Well Hello Again!

Welcome longtime readers to the new layout! Well, and hopefully the last layout...ever. We're getting more settled now, finding a routine, learning how to give each other space in our little one bedroom apartment. So what's with the title you ask? Well this probably won't be a shock, but I looooovvveeee the Mary Tyler Moore Show, which took place in Minneapolis Minnesota. And for those of you not cool enough to have the theme song memorized, here it is for you:

Who can turn the world on with her smile? 
Who can take a nothing day, and suddenly make it all seem worthwhile? 
Well it's you girl, and you should know it 
With each glance and every little movement you show it 

Love is all around, no need to waste it 
You can have a town, why don't you take it 
You're gonna make it after all 
You're gonna make it after all 


How will you make it on your own? 
This world is awfully big, girl this time you're all alone 
But it's time you started living 
It's time you let someone else do some giving 

Love is all around, no need to waste it 
You can have a town, why don't you take it 
You're gonna make it after all 
You're gonna make it after all


Naturally I changed the you're to we're. I have yet to get my picture taken by the MTM statue outside the downtown Macy's but rest assured it is on my list. Along with exploring the city more. I really need to get on that. So any readers in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area that want to be my friend, hit me up! I enjoy good food, drinks and anything fun. I have just turned this post into eHarmony. Wow....


I think now that I've got the layout done I can get back to posting on the regular. I've missed it so, and of course I've missed all of your blogs as well! I feel like I've missed out on so much, but I promise I will catch up and it will just be like old times. Until then just remember love is all around :)


Cheers!


Marisa

p.s. Greetings from Bobo & Elvis! They are loving their new digs ;)

25 Days of Birthmas Day 21: Only 4 Days Left...

Wow, I can't believe it's almost here! 4 Days. FOUR!!!!!! This week has been hell as Tuesday was a 13+ hour day and today is a 15+ hour day. However when talking to my best boy he had this to say: "You can do it. Then you can come kick it and let me take care of you." I died. That right there was the best Birthmas present ever. I'm looking forward to pancakes and birthday cake and potato pancakes (Happy Hanukkah!) and whatever other cakes come with Birthmas. I'll take them all please! Eff the gym this week, you only turn 27 once right? And then come January....Ass kicking Pikes Peak Ascent training. Better enjoy being a fatty while I can. And on that note, I would like this cake for Birthmas please

Pink: Check. Crown: Check. Sparkles: Check. Yup this is my Birthmas cake!!!

Happy Holidays to you all and your lovely families! I hope everyone gets everything they wanted and more. I'm going to take a little Birthmas hiatus and will be back Monday to tell you all about it! Hugs to each and every one of you!!!

Cheers!

Marisa

P.S. Check it out, I suck at money and so does my friend so we started a blog about our quest to not suck at it anymore. Read about it here.

25 Days of Birthmas Day 19: OMG 6 MORE DAYS!!!!

Holy crap! Only 6 more days until Birthmas 2012!!! I can't believe it. I am so excited ( I believe I've mentioned it once or twice) to head to Minneapolis. I have the best boyfriend ever who is determined to make my 27th birthday the most special birthday ever. However, all I need to have the best birthday ever is just to relax with him at home...and maybe throw in a bottle of vodka too. Hey it's my birthday after all, and I'm only downhill to 30 now. So you better believe that there will be a cranberry vodka or two (or ten) involved this holiday weekend. What about you guys? Are you excited for Christmas???? If you aren't yet I hope this Christmas picture I drew for Drew (ha!) will fill you with Christmas Cheer!

25 Days of Birthmas Days 5&6: A Personal Plea For Help

Okay so this is Drew and I's first holiday and first birthday together. Might as well get both over with right? I feel like I'm pretty easy to shop for. I have various hobbies that require gear and also I like pink and sparkles. How hard can that be? So here is my problem: wth do I get Drew? I had a plan and he shot it down without even knowing that he shot it down. Now I'm stuck, idea-less and feeling like a Birthmas failure. Please tell me I"m not alone and that you too struggled with you first holiday gift for your boyfriend. So, I need your help with gift ideas. Here are things Drew likes:

Commodities like wheat, soybeans, corn etc...

Finance things

Camping things

Cycling things ( I know nothing about bikes. I'm a runner)

Original Star Trek

South Park

Also, he is going to Dubai in January. I feel like there could be some gift ideas in there...

Thanks loves, I appreciate ANY ideas! Also don't forget to enter my Giveaway!

Cheers!

