Weekend Runs & Bookworm Fun

Ingredients for a perfect weekend:

• Running
• Running with husband
• Running with friends
• Wine or Champagne
• Books, reading, book club
• BRUNCH

This past weekend involved all of the above… and I can’t wait to have another just like it.

Saturday, Mr. Speedy took me a nice long 13 mile run that has hilly trails sprinkled throughout.
This sounds very pleasant.
Even adventurous.
But it was actually quite dangerous.

This was all fine and dandy until we hit about mile 7, and were running aimlessly on a trail that clearly was a loop (WHICH MEANT WE WERE DOOMED FOREVER) and I began to panic that a) we would never escape the forest b) be forced to eat leaves and eventually c) die in each other’s sweaty arms.

As much as a death in each other’s sweaty arms would be romantic and somewhat epic, I was starving and really wanted a Panera Bread smoothie and it was my goal to get one. I complained to Mr. Speedy that we were lost, and probably going to be lost for hours, and that I was hungry and also had to go the bathroom. And forgot to brush my teeth.

He told me to stop being so dramatic and continued to drag me through the never-ending trail…. and we eventually re-surfaced to an open area that was familiar. Good thing he was with me.

Looking down at my watch, it was clear that we were actually only lost and running aimlessly for approximately 13 minutes. BUT- that is a long freaking time to be running around in uncharted territory that is thick with trees and rocks and creepy animal sounds.

My legs post-trail run. Little bit of mud. I have no idea how my socks stayed that clean???

The next day, I met two girls from book club to do a 10 mile run prior to our Brunch meeting.

I was VERY EXCITED for this run. Running with people for the first time is like a blind date, except you already know you like the person and want to spend time with them.

Ok- that is actually a weird reference and doesn’t make a lotta sense… but basically, I was EXCITED.

It was a blast running with these ladies. We chatted, enjoyed the weather, talked about everything from work, love, babies, periods, food, and just enjoyed our run. The one gal (I’ll call her Harley, because she just bought a Harley which makes her the coolest), ran 5 with us before going home to shower before the brunch. She was pretty funny because she sprinted off mid-run, let us catch up, and then was like ‘I regret that sprint.’ Ahhhh….. so different from running with Mr. Speedy!

The other girl (I shall call her Poly because she is getting her PhD in Political Science which is freakin’ amazing!), stuck it out for the full 10 and did awesome. I think she may have surprised herself with her overall run time. Poly is doing the Detroit marathon in October so I hope we can get some long runs in together! Makes it so much less painful.

Running with these girls makes you really cherish being able to share the sport. In some ways, running kind of allows you to open up and talk about things maybe you wouldn’t normally. It’s a raw sport and you are just yourself. Everyone is in the same boat, striding along one step at a time.

After running, it was time for book club brunch! Everyone brought something and it was delicious. We had a new member who made a blueberry-lemon-crazy-good-bread-cobbler. I strategically sat myself in front of it…. and Poly made HOMEMADE BAGELS.

HAVE YOU EVER HAD HOMEMADE BAGELS?

You have not eaten a bagel until you eat a homemade one. I told her that if I ever get really sick of something tragic happens, please just give me a bag of bagels. It’ll fill my heart and tummy with pure carb joy.

 

Brunch!

Harley on her harley!

We discussed the books The Devil Wears Prada and Where We Belong (both very fun, summer reads).

I ate 4 bagels and 6 cookies.

The cookies were from my friend (I shall nickname her NY because she used to intern there). This Friday, NY and I, along with our friend Greek (that is her nickname because she is super-duper Greek) will be traveling to the Upper Peninsula for a girls’ getaway.

Here is the group:

NY, Greek, and I. This was at my bachelorette party- ignore my penis necklace.

We are touring the famous Pictured Rocks via kayak. NY is convinced this is dangerous – but it is not.

My co-worker recently did this and check out her picture:

Pictured Rocks!

How awesome does this look??? I plan to take many pictures and not tip my kayak over from pure excitement.

What is your favorite food at a brunch??? BAGELS. I SHALL EAT THEM ALL.

Sincerely,

Lily

The Best Kind of Shopping is… Free.

Lately, I have been doing some shopping with spending little or no money.

Except when I purchased all the stamps for the wedding stationary, put the final deposit on the Cathedral, and signed the contract with the videographer.

Wedding things aside, I have been spending very little but gaining much.
This is the best kind of shopping.
It makes you feel like you out-smarted someone.
It makes you feel like you have extra money to buy necessities, like pretty paper and sequin ribbon.

It makes you forget that you are currently living in an Arctic tundra and makes your lungs feel like icicles and your days numbered:

A co-worker snapped this while driving to work… no joke. Michigan is brutal.

My latest shopping deals are:

1. Free bottle of lotion and free VS Valentine panties – aren’t coupons the best? This new scent is veryyyy delicious.

I hung the panties on a door knob because it would be inappropriate to wear them and take a picture.

2. I won a giveaway on Megan’s blog and she mailed me a coupon for a free box of clementines. You bet your bootah I redeemed that. Yummy!

Who doesn’t love clementines?

