in around thirty seconds...I have to wonder if I can still call myself a housewife...can I still write a blog titled "Housewifery Revealed" ??? boy, is this ever an identity crisis.

(photo via cu1turesponge.wordpress.com)

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, I've never been a housewife... if I were a housewife I'd be:

a) married...check!!!

and

b) in charge of my household.... ehhh...

to be completely honest...Eric is the Housework King around here (God bless him.) - I'm not saying I don't pitch in, but I'll be the first to admit he does way more than I do... and I think he'd agree with me (honey?) that neither of us consider ourselves to be "in charge" any more than the other person...

or I'd be "a pocket-size container for small articles (as thread)" . . . seriously...that's the second definition...

I'm forced into my own definition of housewifery.... I'm a wife (so fun to say!). I reside in the house... (read: hermit), and... I'm sure I don't embody this part of it, but there's always been a certain glamorous quality to the title"housewife"

... red lipstick, an apron, and Audrey Hepburn charm...

(photo via weheartit.com)

I can only dream.

So...I'm a housewife-in-training? an aspiring housewife? whatever...I'll take it.

and I'm keeping my blog title.

Darling, just call me "Audrey"

... except for that whole force-feeding part ... I'm so over that.

IN OTHER NEWS: I think I'm going to try to make curtains tomorrow. Stay tuned.

*I'm going to try to help out more around the house... call it a resolution... I'll keep you posted...

this is hilarious:

(photo via weheartit.com)

orange cats and stuffy noses.

2010-01-20T11:24:00.000-06:00

i woke up sick today. bleh.

kitty's trying to make me feel better by sitting right on my chest - i think cats can probably read minds or something, because...i'm feelin' cuddly. maybe just my cat can read minds...jealous?

stay well! drink your orange juice and eat an apple! find an orange cat to bury your face in...
grammar police: find an orange cat in which to bury your face.... happy?

kh

stepping back to look at all the beauty and pain.

2010-01-19T15:24:00.000-06:00

every time I've signed on to post something this week, I've been hit with great sorrow and a sense of helplessness for those suffering in Haiti/all over the world in the wake of the earthquake on January 12th. I'm having a difficult time being hilarious and sarcastic...we all know I'm hilarious, let it go.

(photo via weheartit.com)

it's easy for us to ignore some pretty terrible situations in the world until a tragedy like this becomes personal--I refer now to the death of Ben Larson, Luther College Grad, and Senior Seminarian at Wartburg Seminary--I don't claim to have known Ben very well at all (I saw him around at Luther as a freshman), but I did meet him once when my husband (then-fiancé) and I visited Wartburg Sem in 2008. He gave us a tour, and he and his wife shared the joys (and not so joyful parts) of seminary life--they were both so excited for us to begin the seminary journey, and so excited for us to be together during it! What a gift to have been touched by two such passionate people.

Many of my friends were in choir with Ben, and knew him much better than I, and I hold their sorrow in my heart--the death of a friend is a true tragedy. This article from the ELCA is worth reading--such a beautiful memory amidst the most horrific of situations.

where do we go from here? what can we do?

Get involved. Learn. Pray. Keep the memories of those who are lost alive through story and song.

Give time (and money, if you can).

and... Hope.

Hope for change-Hope for help-Hope for healing-Hope for peace.

Hope for love and its immeasurable power.

"You turned my wailing into dancing;

you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy,

that my heart may sing to you and not be silent.

O Lord my God, I wil give you thanks forever."

Psalm 30:11-12

Haiti

2010-01-13T14:24:00.000-06:00

great list of ways/sites to visit/things you can do to help the people of Haiti

"NPR: Some Ways to Help"

move all that skepticism/sarcasm out of the way right now for: YogaNap

2010-01-13T12:19:00.000-06:00

(photo via google search)

when i told my bestie about this she laughed out loud...

(and, to be honest, i laughed out loud when i found the book in the library...yes, out loud. in the library.)

tangent: i love the library, it's like book-shopping for free...

my day is always a great one if I've visited the library!

"YogaNap: Restorative Poses for Deep Relaxation" is the cutest little liiiike 7"x7" book (with some sort of brown booger-y stain on the bottom right corner...*gulp*) by Kristen Rentz (illustrations by Kajiah Jacobs) . . .

