I've got big news!

Well hello, old friend! It seems this space hasn't seen much action the past few months... and that was never my intention. Not to make excuses, or really apologize for the absence, but things at work got very exhausting after the summertime, which led to me feeling less than inspired creatively, so this space just got shoved to the wayside. I've been posting on Instagram pretty regularly though, so if you'd like to keep up with me, or you just like cat photos, that's the place to be. There's lots of fun stuff there that I never shared here, like my trips to France, Spain, & Portland, getting a perm, and then cutting most of my hair off a few months later. I think I owe you guys some photos! But anyways, Shawn and I have some pretty big news and I thought this would be a fitting time to make my way back over to this little corner of the internet.

And before you even think it, NO, we are not pregnant. Let's just get that out of the way real quick, k, thanks. Actually, it's much more exciting than that! Well, at least we seem to think so. I'm not sure if the cats will agree, but hey, they're kinda stuck with us so I think they'll just go with it.

We're moving to Portland, Oregon!

I feel I should preface this by saying it's not an entirely impulsive decision. We've actually been talking about moving to the west coast in some capacity for the past six years or so, but it wasn't until about a year and a half ago that we finally started setting active goals to get there. And then a few months ago, once we realized it was finally a realistic possibility, we really committed to the idea and began looking into what it would take to get out there.

Originally we planned on buying an RV or converting a van and traveling around the country for a few months before settling down somewhere. But we kept coming back to the same question: What about the cats? I know some people have had success traveling longterm with their cats, but it's just not a stress we were willing to put on the boys, and honestly the whole permanent camping idea seemed slightly fiscally irresponsible for our current situation. I know there are plenty of jobs that can be done on the road, but it's not a sector we're all that familiar with yet, and we want to spend some more time considering all the options. So we ultimately decided to put that plan on hold for a few years and focus on something a little more attainable... moving across the country! We considered Colorado, northern California, Washington, and Oregon... and ultimately decided on Portland being the place to be.

Everyone who asked us, "Why Portland?" was shocked to hear we had never even been there before. So then the obvious question followed, "But what if you don't like it?" It's hard to explain, but sometimes you feel a pull towards a certain place/person/idea, and it just feels right. And that's exactly what happened here - we never had any worries about not liking it. Everyone I've talked to who has been there lights up when you mention Portland. Deep down, we just had a feeling it was going to be the right place for us, for now. (That's the funny thing about moving... you can do it as often as you'd like, to wherever you'd like. We just said, hey if Portland doesn't work out, we'll go somewhere else!) I flew over there last week and stayed with some local friends to really get a feel for the city, do a few job interviews and check out some potential apartments. And as it turns out, I absolutely fell in love with the city.


What's not to like?? Food culture is huge there- the city is filled with restaurants that can satisfy an endless array of palates. (So many Thai restaurants!) You can get alcohol at any food establishment, including cafes and places you wouldn't normally expect to find liquor/beer/wine. Speaking of beer, the city is loaded with local breweries... and speaking of wine, the local stuff is actually good! (Sorry east coast, but your wine sucks.) Everyone I interacted with while out there was so gosh-darn nice. I know it sounds cliche at this point, but there really is a distinct cultural difference between the fast-paced in-your-face East coast, and the laid-back good-vibes West coast; I felt it. People ask, "What do you have planned for the rest of your day?", and they actually want to know. Meanwhile, on the East coast, people barely have time to listen to your response when they carelessly ask, "Hey, how are you?". The city blocks are small, and super easy to navigate. It's super bike-friendly, in fact, I didn't notice much vehicular traffic at all. The beach, mountains, and wine country are just a short drive away. And, oh yeah, weed is legal there, if you're into that kinda thing.

So at the end of March we'll be driving the cats, along with a select few other things we care about, all the way across the country to our new home. Currently the plan is to spend about ten days driving across, which should give us enough time to see a few things along the way, but not so much time that the cats will be completely traumatized by the trip (fingers crossed that they'll travel well). A few weeks ago, the end of March felt so far away, but now we're on crunch time! We have a few more details to figure out before then, and a lot more things to pack up too... but it feels so good to put it all out in the open and finally start this next adventure together!

