justem: little bits of this and that

Five for Friday

1. Monday evening, my friend Barb and I went out to dinner for Madison Restaurant Week. We ate The Wise. My three courses included a roasted carrot salad, beet and goat cheese ravioli, and a lemon tart.  My favorite part was the salad, which is very unlike me. I am not a salad lover but it was so pretty and tasted just as good!

2. I finished three books already this month!  That's like half of what I read all last year!!  Two were for my book club, and one was just for me. Promise Not to Tell was a murder/ghost story mystery type book. It was scary. I was not a fan. The Midwife is written by an author who lives in Wisconsin and was raised in the Mennonite community. I wasn't expecting to love it, but it was very, very good. The author is a great storyteller, the characters were compelling, and there were some nice unexpected twists at the end!  Finally, Looking for Alaska is a book that pretty much everyone I know has read.  I read it in a few days, and it kept my attention. I thought there were some pretty predictable parts, but it was still very enjoyable.  The characters were interesting and I love reading young adult books as a grown-up...it really makes me think a lot more about my kids when they grow up. ;)

3. My mom is coming to visit this weekend and into next week! I am very excited! I am going to take her to my favorite bakery and try to convince her to help me with some sewing projects. ;)

4. Um...only ONE more episode of Parenthood left!! Who watches?  This is really the only show that I watch on a regular basis.  I love it so much, and I'm prepared to cry for 60 solid minutes next week!!!

5. I haven't gone thrifting in months.  I'm not always too keen on the idea of bringing the kiddos with me when I go searching through piles of crap hoping to find one good item. ;) ;)  I did take a little trip to Goodwill yesterday while my middlest was at pre-school. I got two picture frames to paint and a lidless blue mason jar. It gave me the itch...now I want to get back out and find MORE treasures! The best part about yesterday - when my husband send me a frantic text saying, "That flower picture is not going in our house, is it?????" Ha.  No, honey. Just the frame. ;)

 

Five for Friday:

1. My daughter and I have tickets to see James and the Giant Peach this weekend, put on by the Children's Theater of Madison.  We started reading the book, and it's been so fun for me to revisit it.  I'm looking forward to rereading some of my childhood favorites with my kids when they get a little older!

2. Can we talk about black pants for a minute?  I have been going to our local YMCA and have checked out some classes.  I really haven't been to a gym in like five years. And now...EVERYONE wears those damn black pants. Everyone.  Big. Small. Old. Young. Everyone. And let's be real...my body is so not black pants friendly. UGH.  To any of my more comfortable in their black pants friends - can you suggest any good ones for me to buy?? I would love ones that are like capri length...and maybe that are a tiny bit flared vs. totally suctioned to my body. And go!

3. My mom emailed me a link to this video yesterday. I LOVE it.  The music. The video. It's perfect. :)

4. Last year when I had a newborn, a good friend of mine made me some pumpkin pie cupcakes (along with like five other awesome goodies) to enjoy.  I've been wanting to make them ever since, but now that's it's finally fall, it felt appropriate! ;) We made them last weekend and they were soooo amazing.  They aren't cupcakes exactly...more like tiny little pumpkin pies.  They are also crazy easy to make. You should try them!

5. Have you seen the sneaks of the Gossamer Blue December Memories kit?  I have never done a "December Daily" but this makes me want to... ;)  Be sure to check out their Instagram account for all the goodness! Here's my favorite sneak so far:

Have a great weeeknd!!

Brittingham + Craftsman Table and Tap

Last month my husband and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  We let the grandparents watch the kids and had a day all to ourselves.  The first part our day included a trip to Brittingham Boats where we went rented a boat and kayaked out on Lake Monona and then a yummy lunch at the Craftsman Table and Tap in Middleton.  Here are a few photos I took of both places! ;) It was a super fun day together - which is something we don't get very often!  

Five for Friday:

1. Next week is the last official week of summer. I'm trying to fill the week up with all sorts of fun activities.  A trip to the Circus World Museum with friends, maybe a visit to the zoo and my favorite lunch spot, the splash pad, and Badger Band practice.  I also am planning a Back to School Feast,  an idea that I blatantly stole from the internet.  Any other thoughts or ideas on how to make my daughter's first day of school ever special?

