NashVegas

It's official - after two bachelorette parties in Nashville, I can confidently declare it the Vegas of the Midwest. If Nashville's tourism office hasn't jumped on that marketing ploy, they are seriously missing out.

My dear friend Ally - who got married yesterday!! - decided Nashville was the perfect place for us to celebrate her impending nuptials, and surrounded by sorority sisters, we had a blast. Here's a brief look at our weekend in country music's home.

Where to Begin?!

Hello! I can hardly believe it's been so long since my last post. As the school year came to a close, I found myself with multiplying to do lists, and editing photos and writing photos fell to the bottom of that list.

So...where to begin?
 
I can honestly say that this year has been filled with so many challenges, yet even more blessings. It's hard to put into words how much I grew professionally, spiritually and relationally. The challenges led me to trust in God and His plans, even when I could not always see or understand His purpose.

I know my struggles often come back to control - plans, reactions, events, circumstances, and, my own path. However, I could feel that God was trying to rid me of that burden, as it never really belonged to me to begin with. Though enormously difficult to do, especially at first, I felt more free with each baby step. I walked by faith and not by sight, and I felt more peace and perspective than I had in a long time.

Once I stopped waiting and longing for things on my time, my little family was overwhelmingly blessed. A year ago, John made an admirable and brave decision to leave dental school. He knew in his heart that a career in dentistry wouldn't fulfill him, and he decided to pursue a career he was passionate about. His perseverance and faith during that time is indescribable. Even when I struggled, he would remind me that he hadn't given up hope. And his faith was rewarded when in one week he was offered not one, but two positions in his field of choice - finance.

As we celebrated his accomplishments and diligence, I learned I was selected as an Education Policy and Advocacy Fellow through Leadership for Educational Equity. I was thrilled by this opportunity, but nervous as it meant I would spend the summer in Chicago without my little family. John's unwavering support and encouragement led me to accept the summer fellowship and venture back to the Windy City.

I had faith that my living arrangements would work out - as hard as it was for me to not return to worrying or fretting. God provided - again! - and an amazing opportunity from a generous friend brought me to one of the best addresses in Chicago.

I miss John and Hoosh terribly, but I was fortunate enough to see them both the last two nights, as John was in Chicago for some business meetings. I'll be able to see them every weekend until the end of my fellowship, and I know we will get through this short time apart. If we managed to date long-distance for two years, we can make it two months. When we have a lifetime together, eight weeks is but a blink.

I'm in my second week of the fellowship, and I am loving my work. I can't go into details just yet, but I can say that it combines my passion for education and my background in communications. I hope to share more as the summer progresses, but I have lots of other posts to catch up on before then - weddings, bachelorette parties, recipes, gift ideas and more!

Stay tuned, and, if you made it through this wordy post, thanks for reading!

Indy 500 Fun

Hey there, friends! It's almost the end of the school year, and I'm feeling my usual sadness at getting ready to say goodbye to my little ones. I have so many new posts and recipes to share, yet I am completely distracted by needing bid farewell to my students.  It still amazes me how each class is so different, yet beautiful in its own way.

Anyhoo...after an awesome field day, I came home and needed some quiet time to process. John graciously gave it to me, and I felt inspired to finally finish and publish a new post. So, here's a quick recap of our Indy 500 weekend!

Saturday began with a mini Alpha Phi reunion. Our dear friend and sorority sister, Annie, was in town from Colorado, and we all got together for a brunch that lasted until nearly 7 p.m.  It was just too hard to part sooner!

Ally, Rachael, Annie, Me, Swade and Linds

After our late brunch, John and I drove Annie back to the 500 lots, where she was camping out with her dad and older brothers. It was her dad's 50th race in a row (!), and we stayed to enjoy some quality time around their campfire. I hadn't been in that lot since I camped out for the 500 in 2006, when it was a record-high temperature and unbearably hot. This time I was able to enjoy the night and atmosphere!

Race day was cool, yet oh-so-refreshing! I spent time with John's family, as well as with Annie, and I couldn't have been happier.

It's "Christmas" for this handsome guy!

