explore. dream. discover.

{Thoughts on Blogging & Such}

2012-01-26T11:19:00.000-08:00

I’ve been thinking a lot this week. About everything, but mostly about blogging. Sometimes I am totally feeling social media and the blogosphere and all that. I feel so incredibly inspired by everything I see and read, and I feel proud to be part of such an amazing and supportive community. Other days I wonder why I blog and I feel kind of like a weirdo for doing it. I get insecure when I think about people in my life who might come here and read my blog and think it’s stupid, think I’m too positive, think I’m bragging, think I’m ugly or dumb or can’t write. I think all of these terrible things. Sometimes I desperately want to put more time and effort into this blog – have more sponsors, more followers, more comments. And then other times I wonder why the hell I even care about that stuff? Who cares how many visits I get? Why am I blogging anyway? It’s a question I am seriously thinking about. To be honest, I don’t get very deep on my blog. I am a very thoughtful and inquisitive person, but I stay pretty surface level around here. There are lots of reasons for that. For one, I don’t know who’s out there reading this blog so it can be super intimidating (and frankly a little strange) to bare my soul to all of you. And on the other hand, I can't stop thinking about how more often than not when I tell people I know in "real life" I write a blog, I just get really weird stares and questions wondering why I would put my life on the internet. It is pretty weird if you think about it, right? But most days I know why. It’s because I read all these blogs that give me such great ideas for anything and everything (dinner, crafts, gifts, you name it!), I read blogs about people who make me want to be a better wife, sister and daughter, I read blogs that remind me to be thankful for everything I have and everything I experience in life. I want to be one of those blogs for my readers. I want you all to come here and to feel good and happy and inspired and feel like if you have a dream then you should go out and get after it. I never, ever want anyone to come here and read what I write and think I’m just bragging or that I think I am the coolest person ever who cooks and bakes and takes photos and has an amazing husband and perfect little life. Yeah, right. NOBODY is perfect. I wear ugly things, lose my temper, feel depressed some days and wonder why anyone would ever look up to me. But this blog helps me find the good in my life, in myself and in the world. I don’t want to come here and post about how mad or sad I feel about some things because who’s that going to help? Not me and not you. I actually have no idea where I’m going with this. This week was just one of those weeks where I was feeling a little more reclusive and private and didn’t feel like posting much. But I wanted to come here and “talk” to you in a sort of stream of consciousness. I just wanted to be real and to let you in on a few things that were going on in my head. I don’t know where I want this blog to go or what I really want the purpose of it to be. But as long as I am inspiring you and as long as I’m having fun then I’m going to keep at it. I appreciate every single one of you for coming here to see what I post and I love hearing from you guys. Sorry for the rambling today. I hope at least one person will read this and relate to my random thoughts :)

We’re off to Berlin tomorrow so I’ve got to go pack and clean (the not-so-glamorous part of traveling!). Hope you all are having a wonderful week.

And what's a post without a photo? I snapped this one a couple weekends ago on an evening walk in Amsterdam.

{Beauty Must-Haves}

2012-01-24T08:09:00.000-08:00

I've had a few questions via email and on my Formspring for what hair products I use as well as what my makeup routine is. I thought I'd answer here in case anyone else was interested!

I recently changed my makeup almost exclusively to Bobbi Brown. She came and spoke at a work conference a few months back and I was completely smitten with Bobbi as well as her brand and what it stands for. She believes that "beauty isn't about looking perfect. It's about celebrating individuality". Her makeup is super natural, gives great coverage, but at the same time feels light on my skin. Here are my beauty must-haves and a few reasons I love them so very much and would recommend every.single.one to you.

1. Bobbi Brown Corrector: This is the miracle worker right here. I naturally have dark circles under my eyes and this corrector brightens and covers those circles in seconds flat. I never used a corrector before, but now that I do, I will never go back!

2. Bobbi Brown Concealer Kit: This is a no-nonsense, award-winning concealer. Covers blemishes, dark circles and the like. The pressed powder that accompanies it sets the concealer for long-lasting wear. It's not super cakey and thick like some other concealers I've used!

3. Bobbi Brown Illuminating Finish Powder Compact Foundation SPF 12: Love, love, love this powder. I used to use Mac StudioFix powder because I liked how much coverage it gave me, but it made my face feel sort of trapped (do you know that feeling?). This pressed powder can give you different degrees of coverage based on how you apply it (damp sponge, dry sponge, face brush) and it feels light and airy. Can't say enough about this product!

4. Bobbie Brown Bronzing Powder: I think the key with bronzer is finding the right shade for your skin tone. I went to Nordstrom and got help at the Bobbi Brown counter and they did a fabulous job. Gives me a glow without looking fakey orange.

5. Bobbi Brown Bronzer Brush: I was never the girl who had all the fancy makeup brushes. I told the woman at the Bobbie Brown counter at Nordstrom that I wasn't interested in having a million brushes that do a million different things. I'm a simple girl when it comes to beauty and I wanted to keep it that way. She suggested 3 essential brushes. This is one of them. It makes me feel like I'm at the spa every morning as I put on my bronzer. Feels amazing on my skin and applies my bronzer flawlessly. I'm a changed woman.

6. Bobbi Brown Face Brush: See #5. I use this brush to apply my pressed powder and love it just as much as the bronzer brush.

7. Christian Dior Eyeliner Pencil: I've used this eyeliner since I was 14 and I just can't betray it - even for Bobbi Brown ;)

8. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze: This is one of my favorite beauty products ever. This is the one Bobbi Brown product I used from the beginning. If you want to look flawless and glowing, you need this. Trust me. Uh-may-zing.

9. Bobbi Brown Lash Glamour Extreme Lengthening Mascara: I change my mascara pretty much every time I need a new tube. I just haven't found one that absolutely wows me yet. I got this one as a sample and I feel the same way about it as I do with any other good mascara: It does the trick, but it doesn't perform miracles... Do you know one that does?

10. Kiehl's Ultra Facial Tinted Moisturizer SPF 15: My makeup routine actually starts with this moisturizer. Gives some color to my face and evens things out. In the summer I just brush a bit of bronzer on top and add mascara and call it a day. During the winter I proceed with concealer, powder, etc.

11. Morrocan Oil Hair Treatment: Oh my hair... Or shall I call it "the fro", "my mane", "the beast"... All common names for my long + thick head of hair! Don't get me wrong, I know it's a blessing to have this much hair, but taming it can be so tiresome and irritating. Morrocan Oil really helps keep the frizz to a minimum, cuts down on my drying time and it smells soooo good. I heard people rant and rave about this product forever and my friend finally got me some as a gift. Now there's no turning back.

12. Bobbi Brown Eye Blender Brush: I use this brush to set my concealer using the powder from my Creamy Concealer Kit. I also use it to apply eyeshadow (though I normally only where eyeshadow on nights out!).

So there you have it! My beauty must-haves. Am I missing anything? Do you have any questions? Feel free to ask me in the comments, by email or on my Formspring. Really hope you guys enjoyed this post - I know it's different from the usual!

{Weekend Recap}

2012-01-23T08:16:00.000-08:00

Is it Monday already? Just like the week, this past weekend flew. Here's what were were up to:

+Friday I took my cousin to a cute little French restaurant along a canal for dinner. It was so fun catching up and partaking in some good 'ol girl talk.

