In two weeks...

{via}

This is what I'm imagining our road home will look like, in just two weeks from now. There are parts of that drive that seem awful when we're in the car (I'm thinking specifically of the west-bound portion of 94 just before Tomah), but having made this trip many times this summer, I've learned to take it in sections. We're in Madison? Great, now let's make it to the Dells, Tomah, Eau Claire...and finally, the border. And then the drive is manageable, familiar...pretty, even.

It's been over a year and a half since we made that first drive from MN to MKE and back, in March of 2012. I can't believe it's been that long. So much has happened since, so many drives back and forth. We've learned how to make the most of the WI speed limit (and our WI plates); we've also become quite good at packing lunches or dinners for the road so we don't have to stop anywhere. I like our routine - I drive, Andrew plays both navigator and D.J. I feel close to him, and not just because we've usually packed our little Corolla up to the windows with laundry, coolers, and sometimes a sous-vide machine.

Needless to say, these two weeks better go by quickly...and then I'd like for the following few days to go as slowly, quietly, and happily as possible.

Happy Countdown to Thanksgiving! Can't wait for MN.

Life by numbers.

7: days since October began. OCTOBER, the tenth month of the year. While I'm not the biggest fan of how quickly this year is coming to an end, I do love the colors that are out this month. Anne, from Anne of Green Gables (my absolute favorite books when I was younger) says that she's "happy to live in a world where there are Octobers." I think she'd still feel the same way if she saw October in WI, or MN, for that matter, and not in PEI. 

2: the potential number of sibling visitors I'll get this weekend. I really do think I lucked out in this department - my brother and sister are pretty cool dudes, and I can't wait to see them! Oh, and they take good photos, too.

{via}

5: pairs of glasses I'll be receiving from Warby Parker in just a few days. I can't wait to get new glasses. I've had my current pair since senior year of college...and I think maybe (just maybe) trends in eye wear have changed since then. Warby Parker lets you choose up to five pairs of frames from their website, then they send them to you for free to try on at home for five days! Once you've decided, you give them your prescription and place your order, all for a very reasonable price. And, for every pair that's purchased, the company gives a pair to someone in need. Win-win.

{via}

46: days until Turkey Day 5k. I just registered for this - now it's really time to start running. My sister and I did the race last year and loved it, although I think I was more motivated last year to run than I am at this present moment...but I'll get there. Let's hope for good weather and no snow! 

{via}

7: hours that my mom spent traveling to get to us in MKE last week, thanks to the silly train...but we loved having her here! We went to the museum, out for walks, to dinner, and just really enjoyed spending as much time as we could with her. And we're sorry that it took even longer to get back to MPLS (again, thanks, train).

383: miles between MKE and Des Moines, where we drove this weekend to celebrate John and Kellie get married! Andrew was an usher in their wedding, and we were so, so happy to be able to share in their day. We wish them nothing but the best - congrats, newlyweds!! 

Saturday Post No. 4

My view, for what seems like forever. Jealous, aren't you. Oh, and there are more outlines that aren't pictured. Now you're super jealous.

Today I'm taking a break for the afternoon to go see Andrew present one of his papers at a conference on campus - I'm so proud of him - he's presenting along with other grad students from all over the country! And I'll actually take a break, meaning I won't be muttering the rules for Terry stops and frisks to myself, as I've caught myself doing on several occasions lately (while doing dishes, running to the store, etc...if people think I'm crazy I certainly wouldn't blame them!).

How did we get through this last summer? Sometimes when I'm trying to memorize rules, I still can't believe I wrote something intelligible enough on those essays to pass the first time around. Here's hoping that kind of luck will strike again.

I'm off to see if I can knock a few more note cards off my list before the conference and move them from the "I-don't-remember-studying-this-at-all" stack to the "I-think-I've-got-this-memorized-for-now" stack.

The rest of you, enjoy your Saturday!

Saturday Post No. 3

We LOVE our new KitchenAid! Since we've been back in MKE, this big blue dude has already helped us make bread, peanut butter cookies, coconut cupcakes, and, as of this morning, these New England style hot dog buns! They're still cooling, but seriously, it smells just like a good old fashioned bakery in our apartment right now! I can't wait to try them tonight. 

Otherwise, we're just hanging out (having ourselves a party...that's for you, D), bracing ourselves for the super cold blast that's supposed to hit us tomorrow and Monday. At this point I'm done with winter and am anxiously waiting for spring; I would really appreciate the temperature to cooperate and NOT sink to -10! 

Hope everyone is having a lovely, relaxing weekend - stay warm, friends! 

Back in the kitchen.

Actually, it's not like we really left the kitchen, because we spent so much time cooking at home in Minneapolis...but now, it's back to reality and we're in MKE after a long, wonderful, and amazing time in MN. It's been a while since my last post, but it was better to do things at home than to write about them. 

