Moving always means figuring out exactly how your new routine is going to look. Now that we have been in Virgina for a few months, I have finally settled in to my new routine. I must say I enjoy the slower pace of my life. I have a lot more time to get my crafting on! Here is what I have been up to for Lovely Stitch!
Harvest Napkins! Perfect for Thanksgiving!
Peas N’ Carrots Napkins. Spunky and fun!
Always nice to have a little extra time on your hands!
So… this is going to be a pretty lame post, but I figured one was long overdue so I would do it anyway.
We’ve moved! It was a long 26 hour drive, but we are here, our stuff is here, and we are (mostly) unpacked! Doesn’t get better than that. I thought I would be more sad about the move, but actually I am just relieved to be here at this point. I was super stressed from everything going on, I didn’t even realize how stressed I was until we got out here and I started to relax a little. We got our stuff last Thursday and after a few days of pretty intense unpacking, we have been kind of taking it easy for the first time in a long time…and it feels good.
Don’t get me wrong. I miss all of my friends and family back home in Colorado, but for now I am glad we are here.
Photos of our glorious new home will come once we get a few more pieces of furniture (we didn’t have nearly enough to fill our giant new space – and still don’t) and complete the unpacking. Today, I am off to the Fairfax farmers market!
Happy Saturday!
KayleeAnn
I have known for a long time that we were going to move, but until recently it just seemed like something we talked about doing – not something that we were actually going to be doing. This weekend changed that for me. As I mentioned before, The Boy and I took a trip to the Washington, DC area (northern Virgina to be more precise). We actually went out there to find a place to live.
It’s official! Starting May 15th we will be renting a (huge) townhouse in Chantilly, Virgina and on May 19th we will be leaving Colorado to make our way out there. For the first time since we decided to more across the country, it actually feels like we are going to do it. I’m a combination of hugely excited and very sad… and I suspect that it will be that way for a while – even after we move.
I am glad to be embarking on a new adventure though and I couldn’t be starting out with a better set of partners!
At least I know there will always be somebody to cuddle with.
And there will always be tasty sushi at Matsu.
KayleeAnn
:: unflattering photo of my muffin *::
After I “forced” The Boy to wake up at 7:30 am to go on a walk with me (he played nice even though I am pretty sure he wanted to kill me), we were rewarded with brunch at Root Down with my parents. We have met up with my parents for brunch for the past few weekends. Such a lovely treat at the end of the week.
I ate an oh-so-tasty breakfast burrito – eggs, a variety of potato types, zucchini and a tasty mole sauce! It was wonderful. You can also see The Boy’s eggs benedict in the back. He was also very pleased.
Last weekend we went to Duo. It was also very cute and very tasty. I got the spinach scramble while The Boy enjoyed the red beans and rice. After our tasty brunch we walked over to Little Man Ice Cream, and adorable outdoor ice creamery (pretty much the highlight of the morning for me).
As you probably know (see the title/tag of the blog), ice cream is my major weakness. For a very long time, I didn’t eat any ice cream at all. Now I have it occasionally, in greater moderation. And if you are going to indulge, Little Man is the best place to do it…so tasty!
As you can see, Little Man makes us all happy.
Hope you are having an enjoyable weekend too!
KayleeAnn
Happy Friday! Actually, happy Friday afternoon, the very best part of Friday! I have another “New Ingredient” post for you. These posts have really just become features for food that I have eaten, but never cooked before. Oh well, works for me! Hope they inspire you to get in there and try some new things. I am confident that bringing variety to your plate is key to a happy, healthy belly. It always has been for me.
I have always been intimidated by lentils and I am not sure why. I have cooked dry beans before (in fact I do it all the time), and I assumed that it was essentially the same thing. Truth be told, it is actually easier than cooking dried beans because you don’t have to soak them first. I guess I thought it would be hard to season them and make them taste good… The recipe I had, made them super tasty though!
Lentil Facts:
They are a flat, oval-shaped legume that comes in many varieties – brown, green, yellow, red, black, etc – and are often used in Indian food. They are rich in fiber and oh-so-good for you! I made the green ones for my first adventure!
Cooking:
Rinse the lentils first. Then take 3 cups of water per cup of lentils and boil for 20-30 minuets (until tender). Super easy!
I used my lentils to make these Ancho Lentil Tacos from The Post Punk Kitchen (same as the Risotto I posted). They were so delicious! You really should make them!
:: Photo Courtsey The PPK ::
I really like to take my own photos, but I had company and that has a tendency to make me a touch self-conscious about photographing the food :/
Anyway, I have big plans to make many more lentil dishes!
:: have a lovely weekend ::
KayleeAnn
I have recently been sort of absent from blogging, but the truth is that I have been sort of absent from lots of the things I enjoy doing. My cooking and crafting have been at an all time low these past few months due to my high stress levels. I am just now getting back to cooking every night and crafting after about a two or three-month hiatus.
As you know, I got married in March. We went to Vegas to avoid the stress and cost of a big wedding (mainly because that just doesn’t suite us). We managed to keep things pretty low-key, but a fair amount of stress inevitably peaked its way in – After all, I had to meet my mother-in-law for the first time at 11 PM the night before the wedding. Plus there is something extremely stressful about making wedding decisions, even if you don’t care much about it.
What you may not know is that while The Boy and I were getting engaged on New Years Eve, my father was being admitted to the hospital. He got a staph infection on his spine that spread to his heart. Initially he was in the hospital for 7 days receiving medication and then he was allowed to go home, with limited mobility because of the risk of heart failure. The doctors were waiting for his infection to subside before performing valve replacement surgery on his heart.
Three and a half months later, he is well oh his way to a full recovery from surgery! Our whole family is so relieved.
The amazing thing about stress is that it really consumes you. I just now feel like I am taking a breath for the first time in three months. I am just now getting back into my routines, doing the things that relax me and that keep me stress free. It’s funny that everything I do to keep myself in-check and minimally stressed are the first things to go when I actually get really stressed.
I ended up getting extremely sick and am finally recovering from that. I guess I have learned a valuable lesson about my body under stress – No matter what is going on in my life, I really need to make sure to prioritize my organizing, healthy eating, working out, and even my down time.
Do you find yourself abandoning the things that relax you when you get stressed?
:: thanks ::
KayleeAnn
