One Last Chance

Oh man. Not only has it been ages since I've posted anything here (10 days to be exact), but I've also dropped the ball with our Second Chance Book Club. I was supposed to be writing and discussing The Catcher in the Rye with you, but unfortunately that didn't happen.

So. That being said, Aubrey is going to host our final Book Club of the year. She's going to be discussing A Christmas Carol on December 26. Check out her newest post for more details.

Also, please take our survey for next year's Book Club! This year we (clearly) focused on classics and even though we didn't make it through all of them, we still enjoyed our time.

This next year, 2016, is a time for us to explore other genres and styles than we have previously read. When you take the survey, don't be afraid to suggest specific titles you'd like to read. If you're a fan of certain time periods, don't hesitate to request those! I know there are some books on our list already that focus around WWII. If you love graphic novels and there's a new one you want to read, suggest it!

We will try our best to accommodate something from all of the surveys. If we don't, please don't hold that against us. We're trying our best!

If you have any questions or concerns, please let us know and we'll do our best to get back to you in a timely manner!

On that note, HAPPY MONDAY!

1 | Who Am I?

It appears that I'm a day late and more than one dollar short. Woof.

Who am I?

My name is Kelly and I'm a twenty something Minnesota native, currently calling North Dakota "home". I'm a wife to a North Dakota native, who loves it here and currently has no thoughts on leaving the Midwest.

I teach English to 16, 17, 18 (and sometimes 19 & 20) year olds. I love what I do and I hope and pray that I make an impact in some of their lives. I believe that teaching isn't solely about the curriculum, it's about showing students how to think, communicate, grow, and be good people.

My husband and I are new-ish homeowners  and there's not much that beats coming home from work to my (usually messy) home!

I have a passion for anything alive, including (but not limited to) people, (other people's) pets, plants, MY GARDEN!, etc.

I've been passionate about plants and gardening for a good long while. I grew up in a town of 1500 where my English teacher also happened to be my choir teacher AND boss at the local greenhouse. She instilled in me a love and knowledge of plants that has continued to grow as I moved away from home and started my own garden.

My garden is full of tomatoes...and I hate them.
My heart gets glad every time I can pick something from my garden. (cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, peppers, peas, potatoes, etc)
Even when it's hot, I love going outside to look at my plants.
I especially love looking at how my garden has changed from the moment I planted my first seeds on my kitchen table to the enormous tomato plants that reach my shoulders.

I love coffee and Jesus.
    Jesus wins every time.
I love baking cupcakes.
I love to read, I just don't do it enough.
I love the color purple.
I love breakfast more than any other meal of the day.


One of my best friends is living and teaching in Bangkok, Thailand and as a result, I have a severe case of wanderlust. The more places I see, the more I want to travel.

If there's more you'd like to know, please ask. I love making new friends and I look forward to meeting you!

Linking up with the Second Annual Blog-tember Challenge over at Brave Love Blog! Check it out!

Blogtember Challenge 2015.

Five-on-Friday: Wanting Now

There are many things that I want. Unfortunately, I'm not a very patient person. With school drawing to a close, I have to remain patient and forge on ahead these last 9 school days. I think I can, I think I can...

That being said--there are at least five things I'm wanting and wanting now. Here they are:

one: summer

I love summer. I love these boys. And I love the ballpark. We're celebrating a special bride-to-be at the ballpark this summer, and I. Can't. Wait.

Oh to be that tan again. 

 

You maybe saw this on my IG on Tuesday...

Lemon water=summertime

two: a cake stand

I love to bake. I also love to decorate cakes and cupcakes. I'm not the greatest at it, but I do think an actual cake stand would help me out a lot. That way I don't have to precariously perch my cake on top of an upside down bowl and pray it doesn't tip over.

Here are a couple that could help me out a lot:

Isn't it adorable?!

And this one is just practical.

Turn table style.

And then there's this one (mint, yes please) and this one (because, pastel).

three: paint

I just want my house painted. Over on IG and Facebook the other day, I posted a photo of our wall with 4 colors on it. I asked all ya'll to vote. I think number 4 was the winner. You voted well and I think our color of choice will be.....