3. You know what is one good thing about snowy-cold-winter? You get to find great steals on summer clothing that is being clearanced. Mr. Speedy, my friend J, and I went to Kohls and I found this beautiful sundress — SCORE:

I can’t wait to wear it when the snow is gone! $12 !!! That is like a Panera Bread meal.

4. I bought a boat load of books with Christmas gift cards….. most of these are for my book club – BUYING BOOKS WITH GIFT CARDS IS THE BEST KIND OF SHOPPING EVER.

I need to find space for these.

5. I have come to the conclusion that…. hosting a wedding is like having a HUGE REUNION with your closest friends that are all across the country. I realize this is not shopping, but it is a good deal. I have two blogging friends driving in, two of my BFF from graduate school, my aunts from MA, Mr. Speedy’s relatives from NE and TX, the list just goes on.

What a lovely deal- get married and get to see people whom you love all together at once.

Seems like a lovely plan. I can’t wait.

The last time my Grad School (aka librarian) girls were all in one spot.

6. Finally, after I get married and settled into life as a wife, I might pursue this career:

New life goal.

No pants and free clam bra?!?! Sign me up.

I bet you mermaids get to shop for free… under the sea.

(That was SO corny, I could not help it.)

Any one else have any amazing deals they have been finding lately? Please share.

Sincerely,

Thrifty Lily

A Corny Football Party

I have come to terms that I am a corny kind of gal.
I love corny jokes.
I love corny gestures of love.
I love corny corn muffins.

Mr. Speedy wanted to host a Super Bowl party and naturally, I had to decorate with corny signs. I also made corny corn muffins (it pairs nicely with chili).

Can I just once again stress how amazing FREE PRINTABLES are for parties??? Just google any theme and you can pretty much find some decorations.

If you enjoy parties or need some recipes, read ahead…

I found some great ones at Three Little Monkeys Studio (find them here) perfect for a football fiesta:

Although time consuming to cut, totally worth it.

The day before tha game, I did lots of prep.

I did all the prep after doing the following:

• Ran 14 miles after 14 days off.
• One of my eyes froze shut due to large clumps of snow and my lashes catching it all, fusing together in the cold.
• Showered and then had my hair trial for the wedding.
• So while prepping all the food, I had a rather nice curly look going on and felt pretty:

My eye is no longer frozen. Hair is so tamed and pretty. Rare look.

Moving on from frozen eye story and good hair, what was prepared?

I made a pretty banner, complete with a gold glitz ribbon:

FOOTBALL just got classy.

I made really ridiculous food labels:

Yes, go tackle it. Right now.

Hut Hut Hummus MIGHT be my fav.

I thought this was a term…

FREE THROW apparently is NOT a football term. Mr. Speedy’s friend informed me that it is actually a basketball term.

Whoops…. good thing I didn’t put anything with ‘goalie’ or ‘net.’ Whatever, these corny little signs were adorable.

I relied heavily on recipes from Mr. Speedy’s mom (her family Deviled Eggs), my mother’s chili, and The Pioneer Woman‘s recipes. And speaking of my mother, she was awesome and not only let me use her crockpot (it has a ‘warm’ setting and mine does not) but also came over and helped me prep the chicken and chili. Moms are the best.

• Buffalo Chicken, Deviled Eggs, Corny Mini-Corn Muffins, Crockpot Chili

SO MUCH FOOD.

BUFFALO CHICKEN BITS – warning: VERY spicy. I did not eat these because I’d die.

From The Pioneer Woman’s cookbook- A Year of Holidays. Also, I tripled the recipe (it has 8 servings) but I could have easily added another serving or two (we had 30 guests and it was all gone, gone, gone!)

Chicken Bites:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 Tbl. cornstarch
• 1 tsp. salt
• One 12 ounce beer
• 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced into bites

1. Combine flour, cornstarch, salt in a medium bowl.
2. Then pour in beer, whisking. Keep adding beer and whisking until the batter is somewhat thin but still thick to coat chicken.
3. Add a few pieces of the cubed chicken, tossing and coating with batter.
4. In a large pot, fill with 3-4 inches of oil and heat over medium-high heat.
5. Fry up the chicken that is coated until it is a deep golden brown.
6. Set fried chicke on paper towels to drain-cool.
7. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (make sure the sheet has little sides, not flat), and place chicken evenly on it. Set aside.

Hot Sauce:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter
• One 12 ounce bottle cayenne pepper sauce (I used Lousiana)
• 5 dashes of hot sauce
• 3-4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

1. Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Melt it all together, whisking to combine.
3. Pour it over fried chicken evenly (you can also put the chicken in a large bowl and mix sauce on it that way).
4. If you use a baking sheet, I suggest then popping the chicken in the oven on WARM for about 10 minutes to let sauce fuse with chicken.

Serve it on a platter with toothpicks. I had ranch dip on the side. A blue cheese dip would be great too.