177 pages worth of "Ahhhhhh..."

According to Rentz, Restorative Yoga is all about being held and supported and, well, restored. It's the yoga you do when you're too exhausted to do the challenging stuff because you're a workaholic, you're a yogafreak-like the intense kind, you're depressed, you've been up all night--whatever...

shannon: so...basically you...just sleep...because you're tired...

kirsten: well...yeah...in sweet poses, though...

My favorite aspect of this newfound routine is the idea of "holding up vs. letting go" - basically, that we hold ourselves up all freaking day long, and that to restore and relax we should probably just let go of the mask and all of our other hang-ups (at least for the duration of the exercise) and breathe some really deep breaths.

SO.

along with the use of props (this almost sent me running..."bolsters" and "straps"...just bear with me...), YogaNap allows you to "be held" for 5-10 minutes at a time.

or you could just find a perfect husband like mine who'll hold you allll night long. too much? too much.

here's my favorite pose to get you started:

FIRST. you'll need...lots of pillows, blankets...a yoga mat (not necessary!), some sort of timer that doesn't make you want to die (i'm still looking.), and really warm, comfortable clothing.

"Child's Pose on Blankets" - I've always loved Child's Pose on its own, but this...

*stack 3 pillows *sit on your knees (with big toes touching...knees a little wider than your hips) facing the short side of the pillows--pillows are sort of between your legs *fold your body forward--finding whatever's comfortable for your arms--onto the pillows...head facing to one side *allow yourself to fully settle into the pose taking smooth, deep breaths *hold for 1-5 minutes on each side

this pose and some white noise from my favorite "sounds" website (yes, I just call it "sounds") -- so good.

*keep in mind that this is just my own interpretation of what I've read that I now pass on to you...

file this under the "cover-my-ass" section... to fully reap the benefits of 'YogaNap' you should probably buy the book...

or check it out at your local library...I'm a big fan of libraries!

stay calm and breathe deeply, friends!

oh, how life just turns itself right around on a dime.

2010-01-11T21:09:00.000-06:00

i have so many things to be thankful for today.

thankful for yummy big bowl food in my tummy.

if i could eat just one thing for the rest of my life i'd probably pick yummy coconut-y yellow curry . . .

. . . or cheese fondue . . . or... right, I could never pick just one thing...

thankful for a job that starts on Friday!
thankful for a husband who supports me - in many ways
thankful for a family that gets so excited with me!
thankful for little celebrations!

what are you thankful for?!

(photo via weheartit.com)

back and better than ever.

2010-01-10T20:29:00.000-06:00

brief hiatus ends...today!

what I've been up to lately....

*wallowing in my bed

*interviewing for jobs

*feeling my feelings (cheesy sounding, I know)

*dreaming about my birthday and Valentine's Day!

*NOT sleeping. (massage therapist references are more than welcome, friends!)

*writing and writing and writing and writing... (some of which you might get to read, you lucky lovely!)

As depressing as all of this sounds . . .

the power of hanging out with people I love to put a spring in my step, and a positive spin on the world is absolutely incredible, and very real...

Husband and Shannon and I checked out SmashBurger!!

a great burger, a frosted mug full of grainbelt, fries tossed in rosemary and olive oil, and a web of choices for the night's agenda later (written on a napkin, of course), and my troubled week left my mind

(and good f***ing riddance!)

We ended up seeing 'Youth in Revolt' . . .

...it was entertaining...

*Shan ended up having a heart attack right before the movie, we're assuming from the food...she shook it off, though... what a trooper*

...but the best part was sitting between my husband and bestie and laughing my butt off.

(photo via gmanReviews.com)

more from my soapbox and me later. promise.

"none" degrees?!

2010-01-05T12:18:00.000-06:00

warmth.

are you sick of my kitty?

January makes me crazy.

well, crazy-er ...

with weeknight bedtime shot to hell...

2010-01-04T00:42:00.000-06:00

these are my boys.

i love them so much.

(husband hated cats until he met Luka... we've changed him.)

these two have a deep connection.

and i'm a big weirdo!

Happy Monday!