A mixture!

And...

I can't wait to see this mixture on our walls!

four: plants

I've got a bunch of baby aloe plants just waiting to be planted. Unfortunately the babies at my house are so much smaller than the babies at school. So they'll all have to come home with me this summer. There, I will re-pot them and I hope they'll be so happy in the sun. I know I will be.

We are also hoping to plant a decent sized garden this year. How awesome would it be to have produce for most of the summer?! Woo! Have no fear, I'll be sharing garden updates once we're in the swing of it.


five: new shoes 

I told Kyle that I plan to buy new shoes with our final pay check of the year. Here's a few I've been admiring.

Plus, he's been asking me what I'd like for my birthday. Here's a few ideas, pal!

I love these. AND they're on sale!

And since TOMS are one of my favorites...

(size 9, please!)

this one

this one

&

this one 

 

Kyle's been telling me to get Sperry's that are all leather.

So I found this other pair too.    

(9.5 M, 'kay, thanks)

But I still love these, all leather or not. 

 

I mean, c'mon. How cute are these?!

(40 please)

*Grandma & Michelle, you'd love em too--let's match!* 

And I can't leave you without more options.

Like these

these

& 

these too. 

Well, folks. There you have it. Another Five-on-Friday is in the books. I've been dreaming--in case you couldn't tell. Have a marvelous Memorial Day Weekend! 

Cheers!

Mother's Day 2015 .:. Dear Mom

Dear Mom,

Your day is here. Well, one of them anyway. Today is the day we celebrate all moms and today I especially want to celebrate you.

Throughout the years, we've experienced different types of relationships. I remember getting off of the bus after school and being so excited that I didn't have to go to daycare anymore. You were home and you were consistent.

As I grew into a teenager, I realized how mean you were. I couldn't go online whenever I wanted. When I tried, you grounded me. I couldn't have a MySpace account and then you made me delete my Facebook account. You made me clean my room! *UGH*

But then, at the same time, I'd be invited out with friends (to activities I didn't want to go to) and you had my back. Playing the game of, "Mom, can I go?" while shaking my head. Always followed by you saying, "Sorry, we've got plans that night." You saved me from many nights of small talk and activities that I desperately tried to avoid.

After my first year of college, I moved home for the summer. Lo and behold! I had a curfew. I couldn't believe it! WHY WOULD I HAVE A CURFEW? As an "adult", I was appalled.

Did you have any idea that the summer between my freshman and sophomore years would be my last summer at home? I didn't.

I'm not sure what happened, but after that summer we became closer. I remember coming home almost every weekend that first fall semester I was at UND. Part of that was because I didn't have any friends at school yet. But the other part of it is that I wanted to spend time with my family.

And even since then, our relationship has continued to grow. Yes, I do know you're my mother. I am reminded of that every time I leave your house to come back to mine. Especially when you remind me to "text when [I] get home safe!" But you're not just my mom, anymore. You've become a friend.

But here's the thing. You've shown me so many things throughout the years.

You've shown me how to cook. It may have started out with scrambled eggs and Kraft Mac'n'Cheese, but it's evolved into one of my favorite hobbies.

You showed me how to love other people. I watched you love your kids. When you disciplined us growing up, I just thought it was you being mean. Now I see that it was you training us to become the successful, independent adults we've become.

You've shown me how to love a spouse. I've watched you love Dad. Through jobs, many Craigslist purchases, & some tough times--you've shown me how to be a loving, supportive wife. I pray that I can learn to be as good of a wife to my husband, that you've been to yours.

Most importantly, you've shown me how to be a Godly woman. You lead by example and I admire you for that.

Mom, thank you for being the woman and mother you are and have been. I look up to you every day and I pray that God would bless me with your qualities, your consistency, and your love. And one day, I pray that I can practice everything you've modeled for me, to my children.

I love you, Mom.

The Glass Menagerie and other stuff.

Because I'm the worst. That's why.

Oh, you didn't ask why it's taken me so long to get this post up? My bad.