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Week in Photos: Moving-In Edition

Well, I figured I owe you all a few photos of our new place. There are only three 'finished' rooms so far - the bathroom, kitchen, and bedroom. I say finished but if you know us, you know that no room is every really finished. The living room and office/studio still need some organization. But here's a peek at the whole moving-in process and where we stand right now. The move was a lot of work (apparently, we have a lot of stuff!!), but we are so happy with our new home so far. It's so much quieter and brighter, and the extra room helps break things up nicely. So far so good!

Lloyd had no idea what was coming... when it came time to pack him up, he wasn't having any of it!





...the storm before the calm? What did we learn? We have way too much stuff...





Shawn's position says it all. We were exhausted by Sunday afternoon.





Things started to look a slightly better later that day. But, our couch never made it up the stairs. Looks like we're on the market for a new one.





The other side of the room doesn't look like much either.





The game of figuring out where to fit the dishes and where to put the dry goods...





And this is what it looks like today! I guess we managed.





New bed sheets! Shawn and I have had the hardest time agreeing on some. I found these at Bed Bath and Beyond and he liked them too! The bedroom has a bed and a dresser, and that's basically it. But what else does a bedroom really need?





Speaking of beds, underneath ours is where Lloyd hid for most of the first two and a half days.





Eventually he came out and continued his usual cuteness.





He's been exploring and discovering all the surfaces he can climb on. He fell off of my desk this morning trying to jump onto the window ledge... it was actually pretty funny to watch because I could see him calculating the jump!





The bathroom was the first finished room in the apartment. It's so bright in there!





Why, yes, there is a leek in our bathroom. I'm playing a practical joke on Shawn tonight... shhhh!



I'll give you a more proper tour when things are looking a little more put together.

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Fun Finds Friday #63 (Moving Edition)

Since we're moving into a larger apartment this weekend, I've got IKEA on the brain! Seriously though, I think going to IKEA and picking out some new things to help fill in a new space is one of the more exciting aspects of moving, and I look forward to it each time. Of course, we have to wait until everything is unpacked and we can better judge the space, but here are a few things I've been coveting:

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8
I've had my eye on that red cabinet and dining table for over a year now - I just love the pop of color from the cabinet (and since we're losing a lot of closet space by moving here, any added storage is always a plus!), and I think a round dining table would be a nice change from all the rectangular and square furniture we have. That plant stand is too cute and we can never have too many of those. The coat rack is a must, now that we'll have a long hallway to our front door and no closet to hang our coats or my purse in! I also think the red bench would look really neat in that same hallway, and would be functional for putting our shoes on or storing some underneath. (Really though, that's only because I saw this.) And then there's the bed sheets, which Shawn is not a fan of but we can't seem to find any linens we can agree on. (He says they're too simple but I think simple is great for the bedroom!) I love the coffee table, mostly because it's on wheels but also because we've been using our coffee table as a tv-stand and man, I really just miss having a coffee table to put my drinks and books on. And the rug is one we can both agree on, though we'll need more than that to fill up some floor space in the new place!

So, happy Friday!!
Tomorrow begins the grueling (yet exciting) task of moving! I suppose that means I should start packing things today, hm...?

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We're moving! Again.

Thankfully, we're not going very far this time - just a mere half mile up the road from our current apartment. We love the town we live in far too much to venture elsewhere! When we moved in here initially we both said we weren't going to go through that process again for at least another two or three years... and yet here we are again. One reason being that I think we're going to feel much more at home in our new apartment. The new place has a second bedroom (our first 2-bedroom apartment!), much more natural light, and a much more open floor plan. The positives totally outweigh the negatives... we're losing a parking lot (street parking now!) and also going from having a washer/dryer in the unit to having to share with the rest of the tenants in the building, but laundry was the least of our worries.

