InstaFriday

Seeing as I haven't blogged in an entire week, I figured now was a good time to link up at this place. 

 

Last Friday I finished my first ever DIY skirt! Woo! Maybe this will make me wear skirts more...I'm sure my husband would like a change from his "every single day I wear jeans" wife.

Saturday we celebrated our 6 months of being married and my 24 years of being alive and went to Yosemite. We hiked up to Yosemite Falls, which is reported to be a 6-8 hour hike. We did it in 4...and felt the pain from it when it hurt to walk the following day. 

P.S. isn't that beautiful? How great is our God?!

Going to Yosemite made Mark and I miss climbing that much more. 

(Mark pulled his finger pulley so we have had to take a break from it for a while)

So, we finally put up our training board so I could at least train a bit...while my stud husband does one arm pull ups with his good hand.

 let the training commence.

Tuesday we took the ol' Frisbee out for some fun. We walked to a couple parks in town, but it turned out that all the little soccer teams had booked each field.

That's when we were thankful for a good back yard.

Wednesday we took a walk to the local library to get library cards. Mark wasn't too excited when I told him to let me take a picture of him in front of this. Can't you tell?

That's when I put away the phone for a good amount of time...

...until yesterday when I sewed my second DIY skirt for Lori (in addition to multiple other things that I will share eventually). I think I've found a new hobby in sewing...if only I had a job to purchase the needed fabric :) 

More on that later.

Today. 

Just got back from my morning jogging loop and am now waiting for the espresso machine to warm up to make a much needed latte.

Mark and I get our California drivers licenses today. Starting tomorrow we will no longer get the  long standing joke at the grocery store when we show them our driver's license...

"You're from Texas? I'm sorry."

and I will no longer have to hold my tongue from saying something back.

Happy Friday, Friends!

{linking here}

Firsts

Last night Mark and I rode our bikes to the town Farmer's Market for the first time...only to realize we forgot the key to our bike lock. So, we biked back to the house to get the key, which is when Mark decided he wanted to walk there instead.

These feet are thankful we only live about a mile away from the happenings downtown.

The weekly Farmer's Market was wonderful. Booth beyond booth of fresh produce, good food, kettle corn, and little shops were lined up on 1st street. We were sad to hear that this weekly ritual ends later this month and won't pick back up until April. 

 We didn't get any fruit or vegi's because we forgot our bag, but Mark decided I looked too legit in these to not buy them...

After strolling down First, we had some good grub, began the stroll back home, stopped at the baseball fields to watch an inning of a kid's game, and then got back to the house to get much needed rest.

__________

Another first for the Felder clan is that I attempted and dominated my first stab at sewing a skirt. Thank you sweet Caroline for great instructions. 

__________

And the last first that will take place tomorrow...

Mark and I are road tripping it to Yosemite for the first time of many! We are only going on a day trip to hike around. You have to reserve a camping spot there at least 6 months in advance...can I say crazy!?! I'll try and remember my actual camera for once...

Oh...Sunday also marks my first birthday as a married lady... and six months of being a married lady! 

I'll be 24...can I say EVEN MORE CRAZY?!?

Have a great weekend :)

Fall Recipe Party!

Morning, friends :) 

Miss Mrs. Caroline and I go way back to the summer before college. She has an adorable shop and blogs over here. Today she is having a fall recipe link up party, so check it out to get some yummy goodies and delish meals to cook up this season. 

We decided to take her up on the challenge of sharing a fall dish.

Fall brings so many great things regarding food. Chai lattes, pumpkins, cinnamon, apples, the cool air for chili...one thing that I love busting out in the fall is the beginning of winter squashes...which brings us to a new recipe for ya'll!

Butternut Squash Risotto

I loved it. It was creamy and warm, which was great for the cool night. The butternut squash was delectable. You should try it out.

Really.

Head to the store and get the following asap.

Olive Oil (2 T)

Butternut Squash (1 pound)

Leeks (2 of 'em)

Thyme (3 sprigs)

Arborio Rice (1 cup)

Basil Leaves (Handful)

Chicken Broth Low Sodium (32oz)

Parmesan Cheese (1/2 cup)

Once you have all the goods go ahead and prep the vegetables. Mark and I like to prep everything and put them in individual bowls. 

NOT PICTURED.

before you prep put the the 32 ounces of chicken in a saucepan on the stovetop. Heat it up and let it simmer. 

Moving on...

