see.n.smell

We headed over to Columbus, Ohio this past weekend for an interview Michael had with DART. Miles and I tagged along for moral support and to get out of Chicago for a little while. When we go anywhere with the dog... the trip soon becomes very dog centered.
Hotel for the dog, day trips planned with the dog. oy.
Luckily, the Columbus Park of Roses, allowed dogs and was quite beautiful.

The Park of Roses was on the list of 'Top things to do in Columbus' and it is easy to see why. The grounds were perfectly cared for and this was the largest Rose Park I had ever seen!

The roses don't officially bloom until mid-June but we still saw and smelled our fair share.

Miles, taking it all in...
actually he is hunting. Miles discovered chip-monks in Columbus... they happen to be smaller and more twitchy then squirrels (the twitchier the better). We had 2 fall from a tree right in front of us, then they started play fighting... I thought Miles would have a heart attack (from the excitement) right then and there.
All the roses are named and many people have donated money for small sweet memorials, here are some of my favorites.

Next to the Rose Garden there is an herb and 'other' flower garden. This is where we ran into a plethora of bumble bees. Humming and buzzing along, working each and every flower.

I chatted with this bee for a little while. I think it took my advice to relax from time to time and enjoy the flowers... it stopped what it was doing, flew closer to me, landed on a leaf, and just sat there.
We both took a moment to just bee, then afterward I was all a buzz with excitement...

sorry honey, i cant help myself.

see.laundry.day

We have a side porch. To get to the side porch... you have to climb through this window that is located in our bedroom.

The porch is perfect for drying laundry, hanging out porch sittin', potted plants and spying on neighbors.

see.spring.ensalada!

It is currently "Spring" here in Chicago.

I am learning that what "Spring" really means is a roller coaster of temperature. Ups and Downs. Highs and Lows. 80's and then 40's.
Skirts then sweaters, or skirts and sweaters...
So in our attempt to coax the weather into a warmer more consistent temp... we made salad.
This is terrible logic but trust me... if you make this, you will be feeling all kinds of warmer temps!
I got this recipe off of foodnetwork.com and jazzed it up a little to make it our own..
Shrimp-Papaya Salad
Ingredients:
1 lbs Shrimp
Arugula (enough for 2), 1 Papaya, 1 Jalapeno, 1 lemon, 2-3 limes, soy sauce, olive oil, toasted sesame oil, 2-3 cloves garlic, 2 green onions, cilantro, peanuts and...
red potatoes on the side
Boil the potatoes until they are cooked, coat with olive oil and some butter, salt n' pepper, and set aside.

Cut Papaya in half, spoon the seeds out and thinly slice.Arrange papaya onto bed of arugula.To prepare shrimp (grill them if you have a grill!): season shrimp with salt and pepper, coat pan with olive oil, turn heat to med-high, and cook until they are done!
I kept the shrimp seasoning to just salt and pepper, I did not want to over power the salad with over seasoned shrimp. They were delicious!To prepare dressing:
Slice the jalapeno into small pieces, add the juice of lemon and 1 to 2 limes, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and minced garlic cloves
Wisk together before serving.
When shrimp are done, add them to the salad followed by the peanuts, cilantro, sliced green onions and drizzle with the dressing. Note: if you are not a huge fan of papaya, slice up some mango instead. Spring will surely follow!
I feel warmer already!

see.he

A few updates in the life of he

The Florida Golf Tournament was a success and he came home to report that Henry (his baby nephew) would not let him out of his sight the entire trip! So cute.
Mike's birthday was a few days ago, May 8th, and he got some pretty impressive gifts...
A mini photo shoot with his bff Miles.
A worm farm
A week ago we welcomed 1 pound of new pets into our place.
OK, it's not a worm farm (he hates it when i call it a 'worm farm' even though that's what it is)... it's actually an in-home food compost. It does not smell and produces lush black soil perfect for plants in and around the house.
These worms are actually pretty amazing! They are a special kind of worm that metabolizes food quickly. Here we are at the worm workshop: First you have to set up the bin:
These worms LOVE paper, cardboard, food scraps from veggies and fruits. They have some dietary limitations (meat, oils, garlic and onions) but not many.
Then you get to open the bag and say hello to your new little friends!Next you ever so carefully pour the worms into the bin to begin their new life!
Feeding the worms is an important job, and the more chopped up the food... the better! They also don't mind if the food is spoiled. For now, the worms are getting adjusted to their new home, in our home. They are eating and eating and making some new worms, then eating and pooping lush black soil. I will update more on the worms at a later date.
Mike ALSO had a really nice birthday party that was hosted by our pals Allen and Paris. What a fun party! We had some delicious drinks, great company and one very impressive cake!!A martini cake for the "Mad Men" inspired martini party. The martini was flavored with coconut and passion fruit and the olives were chocolate and raspberry!! YUM!!
Finally... As an early birthday gift, a few weeks ago, I found a beautiful road bike on Craigslist and once we checked it out... we were sold! It is a really beautiful bike. Since he got the bike we have both been riding together like crazy!!
It is only a 7.5 mile bike ride from here to downtown Chicago!
Unfortunately, on Monday Mike's bike was stolen from campus! It was locked and parked in front of the library and around 1 pm some creep stole his bike. We are both devastated. He really enjoyed that bike and I loved that he enjoyed it so much! So we are mourning the loss of the bike and the limited time we had to enjoy it.
Over all, I think turning 29 was a real success for Mike!
Happy Birthday to the sweet man I'm going to marry some day!!
xoxo

see.mom.love

Happy Mother's Day Moms!!
These are a few of our closest moms, but to all the mom's out there who inspire us, teach us, tie shoelaces, help with homework, cleaned our bums, sing songs, laugh with us, cry with us, and most importantly never stop loving us, thank you.

don't worry... its just a pumpkin.
this is me showing empathy :0)

Double dose of my mom because she cleaned my bum!
thanks mom!!