(fingers crossed I get a job tomorrow--er...today!!)

xoxoxo ... kh

friends are great!

2010-01-03T22:54:00.000-06:00

my eda! who lives in Mexico! was here, in the cities, tonight!!!

I love her.

(I'm not sure if you could tell...)

She was in my wedding, and I miss her, and she's funny, and I love her.

She's great, and it was so wonderful to see her and catch up with her. (And other good friends, too!!)

Here's Eda and my bestie, Shannon--being all beautiful and stuff... Love them!

friends. are. great.

"warm house, cold hands"

2010-01-02T23:30:00.000-06:00

okay. it. is. cold.

this morning (and boy do I ever use the term "morning" loosely) I began to work my way through...

Elaine St. James' 'Simplify Your Life: 100 ways to slow down and enjoy the things that really matter'

Step 1: Reduce the clutter in your life...

(if only my clutter looked all cute and chic like this...)

(photo via weheartit.com)

Oh wow. If there were prizes given for amount of clutter accumulated, I think I'd be up in the top five or something...of the entire world. Ask my husband. I'm a pack rat.

It's because...I am so afraid I'll miss the things I toss...that some little memory will be lost forever because I decided to throw that specific paper napkin from whatever super memorable restaurant at that unforgettable time in my life....it's exhausting!

And seriously! I've saved a paper napkin before.

With nothing on it....

(would it be better if it were dirty? ew, I meant like writing or something...)

I have some issues with the title of this book... I'd like to be the one to decide what "matters" in my life... I do sometimes see the merit in saving those useless pieces of junk that will end up in some box labeled "2009" ... (like the rubber elephant husband got out of one of those 25 cent machines in Grand Forks, while we were up there for Christmas, that's been rolling around in my purse since...well, about five minutes after he bought it for me...after I'd named it, and squished it around a little bit...)

I digress.

The take-home message from this first step is:

"If you haven't used it in a year or more, get rid of it."

You're supposed to unclutter everywhere. Like... every room, every cabinet, drawer, closet...

This seemed like a lot to take on in one day (kudos to me for being realistic for once in my life!), so I chose my closet...just. my. closet.

And after like five episodes of "Big Love," multiple snack breaks, tears, and a nap, and a cup of jasmine tea, I emerged: the proud owner of a cleaned-out and "uncluttered" closet!

I tried on every shirt and every pair of pants. ugh.

but I did it. and I lived. tomorrow I'll move on to the bathroom, the office, and the living room (I don't have to try things on...I think there will be less tears.) so I guess I could call today "Step 1, Part A" ... and "to be continued" to be sure.

(my closet looks something like this now....except I don't wear light clothing... )

(photo via weheartit.com)

the sky is bluer through the trees, and I love everything

2010-01-01T15:34:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful for my husband.

Act I: NYE

homemade sangria, antipasto plate, 'Billy Madison,' and spinach artichoke rolls

(take a LOOK at that spread!)

Intermission: NYE

30 rock on the computer, more homemade sangria, and dishes (husband)

Act II: NYE

The Hangover! (unedited!!), family guy until 5 minutes till! And then a (very old) Dick Clark counting down (and miscounting?), more sangria, and a midnight dance to Martin Sexton's 'Auld Lang Syne.'

(this is what LOVE looks like!)

Last night, while falling asleep, husband and I discussed our goals for the coming year...it was such a calm conversation, and he really listened to what I want to do and got excited about it. I'm super lucky.

in no particular order:

*live simply (in many different ways)

*go to bed earlier! (husband loved this one)

*use my experiences (and hardships) to benefit others

and this is probably the most important one I mentioned last night:

*"I just want to be more peaceful this year"

2009 was a year of planning, excessive weight loss, healthy weight gain, marriage (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!), moving, loving, and, ultimately, living!

This is the first year I chose to live...I think that's what I'm going to take away from 2009.

2010? I'm excited.

I'm nervous.

I can't wait to see what treasures/experiences are in store for my little family and me!

to you! to me! to us! Happy New Year! kh

a day at the beach!

2009-12-30T13:33:00.000-06:00

Okay, I'm just going to say it....I have a really difficult time during the winter.

It's dark. It's cold. These are two things I really hate.