DEVILED EGGS (made these the day before)

• 18 eggs
• miracle whip (or mayo)
• vinegar (I used balsamic)
• pepper, salt
• mustard
• paprika

1. Boil the eggs and peel. Slice them down the middle, long ways.
2. Take out all the yolks and put them in a medium mixing bowl.
3. Add about 1/2 c. of miracle whip, 1/4 cup vinegar, 1-2 tsp. pepper, 1 tsp. salt, and a few hefty squirts of mustard.
4. Mix and mash until smooth. Taste and add more ingredients if needed.
5. Spoon a hefty spoonful in each open egg white. Sprinkle paprika on top.

EXTRA- add capers on top of paprika. Made some mixed with a honey mustard or horseradish.

CORNY CORNBREAD MUFFINS (made these the day before)

• 2 packages of cornbread mix
• 1 can of corn

Just follow the direction on the package but add can of corn (drained). I like mini muffins because you can grab a handful and pop them in your mouth easily. Apparently, I don’t like to take bites or chew?!?

CROCKPOT CHILI – easy to make a day ahead, store in cold area, and plug it in a few hours before party.

• 2 lbs. ground beef (I generally choose a lean one)
• 1 chopped onion
• 2 chopped peppers (red, green, whatever you wish)
• 2 large cans Brooks Chili Hot Beans
• 2 small cans chili ready diced tomatoes
• 1 can dark red kidney beans

1. Chop up all the onions and peppers.
2. Saute onion, pepper in a large skillet. Add meat and saute it all together, until cookied. Set aside.
3. In large crockpot, pour all the beans and saute-cooked mixture. Mix well. Cook on low for 4 hours.
4. Serve it with shredded cheese, sour cream, and crackers. Yum!

And now…… desserts are very important in any party.

Generally, I try to keep desserts very healthy- replacing eggs and oil with greek yogurt or applesauce. Omitting large amounts of surgar. Using shredded carrot for moisture. But since it was a football party, I thought I’d just stick to regular recipes and nothing too healthy.

• Chocolate Nutella Berry Cake, Lemon Bars, Sugar Cookies, Chocolate Covered Pretzels

This cake was zeeee best.

Corny label.

So tasty!

NUTELLA CHOCOLATE BERRY CAKE

Find the recipe here. Boy oh boy, was this a treat-

A cocoa chocolate cake, thickly spread with nutella, then a hefty layer of homemade whip cream, sugared strawberries and boysenberries, and then repeated.

I had no leftovers. This was all gone. The recipe only called for strawberries but I would add any berry or fruit that suits your fancy.

Don’t like nutella? Use peanut butter. 🙂

The Lemon Bars were made from a box. They are super easy and super tasty.
The cookies were store bought because…. that is what happened.
The chocolate covered pretzels my dear fried made (she even drizzled them in team colors) and they were perfecto!

So tell me…

Did you watch the game? Did you make anything crazy good to share? Did you eat too much and have a food baby the entire night? I did not watch the game and did not figure out who was playing until about half-way through it… and I think all these food items were crazy good. Guests brought lots of great dips and appetizers too! And… I still have a food baby from yesterday. It is poking out, I can feel it.

But it was so worth it.

Sincerely,

Lily

Another Bridal Milestone

Saturday was our bridal shower in Michigan and what a lovely blur of a day.

First, let me just say that around noon on Thursday I became totally useless to society because my mind was a constant wave of bridal shower, wedding, gifts, rented dress Mr. Speedy, marriage thoughts. Honestly, I have no idea what I did at Friday at work. I was there, I did my job, but I can’t really remember much of any of it.

Saturday morning, I got up early before Mr. Speedy (who am I kidding- I barely slept out of excitement), and drew a hot bath and drank my coffee among lavender bubbles. It was a completely delicious way to start the day. I highly recommend this kind of relaxing start to anyone who has the time and a soaking tub.

My bridesmaid and I then went and got our hair done. First, we stopped at STARBUCKS to recreate this picture-

If you go to starbucks and ask them to write something special- they will!

I asked for ‘Bride-to-Be’ to be written on mine and ‘Bridesmaid’ to be written on my cousin’s drink.

This is what she got-

FAIL. NOPE. YOU ARE SPELLING IT WRONG.

Failed attempt at that…. Seriously. I have to say that I give the employee credit for trying…

Since I was taking professional pictures after the shower, I not only had my hair done but a full makeover.

I DID NOT PANIC.

A note about make-up and I:

• I rarely use it.
• If I do, it is just a bit of mascara, eye liner, blush, lip gloss.
• The lady asked what kind of foundation and concearler I use…. and I admitted that I had no idea what she was talking about – I am still not sure what they are.
• I love my freckles and would never want to blend them into the rest of my skin. They are like happy speckles splashed on my face.
• I am rambling – basically, I know very little about makeup.

That being said, I was slightly uncomfortable with having the eye shadow and powder and whatever else was plastered on my face- but everyone I saw assured me it looked perfeclty fine. Not too heavy.

Then, the shower began. My Aunts really out-did themselves with the gorgeous wine bottle Art Deco centerpieces. LOVED IT:

Decor!

Art Deco couple!

Name cards!

Bridesmaid and Cousin Allison!

My God mother, mother, cousin Bridget, and Allison

The food was absolutely delicous. I had a hummus plate of yumminess, along with a chicken kabob and rice.