And so here's the thing. I'm not entirely sure what I was anticipating (fair warning, these questions will probably not be in order). I guess I was anticipating something that I'd love. I've heard so many great reviews--raves, if you will--about this play. I guess, like Aubrey, I was anticipating something along the lines of A Streetcar Named Desire. There's just something that stuck with me after reading and watching Streetcar. With The Glass Menagerie, I didn't feel a whole lot. And because I love reading plays and watching plays...I was left wanting.

Boo.

But, I'm always in search of a connection with a character. I really did want to connect with someone so when I didn't really connect with anyone in Menagerie, I was left a little empty. As I'm writing this, I wonder if that's the point? Was I supposed to feel empty while reading the play just like Laura? She seems like such an empty and fragile character--just like her menagerie. A stretch? Maybe.

Okay, now this is the thing. I still am struggling to write this post because I wasn't very invested in this play at all. I had other things I would've rather been doing while reading. Poor Tennessee Williams. I loved Streetcar, but your Menagerie was not my cup of tea. Sorry to those of you who loved it. I cannot join you. Maybe I'll read it again one day and I'll change my mind. I'll let you know if that happens. But until then, I'm going to give A Glass Menagerie 1.5 stars out of 5. (mostly because I feel bad for not liking it)

But...on a happier note! We've got another book coming up this month! I'm behind, but Aubrey is the one hosting for March. So stay tuned for her questions, our discussions, and now get reading

Wuthering Heights!

If you're joining us, go grab the button here

It's Friday and all I want to do...

...is think about food. Like seriously.

Kyle has rehearsal tonight and then we're having a guest over that we're hosting for tomorrow night's concert. So that means dinner needs to wait til they get home.

And I'm super excited to try this pizza recipe. I'm also making a standard pepperoni pizza in case our guest isn't a fan of non-traditional 'zas. (that's short for pizzas...)

So I thought that since I'm waiting, waiting, waiting to eat until my main squeeze gets home...I'd share our belated Valentine's Date.

the menu:
New York Strips
Garlic Mashed potatoes
Stuffed Artichokes
Strawberry cheesecake cupcakes

*I've never cooked artichokes before

*We've found our new fav dry rub!

*Excited for dinner*

*Kyle brought me flowers at work!

We had a great dinner together and I'm looking forward to another good one tonight. 

Happy Friday! And if you're in the upper Midwest--stay warm!

Year Goals {By the Numbers}

I don't usually do resolutions for each new year. I've seen monthly goals and I've seen year long goals. I've been thinking about what my goal(s) should be for this year.

Do I want to lose weight?
Do I want to read (school books, self-help, my Bible, etc) more?
Do I want to foster better relationships?
Do I want to pay off lots of my loans?
Do I want to grow more as a teacher?

There are so many things that I want to achieve. But I've decided that I want to have just one goal.

Be the best that I can be.

That's my one goal for 2015. I want to be the best:

*wife, teacher, writer, friend, daughter, sister, cousin, aunt, sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, person*

that I can be.

The hardest part about this goal is trying to find ways to achieve it. So what's happening this year, is I'm setting small goals to help me achieve my ultimate goal.

One day a week, I'm going to send a message to a friend or family member letting them know how much they mean to me.
Two days a week, I'm going to sit down and have some me time. No distractions. For 30 minutes.
Three days a week, I'm going to the gym. It can be for 20 min or 120 minutes (hah!).
Four days a week, I'm going to bring my own coffee to work. No more buying coffees regularly.
Five days a week, I'm going to cook homemade suppers (seven if we're really ambitious).
Five days a week, we're going to bed earlier for school.
Six days a week, I'm going to read out of an actual book before I go to bed.
Seven days a week, I'm going to show my husband how much I love him (I'm sure there'll be a series of posts of how that's going...)

I know there are more things I'm going to do...if I want to be a better writer and teacher, maybe I'll commit to reading 4 teaching books this year and writing in this space a few times a week. If I don't write here, I'll have to write somewhere else too.

Stay tuned. 

I'm sure I'll have more updating to do on this goal.