One of the major positives for us is that we're moving away from our neighbors. The obnoxious ones that live in the two-bedroom apartment to our left, to be specific. Have I not mentioned them here before? That's because I wanted to spare you the details. Let's just say that there's a family of eight living there, four of those being children under the age of ten. And that clause in the lease we all sign before moving in? You know, the one about being quiet after certain hours and not playing or blocking the common areas... the one about being a considerate human being? Yeah, that one. Well, they must not have read that part because they've been violating it for months. In the year since we've lived here we have not heard anyone else in the building (and there are at least 20 units), but for whatever reason they manage to make themselves heard every single day. I'm honestly surprised that no one else has complained. We made sure our leasing agent understood the severity of the situation, and she assured us that the building we're moving to is quiet, filled with other young couples like us, and very much lacking in loud children. That's really all we needed to hear!


I know the next question you're going to ask. How's Lloyd handling the moving process? Incredibly well! Though he should be used to change by now. He hasn't been particularly anxious, instead he's been even more cuddly than usual. I think he's worried we're going to leave him behind, like his first family did! I tell him at least three times a day that we would never ever ever leave him, and that of course he's coming with us, and that he's going to have an extra room to run around in, and he's going to love it because it's going to be the three of us, and that nothing is changing other than our surroundings. I think he just wants to make sure we remember to pack him too.


I don't know if I'll be able to do my usual weekend updates, since we're moving in this weekend. I'm so excited to show you photos of our new place once it's all unpacked and set up, so I'd rather focus on unpacking! So have an awesome weekend! Cross your fingers for us that it won't be sweltering hot on Saturday and Sunday...

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insta-move

Bits and pieces of last week's moving process, instagram style:



1. Empty fridge = Sunday breakfast from Corner Bakery Cafe.
2. Shower curtain decisions at IKEA. Decided against both of those.
3. An organized closet makes me so freakin' happy!
4. Unpacking the kitchen was one of my first priorities.
5. It's great to be back near a Trader Joes!
6. Already made a squirrel friend at work.
7. New at work: gluten-free chocolate chip cookies.
8. New at work: gluten-free lemon pound cake.

This week is going to be good. No more unpacking and no more furniture-building. And we're going to see Ben Folds Five/ The Barenaked Ladies/ Guster on Thursday!!

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So, in other news....

A few weeks ago I mentioned that we had some big news on the way... and no, it's not an engagement (ha!), and it's certainly not a baby! (Oh man, could you imagine? No thank you!) Nope, this news is really nothing new around these parts...

In case you're unfamiliar with US city skylines, that's a photo of Philadelphia. We're moving back to Philly! This is all very exciting indeed. We put a deposit down on an apartment last week, and now we can't wait to move in. The first week of July is our official move in 'date'. I'd say July 1st but I'm in someone's wedding on July 2nd so we're waiting until the following weekend to move. And as far as work goes, I'll be going back to the coffee shop I was working at when we lived there prior. Except that this time I'll be baking for two shops, and I'll be in charge of pretty much everything having to do with food. I'm really looking forward to being able to make my own schedule and come up with my own creations again, and of course seeing a lot of familiar faces is a perk too!

This past year has been an amazing learning experience, both at work and at home. I've learned some new tricks of the trade when it comes to baking, and it's been great working in an actual bakery that pumps out way more than I ever did when I worked at the coffee shop before. (Hey, a one-woman team can only do so much!) And as far as taking care of my parents' house goes, well, Shawn and I now have a much better idea of what we're looking for in a home, along with the amount of effort it takes to maintain everything. For now, we're happy to leave the maintenance to the people who are trained and paid to do it - so apartment living, here we come again! It was nice entertaining the idea of having a small yard or patio, but unfortunately places like that are still far out of our price range. We'll get there though- isn't that what your late 20s and early 30s are for? Saving up for the 'real' thing; the American dream? We can't even fathom where we might be ten years from now anyway, so in the mean time we'll just enjoy taking these little steps towards building our own dream.