After feeding time, we played games. One involved my cousin reading out-loud a very mushy love story about Mr. Speedy and I. It was cracking up the whole time even though I wrote it and the story is engraved on my heart:

Allison was a perfect reader.

And then I opened many, beauitful, amazing presents.

My face was expressive- sometimes showing happiness, shock, and sheer determination on breaking open the gift:

Baby REX!!!! THe cutest guy there!

At the end, Mr. Speedy showed up looking daper and hunky and I had the bigget smile seeing him walk towards me:

Oh Hi, would you like to get married?

I once ate a pizza this big.

Love.

I can’t smile enough with him around:

Smile. Smile. All smiles.

So many people, so many faces, and so many memories- loved it all:

with nursing Kellie!!!

Allison, Aunt Mary, Aunt MA

Us with our neighbors- Mrs K and Mrs F!

I have claws for hands.

She won the trivia!

Oh, so you like wine too? Excellent.

Such a lovely lady!

The whole SJ gang!

Mr. Speedy is in a sandwich of love.

MR. Speedy and Bridget

Me with two of my FAVORITE girls!!

Evan, I, and Pam!!! Love these ladies!

Why are they so good looking?

Josie and I!

My dear friend E, who is doing a reading at our wedding, was there. She always makes me light up and is one of the most honest and thoughful friend a person could ask for:

E and I!

One of my favorite pictures from the day- this one – obviously baby Rex is the only one who pays attention:

“Hey, adults- look at the camera.”

After the shower, Mr. Speedy and I took pictures with our photographer in 18 degree weather.

I do not know if you have ever gone outside in a short, backless dress with open-toe heels in that kind of weather…. but let me say, it was rather chilly.

Stay tuned for those pictures… XoXo

And THANK YOU for an amazing shower! It was perfectly wonderful and I love the memories from it!

Sincerely,

Lily

PS I WILL be renting from the runway again…. this dress was perfect!! Loved it and it was so unique! 🙂

Almost newlyweds!

My Scary Neck and My First Dress Rental

Hello.
My name is Lillian and I have the neck of a turtle – please see below:

Please, tell me to stop. Please.

This picture is from my friend’s wedding and it makes me crack up. The other girls are so completely pretty and normal and chic and I…. I have a lot of questions. What possessed me to wear large rabbit ears? What is up with the over-sized glasses? Why are my neck veins coming out to say hello? I have the head of a turtle. This is my burden. This is my life.

Moving on from that awkward picture, I am very excited for the next few weeks.

First – tomorrow is Mr. Speedy’s BIRTHDAY!!! I made him this card:

I hope he enjoys my handmade card.

Second, this Saturday is our bridal shower in Michigan. I was freaking out and didn’t know what to wear so I took a chance on Rent the Runway and HOLY MACARONI THIS WEBSITE IS AMAZING. Who has used this before??? I love it. You simply pick out a dress, accessories, whatever and for a fraction of the retail price (it is all high-end designer stuff), you can rent the outfit and ship it back. SO EASY. They send you two sizes, just in case you aren’t sure which to pick.

For our shower, I picked out this sequins-covered dress, trying to stick to the Art Deco theme:

She is really tall.

I Loooove the back.

It just arrived, in a pretty box with shampoo/conditioner samples and a coupon for next time!

The box is adorable.

Yes, thank you! I love samples!

Here is a sneak peek at the dress…. I had to try it on immediately and I think it turned out great!

Hiiiiiii. I’m in my bathroom.

I feel very fancy. And I am glad I do not have back pimples. Ew.

After our shower, Mr. Speedy and I are planning on taking a few pictures with our photographer for a pre-wedding-warm-up session. I suppose you could call these engagement pictures but I just want us to be comfortable in front of the camera.

Let me re-phrase that- I just want me to be able to control myself in front of the camera from mauling Mr. Speedy while he is dressed up and I am dressed up and we are taking lovey-dovey pictures. I will try my best. Wish us luck.

Also, I am going to try to avoid my TURTLE NECK look in ANY wedding photos… so I should practice not doing that on camera.

Other news – first book club meeting is next week and I AM SO PUMPED! We read this book:

SO GOOOOOD

If you have not read this book, READ IT. It is very good and you won’t put it down. The narrator is Death and the main character is a little girl growing up in the middle of Nazi Germany. It is fantastic. It is beautiful. It made me cry and crave and wonder. This author is amazing.

This next picture really makes me smile. For New Year’s Eve, I had my girlfriend over and then my other girlfriend along with her husband. We played games and wore really awful party hats that constantly tilted. Despite their unattractiveness, we had a blast. Here we are playing PIT, which is a game made for those who can brutally trade cards and yell at the same time:

I am not sure why we were doing thumbs up.

I really like the Monet in the background. It just totally screams ‘NEW YEAR’S EVE PARTTTTTTY.’

Speaking of Monet, I registered for one painting and really did not think anyone would buy it. But one woman who was invited to the shower and who has an equally deep appreciation of art, bought it as a gift and shipped it to our home. I couldn’t help but open it early and I was floored by her deep thoughtfulness. She wrote a note that said –

“Lily, this too is one of my favorite paintings and I am so pleased to see that you wanted it. Please enjoy it for the many years to come.”