2. In all of my nearly 35 years, I have never been a nail polish girl. Ever.  But my daughter is, so I've slowly been accumulating some different nail polishes for her.  On a whim a few weeks ago I decided to pain my nails...and it was really fun.  I chose a trendy mint color, and my husband looked at me like I was nuts. ;) Since then, I've tried two or three more colors. My latest is Essie Mojito Madness. It's another green...super awesome.  I love it.  My "manicures" look like they were done by a toddler...maybe I should enlist my kids to help, it couldn't be much worse than it already is. ;) But it's fun...and something new and different for me!

3. I'm sure you've all seen this back-to-school video of the What's Up Moms at Target, but if you haven't, it's well worth the two minutes.  This is so me any time I have a free moment to myself!  And, on a side note, I read some of the comments like "this is why working moms hate stay at home moms," and can I just say - I loved back to school as a working mom because it meant my kids were in daycare. I would go shopping, get a pedicure, even meet friends for Starbucks after work while my kids were in the fine care of their child care center. Now it's all me, all the time. I'm not complaining - just saying that I think this video is funny and true for ALL moms.

4. Has anyone read the book Wonder? It was mentioned in an article I read, and I noticed that quite a few friends on GoodReads had given it excellent reviews. I downloaded it on my Kindle and read it in less than 24 hours. Let's not talk about how much I probably neglected my kids during those 24 hours. KIDDING!!  ;)  It is a book for kids, so obviously it's a very fast and easy read, but it was excellent.  I loved hearing the story from all the different points of view, and it really made me think about how I want to raise my children to be kind, compassionate kids.

5. If you've been a reader of my blog for awhile, you know that I have a bit of a thing for cheese curds. I mean, what's not to love? Hot, melty cheese covered with crispy, deep fried goodness??  Well, this weekend (only in Wisconsin, ha!) we are going to a Cheese Curd Festival. Yes. There is such a thing. It is sure to be incredible, and I will report back with my favorite curds next week!  I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, even if it doesn't include man's greatest food invention. ;)

Peck & Bushel Fruit Company

A couple of weeks ago, my husband's job held it's first ever company picnic at the Peck & Bushel Fruit Company in Colgate, WI.  This orchard, which is owned by the family of one of my husband's co-workers, produces ten different varieties of ORGANIC apples.  While it wasn't quite apple picking season while we were there, it was still beautiful! I hope we have the chance to make it back this fall to try some of their apples. I snapped a few photos with my iPhone...

Have a great Tuesday! :)

Sunflower Days!

Over the weekend, my family and I visited the Pope Farm Conservancy, where they were celebrating their annual Sunflower Days.  This was our first trip to since we are new to the area, and I knew immediately that this will be something we do every year! If you know me, you know I love sunflowers. I always have fresh sunflowers on my table during the summertime and for awhile I had a LOT of sunflower decor around my home.  My decorating style has changed, but my love of the sunflower has not - I was in heaven walking around these fields!  We took a ton of photos...here are just a few!

Pickles and Ice Cream Open House - {A La Crate}

Do you ever stop and read the fliers that hang in the entryway of the grocery store? I'm going to be honest - I usually don't. ;)  I'm usually up to my armpits in bags and food and crazy kids. But, a few weeks ago, my eye was drawn to an incredibly cute poster as I walked out of the store - so much so that I stopped and took a photo of it:

(art by Emily Balsley)

Pickles? Ice Cream? VINTAGE anything? Sign me up!  I immediately texted Barb, who agreed to attend with me.  We met on Friday at A La Crate, which is amazing. Basically, they rent all the fun vintage items you might need or want for a wedding or event.  The walls were filled with things I love - mason jars, soda crates, vintage glassware and linens, washtubs, furniture - you name it. It was pretty much my dream come true. I would like to just go live there if they'd let me. They also create custom chalkboard art, which is fabulous!! Had they been around 10 years ago, my wedding would have been very different!! ;) I could have taken a billion photos, but I felt a little odd running around with my phone snapping away, so here are just a few of the items they had to rent:

All of the food was incredible - tons of local specialty items. YUM.  Again, I would have just stood there and grazed all evening, but I didn't want to look like a glutton. ;)  

(Music by Anna Vogelzang)

(Sartori Cheese)

(Myrtle Mabel Fabers Pickles)

(Calliope Ice Cream)

Barb and I had a wonderful time!  Lesson learned - read those supermarket posters!! And definitely check out A La Crate if you live in the Madison area and are in need of anything vintage for your next event!

**I am not affiliated with A La Crate in any way, though I wish I was. So cool. I was also not compensated for this post, save the three pickles, six pieces of cheese, four grapes, three {mini} scoops of ice cream, and the can of San Pellegrino I consumed...all which I enjoyed immensly.**

Five for Friday...er...Sunday?