Marisa



Sentimental Holiday Stuff & Things

I am not sentimental, romantic or overly emotional. It's just not in my makeup. So here I am, listening to Celine Dion (No joke) to help me get in the mood to write about some sentimental emotional stuff.

So it was Thanksgiving last week, if you hadn't noticed. I'm sure everyones pants did. Anyways, I'm always a thankful person. Whenever I catch myself being sad about not having the latest gadget, or not being able to buy a new handbag when I want I remind myself of those who have so much less than I do. I remind myself to be thankful that I can afford food everyday, health care whenever I need it, and that I have a wonderful apartment to go home to every single night. I hope that I will never get on the bandwagon of "I need more money so I can have better things than everyone else". Truly all that I ever want and need are the three things I've already mentioned...and just 1 more.

This year, I was thankful for a new addition in my life. I think you know who it is. He's kind of hard to miss at 6'4". I've written a lot about how stressful trying to relocate is, but I think I make it hard on myself. I have this mentality that I have to do this by myself because I've always had to do things by myself. I don't have the luxury of a supportive family as most do. I know that I could call, but I also know the answer would be the same as always "oh thats too bad, best of luck." And then there is Drew. He actually wants to help me. Has offered more than once to help me out, to which I always reply no I can do this on my own. It's like a built in automatic response. Here is someone who is offering to help me out without me even asking, because he wants nothing more than for us to be together and is willing to do whatever he can to make it happen. And then there is me, being an idiot making my life harder because I don't want to feel like a failure or lesser person for not handling things on my own. Sometimes, I suck. And so, I am thankful for Drew. Not only for loving me unconditionally despite my stubborn tendencies but also for wanting to be there for me because he loves me. Now I'm crying. Fuck you Titanic theme.

Let's change tunes.

Here is my only Holiday shopping score.

(CamelBak Annadel Running Hydration Pack)

Kind of excited. Adds about 3.5lbs of weight but it really doesn't feel that bad. It's sits higher up on your back so you barely notice it.

Hope everyone has a great week! It's so tough coming back from a holiday...

Cheers!

Marisa

(Future) Homeward Bound!

I'm heading to Minneapolis today to spend a wonderful weekend with my boy and (gasp!) meet the fam. Keep your fingers crossed for me ;)

We have some really fun things planned, but what I'm really excited for is a trip to the Walker Art Center . Our friends generously gave us tickets they were not able to use the last time they were up there.

(via)

Where this Claes Oldenburg lives

(Oh he's like way famous)

Catch up with you all after the weekend! Hopefully I have some good adventures to post!

And thank you all for your sweet comments, and thank you new commenters and followers. I don't know what I'd do without you guys :)

Cheers!

Marisa

Let's hear it for New York

No I am not going to New York, nor am I there. However Drew is there right now being a hot shot and I may have been whining about it for the last few days. Can you blame me? I've never been. So he's been super busy lately, big company meetings and preparing for this trip and I've been missing our regularly scheduled Skype calls. However this morning I got this:

you (view from my hotel room)

I may have had to show it to a few people....and I may have gone back to it a few time throughout the day to get me through work. Whatevs, I know you're all slightly jealous right now ;)

In other news, it is finnnalllly starting to feel like fall around here. Woke up for my run this morning and it was 39 degrees. Most of you are probably cringing, I however was ecstatic. I can finally bust out my good clothes. I invest way more in fall winter clothes than I do for summer. Probably because I hide out in my house a lot during the summer avoiding the sun like the plague. I know, I'm a weirdo.

With fall comes my love of reorganizing and DIY projects. My favorite thing to do on a Saturday night is crack open a bottle of wine and work on a project.....um. Pretend that is my second favorite thing to do next to doing shots of whiskey off strippers and partying like a rockstar. Yeah, THAT is how I spend my Saturday nights....like a rockstar. Maybe just a diy rockstar.

ANYWAY, speaking of DIY and organization inspiration, I'm on Pinterest! Look me up, Marisa84...just like my twitter. I'm not very creative. I'm trying to use it more, but please share with me your favorite jewelry organization ideas because that's what I'm struggling with most. My necklaces are a wreck.

Best Boyfriend Ever Cheers,

Marisa

Home Sweet Home

For the first time in a month neither Drew nor I will be getting in a car and traveling this weekend. I'm looking forward to it but at the same time am bummed since that means I won't be seeing Drew. :( I think we've been spoiled over the last month getting to spend so much time together. This past weekend was an absolute blast as we attended our very first wedding together, with a bunch of old friends. Many beers were had, much dancing was done, and hopefully there are very few pictures of it as I'm sure I was anything but graceful. To add to the wedding festivities already happening, we learned our good friends had gotten engaged that weekend. Something was definitely in the air that weekend and I'm pretty sure it was love :)

(via)

I picked that photo because Drew holds my hand always and I LOVE IT. Which reminds me of a story I forgot to tell when we were in Duluth. We were walking down the street to go get some lunch and are approaching a mom carrying her young daughter. 