Gustav Klimt is one of my favorites.

Is that not the kindest little note to go along with such a stunning piece of wall art? I have always imagined having this painting, hanging in some future child’s nursery. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside just thinking about it, because now that would be possible.

I really can’t wait for Saturday. Rented dress and I are going to have a blast! Let’s hope the neck of the turtle doesn’t make any appearances!

(That sounded weird. I promise not to refer to my rented clothing as a friend again….)

Sincerely,

Bridal Shower Lily

It has been great, 2013…. XoXo

Happy New Year’s Eve!

This time last year, I was returning from my getaway with Mr. Speedy in Cancun. As I flip through the pictures from that trip and look outside at the 17 degree weather, I wonder why on EARTH we did not jet away somewhere warm.

Moving on from that, 2013 has been amazing… for many reasons but mostly because of Mr. Speedy. Here is a timeline that validates that 2013 + Mr. Speedy = an amazing year:

I made this with powerpoint.

Less than three months till the I DO. We will be married in under two years of knowing each other. Wow.

Here are some more 2013 highlights that made my year:

• Jazzercise is a BLAST: My future sister-in-law teaches it and although I have only done in NE when I see her, it is super fun. Even though I am highly uncoordinated and look like a stringy pancake flopping and kicking at all the wrong times possible…. I have fun.

Can you believe she has had THREE kids? I hope I look like that.

• Discovering that even if you dress like starfish on a date, you can get proposed too. Even if you wore your hair crimped for years. Even if you got stuck in buckets. Love will find you. Life is fantastic that way.

This is basically what I felt like the entire night.

CRIMPED hair was da best!

I really am quite the worker. Promise.

• The possibility to start something new. I mean this in any facet in my life, but I have been doing a lot of soul searching and love that if you pretty much make a committment to start something, you have the ability to finish it. No matter how different and new it may seem. Right now I am trying to finish making my bed and I almost have it completed. Almost.
• Coaching GOTR: LOVED this program! Even though I had hairy legs that were often noted, I loved coaching and plan to do it again.
• A family in our future: I always knew I’d want to have children one day, but until Mr. Speedy proposed that idea never really solidified itself into my brain and heart. It has. I think about it often and am excited to have enough children to have our own cross country team. KIDDING.
• Wedding – it is what you make it. Big lesson learned. Planning a wedding can be easy or hard – you pick. It is what you make it. It is not at all what I expected but then I didn’t know what to expect. I am enjoying it. And I am looking forward to the end result.

I am so weird. He is so handsome. Bridal shower in Nebraska.

• Sometimes I talk out the side of my mouth. No one has noticed this (not even me) until Mr. Speedy mentioned it and said it was one of my cutest features. He also has noticed my two large freckles underneath my eyes, that one of my ears is slightly lower than the other, and my tiny birthmark on my hip. The fact that he notices the unseen or not-noticable things on me… makes me feel so special. Like a speckled apple mixed in with a bunch of solids. Only noticeable to the close observarber. I love that he observes me in such a minature, simple way.
• Laundry: This is a major chore that I seem to get behind on constantly. Let’s hope 2014 can bring me up to speed on figuring out the special way to keeping laundry under control.
• Bloggin’ Friends: I’ve gotten a lot closer to some of my bloggers on here… thank you. You are all such wonderful friends with such full personalities. I can’t wait to meet Brittany and Megan at the wedding and then hopefully meet up in the fall, along with Britta.
• Aunt: I get to be an Aunt now because Mr. Speedy has nieces and a nephew. This makes me jump over the moon and back. These three children make me smile so much and although our time together is short (they are in NE), I love every minute!

Me and tiny Lillyan talking to Santa.

• Running: I PR in my 10 mile. Close to my half marathon, but not quite. Let’s hope to PR in the half and re-qualify with a better marathon time for Boston. These are the goals. I am thankful that I still have strong legs and a solid set of lungs to run. I love running. Running fuels me. Deep in my bone marrow, a feeling of being alive and happy and healthy, seeps and stinks in.
• Alexander McCall Smith: Um….. yeah. That was a pretty flippin amazing moment – meeting this amazing Scottish author. So charming. So intelligent. So respectable and inviting. I want to invite him over for dinner and ask him all about his life.

So…. what about you? Highlights of 2013??? Excited about 2014??

Have a happy and safe holiday! XoXo

Sincerely,

Almost-married-Lily

Running, Showers, and Wine!

UM HI.
Sorry I haven’t blogged in a million years… I’ll catch you all up to speed with my life in a short and sweet numbered list.

Here it goes:

1. GOTR started: Maybe this is why I have found it difficult to attempt to blog during the week… training a mob of 3rd graders to run and race around cones is not easy. Especially when you accidentally forget their snack in your work fridge and they all turn against you and decide that they need a snack in order to listen.

Tip: Do not EVER forget the snack when dealing with children. It basically makes you the worst-person-ever.

