For a while now, I have been dreaming up a big exciting project that I want to share with you soonish. It is slowly coming out of the dream phase and turning into a reality, but I still have a ways to go. Hint – it involves blogs and design and you.

In the mean time, I would LOVE it if you guys would take a second (okay, more like a minute or two) to fill out this short survey. It’s simple, brief, and to the point. Feel free to be honest as it is completely anonymous. Not that there are any controversial questions or anything. :)

Thanks a trillion. I really, truly appreciate it. Have a good day!

Happy New Year’s Eve! The other night, I looked back on my posts from the past year and decided on a few favorites to review. Throughout the year, I wasn’t exactly feeling like it was particularly the best year ever. It was just alright. But looking back, I realize that this year was full of so many good things!! It’s crazy.

In January, I tried out homemade ice cream because I guess I couldn’t wait until summer. This bourbon baked apple ice cream was one of the best kinds of ice cream I’ve ever had. I can’t wait to make it again, but it’s going to be a while because it’s cold over here. Brrrr!

Galentine’s Day is one of the best fictional (but real) holidays ever. I’m so glad that I decided to throw a Galentine’s Day party earlier this year. Nothing is more fun than heart-shaped everything, glitter, and girl talk. But that’s just my opinion. :)

In March, my friends Steph and Dan got married. They’re a couple of my favorite people, and their wedding was one of the most meaningful days I’ve ever witnessed. In the weeks leading up to the big day, I had a wonderful time participating in some bridal party events and throwing a cute vintage kitchen-inspired bridal shower with Steph’s sister.

On this sunny day in April, I was walking through the farmer’s market when I ran into MY FAVORITE MUSICIAN EVER. What? That doesn’t happen in real life. But it did happen! Jenny Lewis was super nice and she gave me tickets to the Postal Service show that night. I am still freaking out. You can read the details here! It’s a fun story.

This dreamcatcher was my favorite DIY of the year. I started so many dreamcatchers without finishing them and when I finally finished this one, I was surprised at how easy it was. I meant to make a ton more of them. That is going on my January to-do list. :)

Oh, the selfie challenge… I was surprise at myself for taking part in this, and I was surprised I finished it. Now I’m kinda embarrassed by how many selfies must be on my Instagram. Regardless, it was a really cool experience! A couple of years ago, I never showed my face in any blog posts.

My family and I rented a house in Mt. Hood for a few days over the summer. It was wonderful! We played bocce ball, croquet, and card games that got out of control. We did a ton of puzzles as always. There was also a hot tub and it was raining for some of the time. Bliss!

Halloween isn’t my favorite holiday, but as soon as I realized I had a puppy to dress up, I was all about it. Oh yeah, did I mention my mom got a puppy? Welcoming Copper into the family was a huge highlight of the year. I love him. Anyway, I made Copper a Dumbledore costume which lasted for a few short moments before he tore it up. I managed to get a few cute photos though. :)

Lastly, I am so proud of my lavender bark! It feels like a big deal because I truly am not good with recipes. Something always goes wrong. Gotta stick with the easy stuff. Thankfully, this was super simple and fast to make.

I have learned in order to have exciting things happen in life, you have to make them happen. Make something. Throw a party. Try new recipes. Go on an adventure. For the whole new year I plan to write down my goals and dreams one month at a time (so I don’t overwhelm myself) and keep a tiny notebook handy always. :)

What were your favorite moments of 2013?

Today I want to introduce you to one of my new favorite brands, SooFoo! I am genuinely obsessed with this stuff and I am so happy I was able to try it out.

SooFoo is quite an interesting name, huh? I kind of laugh whenever I say it out loud. Well! It stands for “Super Food”. It is a USA grown blend of 5 types of grains, 3 types of lentils, and brown rice. The company is based in San Francisco (we’re neighbors!!) and all of the products are certified organic, vegan, and kosher. It is part of the farm-to-fork movement and if you haven’t already, you will probably begin to see this brand in retail locations such as Whole Foods, Sprouts, EarthFare, and Fred Meyer. I just found out that SooFoo is available in the Whole Foods in my town, and I am so excited.

I recently received samples of the four different flavors: Original, Garlic and Herb, Hint of Curry, and Moroccan Medley. I can’t decide which was my favorite, but the Hint of Curry made my house smell like heaven. It was amazing. SooFoo is perfect addition stir-fried dishes, salads, soups, and…cookies! Oh my gosh. When I saw this recipe for peanut butter cookies I flipped out.

Another wonderful thing about SooFoo is that it is super easy to make. Along with the samples, they sent me the SooFoo Automatic Cooker. All I had to do was add the packet, two cups of water, a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt, and the cooker did all of the work. It even turned off when it was finished cooking.

Now that I know SooFoo products are available at Whole Foods, I’m going to buy them as stocking stuffers for my family. Seriously, I can’t shut up about SooFoo. I have been eating it all the time.

Does it sound good to you guys? Or have any of you tried it already? You can check out the website and all of the products here.

This post is sponsored by SooFoo. All opinions are 100% my own. :)

Hello friends! This week, I’m joining a bunch of amazing bloggers in celebrating the 2nd blogiversary and 26th birthday of Katherine from Of Corgis & Cocktails! What better way to celebrate than to host a huge photography giveaway, right? Here are the deets:

We are giving away a Canon Rebel T3i bundle, meaning that it includes a whole bunch of extra goodies. This giveaway also includes a Canon Wireless Remote (I live for those things) and a fancy Cotton Tape Camera Strap from Imo Straps, in the design of your choice.

Thirteen other wonderful bloggers are participating. To enter, you’ll just need to check them out and follow some blogs and shops here and there. :)

And here is a closer look at the prize. The bundle package will include an extra battery, memory card, card reader, tripod, carrying case, screen protector, and lens cleaning kit. These are all extra things that I bought during the first couple years of owning a DSLR. Why not get them all at once?

Can I just be honest and say that I don’t even know who I am lately? For the past few years, I haven’t been into holidays at all. I mean, I really like Thanksgiving and sometimes Valentine’s Day (and Galentine’s Day), but I haven’t been excited about Halloween since I was a little kid. I would try to incorporate three costumes into one…it was intense.

Recently in a dream, I was told that I needed to dress up as Beyonce this year. I was intimidated and decided against it. Maybe next year. I think I have the strangest dreams out of anyone in the world, haha.

This is what my costume will look like instead:

top, shoes, leggings, ears

 Gretchen Weiners!!!! I decided this last week and was completely obsessed. I have a long standing habit of dressing up as people that no one would ever guess. Like, Ann Perkins. Or my friend Steph. Basically, my costumes usually involve me straightening my hair and wearing something that someone else has worn. This time, people will think I’m just a leather-wearing leopard (weird), but I’ll create a “That’s So Fetch” air bubble or something. :)

What really got me excited about Halloween is realizing that I could dress up Copper! He is going to love tearing up his costume, but I’m making it anyway. Can’t wait to share it tomorrow. Hopefully I will get at least one good picture of him wearing it.