+Brunched at Le Pain Quotidien (and enjoyed the most delicious freshly made mint lemonade)

+Experienced the Anne Frank museum. It was incredibly powerful and heart wrenching. If you're ever in Amsterdam I recommend you not miss it.

+Shopped around the Nine Streets.

+Took my cousin to our favorite Thai restaurant

+Discovered a new (adorable!!!) pastry/sandwich shop called "De Laatste Kruimel" (The Last Crumb) that is dangerously close to our apartment.

+Started Season 3 of Dexter.

+Met our downstairs neighbor who had us over for drinks. She's super sweet and she gave us a bunch of restaurant suggestions we can't wait to try!

+Had dinner with a bunch of coworkers who are in town from the States. You have no idea how comforting it is to have them all here. I miss their familiar faces!

What did you do this weekend? Do you feel like you need another day to recover like me?

Sponsor Spotlight: The Egg

2012-01-20T05:55:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday! This week flashed before my eyes. It's my second week in a row working out three times a week. And not just any workout, but the tough one hour classes at our gym at work! I am feeling so great. Seriously, the endorphins are flowing. Not even this awful rainy weather can get me down! This weekend my cousin is in town and we are super excited to show her around the city (and I'm excited to have a shopping buddy!). Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! If you're looking for a new blog to get lost in, check out one of my wonderful sponsors - The Egg!

Meagan started The Egg, a local Jackson Hole blog, as a creative outlet to give her friends and family a glimpse of the Mountain Lifestyle. She writes about her adventures and the day-to-day life in the Tetons. She recently teamed up with "Dishing Jackson Hole" as a blogging contributor, where she writes about the best of her little mountain town's grub and cocktails! When's she's not off playing in the mountains she is traveling the world - she tries to visit a new country every year - and so far she's stayed true to that goal. I hope you all enjoy Meagan's blog as much as I do! Enjoy :)

{Scenes from a Sunday Stroll}

2012-01-19T05:40:00.000-08:00

This past Sunday it was gloriously sunny in Amsterdam. It was also freezing, but that barely phased anyone in the city a bit. When those blue skies come out everyone is happy and the city is bustling (even more so than normal) with people hoping to enjoy the sight of the sun. We had planned on going to a museum on Sunday, but after brunch with a friend I knew I wouldn't want to spend any more time inside. Corey and I instead spent the afternoon walking around the Jordaan, one of the most picturesque neighborhoods in Amsterdam. We happened upon a boat cafe and decided we should sit and enjoy a cup of coffee (me) and a beer (Corey). It was one of those days where we walked around chatting away about how incredibly happy we are that we chose to go on this crazy adventure. There have definitely been dark days (literally and figuratively) but when that sun shines, everything becomes clearer and we know we made the right choice.

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

P.S. Thanks to Kyna from Great Expectations for these Photoshop Actions! I'm having fun trying something new with my editing <3

{Outfit Post: A Chilly Winter Day}

2012-01-17T11:48:00.000-08:00

We had such a great weekend. The perfect mix of fun + relaxation. Saturday we met up with friends for authentic Italian brick oven pizza, beer and games. It was a blast! This is what I wore.

{Anthropologie Hat, Tulle Pea Coat (old): Similar, H&M Sweater (old): Similar, TopShop Stretch Skinnies (LOVE THESE), H&M Leg Warmers, Paul Warmer Boots: Similar, Cole Haan Bag: Similar}

{Sneak Peek: Evelyn Zoe Newborn Photos}

2012-01-16T00:41:00.000-08:00

I'm so beyond grateful Evelyn Zoe decided to show up a week early so I could meet her when I was home for the holidays! She is the cutest little thing I've ever seen! I was lucky enough to take some photos for Megs and Jeff and I couldn't have been happier to share in the excitement and joy over their new baby girl. I'm only showing a peek at the photos for now as I know Meghan and Jeff are planning on using a few for their birth announcement and I don't want to ruin the surprise for friends that read my blog, but I just had to brag about gorgeous Evie and share at least a couple!

Meghan and Jeff - You made an incredibly beautiful and precious little girl. She is so ridiculously lucky to have you both as parents. I can't wait to watch Evelyn grow, watch how she changes your life and witness the love you clearly have for each other now multiply for this little one. Congratulations!

{New Years Eve in Amsterdam}

2012-01-13T04:22:00.000-08:00

Corey and I flew back from the States just in time to celebrate New Years Eve in Amsterdam. We had plans to join friends for a house party, but realized upon arriving that we were way too jet lagged and exhausted to do much, plus we had a terrified pup to attend to. You see, fireworks are illegal in the Netherlands every other day of the year, so people go nuts on NYE. From the time we woke up we started hearing them go off. As the day progressed the cracks and booms got louder and louder, and once we even thought our windows would blow out (seriously). We spent much of our day staying inside consoling Henry, who's not a fan of fireworks. In the evening we sat around and drank strong Belgian beers (out of champagne flutes) and talked about our wishes for 2012. Around 11:30 we decided we should at least go out for a bit and experience the commotion and smooch under the colorful bursts of fire at midnight.

We walked about three blocks to Nieuwmarkt (where we also bought our Christmas tree!) and as soon as we stepped outside we were surrounded by thousands of people, crowded streets and terrifyingly close firecrackers being lit all around us. I saw a girl chugging whiskey out of a nearly-empty bottle of Jack Daniels, and the smell of marijuana surrounded us. It was clear that people had come from all over the world to celebrate the beginning of the New Year here - and they wanted to bring it in with a bang. We stood together for a while in awe of all the chaos and couldn't help but feel like we were in the middle of a war zone. We had to dodge fireworks more than once as people threw them off their balconies down onto the congested streets. The whole scene was like nothing I'd seen before. It was 4th of July on steroids - and with no rules. Drunken people lighting off fireworks wherever and whenever they wanted - regardless of how many people were around.

At midnight things really went crazy. We kissed at midnight, took a few photos, and then realized that by now Henry must be having a mild heart attack and we'd better get back. Plus, I was scared for my life and was more than happy to go back and seek refuge in our apartment. I figured our quiet street would be saved from the madness, but when we finally turned onto it we found some drunken men lighting off huge fireworks right in front of our door. They were so big you could feel their vibrations deep in your chest. We ran up to our apartment to find Henry shaking uncontrollably. We quickly consoled him and turned some music up loud to try (naively) to drown out the noises coming from outside. We were glad we decided to stay home with him that night (save for 30 minutes)! The fireworks didn't stop until around 4AM, so our jet lag woes continued into the next day. All in all we were happy to be here and experience the craziness that is Amsterdam on NYE, but I have to say that next year you'll probably find us holed up in a cabin in the country - far, far away from it all.

{Fun with Photo Booth}

{Heading out into the madness...}

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

P.S. I've added a poll right under the Followers widget on the right side of my blog. I'd really appreciate your response! You can choose as many options as you like. THANKS!