2. Bridal shower in NE: My darling fiance and I, along with my mother and brother, piled into a car and made the 12 hour trip. This is me about 23 minutes into the trip:

LET ME OUTTTTTT

Below is a picture of us, after we arrived-ran-showered, ready for our guests to arrive. I wore a new dress specifically for the occasion that was bridal-like and fluffy on the bottom. I felt like a tall cupcake with brown icing flowing down my head:

Deco couple of running loooove.

The table was deco!

OH My… how amazing is this? His mom and sisters are the best!

3. I need to learn how to open presents without awkward faces. Please look:

I am so weird. He is so handsome.

Seriously, why am I so weird? Like this next picture, apparently I thought it was time to be a flamingo:

“Hiiiii I luvz youuuuuu.”

The right couple is Mr. Speedy’s sister and her husband. They are super cute! And she is one-heck of a fit lady…. she teaches Jazzercise which we did the next morning and I almost knocked myself out while attempting the moves.

I have no dancing skills whatsoever.

4. She also cut my hair ! And waxed my eyebrows so I was not beast-like.

My mom took this pic! Sneaky!

5. The way home from NE was the ride from HELL. The 12 hour drive turned into 17 hours because of the following:

• Rainy weather: Everyone was sliding and driving 40 mph.
• Traffic: It was everywhere.
• Mr. Speedy puked consistently between IL and MI: My poor love got food poisoning at a diner. I can honestly say there is nothing worse than seeing the love-of-your-life on all fours on the side of the expressway, getting drenched in rain, puking up his guts. Ughhhhhh.

6. Mr. Speedy and I like going in our hot tub:

BAHAHAHAHAH

7. Last week at work, Jimmy Johns gave one of my co-workers 60 (SIXTY) samples. It was amazing. I ate 8 and stashed 5 more. Hehehe:

Best co-worker everrrrrr.

8. I have two awesome pen pals who are also my awesome blogger friends who will be coming to my wedding. In celebration of all of this, I made them something special and they will get it shortly in the mail!!! Ekkkkk I love pen pals! Brittany and Megan rock (and I’m sorry this ruins the surprise):

Pen pal packages!

I have been practicing my fancy writing… kind of looks Halloweenish though:

Yikes. Maybe I won’t address the wedding invites?

9. It is FALL…. and I am getting paler by the second and my hair is turning black. By the time of the wedding, I will be a glowing worm of a woman:

Ghost? Yes.

10. Speaking of wedding, I did some planning this weekend with my Mother and Sister. And then we drank wineeeeeeeeeeeeeeee:

I love her. She is the best!

This next picture truly shows that I am not the only one that takes awkward pictures-  my sister has that trait too:

WHAT IS GOING ON.

In conclusion, life is great, wine is sweet, and I need to learn how to smile properly.

Sincerely,

Awkward Lily

A 10 Mile PR & a Sugary Sandy Beach

Saturday morning, Mr. Speedy and I got up at approximately at 4:58 am to run a 10 mile race.

Heads are cut off…

Better!

The CRIM race is pretty famous in MI and known to be extremely hilly. Mile 6 is SUPER fun, let me tell ya.

Now my PR for this distance was precisely 1 hour 11 minutes and 2 seconds. I ran that last summer when I was mainly running solo, had just started necking with Mr. Speedy and never really incorporated speed workouts, long runs, or tempo runs.

“You are going to break 70. I just know it,” Mr. Speedy declared while driving to our race.

I squirmed. “Uh…. I don’t know. How about 71 minutes? Or like, 2 seconds under my PR?”

“Nope,” he said, reaching over and putting a hand on my shoulder. “70. You got it.”

I love his confidence in me because frankly, it is good to know that someone believes in your ability and can see potential that you always can’t see.

Anyways, we made it to the race.
Mr. Speedy and I parted- he was in corral A (BECAUSE HE IS UBER FAST) and I was in B.
I started running. I felt loose and good and rested.

Within the first mile, a fellow female runner came beside me and we buddied up, planning to keep it around 7 minutes/mile. She is a bit faster than me and was using this 10 mile race as part of her 16 mile run that day (BY THE BEARD OF ZEUS, YOU GO GIRL). She also was wearing a super cute running outfit and I kept thinking how I should probably attempt to look more ‘girly and cute’ for races… and not like a sweaty man.

Anyways, at mile 5, the clock showed me at:

• 34:36 ….. aka 6:55 pace.

Whoa. Maybe I can do 70 minutes?

I made it through the hills… which were not very difficult. Our Love Nest is right outside a very hilly park for running, so training on those I think have made me run up and down hills like a champ.

My main thoughts after 8ish miles were: “I STINK SO BAD” and “IM GONNA DO THIS. AND THEN SLEEP” and “MY FIANCE WANTS ME TO DO 70 AND BY GOLLY LEGS AND LUNGS, LET’S SHOW HIM YOU CAN DO IT.”

When my watch hit 10 miles, this is what it showed:

BOOOOOOOOM.

I really did NOT do a 4:57 pace until probably the last 10 seconds because it was downhill, the finish was oh-so-close and I had a little kick. You think this would be really wonderful but Mr. Speedy is TERRIFIED when I do this at the end of races because he has a fear that I will over-exert my heart, cause a heart attack with the increased paced, and keel over. He always warns me to be careful when I kick…. and I always forget that he warned me about it until after I cross the finish line.

