if i were to host a christmas party it would look a little like this...

if i were to host a christmas party, it would look a little something like this.

1// there would be lots of pine and garland everywhere you turn. giving the party a beautiful, classic look.

2// the cutest invitations would be ordered from tiny prints that would fit the nights theme

3// there would be  lots and lots of christmas cookies for everyone to share. gingerbread, peanut butter blossoms, thumbprint cookies. the whole bit.

4// a beautiful table arrangement would be made, accompanied with rosemary seating cards

5// there would be lovely seasonal food and cocktails. and because it is winter, lots of pomegranate

6// the food would be lovely. the drinks delicious,  there would be lots of toasts, and the night would end with conversation by the fire

.... frank sinatra's holiday album (who i love), would be playing in the background, lots of candles would be burning, people would stay late. and once again, there would be lots and lots of good food.

what would your perfect holiday party look like? i hope that next year, chad and i will live in a space that will allow us to host one! until then, i will just plan this party in my head ;)

**hover over number to find image source**

freedom lakeside

well i hope everyone had a lovely time celebrating independence day! chad and packed up our bags and headed north to his family's cabin. it is a beautiful place in northern minnesota. we have created some wonderful memories, including when he proposed last memorial day weekend! we have been itching to get up there but because of work we hadn't gotten a full weekend up yet. thank goodness for extended holiday weekends because our little trip up north was exactly what we needed! 

**the kirseboms on the 4th (not going to lie, i have worn that red stripped tank for three 4th of julys in a row... next year i need to find a new patriotic outfit ;) )**

 ** coffee lakeside + fishing, it doesn't get better then that**

 **lacey attack**

 while we were up there we got some skiing in. i am still a fairly new skier but love any chance i get to get out on the water. chad is a whole lot better at it then i am, bu i am going to say that is because he's a guy, and the fact that i am still a newbie ;)

 we ended the night with watching some fireworks off the dock. it was so beautiful to see the collection of fireworks going off by the lake front. the only bummer was that attack of bug that bit up my legs. i am not kidding when i say i have 15 bug bites in a 6 inch radis. they were awful, but they aren't going to get me down, not on my favorite holiday! ;) i hope everyone had a great holiday weekend with family and friends. and once again, happy birthday america, land of the free!

happy birthday america

happy birthday USA! thank you for allowing us to live in a free nation. i know the struggles other nations have with freedom and i am so thankful that our founding fathers realized the need to bring freedom to the people. i thank our soliders and everyone who has fought for our freedoms.

in addition to it being the greatest holiday. it is the best holiday to get away and celebrate!  chad and i will be heading out north to his family's cabin where we will be lakeside and soaking up the sun! there will also be some fishing, swimming, and maybe a little water skiing. (guys i am telling you minnesota has the best summers around!)

 have a great and safe 4th of july and once again, happy birthday america!

memorial day plans: grilling and sunshine

happy memorial day weekend! i hope that you get to spend time outdoors, grilling out or vacationing with family and friends. this weekend chad and i will not be going up to the family cabin, rather just hang low with some friends and celebrate my birthday with my side of the family!

however, i hope that we do get to get some grilling in. i made this a few weeks ago on the grill and it turned out great. so, if you are looking for a good grill recipe, you have met your match ;) i made this for just the two of us, but if you needed to make more, just double or triple the recipe!

grilled out chicken and potatoes 

2 garlic cloves minced

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons fresh thyme

coarse salt and ground pepper

2 chicken breast

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon garlic powder 

1. heat the grill to medium, fold two 4-foot sheets of aluminium foil in half. put potatoes on each layer. cover potatoes, crimp the edges and ensure it is sealed. put on the grill. cook for 25 minutes, flipping half way through. 

2. while potatoes are cooking, make the chicken marinade. whisk together oil, wine, garlic, vinegar, and thyme. add chicken to the marinade and let marinate for 10-30 minutes. 

3. put  chicken on the grill and cook until browned and cooked through. 

4. remove potatoes from the grill, mix with butter and garlic powder. 

serve with a salad and if you so desire, beer goes great with this meal! 

what are your plans for memorial day weekend? any good food you plan on making? 

our easter weekend

hope everyone had a lovely weekend celebrating easter with your loved ones (and i hope you didnt eat too much easter candy like i did)! here are a few photos via iphone & instagram that captured the weekend.

.... we  died easter eggs (c & i's new tradition!)

... celebrated our first holiday as a married couple. ( notice... minnesota still has snow, please spring come soon and melt it all away!)

... we got to see my sister's boyfriend john. poor guy had to spend easter with us ;)

... our colorful "easter-y" place settings 

it was a fun filled, colorful weekend that went way too fast.

