Month in Review: July, 2016

August 1, 2016July 31, 2016Leave a comment

How is it August already? It seems like summer if flying by, but I guess that’s partly to do with how busy we have been. Looking at our July calendar, a mosaic of events written down in colorful ink, I’m reminded of all of our adventures.

Ian and I kicked off July with a trip to Oconomowoc to visit his childhood friend. We sunbathed while boating around the lake, collected chicken eggs, received a few horse nuzzles, and ate a sunset dinner on the pier. While our excursion was supposed to be a day-trip, we ended up spending the night. As we were all piled onto the couch, eating pizza and watching a movie, I realized how long it had been since my last sleepover. It was fun to feel like a kid again, and I am going to make a point to invite more friends over for slumber parties.

Another highlight of our month was attending the Botanical Gardens concert series. We saw our favorite local jazz band, Greenhouse Jazz, preform and we felt like true groupies as we knew every song they played. During intermission we wandered through the gardens and took in the beautiful flowers.

Towards the middle of the month my parents and sister made the long road trip up to visit for the weekend. We sipped on wine and danced in the vineyard at Parallel 44’s Summer Wine Fest event, fed alpaca and giraffes at the zoo, and ate our fill of delicious food. All of our cheeks hurt by the end of the weekend from laughing so much.

One of my favorite things about summer, besides not having to bundle up to go outside, is the long list of local events. I looked at our calendar and realized, if we had the time, we could be at an event every night of the week! A yearly favorite is Knights on the Fox, an outdoor concert series down by the water on St. Norbert’s campus. We always pack a picnic and relax in the sunshine while listening to music.

We ended the month with a mini road trip to Greenbush, WI to attend the Wade House’s 1860’s Ginger Beer Event. I was able to persuade Ian to come to the event since it involved brewing beer, but I was really there for the horse-drawn carriage ride and sprawling countryside property. Can you image visiting the grounds in the fall?! I’m already excited to make a return trip and looking at the historic buildings nestled in-between the brightly colored leaves!

Month in Review: July, 2016

Clearly, it’s been a busy month, but it’s been a wonderful month. We were able to explore new Wisconsin sights, partake in the many summer events being hosted, and share a few laughs with friends and family. All in all, I have a feeling it is going to be hard to top July, but I’m looking forward to see what memories we will make in August.

https://youtu.be/9Nfah3WlBZE

Farmers Market

July 13, 2016July 13, 20166 Comments

A summer highlight growing up were the early morning trips to Madison for the farmers market. With a pocket full of change, my sister and I would walk from vendor to vendor, taking full advantage of the free samples. After circling the Capitol Square once, we would make the tough decision on how to spend our money. Usually it came down to honey sticks or maple suckers. Clearly, we were all about the sweets!

Attending college at UW-Madison allowed me to continue the weekend farmers market tradition. It was on the Square that I learned of Ian’s sharp cheddar love, bought my first succulent, and satisfied my never-ending craving for Stella’s Hot and Spicy Cheese bread.

I have to admit, when Ian accepted the job offer miles away from Madison one of the things that tugged at my heart was the realization that our farmers market tradition may come to an end. Luckily, after a bit of online research I discovered our new town hosted a Wednesday night farmers market! It didn’t take long after we settled in before we were roaming down the main street enjoying samples from new vendors.

While I no longer can stock up on spicy cheese bread, I’ve found new favorites to fill my shopping bag. Our guilty pleasures now include macrons, beef jerky, local honey, and fresh berries. It’s one of our favorite summer traditions and has helped us feel apart of our new community over the past few years.

What are your favorite summer traditions?

Month in Review: June 2016

July 4, 2016July 3, 20162 Comments

The month began on a high note with another trip! I swear Ian and I don’t normally travel this much, but it just so happened that his 25th birthday fell over his brother’s 8th grade graduation ceremony so we jumped at the chance to fly to Florida.

We usually visit his family over the winter holidays so I wasn’t prepared on how warm Florida is in June! Cue many afternoons spent at the pool cooling off.

We had planned to relax and catch up on laundry when we returned from Florida, but Gaelic Storm headlined Irish Fest that weekend and we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to see them again for only $8! The night was spent watching the Trinity Irish Dancers, playing rounds of Uno while eating dinner on a picnic blanket, and helping Ian try on kilts. He didn’t buy one this time around (they didn’t have his family tartan) but I’m sure the purchase is in the near future. Stay tuned for photos!

Month in Review: June 2016

Another exciting change happened this month! I accepted a 6 month graphic design project that requires me to work on location. It’s been an adjustment, but it’s nice to work in a team setting. Sometimes freelancing can get a bit lonely!

It’s tempting to get home from work and settle down for an evening of Netflix, but Ian and I have been trying to get out and make the most of the summer. We’ve filled our evenings by taking bike rides along the country paths, signing up for private sailing lessons, and eating dinner out on our patio.

Towards the end of the month, Ian’s cousin made the trip from St. Louis to spend a weekend with us in Wisconsin. Our agenda consisted of an evening out on the city deck listening to live music, sipping wine at the von Stiehl steer roast, and driving up to Fish Creek.

The month ended back in Madison for two celebrations: my Mom’s birthday and my parent’s anniversary. The festivities included roasting marshmallows, watching movies, and giggling during the Bubble Run.