HOMETOWN LOVE

Sometimes, no matter what age you are, you just need to go home and recharge. 

This weekend Michael and I headed back to Minnesota to see my parents and celebrate my dad's recent retirement from work.  Other than a scary snowstorm on our drive in , it was the perfect weekend. 

This Monday I thought I'd show ya a little bit what it's like to go home for me!

I grew up on a lake, and waking up to the view of the trees & water just never gets old:

 Another perk of being home? Finding RIDICULOUS pictures of yourself as a kid. Especially ones in sailor outfits. Proof I loved nautical things before they were trendy...

 My hometown is a little strange because it's around 27,000 people and a suburb of the Twin Cities...but feels much, much smaller than that. While there are plenty of new developments and shops, there are still a handful of old, old buildings with small family owned businesses. I mean, how many places can you still find a barbershop with the spinny blue/red/white thingy out front?!? 

 Naturally we went and got brunch & malts...

After a lazy walk around town and a lazy afternoon on the couch (back off! I had a long week at work!) my lovely talented sister came over and we did a quick photoshoot out in the snow. Maybe if you're all nice I'll show you a few more of the photos...ones that actually show my face...

(photo cred: Louisa Marion Photography)

Dinner was epic. My sister and her boyfriend made us all fresh veggie tempura. Ermahgerd people. We all sat around the counter with little plates and ginger soy dipping sauce while they brought us different veggies to try. For the record, my favorites once tempura-ed in order:

sweet potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, zucchini, peppers, and green beans.

(oh and we tempura-ed string cheese. this is the midwest...it's what we do)

I have to say it was one of the best meals I've ever had. The food was delicious, but besides that it was so good to be with the ones I love, laughing uncontrollably. Really. I was in tears a few times. My family is absolutely hilarious. Especially after a few glasses of wine...! 

 My parents are both now retired and it makes my heart swell to see them so relaxed and enjoying life. They deserve it. 

After a final breakfast with the fam and some friends on Sunday Michael and I headed back to Madison. This time the sky was insanely blue, and the roads weren't snow covered (thank goodness)! I know I shared this on Instagram, but for the blog readers that haven't seen it, this is a common thing in Wisconsin. If you're from an urban setting, you just don't see tractor crossing signs too often. now do you?

There you have it. A weekend in the life of Laura at home.

No green beer, no partying in the streets, and no glamourous outfits (I spent all of Sunday in fleece snowflake pjs). 

Mom & Dad, thanks for putting up for 25 years and being the most kick ass parents ever.

(sorry for swearing mom!)

What do you love about going home?

Tell me something good about your family. Do it.

xo, lp

Find me on Instagram HERE

Find my sister's lovely pictures HERE and her latest photography endeavor HERE

CONVERSATION HEART COOKIES

Two recipe posts in one week!? 

Don't hide your delight, my friends. 

I guess it's not really a true recipe post, since it just is an extension of Tuesday's post about how to ice the perfect sugar cookie. 

Here's my take on conversation hearts- the candy ones at least. I remember when we were kids those things were delicious. Chalky, not too much flavor, just sugary crunchy heaven. 

Now they have weird sour flavors, new colors, different texture. BLASPHEMY I say. So this year rather than buying those candies, I decided to make my own sugar cookies inspired by them:

Now, for how to ice the perfect cookies, check out my post earlier in the week. Making your own icing is quick, easy, and doesn't require any fancy ingredients or techniques. There isn't a need for special bakery bags or anything, a ziplock will do! 

I colored my icing in a few pastels- use less food coloring than you think you need!

I used gel icing to write out the little messages like "Be Mine" " So Cute" and "xo".

Sidenote: not to sound like an old senile lady complaining more about useless candy- but all the text-speak candy hearts are dumb. There. I said it. Why would I want a heart with "LOL"  or "IDK" on it from someone? Mixed messages I tell ya. 

Of course I wasn't going to make a whole bunch of I LOVE YOU and BE MINE cookies for my co-workers...that might just get awkward. Thus, there are plain iced hearts in abundance for them:

What would your conversation hearts say?

I'm sticking with the simple "xoxo" as my favorite!

xo, lp

A NOTE ON THE MIDWEST

Yesterday was one of those days at work.

I don't feel the need to go into details, because I'm guessing pretty much everyone out there just knows what it means when you say "one of those days".

Back in January when I made my resolutions for the New Year, my number one focus was to complain less. Sometimes I feel like heavy sarcasm makes a quick slide to complainy, and no one likes a negative Nancy, right? Thus, when I had a bummer day yesterday- I really tried to not let it ruin my night. Other than the fact that Michael happens to have quite the talent for making me feel better (and letting me vent), what calmed me as I left was my drive home.

If you're not from the Midwest, or have never visited, you might underestimate its beauty. 

We are more than just flat land and a lot of snow, people!

My drive to work is a little over 40 minutes. The reason it's so beautiful is because I don't spend a second of it in stop & go traffic. I'm never bumper to bumper or surrounded by concrete. I drive through the Wisconsin countryside, through green hills and blue skies and yellow cornfields. Even the days when it's cloudy everything is just a richer, stronger hue. 

Driving down the winding road listening to music is ridiculously comforting, especially when this is what you see:

 (For the record, I didn't take these pictures WHILE driving. I'm not an idiot. I took them while Michael drove. Fact.)

So there you have it. Less than awesome day at work gets you a blog post on some Wisconsin Instagram pictures.

Magic.

What do you love about the place you live?