So, in order to not jump out a window. . .

(I thought that's what the pills were for...)

(second thoughts...I'd probably just get cold, and then hurt...so...ugh.)

I made this little spray to give my hair wavy beach-y-ness....

In a spray bottle I mixed: sea salt, olive oil, and warm water (no, I don't measure things.)

...shook it up real good, and voila!

Spray that shit!

I can't take credit for the recipe...well, the ingredients, anyway...I googled "beach spray"

I'm gonna be honest....the not-so-great things about a beach hair day come along with the great things, even when your beach is in a bottle...my hair is a little crunchy....but it's wavy, and fun, and it makes me wanna put some sunscreen on just so I can smell like I've been splashing around in the surf.

Husband: your hair is....seasoned...ew.

really...it just looks like I'm in my pajamas now that I see it in all its glory....

but I'm having fun...don't rain on my parade!

xoxoxo!

I am a domestic GODDESS. I. SEW!

2009-12-29T21:20:00.000-06:00

Recently, I was given the gift of a sewing machine whom (yes, whom.) I've lovingly named "HAL" -- Hal's a "brother CE-5000PRW" and we have a ...relationship.

I was going to label it as "complicated," or "love-hate," but really...what relationship isn't like that?

and I way more love than hate my complicated new friend.

"Open the bobbin door, Hal..."

Hal and I embarked on our first adventure the day after Christmas with my dear mother looking over my shoulder and reminding me to "keep that 5/8, kirsten" and graciously not laughing at my atrociously uneven stitches.

I learned some things, to be sure, and affirmed some things I already knew...

1. You're not going to be great at something you've begun at 12:30am . . .

2. My mother is super patient--she'd have to be to put up with me giggling annnnd making dirty sewing jokes at 2 in the morning... "i just don't understand you, kirsten"

and 3. (I'll direct this outward. You're welcome.)

Don't beat yourself up about the small stuff...

...like learning how to sew.

*smiley face

I had way more fun once I let go of the fact that I wasn't going to sew the perfect bag the first time I sat down at a sewing machine.

Hal, Rhonda, and I made a bag!

For those of you out there who can't see....it's brown. With blue polka dots.

And the lining is blue. With brown polka dots! (that's me holding it.)

Check me out. I am an accomplished housewife. My talents know no bounds.

(that's a lie...I can't cook my way out of a paper bag...)

I am super proud of myself!

And aren't you pumped to see what I create next?

I know...I know...

love!

UPDATE

2009-12-26T12:36:00.000-06:00

I've combined my blogs...and reformatted! Let me know what you think!

Christmas post to follow - What a merry happy day!!

love,

Sometimes I'm just the worst...

2009-12-16T22:29:00.000-06:00

but if you can't handle at me at my worst, th-- Ha.

My Dearest Darling Husband--who absolutely NEVER gets sick--is...

well, you guessed it: SICK.

I'm one of those people who needs to be taken care of when I'm sick...like I spend most of my time moaning, and sleeping, and snotting, and Eric? He's making cookies.

I don't think he's contagious anymore...so I'm going to eat them.

But, REALLY! Cookies? He's perfect. What a jerk.

update:

(because I worried my parents by blogging my troubles...meep)

We are the victims of identity theft!

But it's okay, because we've got everything under control now.

It's been a helluva week.

This is why I get up. :)

This I've learned....

2009-12-15T13:35:00.000-06:00

Sometimes you just need a break.

DH is done with classes for the semester, I'm recovering from a 24hr flu bug, and some unknown dbag (sorry! not sorry.) is draining our bank account $600 at a time...

So we're sitting on the bed watching NBC's The Sing-Off - I'm mostly making fun of Nicole Scherzinger ("Like...WOW....you did all that with your voices!") - and we're taking a breather.

I still need a job, DH still has papers to write, and we still have some unknown dude's ass to kick - but those things can wait for another hour, right?

right.

As it turns out . . .

2009-12-12T17:06:00.000-06:00

Dryer sheets do, in fact, work to remove static from hair in this frigid, wintery cold--Okay....it's 30 degrees today...not entirely frigid, I'll admit--I digress...Dryer Sheets. Rub hair from roots to tips and static is gone! I keep one in my purse. This works great if you don't mind your hair smelling like a dryer sheet...which I don't actually mind as much as I thought I would.