{2012}

2012-01-11T04:34:00.000-08:00

I don’t really make resolutions, but I always like the hope that a new year brings. And I’m normally really good with goals if I take them seriously. Instead of making a few general goals for the year and probably forgetting about them by February, I thought I’d take a different approach (inspired by the Happiness Project, actually) and dedicate each month of the year to a different “resolution”. Maybe this way, a few of them will actually stick and become habits. Here’s the plan:

January: Cook with a new vegetable/try a new recipe at least once a week. We get stuck in the same asparagus, brussel sprout, broccoli rut dinner after dinner. Hoping this will help me learn about some new veggies and have fun experimenting in the kitchen! {note: last week we cooked with pumpkin from scratch for the first time, and made a stir fry with Bok Choy and Cabbage - all thanks to our crate we now get delivered every Saturday}

February: This one is simple, but one that I struggle with. Drink more water. The goal will be to drink the recommended 64oz of water a day. And on top of that, I want to stretch every night before bed. I've been wanting to work on my flexibility for years, and now I have no excuse!

March: Work out at least three days a week (trying to set realistic goals - obviously I'd like to try 4 or 5 days, but baby steps!). Doesn’t have to be super intense, just get to the gym and get at least 20-30 mins in. Bonus points if I get to the killer workout classes at our gym at work!

April: Learn to use the film camera (Canon AE-1) my father-in-law so generously gave me last year. I'm really intimidated by it, but I have the manual and I'm learning more and more about photography with my DSLR, and this is something I really want to master!

May: This one is straight from The Happiness Project: Don’t Gossip. I hate to admit that I can definitely be intrigued by a good piece of gossip, and even worse, sometimes I find myself actually contributing to gossipy conversations. Yuck. Let’s be honest, while sometimes it can feel fun or even enjoyable to take part in these sorts of conversations, do we ever feel good once we walk away and it’s over? For me, no way. I always remorsefully ask myself why I opened my mouth, whether it be a piece of juicy work gossip or telling my mom something my sister said. May is going to be all about keeping to myself - unless I’ve got something nice and productive to say, of course J

June: Don't complain. Simple, right? I do it a lot and it's habit I plan on breaking.

July: Step away for the iPhone. Over the last couple years my iPhone has pretty much become permanently attached to my hand. I always have it on me, I'm constantly checking email, twitter, Instagram, etc etc. It's like I feel that if I'm not checking everything all the time I'll miss something. And when I do have time away from my phone (like when I was just home for Christmas my phone wouldn't work) I have a mix of feeling pure bliss to be so free of it all, while experience severe anxiety that someone is trying to reach me and I'm not responding. I want to pay more attention to what's going on around me, be more attentive to my husband and just realize that I'm missing a lot more being on my phone than if I were to just forget about it.

August: Choose joy. This one's inspired by Ashlee (have you checked out her blog? It's an all-time fav). I want to wake up and make every day a good day. I want to find the good in everything, even the crappy days/situations that get thrown my way. Life is what you make it - and I want to make it great.

September: I want to use this month to organize. Clean out the closet, unsubscribe from emails I hate getting, clean my desk at work... All that good stuff.

October: Learn how to paint. I have no idea how I'm going to do this, but one thing this winter has taught me is that I need an indoor hobby I can partake in that doesn't involve a computer. I love blogging and social media, but sometimes I feel like between that and work I live on my laptop. Not good. I've always been intrigued by people who can paint, and I think I want to be one of them :)

November: Send more mail. We travel so much and I think it'd be fun to send postcards and such. Also, just random notes. Who wouldn't love a little unexpected card in their mailbox?

December: Start a new holiday tradition.

So what do you think of this approach? Would you try it? What are your top resolutions for 2012?

{image via}

Sponsor Spotlight: Lemons, Avocados & The Bay

2012-01-10T01:46:00.000-08:00

I planned on posting about our NYE in Amsterdam today, but for one, I’ve been in a bit of a funk these last few days, and for two, I have another amazing sponsor for you guys to meet, so I thought the fireworks could wait until Wednesday.

Meet Tammy, from the blog Lemons, Avocados & The Bay. She is an adorable 20-something living a dream life in gorgeous San Diego, California. Her and her boyfriend bought a home and renovated it last year, love to travel and enjoy life’s simple pleasures (like indulging in delicious brunches and spending a cozy Saturday night curled up on the couch watching movies). Head over to her blog and follow along on her adventures – you won’t regret it!

{Our Instagram Weekend}

2012-01-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

Didn't break out my camera, but I did break out the Instagram. Descriptions below!

{left to right, top to bottom}

1. All dolled up for a hot date night with the huz

2. Dinner at Mazzo, a delicious Italian restaurant in the Jordaan neighborhood in Amsterdam

3. Movie at this gorgeous theater in the center of the city. We saw J. Edgar and we’re still not sure what to think about it. It wasn’t really what we expected – a little slow/boring, but interesting at times..

4. Post-date cocktails: Organic Ginger Beer + Bourbon (plus we got to use the cool new iceballs I got Corey for Christmas!)

5. A lazy Saturday morning in bed, sipping coffee out of my boston terrier mug (gifted to me by a good friend – thanks, Libby!)

6. Thisincredible crate of fresh veggies, fruit, bread and fish was delivered to our door Saturday morning. We made this Potato-Pumpkin Gnocchi with Fresh TomatoSage Sauce. It took a long time to make, but it was plate-licking good!

7. I finally got around to organizing this little nook in our bedroom. I was inspired by this image. What do you think?

8. Ended our weekend with a giant White Truffle Pizza from MangiAncora, the best pizzeria in the city. By the way, we finished that entire thing :)

{Christmas Snaps Part II}

2012-01-06T04:50:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned Monday, we spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family. We decided not to do any gifts this Christmas as a lot of us flew in from different parts of the country (or the world!), and we figured time together would be the best gift we could get each other, anyway. We haven't had a complete holiday, with everyone in one place, in a few years, so it made me ridiculously happy to fly back to Portland and get to experience that this year. The night was pretty low key. We ate a delicious meal, enjoyed wine and cocktails, and loved on Oscar, my sister Cristina's new pup who she rescued few months ago. Then, we ended the night with a friendly game of poker (I actually didn't participate, I was recovering from my food coma on the couch!)!

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

Sponsor Spotlight: Marshalls Abroad

2012-01-05T04:58:00.000-08:00

I’ve got another sponsor I’d like to introduce to you! I know you’re going to love her because if you like reading about our life abroad in Amsterdam, you’re going to LOVE reading about Amanda and her husband, Cam’s, life abroad in the most beautiful place, complete with crystal clear water and warm, breezy days…the subtropical island of Okinawa, Japan! She and her husband have the most adorable love story and Marshalls Abroad is all about what they’re up to as they live on the other side of the world from their families. They travel a ton, have an insanely gorgeous home, she takes amazing photos, and you’ll feel happy just reading her positive attitude towards life. Do yourself a favor and head there now, but hopefully you have a few hours to spare because you’ll get sucked in realll quick :)

{Super Moist Banana Cake + Cream Cheese Frosting}

2012-01-04T04:59:00.000-08:00

We had the most amazing slice of banana cake on our flight home from Portland last week (of all places!). The package said it was made by Eli's Cheesecake from Chicago. In any case, the tiny slice I had just wasn't enough, so ever since our plane ride I've been craving more banana cake. I stayed up late Monday night to bake one, and boy-oh-boy was it worth it. The recipe was so good I had to share it! I used this Joy the Baker recipe, which is actually for cupcakes. I used two 9-inch round cake pans and baked them for 30-35 mins. It worked great and I even had some batter leftover to make a few cupcakes, which Corey's coworkers enjoyed as a breakfast treat on Tuesday :)

Super Moist Banana Cake

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/2 cup sour cream

2 cups ripe bananas, mashed

(about 4 medium bananas)

3 cups all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 cup walnuts, chopped

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chunks (I left these out)

Preheat the oven to 350. Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda. Set aside. Mash the bananas and add the sour cream. Set aside. Cream the butter in the sugar until pale and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Beat in the vanilla extract. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating each egg for 1 minute. Scrape down the bowl after each addition. Add the flour mixture alternately with the banana mixture, until just combined. Fold in the nuts and chocolate. Bake in cupcake papers, or a well greased and floured cupcake pan for 15- 20

minutes. Check them after 15 minutes.

