Instagram Life – April 2014

April was an amazing month. I don’t know how to describe it. It was busy, and stressful, and relaxing, and liberating and inspiring all at once. GFS bought a new company. Wow. Life at work has changed. Forever. But I’m feeling smart, capable and powerful. Change that challenges you (for the better) will do that. Laura’s wedding is only one month away! Two of my April weekends celebrated those nuptials. Max has been in Joplin since April 21^st. I miss him a TON but am once again reminded how independent and self-sufficient I really am. The ME time has been therapeutic. I like me. I’m good company (beer helps…).

April showers bring May flowers! The snow has melted, we’ve seen temperatures in the 70’s, I’ve busted out the open toed shoes & Spring jackets, and done away with the tights and scarves. Bring it on May!! I’m running my first 10k, celebrating my amazing Mother, country bumpkin’ing it up down South for the zillionth annual Wild Game weekend, officially entering my late 20’s, road tripping to NEW YORK CITY (the Big Apple babaaaay!), and watching one of my best friends get married to her Yale sweetheart in a gorgeous Manhattan wedding. Y.E.S. Yes Yes YES! You could say I’m looking forward to the coming month…

But anywho, here are some reasons why APRIL was awesome! 

Christmas décor in the basement of GFS. Funny

In love with my oxies

Winchester recovery before flea market browsing

Adorbs little friend of mine

Rowster… oh how I love you!

#TBT my bachelorette before Laura’s last fling before the RING in Ann Arbor (more to come!)

#morningafterproblems

corner office baby! (Mom MSC is my department and Glazier is the company we just bought...)

dinners without Max

When the Husband is away the Wife will PLAY...

Sooo, Max is gone. And it sucks. A big FAT ONE! I’ve been keeping myself busy but I’m also bored at the same time…. I really do love my alone time, but the novelty is starting to wear off… Anywho, I thought I would take a little advice from my girl Stacy and post about all the glorious things I’m doing while living alone.  I’m independent…right?

So here we go… here’s what I’ve been up to:

1. FaceTiming with Court
2. Yoga. Cause what else will I do besides rot my brains in front of Netflix
3. Shop! HA. I wonder how long it will take him to notice new things I’ve bought around the house…
4. BLAST my music in the morning while getting ready and singing along in the shower! (In my mind, if I’m going to get robbed, I’d rather not hear it… just get in & get out please!).
5. Fall asleep to Vampire Diaries. Or Friends. Or Friday Night Lights. Or Grey’s. Anything but Naked and Afraid, Gold Rush, and any and all hunting related television. This in itself has been fabulous.
6. Happy hours with my lady friends… more than one (and a bachelorette party for good measure…)
7. Cat videos montages. Need I say more…?
8. Eating all of the GFS Tavern Cheese because he’s not here to tell me it's his

9. Cleaning… cause I know it will stay that way
10. Reading Apartment Therapy and nonchalantly ordering things for the house…
11. Sleeping in the middle of the bed; using all of the pillows

Ok, but in all seriousness… Max, if you’re reading… Come home. Please! I’m bored. And lonely. And I’ve started having daily conversations with Fat Cat. And I actually sat and watched our goldfish eat their dinner. Twice! That’s just not healthy… And the house is making sounds that I've never heard before. And I miss sleeping with you next to me to protect me from that wild world out there (oh yeah, I may have listened to Cat Stevens while you’ve been gone too… and it made me sad… so I stopped... But then I listened to Kelly Clarkson “Since You’ve Been Gone” and it was all better). 

But really, come home. Please & thanks!

Is it Friday yet…?

P.S. Fat Cat says HI! And Chadsworth is slowly hemorrhaging beads from his foot. I need to fix that…

image via

NOLA Brewery's Annual Easter KEG Hunt

The weather in New Orleans over the past few weeks has been incredible. Sunny, warm (not hot) and only a touch of humidity. All three pretty rare for late April in NOLA. So, this year for the Easter holiday, my husband and I decided to participate in an annual outdoor tradition.  From what we could tell, the only connection to the holiday was the word "Easter" on the banner at the brewery. 