Annie and I for a mid-race meet up outside the Pagoda

Race fun

Kisses for my love

To top it off, our favorite driver, Tony Kanaan, won the race! Little bit of a "toot-toot", a couple years ago TK actually replied to some of my tweets! John was so impressed, and I think it earned me wife points for years to come. I dug through to find the tweets, and put the screen shots together as proof.

{My lawyer-filled family and justice-seeking first graders have clearly rubbed off on me.}

Fuchsia Flash at Bluebeard

Happy Monday! I have a feeling this month will FLY by, thanks to several events planned for each weekend of the month. It will be June before I know it!

John and I had such a fun weekend! We had friends over Friday, tried a new restaurant, saw Iron Man 3, caught up on much-needed sleep, and ended the weekend with a great dinner with John's family. Instead of sharing every detail, I want to make sure you know about a fun new-to-us restaurant in Fountain Square (for you Indy people!).

John and I had about eight friends over Friday night for a few beverages and appetizers. It was a nice way to start our evening, while waiting for our table to be ready! From our apartment downtown, we headed to Bluebeard, a unique and fun restaurant in Fountain Square. According to this Indy Star piece, it's one of Indy's top 50 restaurants to try!

The restaurant had a great vibe and a very eclectic menu. John and I opted to share the mussels and scallops. At $16 each, the dishes are a bit pricey. I would highly recommend the mussels if you're looking for a good "bang for your buck." John and I easily could have split them, though I highly enjoyed my {2} scallops.

Mussels | Scallops (only 2!)

Our table was filled with laughs, stories, and debates about the best shows on TV currently. {No clear winner!}

Linds and I even discovered we had the same lipstick {Fuchsia Flash by Maybeline}, and we even got Swade in on the party. We had some major photo issues, and fortunately for me, John has learned to take several shots to ensure there's at least one I like. I married a smart one!

John and I had a wonderful evening with friends, and I'd highly recommend the restaurant to anyone looking for an eclectic menu, relaxed atmosphere and excellent service. Thanks to Moyer for coordinating this wonderful night! Cheers!

Shopping for a Cause

John woke me up Saturday morning with a proposition I never thought possible: shopping. What, pray tell, inspired my sweet hubby to eagerly offer to accompany and encourage this trip? A great event, with a truly wonderful cause: Pink Label event.

John read an Indy Star article about the Pink Label event, learning it offers designer and popular name designs at significant discounts during a 2-day event, with all proceeds benefiting the Caroline Symmes Endowment for Pediatric Cancer Research through the Riley’s Children’s Foundation. And, with that, we headed out for a bit of Saturday shopping.

While I'm sure most of the big-ticket items were grabbed the first day, we managed to snag some amazing deals during our little trip. I stopped at the accessories table almost immediately. I snagged a bangle bracelet I spied at Nordstrom recently, and it was a steal at $8. I also grabbed a four-piece bangle set for a whopping $2.

As we walked around the space, I spotted some great Cole Haan shoes for John. While they were a tad bit big, John was happy to get a deal ($20!) on some comfy - and quality! - shoes that will be perfect for summer.

I'm a big hat lover. A table full of adorable caps drew my attention. Especially, this sassy number. At retail, the hat values at $150. However, thanks to this event, I walked away with it for $15. That, I can do!

Before leaving, John and I returned to the accessories table. I picked up a lovely turquoise cross necklace for $5, and a pair of gold and peach earrings for $5.

In total, we spent $55. We walked away with some steals and deals, but we also left feeling really good about the money spent and the cause it served.

Weekend Update

Happy Monday!

I hope you've all had a wonderful day and even better weekends. I was beyond busy Saturday, but actually managed to REST and relax Sunday. Even better? I had Monday off, and not only did I catch up on laundry, but I cleaned the apartment and made John one of his favorite meals - Roasted Butternut Squash and Sweet Potato Lasagna! After I finish this post I plan to enjoy the evening with my hubby and pup and watch The Bachelor finale - judge away!

Friday night John and I met up with his siblings, Lauren and JB, and enjoyed some steamed mussels, delicious fries and lots of laughter at Brugge Brasserie in Broadripple. We had a blast, and it was so nice to spend time together while JB was home from IU and Lauren is still an Indy resident!