Official time, because I did not run tangent and ran a bit extra was 1:09:59. Precisely, 1 whopping second under Mr. Speedy’s 70 minute prediction. Or you could say I ran it in 69 minutes….. hardy-har-har. Dirty.

ANYWAYS, IM FREAKING HAPPY….. UNDER 70 MINUTES GETS TO BE IN CORRAL A. Next year, I plan to stand next to Mr. Speedy (AS A MARRIED COUPLE) and like, give him a good luck spank or try to convince him to pace me.

He ran under an hour. Let’s not even talk about it. He is a running beast. NO BIG DEAL.

Fast forward to post-race:

We were invited to go to a friend’s cabin for the weekend in the ‘thumb’ of Michigan, on the sandy shores of Lake Huron.

I’ll just let you look at these pictures and soak in the awesomeness of this glorious place:

We got into our bathing suits right away and hit the beach.

If someone could please tell me WHAT IS ON TOP OF MY HEAD AND WHY I THOUGHT THAT LOOKED GOOD, that would be great-

Please excuse my paleness. Also, we like to match because we are dorky lovers.

Mr. Speedy took a few pictures of me prancing around:

I’m SO tan. Not.

Hello there!

“SERIOUSLY STOP. Let me take a picture of you!”

This next photo, it just stops my heart- this man, that face, that hair –

Drool….. I shall marry you and call you mine.

I can feel my internal body temperature rise just looking at that face. Hello. I shall maul you. Would you like to roll around in the sand? Yikes.

There was only one other girl at the cabin (the rest were all smelly boys ewwww cooties – I’m kidding, they are very nice). She and her boyfriend have a dog. When I asked to take someone’s picture, all the men retreated and she was the only volunteer. Why do people avoid the camera?? Or maybe they were avoiding my post-race sweaty stench…. I had no showered.

Whatever. She is reaaaally pretty so I felt like shooting a model:

She is much tanner than I.

And the doggy joined in:

This is very cute. Frame worthy.

And then, I had every single intention of reading my book and drinking a few drinks while getting super tan.

I got out my book.
I reclined out on a chair.
I took a few sips.
And then this happened-

OUT. Asleep. Party-pooper = ME.

I appear to be naked. I am not.

But when I am sleepy, I just check-out from whatever is happening and fall asleep.

Mr. Speedy is one lucky guy, to have such a party animal and thrilling companion as myself. I sure am loads of fun!

Sincerely,

I’m-in-corral-A-not-but-still-demand-loads-of-sleep Lily

Anyone had a great experience with a hilly race? Or sleeping while others are around? Or finding sand in really unusual places?

♥

A Thrifty Piece of Furniture & Our First Overnight Guest

Yesterday, Mr. Speedy and I went to a thrifty trade show in search for two furniture items: a nightstand and coffee table.

We ended up returning home with this:

I love it. I also love how the mirror is reflecting the Monet painting. Fancy!

A very large dresser (with a detachable mirror) made in the 40s or 50s by the Davis company, in Tennessee.  Made from solid ash wood, it is tremendously heavy.

Mr. Speedy has an eye for finding these types of items in the midst of clutter and random objects. Right away, he wanted it. The more I looked at it, the more I thought about other ways to use it besides a dresser… and I really liked  loved the idea of having it in the dining room as a buffet table.

I have fine china that was a family heirloom that could fit neatly in the drawers. Linens, tablecloths, and plate chargers can be tucked smartly away. When entertaining, the top of the dresser can be a spread of food, utensils, and candles.

I’m already pictureing these Candelabra Candle Holders displayed on top, which we registered for and are completely fancy and probably the one thing I am most excited about on the registry. Who would have ever thought I would get giddy over some candle holders?

Oh-my-gosh- I just love the look of them…. gorgeous:

Ekkkk…. I love them.

Modern but classy.

YES? Who loves this idea? ::raises hand::

The dresser might need a little restoring, but for now, we kind of like the rustic-used look:

Gold trim.

I love it from all angles.

The hardware… is perfect.

A side.

My vase! That was hidden in a box for years!

After purchasing this we visited my parents at their house (aka MY HOME NO MORE), and in our honor, they grilled massive steaks.

And then we had my brother over to hang-out, watch movies, and stay in our guest room (which has the bed set-up but nothing else so I’m not showing any pictures).

My brother aka Alan aka first overnight guest!

Alan used the shower. Hung out in the guest room. Slept in the guest bed. I think I may have annoyed him because I asked him extensive questions- Do you like the bathroom? Did you notice the designer soap? Is it decorated to suit you? Do you want a different color towel? How is the bed? Do you need me to press anything for you? Is the temperature comfortable? I apologize for the mess of boxes. 

I was going to ask him if he thought his stay was comparable to a 4 or 5 star hotel, but thought that is a little much. And crazy. And might scare him off.

Anyways, one of the best things about having a guest over, especially on a Saturday night, is that you can cook a real yummy Sunday breakfast.