So, there you go, ladies - a static free Christmas - my gift to you ;-P

Now I don't have to leave the house looking like this...

::Inspiration credit - KateWordSmith::

2009-12-10T18:16:00.000-06:00

Okay...I wanna be rad, too.

I'm finding (in the past three days...I'm *such* a wimp) that I'm not as cut out for unemployment and housewifery as I previously imagined...It's only been three days and I feel comPLETELY useless. I've resorted to making lists that (I THINK) are entertaining to motivate me to actually get out of bed - this one worked....even though I didn't clean the cat (I value my life, okay?), I felt as if I had a productive day...

Today, though, it was my goal to write five cover letters, apply for my new married-name social security card (I realize it's been three months since the wedding, but it is absolutely FRIGID outside, people), and do the dishes... Instead I watched smut on TV--DH and I just had a discussion about this...I mean things like 'Tabatha's Salon Takeover' and 'Wife Swap,' NOT porn--hand-wrote one (count it, ONE) cover letter, and showered and put on mascara before DH got home. Oh, and I only ate Lucky Charms and homemade chex mix today.

In the always-appropriate words of Kevin Henkes: "Today was a difficult day. Tomorrow will be better." (Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse)

I'm thankful forrrrrr YOU!

2009-11-29T18:05:00.000-06:00

Oh boy, has this little break ever been a wake up call in my existence...

One of my favorite books for kids is "Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse" by Kevin Henkes. Lilly--precocious, adorable, inventive--loves school (this is practically the opening line). She's ridiculous, in a good way mostly... I identify with this mouse (I'm adorable, alright?) . . . What I mean is, I feel ridiculous...I feel like I act on my impulses, and I feel like I want to be a diva, a scuba diver, an ambulance driver, a teacher, a pilot, a hairdresser, a dancer, and a surgeon. . . right?!

*the fact that I'm comparing my life to a children's story must mean something, right?*

I want to read books to children. I want to write books for children. I want to hang out and read literature meant for children. That is...when I'm not taking photographs for National Geographic, coming up with plans to make life easier on children with special needs, modeling in Paris, trying my hand at seminary, or painting murals.... ("murinals"....Parks and Rec, anyone?)

So...grad school here I come? I'm looking into it - a job, and that last damn college class will have to come first. But there's more of a direction there...I think. :)

---------
First Thanksgiving away from my parents and sis . . . so strange (but amazing as well!)! I missed my momma's stuffing (a la Grandma!), and decorating for Christmas with my family! I had a great Thanksgiving, but I definitely missed old traditions - this whole growing up/getting married thing brings new experiences at every turn... ain't growin' up great? :)

I am thankful for you, and you, and you and you. The holiday season always seems to put some things in perspective for me: I have a home, a loving and completely wonderful family, loving and completely wonderful friends, and food on the coffee table. Blessings abound! It's time to give to those who aren't surrounded by this surplus of blessings, yes? Yes.
More on that in my next post, I'm sure.

Would you try this for me? . . .

2009-10-30T23:25:00.000-05:00

Okay, obligatory Halloween post/This'll be the second *published* post of my life...I keep writing them, and then saving them...

Because I'm feeling a little more domestic/house-wife-ey -- in that I think it would be fun to be moreso, but who's got the time to go further than surfing the interweb to find cool things to do/make?! -- Today I searched "Creepy Halloween Food" and discovered the joys of redred food coloring, and little plastic molds! I then searched "Halloween Shots" and found this:

Disgusting, right? It's 1 1/4 oz. strawberry vodka, 1/8 oz. Rose's lime juice, 3/4 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream, and a splash of grenadine to make the brains bloody! Apparently you mix the vodka and lime juice, and then slowly insert the Bailey's with a straw so that it curdles, douse the thing in grenadine, and you have yourself one really horrifying concoction . . . even more weird/disturbing is that I wanna make these and serve them to my friends (try it? it's *curdled.* Really.)

Other sickening food creations (that cater to that really ucky side of me) include...