JB is happy to cheese for the camera but John wasn't feeling it :)

Brothers and sisters!

WIAW: Quick Trip & Summer Staples

Hello, August! My you came quickly. I'm blogging from Chicago, where I'm visiting my good friend Jessie for the day/night! She's working on her MBA, and finished her last final Monday night. Since she has a few weeks before fall classes resume, it was the perfect time for a fun night away.

Sorry about fuzzy self-portraits!

I've been dying to check out RPM Italian, but never seem to get a chance because I'm usually in town for specific events. Jessie suggested we walk there for a drink since it's only a few blocks from her place. I happily agreed, and we tried the "G-Rizzle." It's not on the menu, but I follow Giuliana Rancic on Twitter, so I knew to order it. It was delicious! Lime and ginger combined for a perfect summer cocktail.

After our drink we decided to walk to Portillo's - my favorite! - to get chopped salads to go for dinner. Not only did I save money, but I loved every bite of my salad. It's so good!! It's probably good I don't live in Chicago anymore or else I might have a bit of problem. We ate our salads at Jessie's apartment, and spent the rest of the night watching the Olympics. It was a perfect night with an even better friend. To top it off? I get to have lunch with one of my best and oldest friends before I head back to Indy!

Honestly I was too busy having fun with Jessie to be good about taking pictures, so my WIAW post is a bit different this week - in case you didn't notice already. ;) In honor of this month's What I Ate Wednesday theme, "Summer Staples," I've included some of my favorite new recipes of the summer in this post! Thanks to Jenn for the suggestion - and for hosting!

Seared Scallop Salad w/ Orange Champagne Vinaigrette

This was absolutely amazing! I saw a recipe for a seared scallop and grapefruit salad from Skinnytaste, and I knew I wanted to put my own spin on it. The hubby and I aren't crazy about grapefruit, so I substituted oranges, and even found an orange champagne vinegar at Trader Joe's to use for the dressing. This is easily my favorite new salad. {Recipe coming tomorrow!}

Creamy Smoothies

I've been going crazy combining various flavors of Chobani Greek yogurt with fresh ingredients. My favorite combination has to be Strawberry Banana Chobani + 1 cup fresh strawberries + 1 frozen banana + freshly squeezed juice from 2 oranges + a handful of spinach + chia seeds. When I gave the hubby some of it he exclaimed, "people would pay for this!

BBQ Chicken Salad with Lightened-Up Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Another great summer salad, especially if you are able to grill your chicken. This salad has so much flavor and is a really filling and easy meal. The dressing complimented the veggies and chicken perfectly. John and I love this for dinner on a beautiful summer night. {Recipe here}

2nd Anniversary Trip to Disney

Happy Monday! 

Today is a big day. Today marks three weeks until work/school resumes. It really hit me today, and I ended up spending several hours today running errands, working out and enjoying my last bit of unstructured free time. I have a feeling these next weeks will fly by, and I want to be sure to enjoy this time.

Tomorrow is an even bigger day. Tomorrow is our 2nd wedding anniversary. It still feels like yesterday that I was reading John's letters to me on our wedding day. They made my heart swell with love as I prepared to do the best thing I've ever done - marry John. I'm grateful for my handsome, considerate, intelligent, funny husband, and I can't wait to make more memories with him.

Some of my favorite memories from this year included our trip to Disney World. We ran around like crazy all day, every day - including the park's extended hours (the app I told you about was the best tool, thank goodness we had it!)! I don't remember the last time my legs hurt that bad, but it was worth it for all we did and saw. The weather was more bipolar than Indiana, which I never knew to be possible. Thanks to a certain tropical storm, we were in hot sun and complete downpours within seconds of one another.

We laughed, relaxed, and enjoyed being big kids. The next time we go will be kiddos, so now we have a special time, too. This trip was our anniversary gift to each other, so I thought this was a fitting time to share some of my favorites. (Last year we went to Universal Studios!)

Inside our beautiful hotel...We loved The Grand Floridian!