Happy Sunday! I typed this up on Friday, but apparently never hit "post"! ;)  We were gone for the weekend, and I figured I'd just post it a little late! Hope everyone had a good day!!

1. A friend posted this on Facebook today: Steven Spielberg kills dinosaur?. It pretty much made my week.  I really don't mean to make fun of people, but...SERIOUSLY??!!

2. If you live in the Madison are and are near the Henry Vilas Zoo, be sure to check out the Zuzu Cafe.  I've been there twice now, and both times the food was exceptional.  i love how all of their meals are named after streets in Madison - yesterday I had "The Spooner" which had fresh pesto, tomatoes, and mozzarella (aka: my three favorite ingredients) and it was soooo tasty! And here's a picture of "The Henry" that I ate the last time I was there:

3. Some of you may know that I'm a wee bit obsessed with The Land of Nod.  I loved being within driving distance of two when we lived in IL.  Their fall collection was just released, and there are so many amazing things.  Let me just put it out there - Land of Nod, if you'd like to come redo my entire house for me...I'd be okay with that. Don't say I didn't offer.  And when you come...bring this lamp, please. ;)

4. I need a new song.  Who's got a new song for me to listen to???  I don't listen to the radio, and it's been awhile since I had a new song...you know what I like, right? ;)

5. The other night, after an insanely long and crabby day, I really needed a sweet fix. We didn't have anything in the house, so I finally got around to trying "eggless cookie dough."  I used this recipe that I found on Pinterest, but I used some regular sugar and upped the salt and the chocolate chips - because, if I'm going to make it, I'm going to make it as good (aka: unhealthy) as possible. ;)  It definitely wasn't as good as the real thing, but it hit the {sweet} spot! ;)

Five for Friday:

1. Right after I posted my question about books to read, I was invited to join a book club!  The June book was Sea Creatures, which was written by local author Susanna Daniel.  I didn't love it...there were some things I liked and some that really bugged me. Have any of you read it??  I am now trucking away at The Goldfinch. Holy long book, Batman!!

 

2. I have some seriously creative friends. My friend Katie Licht is doing this amazing summer project with her kids in which each week they "visit" another country.  It's genius!  I cant wait to see all of the places they go!  Check it out!!

3. Last weekend we went to the Dane County Farmer's Market (my favorite!!!) and picked up some fresh asparagus and some really fantastic bread from Madison Sourdough. I made roasted asparagus with eggs and parmesan and paired the bread with some super tasty cream Havarti. It was really, really good.

4. After all the hype over Orange is the New Black, I started watching it last week...and I'm HOOKED.  I have lost a lot of hours the last week binge watching (14 to be exact yikes!). I just finished the first episode of Season 2 and I can't wait to watch more!!  

5. I can't believe the first week of summer is over already. I still didn't make a summer to-do list - it's been so dreary and stormy this week that we didn't do much of anything!!  Next week I vow to start the fun. ;) Have a great weekend!

Five for Friday:

1. Last Friday my husband and I went on a date...okay, not really, because my brother-in law was along, but close enough. ;)  We had dinner at The Free House Pub in Middleton. If you are local and never been, definitely check it out!  We got to eat on the patio and enjoy the music of No Name String Band.  It made me yearn for more kid-free evenings!!  My food was very good...especially Wisconsin's greatest appetizer... ;)

 

2. Speaking of cheesecurds...we had a case of mistaken lyrics at our house this week.  Have you heard this new Ingrid song "Girls Chase Boys?"  Miri was singing, "Girls Chase Boys' Cheesecurds."  Perfect. 

 

3. We made one of our all time favorite summertime meals this week: Artichoke Pizza (with roasted red peppers, almon ds, and oregano).  We basically follow this recipe, but instead of pitas, we use garlic naan (usually from Whole Foods) and it's soooo delicious - and easy to make!

 

4. Have you joined Pippit yet??  I signed up...mostly because it usually takes me like a year to catch up on the newest hip social media. Pinterest? Instagram? I joined all those like WAY after everybody else. I'm always late to the party, so I thought maybe I should get a headstart this time. My username is "justemspahn" like it is most places. I'm totally not sure yet...thoughts??

5. Next week is the last week of school! Yahoo!  This means I need to get my summer to-do list ready...look for it sometime next week. Any suggestions for things we should add to it? :)

Have a great weekend!!