First prep the butternut squash. You will want to peel it and then dice the squash into 1/2 inch cubes. Here's some photos for you.

cut off the top and bottom to have a solid base.

then peel. 

slice in half long ways. 

it takes some umph, so get ready for a work out.

 scoop out the seeds with a big spoon. 

and if you are like us...

wash and dry the seeds.

pop them in the oven at 300 degrees for around 20 minutes.

enjoy your yummy and healthy snack.

with flat side down, cut vertical strips a 1/2 inch wide.

make cuts through the squash

 you can kind of see it.

they are 1/2 inch.

final cuts and you get semi-perfect 1/2 inch butternut squash cubes.

that kind of look like cheese cubes.

you should have only 2 cups plus some for the butternut squash.

if you had more like me, put the rest in a ziploc bag.

seal it as tight as possible.

throw it in the freezer to make a quick side dish to a meal later in the week.

moving on. grab those leeks.

toss the dark green.

keep the white and light green.

...here is where i would add something looking back now...

make an additional long cut down the middle of each leek to separate each 1 into 2 sections. 

then.

cut 1 inch strips. 

put them in a bowl and set it aside.

take off the leaves from the 3 sprigs of thyme.

chop them up and put them in a bowl.

take your basil leaves.

chop them up.

put them in a separate bowl.

 PREP READY!

Heat 1 T olive oil over medium high heat in a heavy duty saute pan or a large pot.

When hot, but not smoking, add the butternut squash.

Let it sit there for a bit.

Then stir some.

Let it sit there.

Sitr some.

Repeat for around 5 minutes.

Once the squash is lightly browned, empty all of it into a bowl and set aside.

Bring the heat to medium and put 1 more tablespoon of olive oil in the pan.

Saute the leeks and thyme.

After 5 minutes go ahead and pour in the rice...

And get ready for the tedious part...

Give the rice a stir, and after a good minute, scoop a cup out of your simmering pot of broth.

Stir. Stir. Stir.

The key to risotto is patience. stirring. patience. and more stirring.

In 4 minute intervals, continue to add 1/2 cup broth to the risotto (while stirring). The recipe online says it will last 15 minutes. I say 25 minutes. Keep the heat on medium, but if you need to you can raise the temp a bit more (I raised mine a little to speed up the process). Just remember that the rice needs that time to cook, so don't go crazy and put it on high!

Once you pour your last 1/2 cup of broth, the rice should still be a bit harder than you'd want it to be. Don't worry, you can let it cook for more. And you can stir while it cooks :) 

When the last 1/2 cup is poured, put back in the butternut squash and let it cook and stir for an additional 10 minutes. 

Then add your chopped basil and some 1/2 cup parmesan cheese...give it a good stir.

Then plate it up and add some of the basil on top as a garnish.

Delicious.


For the actual recipe, all credit goes to bon appetit, our usual stop for recipes. Get it here.  

The recipe I posted was split in half to accommodate for 2 people with a little bit of leftovers (Mark always needs leftovers for the next day at work!)

 Hopefully this will inspire you to go out and make your own fall recipe...and then share it with me!


Off to make another fall inspired recipe...apple cinnamon bread!








Go to the Link Party and check out other recipes HERE

A Life Update for Friends Afar :)

In case any of you Texans or Carolinans or whoever were wondering..here's a quick life update for you.

Warning: This post has no pictures and all words. 

Scratch that.

I just added a video. Yay for technology!

Mark and I found a church we have decided to join here! We wanted to find a place that was in our town so we could really live life with the rest of the body. Last night we went to a small group at a couples home and loved it, so we are excited to start living life alongside these people. We would love prayers as we begin forming relationships here.

- Pray that they are gospel-centered, intentional, and downright fun. Pray that the Lord provides an older couple to come alongside us and disciple us. That would be awesome...and pray for relationships to be formed with maybe some high school students or younger folks that we could come alongside and, by God's grace, train and disciple as well.

- Pray for those people who aren't in our church body who we have become friends with...that good solid relationships will be made and that we won't selfishly leave the Lord out of them because it makes us feel uncomfortable or we are nervous. If we really believed the gospel to be true, then why would we NOT share this good news with others?! I've been super convicted of this lately.

- Pray for me (Ash) to find a place I can work (I had an interview last week at a school and have yet to find out the outcome). Ultimately, pray for me to trust in the Lord's provision, be pro-active and prayerful, be content, and see opportunities for ministry whether I get paid or not.

- Pray for our marriage...that we wake up each day reminded that we have a blessed opportunity to live this gospel out right here in our home. 

- Lastly, pray for me (Ash) to choose joy and to give thanks for all the little things the Lord blesses us with each day. Each things he gives us is a gift. So often I forget such things.

Check out this video I saw about a book...I like it :) 

It's beginning to feel a lot like autumn!

...which also means Christmas is not too far away, but let's not rush ourselves.

Due to the move happening in September, and Mark and I living out of boxes and suitcases for the last 2-3 weeks, I didn't get a chance to really embrace the fact that Fall was approaching. Now that our boxes are unpacked and life is beginning to become normal again, I finally have the time to think about pumpkins and scarves and mustard yellow and chai lattes and flannel shirts and turkey and...oh i need to stop. I'm getting too excited!