Philadelphia, here we come (again).

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All Moved In

It's been a busy week, hence the lack of new posts, but we are finally all moved in and have been enjoying being back in NJ since last Saturday! The move went unbelievably well; my friend's trailer was able to fit every last thing left in the apartment and since she got a bit of a head start driving back, by the time Shawn and I got to the house she and my brother had already finished unloading everything into the downstairs room - we were ever so thankful because we had already spent the two days prior moving things up and down stairs, so it was a (literal) load off our shoulders.

I took a few days off between jobs to relax and get some housework done. We've spent time clearing up various rooms and ends of the house, making space for our furniture and things and just doing some general cleaning tasks. Shawn has been doing some yard work too but it's been tough due to the gloomy rainy weather we've had all week. We've also been seeing a lot of old friends and eating copious amounts of food from places we've missed the last two years - you can never underestimate the power of good food and great friends! And when you combine the two, there's just nothing better.

Speaking of food, it's so much more pleasant to cook in this much (much!) larger kitchen. We've been doing plenty of that lately. Shawn has perfected his breaded chicken and is working his way through different meats. I think pork is next on the 'perfect this' list...



We've been grilling a lot too - we underestimated how much we would appreciate having a grill at our disposal. This was a collaborative effort - my friend Christine bought and brought the food over and we all pitched in to turn it into a meal. We're always happy to share our kitchen with people who enjoy a tasty meal - and Christine was just as happy to share her bacon potato hash with us.



It's also been fun hanging out with these two on a more regular basis; they've finally gotten used to having us around permanently now that all the moving of furniture has ceased. Oh, and did I not tell you about Mushu's homecoming gifts? He loves us so much that he brought us not one, but TWO chipmunks! He was so proud of himself; despite the gross factor of being 'given' a chipmunk, it was hard not to praise him for his efforts.



Unfortunately, the first chipmunk didn't make it... I think Mushu snapped his neck before bringing him in. We must not have seemed appreciative enough though because the second chipmunk he brought us was alive, just in shock. Shawn was even able to hold him!



It's not often you get to hold a live chipmunk in your hand. Shawn let him out in the front yard but Mushu was watching him the entire time. I'm not sure if the chipmunk made it after all that, but we're happy to report that was the last of Mushu's gift giving, at least for now.


And that ends the round-up of our first week back.
It's delightful to be home again.

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We're Almost On The Move...

Saturday is the big day! Moving day, to be specific. Some friends are swinging by to help us move the bigger items like the couch, bed, and our desks... things that won't fit in my tiny hatchback. Aside from that, most other things are already at the house. Our now-minimalistic apartment is actually kind of sad... the walls are bare, the fridge is almost empty, and there's nothing left in any of the many closets. We've spent two years here and all we really have to show for it are a couple of pictures and some memories. This move is bittersweet - I'm sad to leave the job and people that I've gotten to know for the last two years, but I'm really excited to see what happens next, and to be back amongst old friends.

We made two trips this past weekend; our usual Friday night-Saturday trip, and another ride out Monday-Tuesday to celebrate my brother's birthday. I made him a key lime cheesecake on Monday night, along with some candied lime zest (...which would have turned out slightly more attractive had I not forgotten to pick up some superfine sugar and ended up having to use granulated cane sugar instead) I don't make cheesecake very often because it's usually too rich for my tastes, but I was happy to oblige at my brother's request.

The pre-cheesecake scene... siblings and cats; I love looking at the living room from this arial view:



Speaking of the cats, I've shown you plenty of photos of them already but never introduced them on the blog...


They are Mushu and Bamboo; they both enjoy lounging in the sun and being pet often, and Mushu also likes to get in your way when you're trying to get any sort of work done. They're my parents' cats but I think they may be staying with us once the rest of the family moves to Switzerland... they were confined to the top floor of the house when the dogs were around, and they've really been enjoying having full reign again since the dogs were moved. Either way, we're happy to have them around.