The hunt started at one of our local breweries, NOLA Brewing.  Participants meet up on bike, form teams, enjoy a beer or two and await their first clue. Some of our fellow New Orleanians did choose to suit up in spring costumes (there were some sexy Peeps and bloody rabbits--yea, bad taste if you ask me) but we kept it simple and comfortable.  

Eight hidden messages, revealing various landmarks around the city (still no Godly connection, sorry...well, one church), and we ended up at our final destination, where NOLA provided unlimited free beer. It was a blast, though, our friend Sean provided 99% of the brainpower to hop from one location to the next. 

My husband and his two close buddies...these are the guys who take him away from me for disc golf most Saturdays.

Thinking really hard about one of the riddles. It takes a lot to stump this brilliant guy.

Phone a friend. Yup, we did it. 

Girls just decided to enjoy the ride.

One of the final spots, a bar that sits under the Mississippi Bridge. We haven't been here in years and I forgot just how cute it is. Definitely making it to the list for Meg's next visit.

Final spot landed us in the Central Business District. Here, we enjoyed an Easter dinner of shrimp po-boys...when in Rome...

Yummm....NOLA Blonde. 

Partnered with NOLA Brewing was the Gulf Restoration Network, who was selling raffle tickets in an effort to fund their cause. 

Lucky me won a Kleen Kanteen water bottle! 

Friday Five!

{brought a little life to the Champagne Room! (crappy pic sorry)}

_________________________________________________________________________

GFS bought a new company. Work has been busy. Enough said…

Max is out of town. Which means I’m kinda bored… and kinda lonely. But mostly bored. I mean I talked to our goldfish while they were eating dinner for gods sake! Sad! But anywho, I've been trying to keep busy in his absence! I’m not gonna lie, as much as I love the kid, I know that when he's gone and I clean, it will stay clean. This is a nice reality. Therefore, my weeknights consisted of just that (cleaning/organizing). And yoga. And Netflix. And sleeping in the middle of the bed. But I did sleep with Big Blue (Max’s blanket) so it felt like he was with me J

Tomorrow is Laura’s bachelorette party in Ann Arbor. I can’t think of a better way to spend my weekend than celebrating my amazing friend with my lovelies on the East Side!

Friday Forte:

{blooms on Bellewood!}

{local beer with friends}

{obsessed with flea market chairs... these but at a price you can't beat!}

{iced coffee from my favorite Kazoo spot (promptly following a dentist appointment…probably not what the doctor ordered...}

Beers & Bunnies

This past weekend Max and I did the family thing for Easter weekend! Saturday was spent with my parents in Kalamazoo visiting some breweries, catching up and hanging out. At night we ate homemade meatloaf (YUM!) and played cards and relaxed. It was a great day to do all of the above J

Sunday we met up with his family for Easter brunch before heading back to Grand Rapids for Max to prepare for his big trip. Man oh man two weeks! What will I do with myself…? Blog about it I guess haha. At least you have that to look forward to J

Happy Hump Day everyone! Here’s my holiday weekend in pics… 

{MISS HIM SO MUCH}

NOLA Cafes: Upper Nine Doughnut Company

Oh, the temptation... 

My poor, innocent sweet tooth is tested each time I visit this place.  

Source of this image as well as more information on how Upper Nine came to occupy this space can be found in this Gambit article. 

On day two of my work-from-coffee-shop-pseudo-spring-break week, I'm nestled in a new cafe down the street from my house that specializes in sinfully perfect doughnuts.

Upper Nine  is currently subleasing in the space that used to be occupied by Sound Cafe. They have limited hours and the sweets go quickly, so arriving early to start my work day worked to my advantage.

Louisiana Strawberry & Praline Bacon

My favorite: Orangesicle

Hello, new work habits. I like you. 

There was no soundtrack to this cafe because they played NPR all day...which is just fine in my book. Felt even more like home. 

I just wish this place was open every day! 

This is, by far, my favorite space so far; what can be better than drinking strong coffee and being surrounded by books?!