Potatoes, sausage (which was really turkey hot dogs because I’m a health nut) with onions, scrambled eggs:

Just a pinch of black pepper and garlic salt.

Crispy and done!

The fake-sausage… ok, it does look like a hot dog.

Yummyyyyy!

I also made SOMETHING REAL SPECIAL. My dear blogger friend, Brittany, mailed us some goodies from Starbucks because she is awesome and wants us to stay fully caffeinated. She sent Mr. Speedy some chai tea latte mix (because she knows us oh so well!) and I made him a big, toasty cup of it:

I made it with Silk milk…. we have been lovin’ this lately.

Just pour in equal parts of chai tea and milk and warm up! So easy!

Mr. Speedy’s coffee mug is really quite funny. It is a ceramic red solo cup. Whenever he drinks out of it, I feel like we are about to start partying or he has some secret liquor simmering in there with the tea:

Red solo cup! With chai tea.

All the food turned out great, judging by the speed at which the men filled their plates:

Mr. Speedy’s spoon is going at lightning speed.

And now, I am starting laundry and then I want to go running and then I want to make-out with Mr. Speedy (after my brother leaves, obviously).

The men though, are totally engrossed with Sunday morning television and seem to be embedded deep into the couch:

Awwww future brothers. Precious.

I have a feeling that this is a common sight that I must accept… and embrace.

I’m going to try to research restoring antique furniture without ruining it or embedding toxic paint chips into my cornea.

Any tips?

Sincerely,

Lily

Friday Fun Facts

HAPPY FRIDAY!

Here are some fun facts that are currently going on in my life:

1. Marathon- Thank you SO much for the feedback. I am still undecided, which is normal. Decisions are big for me.

2. I am mainly undecided because the next few weeks will busy- ya know, nailing down important wedding things (NO BIG DEAL) and trying to move in with Mr. Speedy and start co-habitating (EQUALLY NO BIG DEAL).

3. This pillar candle has an amazing scent. Truly. It is my new favorite. I got it for Christmas from my future MIL (that is slang for mother-in-law).

It smells sooooo good. Fresh. Clean. Slightly flowery.

4. I have been writing articles for a monthly newsletter at work. I finally got in contact with the person in charge of this project, who is in ITALY and named LUIGI and realized that my little articles are traveling worldwide around the globe for this corporation. Huh. I had no idea. I feel like I have a tiny footprint globally now. And now I want some pasta. And wine.

5. I have been getting spam real mail about wedding things- venues, dress shops, rentals, photographers, etc. How on earth did this happen? Really. Stop. I love getting REAL mail and to keep receiving these offers just makes me so dissappointed. They are almost as bad as bills.

No thank you.

6. Last night during our run, I totally checked out Mr. Speedy’s butt and legs the entire time.

7. Speaking of his legs, that reminds me of this picture which then reminds me that I want to have children with this man:

Drool. Drool…….

8. This also makes me want to bear his children:

His nieces and nephews just love him.

9. Actually, this makes me want to have his children too:

He ha the best legs and arms…. and torso, butt, and all other spots.

10. Today my blogging friend Brittany blogged about something I mailed her. She also makes note that she is planning an EPIC trip to visit our other blogging friend Megan and they are going to road-trip it up to MI for my wedding. This is why blogging friends are amazing:

• We have never met, yet they were instantly on the guest list for the wedding.
• We really do KNOW each other…. but don’t. But do.
• You can get to know other people who are just as awkward and weird as you and imagine retiring together and living in a big house with lots of PB (that just might be me…)
• SERIOUSLY THOUGH…. check out their blogs. Amazing. Funny. Fit. Healthy. Attractive. So much.

I already have special items to give them. I can’t waittttttttt!!!!!!

11. It is official- we are going back to Mackinac Island this fall and staying at the Grand Hotel. If you do not know this place I speak of or historical place to sleep, please google it. I can’t wait.

yayyyyy!

12. This picture makes me hungry- for an omelet and for him- RAWR:

Uh….. I keep drooling.

13. I have to apologize that 99% of the facts involve this man. This is because we are apart and have been since approximately 5:30 am when he ventured out with my Pirate father and his father (who is visiting!) and went fishing. Apparently, when I am not in close proximity and attached to his hip, I like to babble on about him and look at pictures. IMAGINE THAT.

14. My baby toenails are missing.

15. Pots. Pans. Crock pots. Garlic press. Hand towels. We are starting our registry and the whole process is very interesting because I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO REGISTER FOR OTHER THAN WINE GLASSES AND A VACUUM. And napkin rings because they are very fancy and make tables look elegant.

Help.

16. We are going to a wedding this weekend which will be #4 this year. We will have 4 more. We are expert attendees.

17. I have been attempting to teach myself fake calligraphy using a very inky pen so I can make super fancy wedding invites. I don’t think it is working.

Do you think Bragelina will show up?

Just for the record, I would not want Anna Nicole Smith as a guest.

18. Brad and Angelina can come but only if they dress in thick rags and have no makeup. The Prez can come too. No secret service allowed.

19. I think I am going to go running now.

20. Scratch that. Lay by the pool and read.

♥

Sincerely,

Factual Lily