Bamboo gets grumpy when Shawn picks him up though... why so grumpy, kitty?



Here's a strange sight from Tuesday afternoon:


I heard the sound of something hitting one of the windows by the deck, and found these two birds lying there. Upon closer inspection, it looks like they may have been mating and didn't realize that they came upon a window. Poor things...


But, to end this post on a bit of a happier note - I made brown sugar from scratch the other day! I've been out of brown sugar for a while now but haven't bought more since we're trying to work our way through everything in the apartment. It's surprisingly easy to make your own - for every one cup of white sugar add 1 tablespoon of molasses and whisk it until all of the molasses is incorporated (that took about 5-6 minutes with my kitchen aid). What a difference it makes! The sugar itself was so incredibly fluffy, and the cookies I made with it were by far the chewiest cookies I've ever made. I might just start making my own brown sugar from now on - why spend the money on it when I always have the ingredients on hand to make it?



Next time I post, it will be from my desk in New Jersey!

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Another Weekend

Things have been quiet on the blog lately because life in general hasn't been very exciting. Our weekends consist of gradually moving things from the apartment to the house, and my weekdays are consumed with the last of my work days at the coffee shop. So between coffee, baking, and spending time in a nearly empty apartment (we're moving all our electronics and smaller furniture this weekend, leaving us with a bed, couch, and some empty desks) and weekends spent organizing and cleaning things at the house... every day is just a waiting game until the end of the month.

We can't wait to be back in New Jersey for good! These last few weeks have felt just like this time two years ago... a period of being in limbo and not quite feeling like we're living anywhere anymore. We're both ready to just be done with all this moving. Can we please just skip forward to one and half weeks from now?

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Cats and Burgers

...that's mainly what this last weekend consisted of. Along with a good ol' Jersey diner breakfast with friends, moving various furniture around, organizing things in the kitchen, and some deep cleaning of the pantry. I didn't get pictures of the latter though; you really don't want to know what the pantry looked like before we attacked it with cleaning products....

25 Burgers are the best of the fast-food burgers; don't even try to argue otherwise.



These cats needed some spring-time grooming!



They woke us up at 7am demanding to be fed.
Waking up that early is so much more pleasant when cats are involved though.

We've already moved most of our odds and ends from the apartment to the house; all we have left to move is all of our furniture, clothes, electronics, and various kitchen things. In less than twenty days we should be all moved in! There's still so much cleaning to do though, on both ends!

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The Weekend Is Finally Here!

It's been a busy week, to say the least. Today is my first real day off since last Wednesday... I actually had Wednesday off this week too but I spent the entire day (from 7:30am - 9:30pm) running driving around New Jersey. Needless to say, I am exhausted and happy to sit around and not do much of anything on this drearily grey Satur-day.

Oh, and seasonal allergies have been getting the best of me since Tuesday morning, so sleep has been minimal and I've gone through almost two full boxes of tissues already. I finally picked up some Benadryl Thursday night and it seems to be helping because last night was the first night I was able to sleep straight through without waking up to blow my nose every half hour. I love spring, but I hate the sickness it brings.

Here are a few photos taken with my phone during my travels on Wednesday:

Keyport Yacht Club pier - it figures that my first day going to the 'beach' in over two years was a cloudy rainy day... beautiful photo though!




Lemon cupcake with lemon buttercream and sprinkles - can you believe it's entirely vegan?! It inspired me to make something similar for the shop (lemon raspberry cupcakes - yummy!).




Luna, one more time - I know I said two weeks ago that it was the last time seeing the dogs, but I was wrong. Wednesday was actually my last time seeing the dogs for a while. My parents and the two furry friends arrived safely in Switzerland yesterday.

Shawn and I have been busy packing our Pennsylvania life into various boxes all week too. Oh, didn't I tell you? We're moving back to New Jersey at the end of April! With my family moving to Switzerland, we're moving into the New Jersey house as 'care-takers' but also as a young couple who just wants to save some money so we can buy our own place one day. But that's all I'm going to say about that right now.