Kid: Mommy look! They're walking together! (meaning holding hands)

Mom: They are because they love each other.

Kid: YAYYY!!!!!!

I wish I could send that kid a card. It made my life :)

Have you had enough of the love fest going on over here? Yes? Okay lets talk golf and beer.

Tomorrow is my company golf outing which means it's time for the annual dragging of my golf clubs out of the basement. Yes I have clubs, but no I cannot golf for shit. But I'm da bomb at drinking beers and driving a golf cart. And really, what else is there to golf? If you don't follow me on twitter you should probably start as tomorrow will be a tweet fest of my amazing beer drinking golfing abilities. 

So follow me @marisa84 and stay tuned. I'm setting my sights high and hoping to win the shortest drive prize. Wish me luck!

Cheers

Marisa

I'm alive, I swear

Just trying to get my life back together from being on the road for so long. I promise a complete update tomorrow. Crazy amazing things going on right now. Basically right now I feel like Kate:

(Image via we heart it)

Beautiful, fabulous and completely loved. :)

Kate Middleton Cheers 4 Life,

Marisa

Camping Anxiety??? Oh No Wait...Just The Regular Kind

Last night I was all Monday is going to rock and I"m going to get my ass to the gym at 5 (I did) to start my half marathon training and then at night I won't have to work out and I can relax and blog. After my workout I was feeling pretty good, got ready for the day and headed to work. Somewhere on that drive everything went to shit. I don't know what my deal is today but I haven't been able to shake this sense of impending doom. It's crushing me like a ton of bricks and for the life of me I can't quite figure out why. I am so rigoddamndiculously happy right now and Des Moines is not filled with raging flood waters, and I'm not going weeks without food like the children in Somalia, and I'm most certainly not getting blown up by suicide bombers so WHAT in the world do I have to be all anxious about?

Okay so I mayyyy have a slight clue. I may be soooo happy that it is causing this anxiety. I know first world white girl problems. I hate myself for even saying it because really you're so happy that it gives you anxiety? I would probably tell myself to piss off if I ran into me right now. However I feel like Charlotte in the good SATC movie, where she has everything she's ever wanted and is afraid something bad is going to happen to her. That's how I feel. Unfortunately for me I didn't shit my pants this year, so I guess I'm not done. 

Perhaps it's because things are starting to feel real. Like it's official, people know. Hey everyone I have an amazing boyfriend who is the bomb and gives up his 2012 Ikea catalog for me. So perhaps now that everyone knows, now that I can say "this is my boyfriend...." I'm so afraid of losing it. Does that make sense? Or am I being a ridiculous whiny little bitch who needs to man up? 

I'm sure it will pass but until it does, lets just blame it on the camping shall we?

Cheers

Marisa

30 Before 30: Camping....Like For Real Camping

So I have a lot of fun stuff coming up the next couple of weekends. Most importantly seeing a lot of Drew. The super fun thing I've got to look forward to is camping in Tettegouche State Park over Labor Day. Camping (for reals camping) is on my 30 Before 30 because....well.....in my 26.5 years of existence, I have never ever been camping. And here is why. 

This is my idea of camping:

(Shelley Long in Troop Beverly Hills)

I know I know I know you all saw me being a bad ass mountaineering woman in Colorado but here's the deal: That was about 5.5 hours in the wilderness. Not all day all night. Sleeping on the ground with possible bugs crawling on you and quite possibly the worst thing ever: PEEING IN THE WOODS!

No, I have never peed in the woods. Shocked? I know most people are. I would rather rupture my bladder than pee in the woods. I am not an outdoorsy girl what can I say. But, I"m determined to do this and to do it well. I may be a pageant doing, makeup/fashion obsessed, bug fearing ,river hating, dirt loathing, break into a cold sweat when on a lake, girl who hates sweating but I WILL successfully camp just as well as any Amazon who pees in the woods and eats bark. I WILL survive with out my concealer and bronzer and my straightening iron, and I WILL NOT call for room service...unless you can actually do that. Then I totally am. 