Martha's Cream Cheese Frosting

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into pieces, room temperature

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl. Using a rubber spatula, soften cream cheese. Gradually add butter, and continue beating until smooth and well blended. Sift in confectioners' sugar, and continue beating until smooth. Add vanilla, and stir to combine.

Christmas Snaps Part I: Emma's First Christmas

2012-01-03T06:28:00.000-08:00

Every year we spend Christmas Eve with my side of the family and Christmas Day with Corey's side of the family, and this year was no exception. Christmas morning we woke up bright and early and headed (5 minutes) up the rode to Corey's parent's house. It was a very exciting Christmas because our niece Emma was in town from Chicago - and it was her first! She's 10 months old, and as you'll see from the photos, she really stole the show. I mean how could she not? She is beyond adorable. I would just sit and stare at her, smiling so much from every move and sound she made, my cheeks started to hurt! It was so special to be able to experience her first Christmas with her. Later that same day we went back to my Mom's house to open our gifts to each other. Corey did really, really well (he stalked my Pinterst board like a good husband!) and got me some amazing gifts, including these gorgeous earrings, this beautiful J.Crew sequin sweater and noise-canceling headphones! It was a very merry Christmas for us! Hope it was for you as well!

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

{Happy New Year!}

2011-12-31T11:36:00.000-08:00

Wow. How can 2011 already be over? This past year has truly flown. I love looking back on past years, and feel so grateful that each year in the recent past seems to have been even better than the one before it. This year is no different. I thought 2009 and 2010 couldn't be topped, but here we are living an entirely new and amazing life abroad in Amsterdam and reflecting on 2011, realizing it has treated us unbelievably well. Thanks to this blog I can vividly remember so many amazing memories and adventures.

When I was home in November my mom said something that stuck with me. She said, "10 years ago, if you would have asked me which one of my daughters would grow up to be the most adventurous, you would've been my last guess. You really surprised me." She's right. I've changed and grown so much in the last 10 years, I wouldn't even recognize myself at 15. I was shy, insecure and I had no idea what I wanted in life. Now, at 25, I can truly say that I've never been happier. I know myself better than ever and am confident in my life, my friends, my family, my beliefs and all the choices I've made that lead me here. Of course there have been rough times, too. Plenty of them. But I run on the belief that everything happens for a reason. And those trials and tribulations have only strengthened me and made me who I am, so I'm thankful for those, too.

Here's a recap of 2011, a year I will never forget. The year I became the adventurer I never really knew I was. Here's to a 2012 that tops it all! Happy New Year, everyone. Wishing you and yours all the best in the coming year.

In 2011 we...

Fell in love with our new role as puppy parents and took way too many pictures of our cutie.

I got a new job.

We spent a weekend away with friends at Mt. Hood

Celebrated six months of wedded bliss with a date at Little Big Burger

Spent more lunch breaks than we could count driving downtown to take our sweet pup out for a walk.

Met my sister's boyfriend for the first time. They're still happily together in LA!

Spent a weekend in a blissful Oregon beach town with our friend's Meghan and Jeff. They just welcomed their baby girl, Evelyn, into the world! They got engaged and had a baby this year. Talk about an amazing, eventful year!

Met our unbelievably adorable niece, Emma.

Went to the Tulip Fest.

Had the best birthday ever thanks to my sweet and sneaky husband.

We found out we were going to move to Amsterdam.

I woke up before the sun had even risen for the Tigard Festival of Ballons.

Went on many date nights with the best date a girl could ask for.

Created and checked almost everything off our Portland To Do List.

Fulfilled a dream and MOVED to Amsterdam!

Celebrated one incredible year of marriage.

Traveled to San Francisco, Chicago, Paris (twice!), the French Riviera, London and Dublin.

Flew back to Oregon to watch two of our best friends get married!

Hiked a mountain with my mom and mother-in-law.

Welcomed Sinterklaas to town.

Surprised my mom in November and showed up at her front door.

Got a Christmas tree in Amsterdam and decorated it.

Went to the Christmas Market in Dordrecht, Holland.

Traveled home to spend Christmas with our entire family. It was an incredible week home and I can't wait to share photos with you!

And now, we're about to welcome 2012 in Amsterdam! They do it big here. And despite the jet lag (and a pup that's deathly afraid of fireworks) we're going to try to live it up! Hope you have a super special New Years Eve. I can't wait to kiss my one and only under the fireworks at midnight :)

{image credit}

Homemade Mulled Wine

2011-12-21T02:44:00.000-08:00

Corey has been busy studying for finals for the last week, and I knew he was feeling super stressed, so after he finished his first final on Monday night I wanted to surprise him with a little something. I thought it would be nice to make some mulled wine for him to enjoy after hours of essay writing. When he walked in the door the house smelled amazing, candles were lit and it was the perfect way for him to unwind after his long day of work and final-taking. I used this simple and delicious recipe from fellow Amsterdam expat blogger, Jenn, and I highly recommend it!

Ingredients:

Organic Merlot (or any other red wine you like)

One organic orange

Cinnamon sticks

1/2 cup Organic local honey

1 Vanilla Bean

Instructions (straight from Jenn):

Pour the wine into a large pot (yes, the whoooole thing).

Peel the orange, and juice it into the pot. Then, cut up the orange peel into slices, and add almost all of the slices to the pot, saving a couple to garnish the drink with at the end.

Add a few cinnamon sticks, the vanilla bean, and then the honey.

Turn the stove on to low heat, and cook for 25 minutes.

Then, pour the mulled wine into big mugs. Garnish with an orange peel and a cinnamon stick, and enjoy!

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

{Dordrecht Christmas Market}

2011-12-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

This weekend we hopped a train and traveled an hour and a half south to the town of Dordrecht to peruse their annual Christmas Market. There was mulled wine (we actually loved this batch!), caroling, ice skating, traditional hot-off-the-coals pastries and best of all... Blue skies! It was such a fun day, couldn't have wished for better weather or company.

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

Weekend Sneak Peek + Giveaway Winner

2011-12-19T13:57:00.000-08:00

We had a really great and relaxing weekend and I'm happy to say we did in fact make it down to Dordrecht for the Christmas Market! Sadly I didn't have time to go through all the photos yet, but thought I'd leave you with just a few. Hopefully I can share more tomorrow - things are pretty crazy around here preparing to go back to the States on Thursday!

Also, I almost forgot to pick a winner for the giveaway! Lucky number 36 is the winner: Holly from Little Miss Holls! A fellow Portlander :) Holly - email me your address and I will get a copy of The Paris Wife to you pronto! Thanks everyone for entering. I'll plan on doing this agin with my next batch of books as people seemed to enjoy it!

Happy Weekend!