Yesterday I even had the time to put together a quick wreath for our front door. 

It's not on the door now...because after looking at it this morning I decided it needed more rosettes, so off the door it came.

I'm a big fan of the grapevine wreath during this time of the year - the lovely brown color just screams Fall to me. With such a great wreath, I decided to keep it pretty simple by just adding some flannel rosettes to it. Having that thing on the door will definitely make it feel more like autumn around here :)

And if you were interested...here's a close up!

Don't you think it needs just a bit more fun added to that thing? Hot glue gun turning on and fingers are prepared for a bit of torture...I'm still learning :)

thursday letters.

     

Hubs. Last night you diced, caramelized, and simmered all of the onion goodness for me. Thanks for making me not cry and taking the tears from the onions for me. Pink and Turqoise Wonder. I've missed you and am pretty excited to live life in the bike lane. Get ready for many more trips to coffee shops, the grocery store, and strolls around town. Dearest HEB. We miss you very much. We miss your prices and your huge selection of all things coffee, all things seafood, and all things...well...everything. Alas, California grocers will do for now. Hey Handsome. I love you. I don't say that enough. 

I hope everyone else is having a great Thursday! I enjoyed a run in the rain this morning and am just about to start a day filled with crafty goodness. So excited!

Lessons Learned

Yesterday, I learned that biking in the Bay is much different than biking in flat land Texas.

I took the bike out of the storage, put the wheels on, and decided to bike over to a coffee shop to read and the local grocery to pick up some last minute things. It was a climb, but at least the hills were good for burning the calories from my chocolate-chip pumpkin pancake breakfast.

Yesterday, I also learned how to break into our home when and if I lock the keys inside...hopefully that won't happen again...and hopefully, if it does, a window will be left cracked open for me to climb through.

1) take screen off.

2) open up really thin window.

3) pray this pumpkin pancake eating body will fit thorugh said window.

4) attempt to climb up.

5) realize i haven't gone climbing in a while and it would be much easier to have some help.

6) grab stool.

7) laugh at self and get laughed at from school students passing by

8) SUCCESS!

<fast forward to now>

This morning I just finished making myself a chai latte.

and some more pumpkin pancakes...

I'll probably jump on the bike again to run errands and attempt mastering the hills...but let's hope I don't relearn the task of climbing through a window again.

Any lessons you've learned lately that you wish you hadn't?!

WE ARE HOME!

It's raining outside...and while I wish it was Texas because rain is oh so valuable there right now...

it's not.

It's not Texas because our home is now in California! 

via

The life update saga begins now.

After relentless hours of packing, last week, Mark and I began the trek to California. Thankfully we didn't have to haul everything ourselves. A moving company picked up our packed boxes and drove them the 30 hours for us. So wonderful.

We still had to make the drive though. After much thought we decided that we could try and life off of one car while living out here in the West Coast. So, we sold Mark's legendary Acura Legend and in result, only had one car to drive to California. 

That would've been a huge blessing....but because Mark was a bit sad about having his car taken away from him he decided to do this the whole drive...

Joking :) 

We went halfsies and I definitely slept a bit as well.

After making the 2 1/12 hour day car trip through Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and then along the 101 of California...we finally made it to our new home in the Bay. 

Fast forward to this past Friday and the aforementioned moving van met us at our home. 

That's right. We went one week without furniture. No worries. Mark's company put us up in a swanky hotel and we got one whole week to splash some paint on our walls without our belongings taking up space. It was a blessing in disguise. 

The house is pretty much all taken care of, despite one room that has all of our "i need to sew this/hang this/build this" stuff. We are trying to remind ourselves that we can take a breather, sleep at night, save up money, and gradually do these projects. As for now, our home is feeling like home.

Our furniture, our books, our pictures are now filling these once empty spaces. We installed shelves, painted the walls, and even picked tomatoes off our tomato plant. We cooked. We baked. We lit candles. It's funny how familiar scents can make a home feel like home. I grew up all over the place and moved year after year with my family...but the moment I felt that I could call a place home was the moment that familiar smell began to circulate throughout the home. 

(sidenote - mom, i want one of those scentsy things you have. christmas list?)

The current homey smell...

that picture would have the following words written in chalk..

(the chalk is still missing. we've opened every box, so i may just have to go buy more)

pumpkin chocolate chip muffins

aka deliciousness in every single bite. 

I got the recipe at joy of baking and i insist that you try it out. i may even bake another batch tomorrow...partly because i love how they taste and partly because i love the aroma that fills up the home as they bake. 

Off to play a game of Settlers with the hubby. Yes. We play with just the two of us.