Being a bit silly

Waiting in line for Winne the Pooh ride

Pirates

Beautiful breakfast

Some of the weather we experienced

Don't get splashed!

Had to show the castle!

Self-portraits, most often in line :)

Last picture of the whole trip...wiped.

WIAW: Disney Edition

Hi, friends! So I am so beyond exhausted right now. We've been go, go, go ever since we got here. John has bruises on the bottom of his feet - crazy, right?! - and I have legs more sore than any workout has ever produced.

I didn't really focus on this month's theme of "Healthy Snacking", as I didn't do much snacking at all. Instead I focused on eating (fairly) healthy while on vacation. Head over to Peas and Crayons, hosted by Jenn, for more good eats. I plan to sneak in a few during long lines! ;)

We've been having the best time here, and I'm not complaining a bit (okay, besides the crazy humidity). So, my What I Ate Wednesday, is going to be short and simple.

Breakfast at The Grand Floridian Cafe: Lobster. Eggs. Benedict. 

Need I say more? Two poached eggs + hollandaise + tomatoes + lobster hash (lobster, onions, asparagus, potato shreds). Absolutely delicious. Although, what lobster dish isn't amazing?

Snack: John and I split an Edy's Strawberry Fruit Bar...

...while waiting in a 1 hour and 45-minute long line for the Jungle Cruise. I also wrote a blog post, while waiting in the longest line we've experienced this whole trip.

Lunch at Frontierland Cafe: Salad + chicken + drizzle of ceasar dressing; strawberry yogurt.

As part of our meal plan, we have one "quick service" meal a day, which includes an entree, dessert and drink. This means a limited menu and cafeteria-style food. With all the walking (and running!) we were doing, I knew I needed something healthy yet filling. And I found an option to suit my needs! Who says you can't eat healthy while on vacation?

Dinner at Portobello, an Italian restaurant in Downtown Disney 

Our table (John's parents, sister and the two of us) split some awesome appetizers: calamari and mozzarella-stuffed rice balls with marinara, plus bread with roasted garlic and olive oil spread.

Honestly I was skeptical of the rice balls, but they were so creamy, thanks to the rice being risotto and the addition of fresh basil. I loved these! I had half a rice ball plus a few pieces of calamari, both dredged in marinara. I finished it off with half a roll + roasted garlic spread.

My entree certainly did not disappoint: mahi mahi with polenta served over tomato sauce.

The polenta was creamy, and the mahi mahi was cooked perfectly. The sauce was an excellent pair to bring out both flavors. Add some zucchini on top, and this is a recipe I must recreate!

Dessert (two-parts!): I had a few bites of John's creme brulee (my favorite dessert) at the restaurant (unpictured), plus a piece of chocolate left on my pillow at the hotel.

I may not be commenting on your comments or emails right now, but I promise you I am reading them. I so appreciate them! I'm doing my best to conserve battery life on my phone during the day, and comments fail on my blogger app. I will respond soon, I promise!

Now, I crash. Must be rested for my last day at Disney. Wish my legs luck!

I'm here!

Hi, strangers! 

I promise I am still alive and well. I have missed blogging, but I have also loved taking a little break from just about everything. I haven't blogged. I haven't worked on school-related things (besides a few emails). I haven't even cooked too much, unless salads suddenly count. And you know what? It's been nice.

Hoosh has really enjoyed the extra "mommy time." She has been my little shadow, even when I'm doing laundry and running around the apartment. Not gonna lie, I love it.

I've missed this little blog and all of you, so I'm back. At least until I go on vacation in less than two weeks...woooo!!!

Okay, I'm done.

So, some things I plan to catch you up on over the next few posts...

That frittata recipe that I promised you...umm almost forever ago.

John's Aunt Lori's awesome surprise party hosted by John's mom and her lovely sisters.

My salad spree lately - lots of good ones!

One of the best, and I mean BEST, chicken recipes ever. It is also one of the easiest

And, finally, and most excitedly for me at this moment...we bought a (almost) new car!!!!

Lots to come, friends, so stay tuned! :)

How have you been doing? Enjoying summer? Vacation? Would you like to see one post sooner than another? I'd love to hear how you're doing and what you're interested in reading about.