2011-12-16T11:06:00.000-08:00

TGIF! Something about this week was just exhausting. I haven't been feeling totally myself these last couple of days and I am looking forward to a weekend to catch up on sleep and just relax. Tomorrow we're hoping to take a train ride to the town of Dordrecht for their Christmas Market. It's the biggest one in the Netherlands! Other than that I think we'll just be cleaning and packing and generally getting ready to head back to the States for Christmas next week! Can you believe it's next week? It totally snuck up on me this year! While thinking about having to deal with jet lag again kind of makes me want to cry, the thought of seeing my sisters and my niece and being with both our families more than makes up for that. Anyhow, hope you all have a lovely weekend and I'll catch you back here on Monday.

P.S. Corey doesn't really believe in (or like?) sending out Christmas cards, while I on the other hand always dream of sending them out. So instead of actually getting them I like to go on sites and design pretend ones. I really liked the one above other than the fact that it's missing Henry, a very important part of our little family :)

Oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-15T02:09:00.000-08:00

Getting a Christmas tree in Amsterdam was an experience we didn't want to miss out on. We knew we'd only have it up for less than two weeks so we didn't want to get a big tree, or spend a lot of money, so the plan was to go down the street to Nieuwmarkt (conveniently located about three blocks away) where they had a stand set up and pick up a cute mini tree.

We walked up to the stand excited and ready to get our Christmas festivities started and I immediately spotted the one. It was an adorable, perfect tree. A noble fir, I think. "This is easy!" I thought to myself. We quickly flagged down the young man who was running the stand and showed him the tree we wanted and asked him the price. 42 Euros. What?! That's about 60 US dollars. And that would be more than we had ever spent on a tree, let alone a 3 footer. I tried to hold back my shock and quickly let go of my dream of my perfect little Fir tree. He explained to us that this type of tree is the best because it doesn't shed as many needles and it smells the best (well duh, we already knew that, that's why we picked it!). He then showed us the cheaper trees. One of the types didn't smell at all. Clearly that wasn't an option. The last type of tree, he explained, still smelled nice but would shed many needles. He told us it was actually the "original" christmas tree and the one we had picked out initially was actually the modern Christmas tree popularized by Western Culture. And lastly, and most importantly, this "original" Christmas tree was the cheapest and would only set us back 15 Euros. Sold! We picked one out and as we were paying asked the kind fellow if they sold stands for a tree this small. He literally told us to not even bother because it would die just as soon with no water. He assured us it would look pretty for the two weeks we'd be in Amsterdam, so we went on our merry way and carried our tree home.

Finding decorations was an adventure in itself. We'd walked by a year-round Christmas shop, the Christmas Palace, in the nearby floating Flower Market many times before so we figured we'd give that a try. To no surprise it was crowded with tourists and when we finally located the lights we found a box that would set us back 20 Euros. Insane! As much as we wanted to decorate our tree and as much we had no idea where else we would find Christmas lights, we could not bear to fork out that kind of cash for a box of lights we could buy for $5 at home. Thankfully as we walked home my genius husband remembered this store he'd been in a couple times that he assured me sold a little bit of "everything" and would surely have some Christmas goodies. Luckily, he was right! We walked out of the store Xenos with lights, ornaments ribbon and garland all for 20 Euros! Success! These are the moments I feel so proud of ourselves for navigating the city and finding things without any help at all. We then went home, lit some candles and cozied up with some Charlie Brown Christmas tunes and decorated our little tree. It was the perfect festive Sunday, indeed.

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

Christmas Sights in Amsterdam

2011-12-14T11:39:00.000-08:00

Christmas in Europe is magical. Every street corner has a touch of the holidays. And upon coming back from the States I found that it had gone from kind of cute to full blown amazing with decorations, lights and winter markets found all over the city. Saturday we had a really festive day and got a tree, visited one of the small Christmas markets (and tried mulled wine for the first time!) and baked Snickerdoodles. We listened to holiday music the whole day and really tried to soak in our last couple weeks of Christmas celebrations in Amsterdam as we'll be heading home for the holidays next week! Here are some sights from around the city. I'll share Christmas tree photos tomorrow!

Our corner market is all decorated for the holidays

Random street corner by the floating Flower Market has been set up with little stands selling traditional Dutch treats

A nearby hotel

Leidseplein's ice skating rink is now open

The Winterplaza in Leidseplein

We tried mulled wine for the first time... We didn't love it.. But plan on trying it again this coming weekend!

This is our cross street with cute hanging lights. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see this every day!

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

Recent Reads + A Giveaway!

2011-12-12T04:57:00.000-08:00

Since moving to Amsterdam I've been reading a lot more. I feel totally guilty sitting on the train on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook, so instead, I read. And I've come across some amazing books that I just had to share with you! Here's a brief synopsis of each of my most recent reads - all so amazing!! I highly, highly recommend each one!

The Happiness Project: This New York Times best seller is the memoir of the year author Gretchen Rubin spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. An inspiring read for even the happiest person.

The Paris Wife: This unforgettable (dare I say haunting) novel tells the story of Ernest Hemingway and his wife Hadley: How they met and fell in love, and then about their remarkable time spent in Paris among literary greats like Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, and F. Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald. This is an amazing, heart wrenching love story. Weeks after I've finished it I can't stop thinking about it!

What Alice Forgot: Straight from Amazon: Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce. A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice.

Bossy Pants: Tina Fey's hilarious tell-all about how she got to Weekend Update and 30 Rock, motherhood, marriage and so much more. If you like Tina Fey, you'll love her book!

And since it's the season of giving, and I loved these books so much, I decided that I'd host a little giveaway! Whoever wins can pick whichever one of these books sounds the best and I'll ship it to them - my little Christmas gift to you! If you'd like to win you just have to:

+Follow Explore.Dream.Discover.

+Leave a comment and tell me which book you'd like to win & make sure to include your email!

+You can tweet about the giveaway for an extra entry (separate comment with a link to the tweet, please!)

I'll close the giveaway and choose a winner at random (using random.org) this Friday, December 16, 2011!

Good luck!

Happy {Sparkly Holiday Party} Weekend!

2011-12-09T03:45:00.000-08:00

Well, I made it back! I pushed through my jet lag yesterday so I could try to get back on schedule as this weekend is a big one. Tonight, we have our work holiday party. Not just any holiday party, mind you. Our company rented out the Heineken Music Hall and singer-songwriter Calvin Harris will be there performing! He was most recently featured in Rihanna's newest single, "We Found Love", which I am absolutely and positively obsessed with. Needless to say it will be a memorable night! The theme for the evening is "A Touch of Gold", so I will be rushing to find a last minute sparkly outfit to wear tonight. Wish me luck! And have a wonderful weekend!

{collage photo credit from left to right, top to bottom: 1,2,3,4}

Heading Back to Amsterdam!

2011-12-07T09:21:00.000-08:00

I'm heading back to Amsterdam today. I can't even tell you how ridiculously excited I am to squeeze the huz and give Henry a big smackeroo on his smooshy lips! I missed my boys so much, I'm counting down the hours until I see them!

I'm also looking forward to getting a Christmas tree, decorating our apartment for the holidays, going to Winter Wonderland in Leidesplein, making Chrstimasy treats, ice skating (even though husband is currently refusing to do this), going to Christmas Markets and so much more!! Hope you all are having a fun and festive week!