"Zits" - cherry tomatoes filled with cream cheese....
Eyeball cupcakes - These could be yummy: red velvet cupcake with a frosted eyeball on top?
Cat Litter Cake ...I'm pretty sure Angela (The Office) got excited about this....deleted scene?! it happened.

I'm pondering dressing as Lady Gaga tomorrow night (even though I'll be the only one dressed up.....) Halloween comes but once a year!

Entry.... Re-entry? (twss)

2009-10-03T17:58:00.000-05:00

Seriously just discovered that my "April-self" found the wonders of Blogger and liked them better than anything Wordpress has to offer (Clearly noted below...). "April-Kirsten" and "October-Kirsten" finally met and the results are in...again...Here I am. To stay.

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Yesterday, I came home from the. longest. day. ever at work. to a hot bath, a bathroom full of candles, Norah Jones crooning, a cheese and grape plate, and an ice cold glass of white wine. Conclusion? I have the best husband ever! (Maybe I should re-title this post "STFU, Marrieds" ...Idon'tcarewhatyouthink) He left the bathroom with our orangekitty in his arms, saying, "Not right now...this is Mommy's time." To the cat, of course.

And a little more about married life: It's great. :)

I think I like this better...

2009-04-13T15:23:00.000-05:00

Blogspot wins over Wordpress, I think...we'll see though.
xoxo

ALL SO VERY MUCH

tiptoe through the tulips

in which I explore new (to me) music that most people have already heard

willamette burger co!

a little Easter activity...

beached part 2: Rogue NATION

beached part 1

the view from here

oh! i turned 24!

the yellow wallpaper, and the yellow beast in my house

little lion man photoshoot, or, how i wasted 30 minutes

how to bathe a bag of fleas.

Holy Geez! 2011!

Dear World, ummm...what?

top movies for the crazed holidaze according to moi

apparently you'll only hear from me once a month.

I have an embarrassing amount of love for Halloween.

Where have YOU been? and October Jokes...

Look what came in the mail today!!!!

"come back for mo"

live it - Maya Angelou

ball o' acid...

Our first Sunday, and a Pickle Tasting Party?

we're here! (here is Salem...OR)

blerg. blerg. blerg.

please refer to previous post.

it was only a matter of time...

8/8/09 . . . the one year anniversary of the 2008 Summer Olympics....and also my wedding day...

last few phone calls...

Last Ditch Top Ten: okay, I lied.

*Oh, let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France...*

well.

"his capa was detated"

in which eric runs a marathon!

wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeekend!!!

Princess Cutie Pie: High School Graduation!

turns out...

"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"

in which eric and kirsten see Martin Sexton in concert for the third time

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhHey!

cake in cups, cups, rain rain go away!

Because there's no SmashBurger in Oregon, or, I just like burgers a whole lot.

all soooooo very much to tell you right now!

in which kirsten and eric find their way up North in search of the Easter Bunny, and friendly faces

On the road again, and, I'm starting to love Grape Crush?

sistersss...sisterssssss!

this one time i made a meal

i'm in the market for a bundt pan and a butter dish.

Lent: a little bit of a le(n)tdown?

crazy--er....ummm...Mad for MARCH MADNESS

did you find me yet?

in love.

birthday backlash.

hilarious things that probably scar us for life.

Lent: Le(n)t's get physical! physical!

sit, eat, sew, and a few more things...

david and rhonda brave the ice and snow in search of warmer climates and to visit "the kids"

a birthday blast from the past.

"you should blog more about work" - husband

angry voices and answering machines.

black and white photos and handwritten notes.

thursday nights are the best nights.

am I still a housewife?

orange cats and stuffy noses.

stepping back to look at all the beauty and pain.

Haiti

move all that skepticism/sarcasm out of the way right now for: YogaNap

oh, how life just turns itself right around on a dime.

back and better than ever.

"none" degrees?!

with weeknight bedtime shot to hell...

friends are great!

"warm house, cold hands"

the sky is bluer through the trees, and I love everything

a day at the beach!

I am a domestic GODDESS. I. SEW!

UPDATE

Sometimes I'm just the worst...

This I've learned....

As it turns out . . .

Oh, let's get rich and buy our parents homes in the south of France...

Entry.... Re-entry? (twss)