Or, on the topic I started with: how do you handle a bad day at work?

xo,lp 

Getting used to M-F

I've never had a job with a traditional work schedule. Ever. I've also never had weekends off before. Between jobs being a server/teller/bartender/sale coordinator/crisis line operator/barista/etcetcetc I worked all hours of the day and night, including weekends. Now that I only work M-F at my new job I totally get why people appreciate Saturday and Sunday so much. 

This weekend was a gem, and I got to see a ridiculous amount of old friends. Don't get me wrong, new friends are amazing- but there's something so cozy and familiar about friends you've known for years and years. 

work week wear 1:white pants, canvas green cashmere sweater // 2. red pants, slouchy black top // 3. coral crops, white poplin.
weekend life: 4: beer at the terrace // 5. classic chairs  // 6. sunset over lake mendota

My old coworker got married Sunday night and had the most perfect wedding known to man. I couldn't even take pictures because they wouldn't do it justice- but it would put everything you've ever seen on Pinterest to shame. PLUS the maid of honor DID A RAP instead of a speech. Epic. 

Location: Wisconsin farmland, on a friend's land. Rolling green for miles, gorgeous home and old old barn & buildings on site. Flowers everywhere. Lightning bugs. 

Decor: Mason jars with tealights hanging from trees. Old pieces of driftwood as candle holders. Stacked cigar boxes full of recipes for take home presents for the guests. An old typewriter for guests to type well wishes on. 

Food: They're both chefs, so every bite of everything was heavenly. Pig roast, corn, spicy bok choy, potatoes,fine cheese and wine (just to name some of it). 

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This post is all over the place. Sorry people. I'm in a post-wedding-attending haze currently. It's just so refreshing a world of 52 hour marriages to see two friends who truly love and respect each other get married in such a manner that perfectly reflects their personalities. Full heart here, people. 

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On a less sappy note, tomorrow I'm sharing 4 recipes in one post.

Boo-ya. Make sure to tune in. 

How was your weekend?

Yes, I  actually do want to hear! You listened to me babble, now it's your turn.

xo, lp

Insta Love

How is it Monday again?

My parents were in Virginia this past week, and our days were filled with wine tasting, beach strolling, Richmond touring, gallery visiting, and plenty of eating. I've been pretty MIA on blog commenting, Twitter, etc- and I can't wait to go over all your posts that I missed last week!! 

In other news, I finally figured out that Instagram is available for Android users. HECK. YES. I finally get why everyone is so in love with it. I just got an account this weekend, and added a feed on the blog:

Finding me should be easy because I've got the same old name as Twitter, @lpodlich! 

Now that I'm in with the uber cool crowd, I can finally link up with a {little} dash of ash - here's a taste of my weekend via Instagram!

1. stained glass ceiling in the jefferson hotel

2. new RVA murals during first friday art walk

3. three people i love. (mom/dad/michael)

4. old wheel in shockhoe bottom

5. japanese garden at maymont estate

6. a quick limonata on a hot day

7. james river rapids

8. gallery showing on broad street

9. new additions to the jewelry tree (inlc. diy neon necklace)

Hope you all had a lovely weekend

Have Instagram too? Leave a comment with your handle so I can find you!

xo, lp

Oh, Tradition

As promised, I'm here today to share the little story behind our first Valentine's day.

WAIT! KEEP READING! I promise, this isn't a gooey gross story. It's a little funny actually!

     So, as you all know, I have the pleasure of living with and dating this stud:

Very manly and Minnesotan, right? Right.

    So Valentine's Day came only a month or two after we started dating- which is always a little awkward in a new relationship. Do you get a gift? A card? Nothing? Too soon? Luckily neither of us really care too much about presents and such so we got over that quickly. Now, both of our birthdays are a few days after V-Day (his is 1 day after mine, to be exact. it's how we met- but that's a story for another day), and Michael's parents happened to be coming to town to visit him and take him out for birthday dinner with his aunt & uncle who live right outside the city.
   Now, at this point I hadn't met his parents or any family for that matter...and the next thing I knew he was informing me that I'd be meeting them...at dinner...on Valentine's Day. Nothing like taking a romantic holiday and throwing a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, and cousin into the mix, right? I was actually thrilled and relieved because:
  a.) I was dying to meet the family he always talked about
 and
 b.) it took away any remaining pressure of worrying about what to do/plan for that night.

    I have to say- for those of you reading this: on paper- meeting someone's parents for the first time on Valentine's Day sounds awkward and weird, I know. I mean you don't even know these people and you're sitting at a restaurant surrounded by people making out! It either is a good idea or I was just lucky- but it was actually COMPLETELY perfect. Maybe it's just because Michael's family are some of the sweetest, most welcoming people I know- but there was not a second of tension or awkwardness. Seriously. If anything, all the smoochy couples around gave us something to laugh and talk about. At one point in the evening someone asked Michael if he got me some flowers, which he hadn't. A short while later when the checks were being brought around, the waiter gave each of us ladies a white rose. Now, of course this was something the restaurant did for every guest- but my dearest Michael, smooth as can be quickly said:


  "Um, that's actually from me! See! I got you flowers! And...got one for everyone else in the restaurant so they wouldn't feel left out!"

We all had a good laugh about it - and now each year he gets me a single white rose in honor of that awesome first Valentine's together. The perfect tradition, if you ask me! This year we both work and I volunteer- so it'll be a low key evening for us. Maybe I'll get motivated and make the raspberry blueberry fizz cocktail I talked about last week :)

****Oh, and I forgot to ever make a post about it...but I made V-Day hanging hearts to decorate the windows in the apartment (out of paint chips, of course):

What's your little Valentine's tradition with your love/friends/self? Any good stories to share?