{image}

Weekend Recap

2011-12-05T13:28:00.000-08:00

This weekend I…

…Watched the Ducks (my alma mater) win the Pac-12 championship game at Spirit of 77.

…Had a day of pampering on Saturday… Got my eyebrows waxed, got a mani/pedi and a spray tan. I feel like a new woman!

…Had a fun girls night out (in my new leather jacket - thanks, Mama!). A group of us went to a new restaurant in the Pearl, Oven and Shaker, and then made our rounds to some familiar local jaunts (Vault Martini Bar and Brix Tavern). It had been too long since I had a good ‘ol ladies night!

…Did some Christmas shopping with my mother-in-law. I can’t believe I’ll be turning around two weeks after I land in Amsterdam to come right back here for the holidays! I know it’ll be worth it, but I’m not looking forward to all the plane travel!

…Had a great Sunday night family dinner at my in-laws. But we missed husband mucho.

I am having such a great time at home, but I have to say that I am super excited to get back to Amsterdam so I can really start celebrating Christmas! All the tweets about Christmas tree decorating and holiday crafts are making me so jealous! Hope everyone had a fun and festive weekend!

Thoughts on Home

2011-11-30T09:10:00.000-08:00

Being home without Corey has been interesting. Home, in general, has become an interesting concept since moving across the world. I am constantly saying things like "There's no place like home," which I truly believe. But more and more I am questioning what "home" even means? It's a familiar face. Familiar places. It's chock full of memories, down every street, every pot hole, every coffee shop and restaurant. But all these things without the one you love... They just don't feel complete.

When I'm away from Portland I miss my mom and my sisters dearly. I miss our old neighborhoods and favorite restaurants. Sometimes I long for those familiar faces and places. But here I am in Portland missing my husband, and it's a different kind of longing. It's more like an ache. It actually hurts to be away from him. While this really stinks right now, in the last few days I've realized how thankful I am to have a love like this. That even after more than four years together I still cry when I'm away from him, my heart still hurts when we're not together. I really hope we love each other this deeply and miss each other this much forever and ever. Because as much as it hurts to be away from him, I think it would be much more tragic if I didn't miss him at all.

{print}

Surprise!

2011-11-28T10:32:00.000-08:00

Sorry for the blog silence last week. Apparently I decided I was going to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday and take Thursday and Friday off from blogging. But in all seriousness, life got in the way and blogging fell off the to-do list. If you follow me on Twitter, you already know that on Friday I flew in to Portland and surprised my mom! I'm here for work for a couple weeks. It was such a last-minute trip that I decided I would just surprise my family. It's been super fun to just show up at the door at my in-laws house, my mom's house and my aunt's house. The reactions have been across the board (from tears to screaming to no speech at all) and so fun to watch. So forgive me if blogging is a little slow while I'm here. Just trying to soak it all in and enjoy it! Hope you all had an amazing Thanksgiving!

Caught this view of Mt. St. Helens from the plane on Friday. Absolutely stunning!

Sponsor Spotlight: The Gem State

2011-11-23T00:45:00.000-08:00

I’m so excited to be doing my first Sponsor Spotlight on my blog! As new sponsors come along I’ll take some time to introduce you all to them. I’m always looking for new blogs to read – and I’m sure you are too – so I figured it’s best to share the love :)

First up we have Alison from The Gem State. I’m guessing if you read my blog, you enjoy pretty pictures (considering I take wayyyy too many pictures of everything and proceed to post them here!). Well, if that’s you, then you’ll fall in love with Alison’s blog. She’s a talented photographer just ramping up her new photography business and shares photos of everything from her life in Boise with her husbad to how she decorates (she has such a cute space) and her fun photography sessions. Pop on over to her blog and take a look – you won’t regret it!

{photo of alison and her hubby by Matt Clayton}

What's For Dinner?

2011-11-22T00:46:00.000-08:00

I've had a couple people on my Formspring ask what types of things we cook for dinner, especially now that we're here in Amsterdam and grocery stores are different, ingredients are harder to find, etc. I thought I'd do a quick post on some of our go-to recipes. When we cook at home (which is about 4-5 times a week now) we definitely try to keep things healthy and somewhat simple. It's tougher to find odd ingredients here simply because we're not sure where to go yet. So we stick to basic ingredients. Martha is our main source of recipes, but sometimes we just wing it, too. Here are some of my favorite dinners we've made in the last couple weeks:

Top to bottom, left to right:

{1} Soy-glazed salmon with sauteed asparagus and quinoa. We use this recipe for the salmon. For the asparagus, we just sautee them in a little olive oil with garlic and salt and pepper. Quinoa is one of my favorite grains. If you're not sure how to cook it, this is a helpful article. We use a mixture of water and chicken broth, which makes it a little tastier.

{2} Shrimp and Zucchini Tostadas. We use this recipe and add avocado to it.

{3} Blue Cheese-Pear-Pecan Salad. I don't even like salad (really.) and I am obsessed with this one. The dressing is so good!

{4} Cayenne-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa. We used this recipe, just replaced the red onion with scallions. I just don't do raw onion like that! But I'm sure it would be good if you're into that sort of thing :)

{6} We also made this Pasta with Rosemary Shrimp Scampi recently and were surprised how much we loved it. There's not a lot to the recipe, but somehow it is still very satisfying. I'd never cooked with rosemary before and now I'm a believer and want to do it again! Only thing we did different was actually sautee the shrimp with the oil, red pepper flake, garlic and rosemary. I don't like my shrimp just sort of steamed like they suggest, but other than that we stuck to the recipe. We made a side of brussels sprouts to go with it and it was perfect. I was so hungry I forgot to snap a picture before digging in!

{5} And I have to put in an honorable mention for this suuuper easy lentil soup. It's dang good if you just add a little cayenne pepper to spice things up, and it's super fast and perfect for these colder months. It just looks really gross in pictures (mine anyway), so I thought I'd spare you. But it tastes really good!

Okay, so there you have it. Some of our go-to dinners. Do you have any recipes you're dying to share with me? I'm always looking for new ones :)

A Ride Through Vondel Park

2011-11-21T01:25:00.000-08:00

We've had quite a stroke of luck with a few weekends in a row of dry weather here in Amsterdam. We know it won't last, so last Sunday, despite wanting to stay in and be lazy, we motivated ourselves to take advantage of the weather and go for a bike ride through Vondel Park instead. The park was buzzing with people even though it was freezing out. Beggers can't be choosers and I think we were all just happy it wasn't raining! To warm up a bit we stopped for fresh mint tea in the park and watched the sun set. I wouldn't mind ending every weekend this way.

{Photos © Liz Denfeld Photography}

Thankful Thursday

2011-11-17T02:50:00.000-08:00

Thankful Thursday

Last November I took some time each Thursday to record some things (big or small) that I was feeling especially thankful for. Thought I’d pick it up again this year. If you feel like joining, leave a link in the comments to your Thankful Thursday list!

Today I’m feeling extra thankful for…

…hats, scarves and gloves. I never really needed them before like I do now. It literally hurts to ride my bike without these essentials!

…our Nespresso machine. It makes a perfectly frothy cappuccino for me each morning (and sometimes evening).

…those hugs that end with an extra tight squeeze (thank you, husband).

...my Mama. Not a day goes by that I don't think about how lucky I am to have her. She has braved so much raising me and my sisters and has taught me how to be a strong, independent woman.

…a pup who acts like his entire life has been made just by me walking in the door.

