Cookies!

Monday evening my parents invited us to go to the weekly Audubon Park Community Market, they conveniently live walking distance, so that's fun. We have lived here forever and finally went. 

Aside from it being a little desert-like outside, it was enjoyable. We wanted to get coffee but thought that may send us over the edge, so Randy opted for a Tangerine Wheat beer (which was delish & refreshing), and I attempted to get a Japanese Popsicle from one of the food trucks bigwheelprovisions. Sadly, they were out (but free future pop on the house next time!), so I chose a chocolate chip cookie the size of my face instead, naturally. We ate/drank and watched a friend sing some chunes.  

My cookie was actually from another vendor there that they teamed up with, called bees knees sweet treats. I saw it featured on design sponge, so I chatted with the girl a bit, and was inspired by her and her friend that just randomly started a baking business. Oh Someday.(Also, they bake out of the Redlight Redlight's kitchen-interesting fact of the day).

So I guess my current obsession is any baked good topped with sea salt. I know it's not a new thing, but it is for me, and it's the best. This face-sized cookie was as well, and now I want to put sea salt on everything. Lucky for me, the next night at bible study my dear dear friend Laura made the same thing (and didn't even know! friends are great). I literally couldn't stop eating them since they were more regular sized, and wish I felt at least a little embarrassed about it. But I didn't, and she used this recipe: nytimes (pictured on the left. And she said/it looks very involved, but I believe she omitted some of the flours & just used wheat and regular).


*Side note: If you're into those types of things, also try bluebirdbakeshop salted caramel brownies. The best. I'm already going into a diabetic coma thinking about all of this. I will post healthier things next time. Maybe.

CRIBS: Joey Fatone

So this is how Friday went down.

I get frequent emails from Grahams, which is a company that hosts estate sales- I highly recommend signing up if you're into that kinda thing. Anyways, this week I received one which was titled "Giant Celebrity Estate Sale."  And since I usually associate estate sales with an elderly person who has passed, Randy and I tried to guess who it was. Being dumb, Randy guessed Chris Kirkpatrick and I guessed Joey Fatone, and obviously knew it wasn't either since they're still young(ish). Wrong. I  was right. It was JF!!!! The 14 year old girl in me freaked out, because I figured I was probably walking in the same rooms Justin Timberlake once was in, possibly.

Anyways, enough about that. I had to sneakily take pictures, but here's a tiny tour de Fatone. I left the images unedited so you can try and get the true experience. And sadly I went home empty handed, surprisingly Fatone and I don't share the same tastes. Enjoy. 

boring little pool

necessities.

His closet=our condo.

Yes. This is the JF I remember.

I wanted Rands to buy & wear these everyday.

cliche.

Repellers

My sister, Michelle, sent me this site the other day. We've had many previous discussions about outfits we choose, which the men in our lives hate (and have used descriptions verbatim such as: "that is terrible/what is that?" "those shoes make me want to vomit," "you look like you have a permanent wedgie all around," etc.). But it's what we sacrifice/do for fashion. Anyway, all that to say she stumbled upon a girl who blogs about that very thing. And it's called Man Repeller. Read, enjoy, laugh (we were glad she shares our sense of humor as well. Future BFF??), and repel: http://www.manrepeller.com/

Also, this has nothing to do with above topic, but since I am sharing sites I  thought I'd let you know that  I am also pinterest-ing when I have the time: http://pinterest.com/rachelketterman/

OhHappyDay FTW

So, I follow this blog Oh Happy Day. You may have heard, but she (she= the creator, Jordan Ferney, whom my sister and I pretend is one of our good friends when discussing her ideas with each other), is giving away a trip for deux to Paris by following a few simple rules. Posting this on my blog is one of them. So here, I guess you can try too, but I'm like the 2,900th person to enter, so you better watch out. 

http://ohhappyday.com/2011/06/goes-to-paris

Year One: Complete.

And we're on to the next.

We had such a fun, relaxing-filled week off for our first anniversary. We enjoyed a couple days in otown before our austin travels. We tried out the new cocina 214 on park ave. My personal review: margaritas: great, chips & salsa: eh, quesadilla: great, tacos: eh. Rands agreed, so we either share the same taste buds (bff's), or maybe it wasn't all it's cracked up to be for the $$$$. However, I did thoroughly enjoy the ambiance and realized in my dream life, I would be a food blogger- so if you read this, I will probably pretend I'm one a lot.

We hit up luma after for some follow-up rich people martinis. It's fun to celebrate/pretend.

We exchanged gifts as well.
Rands fixed my ring (had some minor damage already), and I made this from design sponge, again. I loved doing this & it's great for a first anniversary paper (& inexpensive) gift, or just for anytime: sweet-idea-diy-catalog-of-love.

