Top Ten

The weeks start to fly by when the weather is nice and the sun is out longer. Winter in Minnesota is long and depressing; the worst part is when the sun sets at 4:30 p.m. While I want to get married sooner, I also want to stretch out summertime. I feel as though it was Monday and I blinked and it was Friday. Here are ten of my favorite things from this past week.

1. Bonfires and wine. Few things are better than good conversation shared with your best friend over a glass of Malbec. (Wine not pictured.)

2. Fresh flowers from the Nicollet Mall Farmer's Market. I'm lucky enough to work Downtown where everything is a short walk away, including the Thursday Farmer's Market. The Farmer's Market means food trucks, fresh fruit, and a bouquet of flowers for my desk.

3. The Five Love Languages. I'm reading this book right now, and thoroughly enjoying it. It offers so much insight on how each person feels loved, and shows love, in a different way. My love languages? Quality Time and Acts of Service.

4. Ray LaMontagne. Specifically him covering Gnarls Barkley.

5. This marriage proposal:

6. All the Rapture/Apocalypse talk. Read this post from the Center for Disease Control, and this article on a 5/21/11 Doomsday crazy. Both will provide you with some entertainment. 

7. Pinterest. I am addicted. Check out my boards here and let me know if you want an invite.

8. Recipe blogs. I am blessed with a job that sometimes requires me to research blogs. This week, I came across Annie's Eats, For the Love of Cooking, and Smitten Kitchen. I'm dying to try the recipes below:

Creme Brulee French Toast from Smitten Kitchen

Banana, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Muffins
from For the Love of Cooking

Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake from Annie's Eats

9. This blog post about my mischievous niece, Lillian, trying to make herself a cup of joe.

10. Seeing old friends. Last night I had dinner with my college roommates from freshman year. Here we are in Seattle two years ago:

Have a great weekend!
Emily

Pretty much the greatest greeting cards ever.

I came across Zeichen Press while reading MN Bride Magazine's blog today. Their cards are some of the most creative/original products I've come across. From their about/contact page:

"Zeichen Press is Fran Shea, Jen Shea and 10,000 pounds of letterpress equipment. The division of labor goes something like this: Fran talks a lot and Jen does everything else. If you’d like to see how this could work for you and/or your company, contact us. Jen will pick up the phone and Fran will talk to you.

The message is fresh, funny, offbeat, and refreshingly honest. The design is bold and smart. The method is letterpress. VERY old-school. Think chamber pots and blood-letting. Think flogging-in-the-town-square. Think Wanted Posters... Think Bibles: So grim, so serious. Now stop thinking about that. Zeichen Press brought letterpress and humor together - at last! We’d like to give all the credit to indoor plumbing."

Perfect for your mom.

I probably did.

What self-respecting woman doesn't?

No, no I'm not.

Perfect to give to someone who has a flying phobia!
(Me and any Southwest Airlines passengers.)

Steve and I neeeeed to get these!

Starbucks + Minnesota Nice

The beauty of working downtown Minneapolis is that there are endless breakfast and lunch choices. The downside of this is the temptation to spend money unnecessarily and more often than usual.

Behold: The wonder that is the Minneapolis Skyway System (in red.)

While at work today, I decided to treat myself to Starbucks. I justified it because I knew I had $11 left on a gift card. So, I stuck my gift card in the back pocket of my jeans, left the rest of my wallet on my desk, and cut through a few skyscrapers to the closest Starbucks. 

I ordered and handed the barista my gift card. She looked at me and told me I owed $2.84. In a small Starbucks full of people, I was totally embarrassed! I apologized profusely and told her to cancel my order; I had left my wallet in my office. She looked at me and with a nod of understanding and said, "That's okay, just keep the drink, sweetheart."

I thanked her, grabbed my white chocolate mocha, and told her I would be back in five minutes to pay. She was certainly surprised to see me a little while later, wallet in hand.

I know it took a long time to get to my point, but this is exactly what I love about Minnesota. Where else would you be given a free drink purely out of the goodness of an employee's heart? Where else would a person not be expected to pay for something, but return to do so? 

My little trip (well, two trips) to Starbucks this morning was just enough to turn my dreary morning bright, and remind me why I love Minnesota so much.