…some awesome plans to keep us distracted next week during our first Thanksgiving away from home :(

…blog friends. I’m so looking forward to a fun girls dinner with these lovely ladies.

…an unexpected “I love you” text. Nothing makes me smile bigger.

...Skype. I couldn't survive living in Amsterdam without it.

…nights Corey’s not in class. It’s too quiet around the apartment when he’s gone.

…a great book. I’m 75 pages in and completely entranced.

…genuine laughter.

{card by Rifle Paper Co.}

{Weekend Snaps}

2011-11-16T12:25:00.000-08:00

I interrupt this regularly scheduled post to bring to your attention that I have a new blog URL!

www.exploredreamdiscoverblog.com

If you have a link to my blog on your blog or site would you mind updating the link? I'd love you forever and ever! Thank you!

Now on to the post...

The entire weekend wasn't spent celebrating Dutch holidays...

We cooked breakfast Saturday morning. Fried eggs. Hashbrowns. Toast. Avocado. Orange Juice. It was good. And then we took a nap.

I met up with this little lady for tea in Vondelpark. Can I tell you how incredibly comforting it is to meet other American bloggers in Amsterdam? Who are really, really nice and cool? Oh, it's amazing!

Have a I told you lately how happy our new Nespresso machine makes me? When I feel like a decaf cappuccino - poof! - I get one!

Gorgeous sunset from our juliette balcony

Oh hi, I'm Henry. I'm the cutest ever, hence why my mom is obsessed with me!

Sinterklaas Came to Town

2011-11-15T09:46:00.000-08:00

This weekend, something special happened. Sinterklaas came to town. While he looks a lot like our white-bearded friend, Santa Claus, Sinterklaas made notably better arrangements for himself. Instead of living in the chilly North Pole, Sinterklaas lives in the South of Spain. While Santa flies in from the North Pole through the freezing skies on his sleigh, Sinterklaas takes a relaxing cruise in from the South of Spain. And while Santa Clause has to squeeze his chubby buns down all those chimneys by himself, Sinterklaas has a crew of (controversial) helpers named "Zwarte Pieten", or "Black Petes", to do that for him.

Sunday morning we walked down to Dam Square where thousands of people gathered to welcome Sinterklaas to town. There was a big parade (he rode in on his white horse Amerigo), dancing, singing, candy and cookies being thrown out into the crowd. It was an absolutely crazy experience that can only be somewhat explained through photographic evidence, which, of course, I have for all of you. Oh, and most importantly, I think this means I can officially start listening to the Christmas tunes! Wahoo!

{Friday} Snaps

2011-11-14T12:27:00.000-08:00

This past Friday was St. Martin's Day in Holland. On this day, kids go door to door carrying beautiful lanterns and singing songs, hoping to get some treats in return. The treats could be anything from tangerines to cookies to candy. It sounds a little like Halloween, but the kids don't dress up, it's just a friendly neighborhood event.

After watching the sun set over the canals and a quick pizza dinner in the Jordaan area, we headed over to the beautiful neighborhood of Oud Zuid (Old South) to see this holiday in action. There were kids running around everywhere with lanterns in hand. We even got to hear them singing songs! It was so fun to see another country's tradition being celebrated. After walking around and soaking it up for a bit, we decided to stop into a restaurant for a hot chocolate and some mint tea with our friend Dita and her cute son, Alex (who you might remember from this post). It was a great way to spend a Friday night in Amsterdam!

{let's pause for a moment. the above photo makes my heart go pitter patter!}

Lately... + Welcome!

2011-11-11T06:51:00.000-08:00

Lately…

We’ve been daydreaming about a trip to Greece we’re planning for the spring.

I’ve been enjoying the cold + dry weather we’ve been having in Amsterdam.

I’ve been making the conscious effort to live in the moment. It’s so easy to always dream about and want what’s next and forget to soak up the now.

We’ve been feeling really settled in Amsterdam. It is really starting to feel like home. And we love it.

I’ve found myself absolutely giddy when I ride my bike everywhere. We live in such a beautiful city; I am reminded of that daily.

I’ve picked up reading again. The train really helps with that. Most recently I read The Happiness Project and Bossypants. I loved them both! I would love any book recommendations you have!

I have been craving a movie (theater) night.

I’ve been going to bed way too late. I used to always get 8 hours of sleep in Portland, but these days I’m lucky to get 7. I get home from work much later and feel myself rebelling and wanting to stay up to get some me time in. This makes for a grumpy Liz in the morning!

I am feeling the urge to bake. What are your favorite Fall baking recipes?

Also, welcome to anyone stopping over from The Story of My Life! So glad to have you here :) If you want to know a little bit more about me and my husband you can check out my About Me page and our archives to the right!

Have a great weekend everyone!

{photo by Ashlee Gadd, post inspired by Stacey}

Henry Takes a Bath

2011-11-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

Now that Corey has started working full time, that means he can no longer spend his entire day with Henry. He is thrilled. I, on the other hand, was devastated. I hate the idea of him sitting at home alone all day. But Corey assures me all he did at home was sleep anyways. Nevertheless, we had to find a way to get the little guy out of the house while we were an hour commute away from home each day.

In comes this little company that comes to pick Henry up around noon, takes him out to the forrest with a bunch of other dogs, where he proceeds to run around like a mad man for an hour or so. Then he gets dropped back off at our place.

This is all well and good (and Henry seems to love it) except that when he gets home he stinks! I need my puppy cuddles, but his stench is unbearable. Lucky for us, he is super easy to bathe. Takes 10 minutes and he is such a good boy in the tub. I gave him a bath when I got home from work tonight (Corey's in class) and I couldn't help but snap a couple pictures.

Now before you go looking at these and feeling sorry for him and his pathetic little face, please know that I took these all in a span of 30 seconds and I would never, ever do anything to upset my pup (ask Corey, he thinks I'm borderline cray-cray for the way I'm uh-b-sessed with this dog!!!). He's now happily snoozing away (and snoring loudly, might I add) next to me on the couch. Bliss.

{Dublin, Ireland} Part II

2011-11-08T13:28:00.000-08:00

Happy Tuesday, Everyone! I am so tired this evening (remember it's already nighttime here! 10PM!) I almost didn't write this post. But then I felt compelled to show you the rest of our Dublin pictures. So here you have them!

One reason Dublin felt extra fun was because we had some celebrating to do. I know my Mom will read this and laugh because she thinks I'm ridiculous with all my "celebrations", but that's just me! Well, while in Dublin, Corey and I celebrated our four year dating anniversary! Four years before, Corey had taken me on our first date. Clearly it was a good one considering he's now my husband! Anyhow, I'm a huge hopeless romantic and I'll take any chance to reminisce, which we did :) We'll definitely never forget our anniversary walking the streets of Dublin, throwing back a couple pints and watching a beautiful sunset from the top of the Guinness Storehouse.

1-3. Christ Church

4. Alleyway behind the Guinness Storehouse

5. View from lunch at the Guinness Storehouse

6. Enjoyed a half-pint at lunch!

7-8. Guinness Taste Experience (just another excuse to drink more beer...)

9-10. Gravity Bar at the Guinness Storehouse

11. Sunset from Gravity Bar

12. We took a horse drawn carriage back into town. Corey, being the gentleman that he is, wanted to do something sweet for me on our anniversary. Is he a keeper or what?!