There's no way to describe what an incredible time we had with our families. We loved every second; it really was the best Christmas/birthday gift I could ask for (and, a bonus, we were home for my sister's birthday, too!!). If a picture is worth a thousand words...here are some ten thousand, all in photo form: 

Plenty of cooking, just a bit of dress up and dancing, and lots of love. Home is the best. 

Christmasgram #4.

Countdown to my sister's flight to MKE: less than 24 hours. 

Countdown to Chicago Christmas fun: 2 days. 

Countdown to driving home for Christmas: 3 days. 

I'm a happy girl. 

In the lane, snow is glistening...

Winter has finally come to Shorewood. After more than 280 days without measurable snow (a record, apparently), we have powdery trees and fluffy sidewalks. The lake was particularly beautiful - driving by it on the way back from work, the sky, snow, and water were all this silvery color. Here are just a few shots around our neighborhood, taken this afternoon. 

Play time at MAM.

It's the first Thursday in December, so that meant that we went to visit the Milwaukee Art Museum again today! We went for the first time last month and loved it, and since it's free (every first Thursday!), we went back to wander around some more tonight. Isn't the above installation lovely? It's supposed to represent the Cliffs of Dover. I think it's gorgeous. 

We went to see the Rembrandt exhibit, which was alright; they only had one Rembrandt. We then ran upstairs to go back to the Disney animators exhibit. 

This remains one of the coolest exhibits I've been to. And, to make it even better, I was able to make this: 

I think I can safely say that if this legal thing doesn't work out, I'll rely on my animation skills as my source of livelihood. Oscar worthy? Probably (DEFINITELY) not, but it was so much fun to do! 

After we came back from the museum, we made dinner and baked sugar cookies - stay tuned for the recipe, because they are seriously the some of the best and easiest cookies to make!

And now, some Parks and Recreation, Christmas lights, wine, and blankets. Sounds just about perfect. 

Saturday Post No. 1

Happy December!

I can't believe we're already into the holiday season - it's strange to think I don't have finals to study for or a major paper to edit, but my internal clock still runs on semesters because of Andrew's schedule. We also can't believe his first semester of PhD classes is almost done - when did that happen? 

So everything's been busy lately - work, classes, life...and our lovely Kukhnya has been feeling a little lonely (not our actual kukhnya - there's plenty of good food that's come out of there!). I've absolutely loved having this place to keep in touch with our family and friends; I also love that I can look to my posts to see how we've spent almost four months here in Milwaukee. Time flies, but I certainly don't want to lose track of it! That's why I'm writing on a Saturday - I'm going to make sure to check in on here more often. Just bear with us, family, friends, and readers, as we figure out how to best navigate our schedules - I promise we're still here! 

Today we had a lovely visit from one of my good friends, Kathryn - it was just wonderful to be able to catch up with her in person! Now, we have our beautiful yalynka, our Christmas tree, all lit up (isn't it beautiful?!? I just love it!), and are flipping between various college football games. Even though it's 60 degrees and raining outside, everything feels Christmasy. Life is good. 

I hope your weekend is off to a fantastic start! 

At the museum.

Yesterday, we spent part of our late afternoon at the Milwaukee Art Museum, one of the most beautifully designed museums I've ever seen. It's so modern and contrasts starkly yet perfectly with the lake on one side and the downtown buildings on the other. 

We could have spent hours there (best part: every first Thursday is free!); the rooms' collections flowed seamlessly from 16th century tapestries to Picasso's roosters, from Rodin's sculptures to 1960s pop art. This piece below: it's made entirely out of buttons and glue! 

One of my favorite exhibits was one showing how closely connected Disney movies are to more formal artworks. The exhibit compared familiar (and to us 90s kids, iconic) images of Disney characters next to their animators' original inspirations, found in ancient Greek art, Impressionism, and Japanese silk screens. How great is this?!? They also had easels and art stations for little ones to create their own masterpieces and then display them on a wall along with other "future artists'" work.

It was a wonderful way to spend a Thursday; we'll definitely be back.

Have a wonderful weekend, friends! 

Milwaukee Public Market.

Milwaukee's Public Market is one of the first places I visited in the city on a trip here several years ago. Located in the Third Ward and opened in 2005, the market is home to fresh seafood, wine, spices, ice cream, and plenty of cheese. 

There is something for everybody here. Grab a falafel for lunch from the Aladdin pita stand (best I've had!), enjoy a glass of wine at Thief after work, smell your way through the spices from The Spice House, and pick up some fancy chocolates for dessert from Kehr's Candies. What's especially great about this market is that it's open year round - one of the benefits of being indoors - but it also hosts events outside every Thursday and Saturday from June through October. Definitely a fun area to explore, and a good place to take visitors from out of town!