This weekend was low-key and exactly what I needed. I've been a little more stressed out than I'd like to be lately, so we slept in on Saturday and drove through our neighborhood Caribou for coffee before going back home to make ourselves breakfast, read a wonderful article my mom sent from Roanoke about our wedding officiant (making us even more excited for May 3), and spend a large chunk of time on the couch.

I also managed to organize my work space and editorial calendar for the next few weeks, fold some laundry, and go to the gym twice, so it was the perfect mix of a Lazy Weekend and a Get Things Done Weekend.

On Sunday, I met my friend Daci for coffee and writing (we're taking those Old Friend from Far Away prompts seriously, you guys), followed by a quick walk through the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. And on my way back, I swung by our apartment to pick up Rob and we had a nice late lunch/early dinner at one of our favorite places. All in all, a great few days.

Sean's four and a half days here have flown by so incredibly fast--I can't believe he's heading back to Virginia this afternoon. I thought I took a bunch of photos, but they're mostly of food, which I guess is to be expected. We also went snowshoeing, explored Minnehaha falls, and watched the Olympics and Parks and Rec like it was going out of style. Rob and Sean are such good friends and it's the most wonderful thing in the world to see.

Rob had to work a lot this weekend, so I spent much of the past few days on my own. I didn't mind it--I watched a lot of Parks and Rec, started thinking about what I'm going to wear to Alt Summit (no, I haven't packed yet), and began to assemble our wedding invitations. I am never as organized with my time as I intend to be, but still, I managed to go grocery shopping and to the post office and made soup.

On Sunday, I drove to my friend Daci's house and we headed to breakfast, followed by an adventurous walk around a frozen Minnehaha Falls. It was 37 degrees and sunny so naturally we abandoned our coats and rolled down the windows as soon as we got back to the car. We grabbed a Bloody Mary at Red Stag Supperclub and sat at the bar before window shopping a really sweet little store just a few doors down. We stood outside and snapped photos, still jacket-less, taking in the sunlight and above-freezing temperatures. It feels pretty awesome to have adapted to the weather in this small way, and to have made a friend with whom I can spend an entire day laughing and exploring.

It was a pretty warm weekend here in Minneapolis, and we spent Saturday and Sunday having coffee, taking long walks, exploring cute neighborhoods, and popping in to a bookstore I've been looking forward to visiting for months. We had pretty big plans to clean the entire apartment and fold about three loads of laundry, but it was just too nice to not be outside.

Whenever Rob and I tell people that we live in Minneapolis, you can bet that the first thing that comes out of their mouth is usually, "Oh, gosh, you know it's cold there, right?" And at the risk of sounding like a huge brat, let me say that yes, we do know. This weekend was exceptionally cold, with a windchill of -26 on Sunday, but on Saturday, it was an entire nine degrees above zero, so while we were out running some errands, we stopped at Lake Normandale to snap a few photos.

I must be adjusting well to this climate, because I decided to leave my jacket in the car and was outside for ten whole minutes! So without further ado, here's what I wore this weekend (mostly under my parka).

Rob and I had a really nice rainy weekend together, complete with several errands and a Thai lunch date on Saturday. When we have places to be but it's cold and grey out, I love nothing more than a cozy tee and a soft hat with some stretchy black pants or leggings. I added a fun pair of earrings to fancy myself up a bit, and I was ready to go!

I've been saying this every week since the end of October, but I think we might finally be done sending out save-the-dates. I'm headed to Virginia for two weeks on Thursday, so there's plenty to be done around here before I'm actually ready for my trip. Overall, it was a productive weekend. Even if there's still laundry to fold.
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The Happy Gnome has recently become our favorite spot to have lunch. When Rob's brother Dan came to visit us a few weeks ago, Rob put together a list of places that had awesome beer selections. We stopped by The Happy Gnome for lunch and loved it so much that we were back again the next day for dinner. They have a huge selection of beers and quite a few hard ciders, as well, but it's the burgers that keep us coming back. Any burger that comes topped with pulled pork is fine by me. The adorable neighborhood and the fact that their mixed greens salad is so good that sometimes I actually want it instead of fries helps, too.

I always get a Bloody Mary and the Angus Cheeseburger without a bun or cheese, and Rob gets a beer and the Game Burger, which is bison and elk and comes with lingonberry mayo. Everything is good.


Service 4/5
Atmosphere 5/5
Prices & Specials 3/5
Paleo-Friendly 5/5

I can't remember the last time I went apple picking in the fall. It's something I always want to do and never get around to, so this year, when we're together in Minnesota without many plans, we decided to go. It was a chilly Saturday morning and we stopped by our new favorite coffee shop for some almond milk lattes to to before driving about thirty minutes east to Afton Apple Orchard in Hastings, Minnesota.

It was kind of dreary and cold out, but we listened to my autumn playlist on the way and by the time we got there I was practically giddy with excitement. If all the cute, bundled up kids and the hayride out to the orchards weren't charming enough, the petting zoo stationed by the apple cider press really sealed the deal.

I had the best time. Good coffee, beautiful autumn weather, a romantic stroll through an apple orchard, and a couple of llamas. I don't ask for much, but I managed to get it all in one morning.