13. River View

14. Entrance to St. Stephen's Green

15-17. St. Stephen's Green (such a charming city park!)

18-20. Phoenix Park (the largest city park in Europe!)

{Dublin, Ireland} Part I

2011-11-07T13:01:00.000-08:00

We had such a great time in Dublin this weekend. It felt like forever since we had gone anywhere, when in reality it was really only two weeks since we got back from Portland! Clearly we're already adjusting to our new lifestyle :)

Dublin is much smaller than I thought. We saw pretty much everything we had on our list in one day. But that's actually a really great feeling. The rest of the time we spent generally strolling through town, stopping in pubs for a Guinness and relaxing. I can say one thing, though. After this trip, I am going to refrain from Guinness for a while. I had my fill! Here's Part I of our weekend in Dublin. Scroll down to the bottom for a list of the places you see in the photos!

1. My first Guinness of the trip

2.Grafton Street all lit up at night. Nobody does Christmas like Europe!

3.Breakfast at Bewley's: Traditional Irish Porridge with Pecans and Maple Syrup. Holy yummness.

4. Flowers on Grafton St.

5-8. Trinity College

9. Samuel Beckett Bridge over the River Liffey

10. Walking along the Liffey River

11. Umm.. Me. Hat: Forever21 Scarf: Urban Outfitters Jacket: United Colors of Benetton

12. River view

13. Henry Street

14. Pretty view...

15. Fruit stand on Henry Street

Tomorrow, pictures from Christ Church, the Guinness Brewery, Phoenix Park and more!

Happy Sunday!

2011-11-06T10:09:00.000-08:00

Hi, All! So sorry for the sudden blog silence last week. Things got busy and a weekend away in Dublin snuck up on me. We're back in Amsterdam now and I've got lots of photos to share (of course), but thought since I missed so many posts last week (hmmm, this is sounding familiar) I would do one on Sunday. And something a little different, too!

Last week one of my best friends, Meghan, gave me the "blog on fire" award. I'm supposed to share seven things about myself that you don't already know... Instead, I'm going to do this fun A to Z game I found on Laurie's blog (a new fave!). I figure there will definitely be at least seven new things in here to keep you entertained on your Sunday :) Hope you enjoy. And if not, I'll be back to regular travel blogging tomorrow!

A. Age – 25.
B. Bed size – King. And now we can never turn back. Thankfully our bedroom in Amsterdam came with a King bed or we would not have been happy campers! Hey, we gotta make sure there's room for the pup ;)
C. Chore that you hate – Cleaning the bathroom. Yuck.
D. Dogs – Henry, the little man who turned me into a crazy dog lady :)
E. Essential start to your day – The Today Show. Started my day with it in the U.S., and now thanks to the iPad 2 and the internet, I can still start my day that way!
F. Favorite color – I don't really have one. I love colorful things - all colors.. If I had to pick one I'd say coral.
G. Gold or silver – Oh gosh, this is hard... I used to say silver for sure. These days I'm diggin' gold. Well, not like THAT... You get what I mean..
H. Height – 5’8"
I. Instruments you play – Back in the day I played piano and violin...
J. Job title – Digital Creative Producer. Now the question is.. Do you know what that means? Job titles these days crack me up. 75% of the time you have no idea what the person even does!
K. Kids – Not yet! Someday :)
L. Live – We call Amsterdam home right now. But Portland will always be our real home.
M. Mother’s name – Elizabeth, just like me. I was named after her!
N. Nicknames – Lizzie & Liz... I'll omit Corey's nicknames for me as they're probably too mushy for the public's eyes :)
O. Overnight hospital stays – Once when I in college. I got my appendix out.
P. Pet peeves – When people add an "s" onto the end of proper names for no good reason.. for example: Nordstroms, Fred Meyers, McMenamins (all you Pacific Northwest people should know all those).
Q. Quote from a movie – Lately I can't stop quoting Bridesmaids. Some of my favorites:
Megan: "Female fight club. We grease up, we pull in. Lillian doesn't know so it's 'Surprise, we're gonna fight!' we beat the shit out of her."
or:
Annie: You're really doing it, aren't ya? You're shitting in the street!
If you haven't seen it I highly, highly recommend it. I've watched in about five times.
R. Right or left handed – Right.
S. Siblings – Two sisters: one older, one younger. Couldn't live without them!
T. Time it takes you to get ready – Depends. If I'm washing my hair (I only wash it 2-3 times a week), an hour and a half. If I'm not, 30-45 minutes!
U. Underwear – Hmm.. Can we skip this one?
V. Vegetable you hate – I don't love onions.
W. What makes you run late – Not knowing what to wear. I stand in front of my closet with a blank stare as the time ticks away. I know I'm going to be late, yet somehow everything I own is ugly that day and I simply can't get dressed. This is made even worse in Amsterdam when my life is run by train and bus schedules. Not fun, folks!
X. X-rays you’ve had – Hmm.. The ones at the dentist... I can't think of any others!
Y. Yummy food you make – I love cooking.. I make lots of things.. Right now I can't think of anything. I don't have a "specialty" per se. I do tweet about our dinners a lot though, if you're interested!
Z. Zoo animal – Is a Koala a zoo animal? It's my dream to hold one. If not... I choose the polar bear. 'Cause they're big and white and fluffy.

Okay. The end! If you want to play along I'd love to read your A to Z's! Post your link in the comments :)

{Alphabet design via Minted}

{Last} Weekend Snaps

2011-11-01T14:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a bit behind on posting photos because I lost my camera charger (think I left it in London, actually) and getting a new one here was not an easy task! I finally got to upload these photos from last weekend. We had just gotten back from the U.S., still a little jet lagged, but completely ecstatic that it was so sunny and beautiful in Amsterdam. It was certainly chilly, but that didn't stop us from soaking up the blue sky with a nice long walk with Henry, followed by brunch outside. It was one of my favorite weekends in Amsterdam so far.

And p.s., for those of you that have asked for photos of my bike: here you go! It's nothing super special, but that's because if you buy a nice, expensive bike it will just get stolen. The bike I have is a traditional Dutch bike (bought it second-hand), very common around these parts!

Windmill Brewery: Brouwerij 't IJ

2011-10-31T13:21:00.000-07:00

If you ever happen to find yourself in Amsterdam on a sunny day, here's something I suggest you not miss: Rent a bike in the center of the city and take a little ride over to this cute windmill, which happens to also be a brewery! On nice days (even if it's cold) the place is packed with people. The inside is super small, so most people sit outside at their long picnic benches under a canopy of trees. They serve delicious beer (their Wit Beer is my favorite) and it's cheap, something I can't say about the rest of Amsterdam! And lastly, something to note, don't go on an empty stomach. They don't serve food! Well, unless you consider a plate full of mediocre cheese cubes food...

{Eagle Crest, Oregon}

2011-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

I missed a couple posts last week so I thought I'd make up for it with a Sunday post! As I mentioned earlier, we spent our weekend back home in Eagle Crest, Oregon, which is in the Eastern part of the state. We stayed in a gorgeous rental house with our entire family. It was so much fun and the perfect opportunity to chill out and enjoy each other's company. We spent time lounging on the back deck, hiking, and just breathing in the fresh mountain air. I highly recommend Eagle Crest for a relaxing getaway if you're in the Pacific Northwest! Here are some photos from our stay.