and the oscar goes to...

via minimalmovieposters

I know it's a long shot but I'm really hoping that this movie wins the Oscar for Best Picture tonight.

week in photos

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sunday brunch

Last Sunday we went to brunch at Monkey's Paw with family. Brunch time is probably one of my favorite times. It's that feeling of time slowing down, of not having to rush off to something, of the whole day being ahead of you to create your happy or doing nothing at all- which is sometimes pure happiness too. It's a time when you can savor every bite and every moment.

The food was a bit heavier than what I typically like for brunch. This meal stuck with us for the entire day but all that rich, cheesy goodness was delicious. The bloody mary had a nice, spicy kick to it but this one will always be my favorite. We'll definitely go back especially during the summer when they open their patio doors and you can just sit for hours enjoying the warm sunshine...that sounds perfect right about now.

groundhog day party

{all images via create.your.happy}

"Well, it's Groundhog Day again..." just like it is every February 2 and since this year it fell on a Saturday and was the 20th Anniversary of the movie Ebert and I decided to host a Groundhog Day party. We also wanted to celebrate Ebert becoming a craftsman, although we didn't find out until the day before the party if he passed his apprenticeship. Good thing he passed (yay!) so there was lots of celebratory drinking!

The week leading up to the party was crazy busy so I didn't get as much pre-party stuff done as I would have liked. Needless to say on Groundhog Day Ebert and I had so much to do that when the first guests arrived at 5:59pm we were not ready.

We had a DIY chili bar with a "groundhog" meat chili and a vegetarian chili. We had an assortment of different chili toppings, as well as tater tots and noodles and fritos for the chili to go on top of. We made a "Gobbler's Knob" cheese ball and a gluten-free carrot cake served with rocky road ice cream. Friends brought cornbread, wasabi coleslaw, chicken wing dip and chocolate rice krispie treats. And, of course, to drink we had "Sweet Vermouth on the Rocks with a Twist" which is surprisingly good.

We played Groundhog Day trivia and the winning team got a copy of the movie.

Here's where I gathered my inspiration:

diy chili bar from celebrations at home

lily jane stationary's groundhog cake topper

groundhog day banner

green party template for the banner and food signs from birds party

As you know I love theme parties (as seen here and here) and this one was particularly fun to plan. I think we should do it again and again and again...

week in photos

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week in photos

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1500 days ago...

We both said "I do" and danced the night away in each other's arms.

I love that by the end of the night he was in his t-shirt and there was a bobby pin on the front of my dress. Both are signs of a great party!

This is from 1000 days ago...

vintage school map

The great photo wall is no more. After all that planning and inspiration gathering I decided I wanted something else. Surprise, surprise! Thank goodness I have a patient husband who is willing to let me change things up as often as I like. We replaced the photo wall with this vintage school map that I found on etsy. I absolutely love it...at least for now!

One great thing about this map is that it covers all the holes in the wall. The other great thing is that we're brushing up on our US geography. In no time at all we'll be able to list ALL the state capitals! We thought we knew them but once Ebert and I started quizzing each other we realized that our 5th grade knowledge has escaped us.

I love the color that it adds to the room. Now, I just need to find some awesome kitchen chairs. I'd love a mix and match look like this or just white chairs like this. Also, it's a great conversation piece. We had a Groundhog Day party (which I'll blog about soon) and everyone kept standing in front of the map, pointing things out and talking about it. I love a piece of art that is also educational!

week in photos

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week in photos

January was quite a busy month and not a create my happy kindof busy. Sometimes that happens. The thing for me to remember is that no matter how much time has past and no matter how overwhelmingly behind I feel, I always need to come back to doing what makes me happy. So this is me doing what makes me happy...weeks and weeks late but at least I'm here, slowly catching up.

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