wondering...

Do the negative health benefits of deep frying salmon over rule the positive health benefits of the salmon?

I'm going to say no, but that could just be my deep desire to justify eating fish and chips for lunch today. I will substitute the chips for Cole slaw. Do I get extra points for that?

Happy Good Friday and Easter weekend to all! It's gorgeous outside today. I am looking forward to Good Friday service tonight. It's one of my favorite church services of the year.

I'm not looking forward to the rainy forecast for Sunday. I love rain but it should never rain on Easter or the 4th of July. Sadly, it does here rather frequently:(

Weather aside, I'm sure our holiday weekend will be delightful and I hope yours is as well.

IKEA

When we moved into our new house my parents kindly offered to take us to IKEA to get some things for our house as a house warming present. I had never been to IKEA before and really didn't know what to expect. Before we went I thought about some things we could use. But what I decided I really wanted to do was revamp the bedroom. If you remember from my house tour the bedroom is really blah right now, white walls, tan and white bedding, nothing on the walls, really bland.

So off to Portland to IKEA we went. After hours and hours and lunch and a few more hours I was so overwhelmed and exhausted it was hard to know what I thought. I decided what I wanted from my parents was a Iron bed frame. I picked out a new duvet, some throw pillows, new curtains and few other odds and ends. I had everything I needed to revamp my bedroom. But when were were ready to go we realized there was no way that bed frame was going to fit into my step mother's SUV. And IKEA, be warned, does not deliver!

So that following weekend my friend Jessica and I borrowed a friends truck and trekked back up to IKEA to get the bed. I also decided to get some new night tables. Yet Saturday night at 8pm we were informed that IKEA was out of all bed mid-beams for all models. The were getting a shipment in the next morning so we stayed the night in Portland (my in laws live in Portland). The next morning on this third trip to IKEA we finally got the bed but found out the nightstands were out of stock in the color I wanted. You can just guess my level of frustration. So I opted for another color and we headed home.

Overall I think IKEA is a great place for a lot of things. And if you are selective you can do a lot on a small budget. I found a lot of pieces that were poor quality and over priced but I found a lot of other things that seemed to be good quality and great deals. It's also great for basics like mirrors, picture frames, candles and a lot of other decorating pieces. But at the end of the day you get what you pay for. No shipping, things often out of stock, self serve furniture store room...these are all realities that come with such low prices.

Busy Bee

Arg...I have been so busy lately. I wish that I could report some amazing house progress, or some delicious recipes, but sadly, that is not the case. There has just been a lot going on with my job, Mr. P's practice and there has been a lot of traveling and company.

I did spend two Saturday's in a row at IKEA. Maybe I'll overcome my phobia of tools and no longer have to rely on Chris to put things together. And then there can be pictures. Maybe...

Lovely Evenings

Because Chris works at the restaurant three nights a week (Saturday, Sunday and Monday) we don't get a lot of weekend time together. This leaves weeknights as our main quality time, but, as we all know, weeknights can be taken over by work, meetings, church functions and the gym. Lately weeknights at home feel like a rare treat and last night was the perfect example. Our Tuesday night at home was domestic perfection. After walking through the door (before 6pm!) we got into comfy clothes, put on a country gospel record* that we are currently loving and settled and to our kitchen where Chris sat on his bar stool and I started cooking. We opened beer, and I made the pioneer woman's beef and pepper stir fry, which was AMAZING. We loved it so much and will definitely be making it again and again. After dinner we settled on the couch to watch Frasier. Sometimes a quite evening at home is just what you need to get you through a hectic week! *yes we like country gospel, actually we kind of adore country gospel and I inherited a huge stack from my great grandparents that we have been working are way through.

Friday I'm Dreaming....

of traveling the world. Mr. P and I love to travel and one of our major life goals is to travel a lot. We are each blessed to have done some traveling before we came together but even with the places we've each been we want to return together. Our plan is to work hard now to pay off our student loans and pay off our mortgage so in 10-15 years we can travel as much as we want to! Together we have really only been on two trips: our honeymoon on the Washington coast and to Colombia in South America this summer. Separately we've each been to Montana, DC, China, Europe and I have traveled quite a bit on the east coast. However, the list of trips we dream to take together is extensive both inside and outside the US. In the next several years we hope to visit friends in Montana (this summer!), LA and Chicago. We also hope to travel to New York City (neither of us have been) and Lyon, France in two years when my sister studies in both places. Long term some of our dream trips include: A food and whiskey tour of Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana, India, Montreal, Turkey, Greece, The Holy Lands, Italy and the Szechwan Region of China. Where do you dream of traveling? Any amazing places to recommend?