 

chocolate tweets

*photo disclaimer*
i forgot to take a good picture of the cheesecake... oops. so this is a piece that was leftover, and a few days old, the original cheesecake looks much better then this!

so on valentines day i decided since chad and i were not celebrating until the weekend, i should bake some delicious desert. because i could not make up my mind on what i wanted to make... i decided to tweet a little poll "chocolate cheesecake or chocolate cake"

and though only two people responded, and they both tweeted different things. i went with the chocolate cheesecake. and we LOVED the cheesecake (hence why there is a letter L in the photo above)

so that means i need to share the recipe with you my friends.

chocolate lovers cheesecake

2 8oz pkg of cream cheese softened (i used one normal, one light)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. vanilla

4 squares of bakers semi sweet chocolate

2 eggs

1 oreo pie crust (to be honest, i just bought mine..oops)

preheat oven to 325

melt bakers chocolate until liquid form. can do this in microwave or in a double boiler

beat cream cheeses, sugar, and vanilla until well blended

add chocolate and mix well.

add eggs and mix until blended

place mix into crust

bake for 40 minutes

refrigerate 4-6 hours before severing 

i added raspberries around the edges to add a little sweet touch.

ps find me on twitter so we can be friends :)

handle: heathermarieee

sending you some love

happy valentines day! i hope that single, or not, that you have a beautiful day filled with love. this is a unique holiday and though we know we *love* people everyday, why not share it with a friend or family member! it can be an amazing day.

how i am celebrating valentines day:

i send the little girls some vintage minnie mouse valentines filled with dove chocolates and gave my family members sweethearts, because they are so sweet! chad and i started the day with a valentine day themed breakfast, red plates, straws, and hearts. we just spent the morning remembering how blessed we are! instead of going to dinner tonight we are going to wait for the weekend so it isn't as busy and are going to be celebrating with coffee (are you guys surprised ;) )

 i somehow ended up doing a little valentine day decor, and i am surprised because i didn't think i had any time.i made a heart banner out of construction paper and threaded it with some ribbon. transformed our chalkboard to a valentine day theme. and stocked up on heart shaped treats. goes to show that a little decor goes a long way, can be cost effective, and makes for a more festive holiday! 

with that i hope that you celebrate today.buy a friend some chocolate. treat yourself to some flowers. enjoy this day and remember that you are lovely! love yourself and love others.

psalm 63:3 "because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you"

friends stick together

friends who wear ugly sweaters and make gingerbread houses stick together.

hence why we have all been friends for 15+ years.

love you all my codas (children of deaf adults)

:)

if i were hosting a new years party

if i were hosting a new years party..

my invitations would look a little something like this.

source

i love hosting! i can't wait for the days where i get to invite my friends over for dinner parties, have pretty floral arrangements, and wonderful food, especially delicious deserts! only a couple more years...  :)

hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday!

merry christmas bloggy friends

merry merry christmas everyone

i hope the season is filled with love and family

laughs and joy

embrace the family traditions (for the anderson crew it means going to perkins and baking on christmas eve- and cranking up the christmas music to dance around like fools. this is what life looks like with three girls in the household)

and if you want a sweet holiday song to end your week.....

its a holly day to be busy

happy weekend everyone.

mine is a busy one- few weeks left of classes so major homework going on

and with the wedding being a month there will be lots of planning (my life per usual, homework and wedding planning) lots of little details to figure out eeek!

i am jealous of everyone going out and about, especially on this lovely winter day so go enjoy it for me ;)

but i am sneaking in some holiday fun tomorrow by making lots of christmas cookies- yay!

so be looking forward to some nummy recipes monday or tuesday

happy saturday!

paper needs

paper items by heathermarie2391 on Polyvore

tis the season to stock up on paper goods! I personally love fun stationary and think it is important to find stationary that fits you. with modern technology letter writing and card sending isn't as common but I still think it is very important to make an effort to do these things, and I am proud to say that I do have a couple of pen pals out there (...you know who you are!)

here is what I use each of these items for:

1. kraft paper labels

I love kraft paper anything. I found some great kraft wrapping paper at the dollar store and use it for almost all of my gift wrappings. It is a classic look that by adding ribbon or bows, you can make into beautiful creations!

2. assorted cards

I always have associated cards on file, you never know when you will need to send a friend a note of encouragement, write a thank you, or a note to your boy ;) target just began carrying a line called Mara Mia and I am a little obsessed. for a target line, the card products is GREAT!

3. moleskin notebook

this is a must for me. I use my moleskin notebook daily, and just purchased the moleskin planner. it is a great, simple and sleek way to keep your life together. the paper quality is great and is a very durable notebook, something that still remains alive in my purse ;)

4. rifle paper co notebooks

if you have never been to rifle paper co site you have to check it out. she makes an assortment of beautiful products that I LOVE. they sell some of her products at card shops and at anthropologie 

5. rifle paper co card

once again. I love her products. they are soo cute. always a perfect occasion to use those!

6. washi tape

perfect to spice up kraft paper items or just add a cute touch!

7. a fun pen

though I do not own this fun ice cream pen, it is fun! when using paper goods always have a fun, good pen. :) 

what are your paper needs?

Madwell Inspired XMAS

A little fashion inspiration from Madwell

"Whole-ly Guacamole"

MMM. I love veggies, especially avocados.... and guacamole!

Over the long weekend I embraced some cooking up at the Kirsebom cabin where Julie and I made some guac! It is a tasty recipe that is very easy to make.

Easy Guacamole

• 2 whole ripe avocados 
• 3/4 c pre-made/bough pico de gallo
• Tabasco Sauce (3-4 shakes)
• Lime Juice 
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1. Remove shell from avocados and place all insides (all green pieces) inside of a bowl
2. Mix in pico de gallo, Tabasco, lime juice, and salt
3. Continue to mix until smooth, add Tabasco to taste
4. Eat :)

Enjoy!

*image credited to google*