Photo Dump!

These are in absolutely no particular order and most of them are pointless. You're welcome.

When Mike makes pancakes, he makes mini ones for the dogs. Obviously.

Tuffy loves when I work from home.

I am obsessed with Snapchat and this photo will now haunt your dreams.

Walking to work after the blizzard was as fun as you think.

A perfect rainbow in our apartment gym.

Gizmo likes to wait outside the bathroom door when Mike is in there. Mike thinks he's very helpful and credits him with all his good bms.

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Obligatory sleeping pug photo.

When it's warm enough for these shoes, you document it. 

Mike was gone for a week and Tuffy would lay here by the garage door while I worked and he looks so sad.

No one takes the late train into work, it's glorious.

An early anniversary present from my love that he found from my Pinterest. He's a genius.

Found here.

Ice Cream Riot is amazing and yes, Mike's is an ice cream sandwich made with two pop tarts.

Board games at breweries are always a good idea.

THIS MOVIE.

I missed Mike something awful when he was gone, but he took some gorgeous photos in DC. All his other photos were of the food he ate. Love him.

Mighty Beer Run

Pitch meeting for the Mighty Beer Run:

"You know what everyone loves? BEER!"

"You know what is super trendy right now? Theme 5ks!"

"You know what could not at all possibly go wrong? Running a 5k to breweries and giving people free beer at each one?!"

Genius.

I wanted to vomit after brewery number two. But I didn't. Mike wouldn't let me walk like a lazy tub filled with beer and our friends were late so we ended up doing it once alone and once with them. It was a lot of running and a lot of beer. We probably shouldn't have gotten that sampler BEFORE the run started. But getting six empanadas and 3 tortas at the Argentinean place afterwards was the best idea ever.

I took no pictures, I suck.

Want It Wednesday

This Wednesday, I want...

{via}

A baby. We've been trying for about 10 months and it's been rough. Not the actual trying, but the mental torture of trying and failing and trying and failing. Keeping my chin up thanks to my awesome husband. Any excuse to see him shirtless, really.

This house

This sweatshirt

This outfit for work tomorrow

An airstream bambi

These planters for our new patio

These scones for breakfast every morning

Sunriiiiiise Sunset

If the title of this blog post didn't make you start singing Fiddler on the Roof, we probably aren't soul mates.

The other day, I texted Mike from the train to tell him to go outside because the sunrise was so gorgeous and that he should take photos of it. He kept note of the time and Saturday morning, he woke up early and snuck out of the house to a nearby park to take some photos of another gorgeous Colorado sunrise.

Here they are!

Peanut Butter & Jelly Cookies

Mike made these cookies the other day and I was not super excited about them. Peanut butter and jelly cookies sound weird to me. But, holy mother of shit balls, they are good. I even kept the peanut butter filling and plan to dip a chocolate bar in it later. I'm not ashamed of how fat kid crazy that is, either.

Here is the recipe in case you want to partake in this goodness:

INGREDIENTS

COOKIE DOUGH

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 1/4 cup chopped honey-roasted peanuts

FILLING

• 1/3 cup creamy natural peanut butter
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 cup seedless jam, such as Concord grape, raspberry or strawberry

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

1. MAKE THE DOUGH Preheat the oven to 350°. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda and salt. In another medium bowl, using a hand mixer, beat the butter with both sugars at medium speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the egg and vanilla, then beat in the dry ingredients in 3 batches, mixing well between additions. Fold in the peanut butter until fully incorporated.
2. Scoop 24 one-inch balls of dough onto the baking sheets at least 2 inches apart. Press the balls down slightly; they should be about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the tops with the chopped peanuts. Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are light golden brown and the tops are slightly cracked; rotate the baking sheets halfway through. Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheet, then transfer to a rack to let cool completely.
3. MEANWHILE, MAKE THE FILLING In a bowl, using a hand mixer, whip the peanut butter with the butter, confectioners’ sugar, vanilla and salt at medium speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes, until chilled.
4. Spoon 1 1/2 tablespoons of the filling on the underside of 12 cookies. Spread 1 teaspoon of jam on the underside of the remaining cookies. Sandwich the halves together and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The assembled cookies can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.

New Digs

So, we moved! I haven't blogged in so long and also, it wasn't a very eventful move.

OH WAIT!

It kind of was!

We had an apartment picked out, were excited about it, and then a couple weeks before our move, they decided to let the current tenants who had given 60 days notice, stay. And told us basically to go fuck ourselves. We had about two weeks to find a new place and Mike was going to be gone on travel in DC for one of them. We were pissed and stressed and more pissed.

But we found a new place! And it's bigger and better and we moved in and we love it. We live pretty far out in Lakewood now, closer to the mountains than the city. We miss being able to walk everywhere like we did downtown, but it's quiet and peaceful and safer and the views are gorgeous. I can walk the dogs at night alone and not be nervous. And no more douchebags! Did I tell you guys how douchey are last place was? Oh man...

Here are some random photos of it that are mostly just shots of snow outside our patio, but what can you do?

It snowed the other day, by the way. Tenth worst blizzard in Denver history. It was not fun to commute in.

We bought this bright orange kitchen table, because we can't just buy normal furniture.

Our mantel is filled with friends and love and it makes me mushy.

I put together 4 kitchen chairs, 1 outdoor table, 1 kitchen table, 1 rolling cart, and this g-damn shelf bested me. Gizmo helped though.

More snow! This is the view from our patio. We are so overjoyed to have a patio, it's not even funny.

One of the best things about our new area is that the city is filled with parks, trails, and walking paths. Our favorite right now is pretty and peaceful and bits of it are chock full of ground hogs. I do NOT scream and run when they make loud noises. Nope. I'm at one with nature, guys.

Overheard on the Train

Commuting on the metro in DC was a whole thing. It was stressful, physical, anxiety inducing, and at times frightening. People would physically shove you to get on a packed train. You would sit next to someone drugged out of their mind. People would get stabbed outside the metro stop. Crazy homeless people would scream at you as you would shuffle down the crowded escalator (STAND ON THE RIGHT). It wasn't great.

It obviously wasn't the worst thing ever and I had a pretty easy route, considering, but it wasn't a great way to start and finish the day. Which is why I have to giggle when people here in Denver react with shock at my current commute. It's an hour door to door; with about 30 minutes of that on the actual train. Which is not that bad to me. I'm not driving in traffic for an hour, so I'm not really too fussed about it. Also, the train is clean, heated, never busy, and never scary. So, needless to say, I'm pretty happy with my current commute.

All that to say, it may be much easier and less scary, but it's not always boring. The other day, I sat near a woman lecturing a perfect stranger (I know this because she introduced herself to him mid-lecture) while holding her recently put out cigarette in her wildly gesticulating hand. Gotta love a woman that pays to ride the train, but won't pay for a new cigarette.

The basic gist of her speech was that she has special powers and that she is awakened and we all should be. Or something. Here are some of her many gems that kept me entertained the entire ride:

"I've made a pack of cigarettes just appear." (Vital use of special powers, I'd say)

"It was in New Orleans where I realized my gift. They have shorter wavelengths there."

"We have the power to get the fuck out of here if we want. THEY just want to control us."

A long story I couldn't type all of, but basically her windshield wipers were broken and it was raining and she pulled over and commanded them to work and they did.

"People would think it's a ghost, but guess what, it's been us the whole time." (TWIST)

"We're like androids who are on sleep mode, but I woke up three years ago."

You guys, I love her.