So this post was not a cheer me on post. This was a heap a lot of praise on Drew and send him good luck vibes and well wishes. He has undertaken a big task and is well aware of my camping/outdoors shortcomings. Luckily he is an Eagle Scout and I'm pretty sure Camping with Whiny High Maintenance Girl is like a patch they have to earn. No? Well then just keep him in your thoughts and prayers. 

Camping Cheers!

Marisa

BDE With The BBE

I am all about the acronyms lately. Haha. So It's Monday and that means recapping the Best Day Ever with the Best Boy Ever!!!!!!!  I don't really have any pictures as I forgot my camera at home which I think was for the best so then I wasn't constantly interrupting the day trying to get the right shot. Just got to enjoy all my time with Drew and boy did we do a ton of stuff! I'll recap it in list form.

8:00am: Breakfast. French Toast made by me. I concede that I am not as awesome at breakfast as Drew. I may not be as awesome at cooking as Drew. Ah well. 

10:15am: Head down to the East Village/Capitol. Perused the grounds while waiting for the shops to open up.

11:00am: Hit various shops in the East Village. Drew got some cool spices at All Spice and I got some more Caldrea dish soap at my all time favorite Eden . Drew being the best boy ever was a good sport and smelled a bunch of candles and voted for our favorite Votivo scent. And by our I mean we totally voted for two different candles. Whatever.

Noonish: Lunch at Noodle Zoo!!!!! It was so amazing. Seriously I have yet to take someone there that didn't think it was super amazing delicious. After an amazing lunch, Drew 100% proved himself worthy of the title of best boy ever.

1:00pm:

Harry Potter at the IMAX!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG it was so amazing! Beyond words! I want to see it 500 MORE TIMES!!!!!! 

After the movie we also spent time at the Science Center where Liam Neeson taught us about black holes, we built a rocket, race cars, and Drew helped a dad and his son build the Gateway Arch. 

Think the day is done? Oh no far from it!

4:30pm: Italian American Heritage Festival. We listened to some guy play some traditional Italian folk music with instruments made out of goat skin (ew), drank some delish sangria and learned about the different states in Italy.

6:00pm: Dinner at Cuatro with some happy hour margaritas. Good and much needed after the long day we'd already had. Once we were refueled it was off to the horse races!

7:00pm: Prairie Meadows race track and casino. Mostly did people watching. But occasionally watched the horses. It was such a perfect night out, I could've just sat there all night. But! After watching some craps and Drew deciding he didn't want to become a poor hobo, we met the bestie and her bf downtown for drinks

9:00pm: Royal Mile. We started here sitting on the patio, drinking some beers and enjoying the nice weather finally in Des Moines. ( It didn't last however. It's hot as hell right now.) The bestie however, enjoyed an entire butt.

After Royal Mile we went to another bar, more drinks were had and then we called it a night. It was midnight and we'd been out and about since 10am. Whew! Talk about a long day, but the BEST day!!!!!

Are you still with me? You're all such good friends :) So there you have it. The Best Day Ever. I have not had so much fun in a long time. Not since I was in Minnesota last :) I can't wait to do it again and very very very soon. How was everyone else's weekend? Hopefully just as amazing!

Cheers!

Marisa

A Year Ago

Just over a year ago I wrote this post . Kind of crazy that just 360 some odd days ago I was in that place. Scared of my new apartment, scared of being on my own. Scared of life in general. I was so convinced that the world was going to come crashing down on me even more than it already had. How that would have been possible I don't know, but I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom. Not surprisingly enough, just a year ago was the last panic attack I've ever had. At the time I figured it was the first of many to come, since I was so sure that I couldn't take care of myself, that I would never ever make it on my own. I didn't know how. I was 25 years old and had never had to live a moment of my adult life on my own. Seems pathetic actually putting it in writing. Obviously a lot has happened in this past year, way more than I ever thought would. To be honest when I first moved out of the house and into my home (see what I did there?) my thought was that I would find someone new and basically repeat the cycle. The next year I'd be blogging from my new home with my new bf. I don't know why I thought that. I don't know if it's because I felt that I had to prove how awesome I am, like how could someone not want me as their girlfriend? 

As it turns out, I wasn't so interested in being anyone's girlfriend. I hate to be all teen movie, who am I, what is the meaning of life? But this year has been one of learning and dare I say, self discovery. Please note I want to punch myself in the face for saying that and trying to sound artsy and deep. In all honesty though, it's been an adventure, I know exactly who I am, what I want, and most of all I love sharing every single ridiculous moment of it with all of you. 

Can't wait to see what I reflect on next year. Most likely some outrageous shenanigan. However I've declared summer 2011 married guy free. And well every summer....and every other season too.

Cheers!

Marisa