Here's to Saturday; a day of rest, good movies, and maybe a delicious homemade meal if we get around to it.

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Scenes From A NJ Road Trip

Last week we took a trip out to New Jersey to visit our families. Despite some bad news that put a slight damper on the day, we had a delicious lunch with my parents and siblings and then visited Shawn's mom at her equally delicious workplace. Our families treat us so well when we visit... sesame chicken salad for lunch, a homemade pear & chocolate tart for dessert, and a bag of locally roasted coffee? How come we don't visit more often?!

I'm pretty sure everyone who reads this blog is either family or friend and already knows this, but just in case I'm wrong, here's a small tidbit of information that I haven't mentioned before... over the next few months my family is gradually moving to Switzerland for a few years (and leaving Shawn and I behind, those bastards!). They're taking the dogs and the cats with them too, and since the dogs are scheduled to fly out next week, this was our last chance to see them for a while. Not that I don't love seeing my family too, but I know they'll be able to travel back to visit more often than the dogs will.

Shawn and the dogs have a special relationship - he used to housesit them when my family would go on vacation - in fact, I think they're usually happier to see him than they are to see me!

Check out that bear face. (It's no wonder we call him a big bear...) Kusko was growling right before these were taken, but don't mistake that for unhappiness - his smile will tell you otherwise. Malamutes make such interesting noises!




Shawn loves Luna, Luna loves Shawn.




I caught a Luna smile on camera! It's nearly impossible!

.....

And, on a completely different note, here's another photo from that day...



Shawn wears a beanie pretty much all the time, so whenever he takes it off his hair tends to be a crazy mess of Kramer hair. After arriving home from our road trip though it looked more like Ace Ventura hair, so he had me snap a photo.


Between the three of them, this turned out to be a very hairy post indeed.

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Thoughts on Moving - Part 2 - The Pieces Fit?!

Alright, picking up where I left off...

A few months into the city search we set our sights on Philadelphia. I know, I know, I shot the idea down at first but somehow Shawn eventually convinced me to at least consider it. And with a reluctant sigh, I did. Now, you're probably wondering why I was so against the idea of moving to Philadelphia at first. You are, aren't you? Well, I used to be of the belief that Philly is dirty and dangerous and too long of a drive to get to because of traffic. Why? I don't know, I guess other people's opinions of the city led me to believe as such. Well, I must say I've been proven wrong.

My only real complaint about Philly and its surrounding areas is that driving anywhere sucks! The highways are always backed up and getting in and out of the city is nearly impossible at most hours of the day. But it gets a little better once you get closer to the suburbs, where we are.

But I'm getting side tracked here - lets get back to the point, about how it all came together. We visited Philly a few times and I started looking for jobs on craigslist… and that's how I met Tim Noble, of Town Hall Coffee in Merion Station. The place was still being put together at the time, but he liked me enough to guarantee me a job whenever Shawn and I could find a place to live. And so the apartment hunt began.

We initially looked at some places in center city but then decided it'd be best to find a place closer to my job. It only took three tries before we found it, and when we saw the place we immediately knew that was it, it just felt right. So after an agonizing two weeks of feeling like we were in limbo (between finding out the place was ours, to the day we picked up the keys), and then an even more agonizing unexpected three days wait that forced us to move in over 2 days instead of 4… and after several trips to Ikea and Target and local grocery stores, we finally, finally, feel completely moved in. I'd say I feel at home too, but I honestly feel like I'm on vacation in someone else's home with all my belongings in it… it's slowly dawning on me that we live here and all this is ours, and it's just us, and it's fantastic!

And the job? It's awesome! The guys I work with are great and I love being able to interact with customers again. It's great to be a part of something so new! And I get to bake scones too! It's all very exciting.

And so, finally, after months of searching, much frustration, an overabundance of stress, and a lot of patience, the pieces fit.

:)

Italian hoagies for lunch on the makeshift table; Day Two

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