So begins year two. Some things that are currently exciting me: Coldplay & Deathcab's new tunes, using more of my talented husbands photographs for this blog, going on new adventures, food adventures, reading a borrowed book from Laura called A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg (Orangette creator), my niece/nephew that's going to be borned soon, and a few other things in the works.

Stay tuned.  
  

austin!

What a trip- literally. 
We ventured to Austin, TX which was a first for both of us. We started at 4am Friday, drove to the airport, flew to Houston, then Dallas, then picked up by Michelle & Stephen, coasted in our sweet Hyundai Santa Fe to Austin. Only 13 hours of travelling. Though it may be worth the extra few hundreds to fly straight through for the next time, the company and stops were worth the savings.

And the reasons for going were great too- my cousin David got married & we used it as an anniversary trip as well. Here are some of the things we did, and places we were recommended, which now I can recommend. Enjoy!

Chili's-to-go, not sure if you've heard of it. Also, what happens when you need to kill 2 hours at the TX Love Field airport.

Now for the legit stuff.

                                              

!HBD SBD!

Perfecting the austin hipster look. obviously.

My dreamworld- austin would make thrifty goodwill look this rad.

Married!

Anniversaried!

So here are connections to the restaurants. I would also highly suggest this guide we used for more detailed info from Design*Sponge: design sponge austin guide.

Where we went:

South Congress (all the shops)

amys ice creams: quality ice cream + quality ice cream tricks

Maudies: Queso was the best, think we had them bring out a few orders. Margaritas & Salad were great accompaniment.

jos coffee: best coffee. Randy argues the Turbo is the best (for you iced coffee fans)

the magnolia cafe: Opened 24/7. However we went there during normal people breakfast hours. Great french toast, but me & sister Michelle's fave parts were "sorry were.." in front of everything. I like their humor- I'd go back just for that.  

roundrock donuts: not in Austin, but if you're into donuts, it's claimed to be world famous. I did not get the Texas donut as pictured above, but definitely had my share. I am no Adam Richman (Man vs. Food).



XL

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. These past few weeks have flown- I've been taking extra jobs whenever I can before summer starts & rands has been busy working on a website project. And for the first time I have an evening to myself. So on a Saturday night I am doing things that I may be judged for since I am sans husband (he's photographing a friends wedding- such a versatile man). This evening includes: Country Strong, pretzel M&Ms, and vegetarian chicken. Sue me.

Anyways, instead of writing long boring things about what our weeks have been filled with, I'm just going to post some pictures and make this an Xtra Large random post with minimal captions if I can.

I have been taking advantage of the promo classes at barre54, which are now over, so I need to figure out what I can do before I hit the workout wall again. I would highly suggest this studio if you're looking for a new way to workout/have the $$$ to do so.

Mothers Day was great, we grilled out and had some fresh veges from my Dad's garden and had a dinner picnic on the dock.

We've been using our juicer with all these fresh fruits & veges we've been getting, and love it. It's the one way we can both eat almost 6 large carrots in one sitting. I feel so accomplished. 

I have started a girls bible study with some friends that has been so awesome and fulfilling for me. Great girls and this great study by Nancy Leigh DeMoss.

My amazingly talented Randycands has been working diligently on finishing a website, which I hope to post it on here real soon so you can take a look for yourself if you're into that. He's also had some really great opportunities to use his photography and recording skillz. So I'm happy for him and excited to see which route God wants for him/us.

He also decided that with new projects he needs a new hairstyle, I suppose. Maybe it's the almost one-year-marriage-change? Either way, he surprised me with this when I came home from work this week. I feel like I have a new man. I think I'm getting used to it. And even like it.

My mom and I had a delish scone & muffin (and some great coffee) breakfast at Bluebird Bake Shop.

We also continued her birthday celebration with special guests, The Dixon gang, on park avenue with yum french pastries from croissant gourmet. Obviously had pastry overload this week, which isn't really a bad thing. OliverKate was primarily concerned with the balloons staying grounded.

Finally, I have to express how excited I am about this up and coming week. It feels like Christmas. I was telling my sister that the excitement from last years week-before-wedding-prep is filling my soul again. Remembering how much I thought about him, our wedding day, honey moon, the unknown, while having my amazing girl friends and family around us supporting and loving us. And they've continued to do that. Even though we aren't getting married again next week, I love nothing more than to celebrate this first marriage anniversary with my best and truest friend ever. I'm also excited to try and be creative and plan something for him. I just have to tell the blog world how much I love him and am blessed- I can't believe how we have both changed & I believe grown in a year, and pray it continues as we try our best to follow God. My husband is amazing and he is such a gift to me.

(I promise I will only be mushy when it comes to him, my family and my future children. And maybe just a few others).

We are also off to Austin next week for my cousins wedding. Can't wait! If you are reading this and have any tips on restaurants, coffee shops, short activities to do there, don't hold back.