All in the family

Images in this photo are not as white as they appear

Our town hosts the annual "Tip Up Town." Originating here 62 years ago, ice fishing was the inspiration. Two weekends a year revolve around ice shantys, snowmobiles, dog sled races, queens pageants, and fun for the whole family. In more recent years the winter festival is better known for its' crowded beer tent and rowdy out of towners, who drive their snowmobiles too fast after a few cocktails. I've frequented Tip Up Town before during my formative years, but this is our first year actually being locals. And the truth is, we wanted to avoid all the hoopla and stay away from the madness.

Cousin, Alyssa, my mom's Uncle Roger, and me

The only thing that could drag me out this past weekend was the promise of family, fun, and some good music. Some of my cousins are in a band (4 out of the 5 brothers) called Herd. They're crazy talented. I should know, I sang in a different band with them 8 years ago--wow, time flies-- and they're even better now than they were back then.

Mike's the oldest. Can sing and play anything.

Josh is the next. He's the drummer, but I love when he gets up and sings.

JJ's the lead singer. Very entertaining.

Jason's the "baby" of the group. So impressed with his guitar playing. When I use to sing with them no one would let him do anything but play the bongos!

And here's a blast from the past, just for kicks:

Singing and dancing with the newly formed band in 2007 at my cousin's grad party.

Check out their facebook profile and hear some music HERE

Surviving a Northern Michigan Winter



It's official. We have a lot of snow and it's sticking. For good, it feels like. Winter was slow to arrive and is never quick to leave us up here in the Great White North.

The above photo was taken through one of our front windows. The icecicles on our house are outrageous. And I don't mean that as a good thing. What is it with us, old houses, and bad insulation? "Hello, high energy bills. We meet again."

Another challenge in the winter time up here is the lack of entertainment. We live in a smallish town-with close to nothing to do. Ice fishing and snowmobiling are all the rage up here and we do neither. Here are a couple of tips for Surviving a Northern Michigan winter that work for us:

1. Home projects that can be done inside.

Jake and I painted our second hand rocking chair while the weather was nice, and saved the reupholstering for one of those long, cold weekends.

2. Get a gym membership.

I did this recently and have been going consistently. It is good for the body and soul, and an excuse to get out of the house on days off work.

3. Learn to like reading.

We watch quite a few movies over here, but tv doesn't strengthen the mind like a good book. I am in the middle of a novel now and currently have 13 more books waiting in the wings.

4. Get a tan.

There is no need to go overboard, but I think it's ok to get a fake tan every so often. Our gym is attached to a tanning salon and we can even adjust our package to include a few tans a month. Everyone looks better a light shade of brown and I hear it helps with the winter-time blues.

5. Still dress cute. I realize Fall's long gone-but the days of dressing cute are not. Throw on some cute boots, designer jeans, a matching scarf and hat set and don't fall prey to the baggy sweatshirts and sweatpants that I see all too often up here.

photo courtesy Vogue

Around my house

Let's ignore the fact that my camera takes terrible photos (I'm saving for a good one). I thought I would share a few shots inside of our temporary little rental house.

Like that picture of my dad's grandma hanging in the corner of our bedroom. Love that frame. Hopefully in our next house we will have a fabulous place to put her.

And giant keys hanging in our entry, gifted by my bestie.

Until next time....



Randoms: The style edition

 I'm not as mean as I look in this photo

My new thing is the high bun. I wear one..hmm..almost every other day, give or take. It's the perfect easy hairstyle for dirty not-super clean hair. And it felt good to brush all the hair out of my face...BUT I got my bangs cut since this photo was taken. So, now the bun has some spice. 

I pulled my pant legs up for this photo, I do not resemble Eurkel.

I am loving my newish camel colored grandma shoes. At least that's what I call them. They look great with jeans, skirts, and dresses. And they were 75% off. Bonus.

My Zara polka dot shirt I received for Christmas. Flowy, but fitted in the arms. And has a gold zipper all the way up the back to boot.

hard angle

stupid marital spats

As a married couple, we sometimes argue about stupid things, but the other night was ridiculous. I informed Jake that others were speculating about whether or not Beyonce gave birth in secret. I said that I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't even really carrying her baby, but paid someone else too. I mean, I know how hard it is to get back into shape and I can't imagine what it would be like with a body like that. So, just maybe she chose an alternative? Jake defended Beyonce past the point of what was necessary and is certain she would never do that. lol. Seriously? How dumb. We laugh about it now.

Does anyone else argue with their spouse over ridiculous things?



Making Good

So, I'm making good on one of my recent resolutions....

Working out.

I went to the gym Jake attends and planned on just purchasing a day pass. Well, somehow he wound up buying me a membership. Now there's no way out. He worked out alongside me and "spotted" while I used the weight bench. I used the bench press, people. Yesterday was "chest and back." Now, if you're anything like me your idea of working out is running on a treadmill or a pilates DVD. I used to be a gym-goer, but it's been a while.

This morning when I woke up, I was sore. This afternoon, I was really sore. So, what did I do tonight? Why, went back to the gym of course. (Pat myself on the back.)

I will keep you posted on how everything shakes out.

Tightly, perhaps?



2012

Happy 2012, Everyone! We celebrated the new year with Jake's family and had a great time. We actually celebrated our Christmas with them early in the evening and then headed out to my father in law's heated shop to dance, play games, and well...be loud, while others slept.

I really like the new year, minus the after-Christmas let-down. It's the ideal time to set new goals, be optimistic and plan for the upcoming year. As usual, I have made some resolutions:

The usual- eat healthier, exercise more, attempt healthier dinners...I'm going to Florida in a month and a half!

Pay off a couple of specific debts.

Take at least two vacations with my husband.

Be more intentional in what I say and do. And be sweeter. That's a resolution right?