The March 5: Five Lessons About Spring In North Dakota

Hello! Long time no chat!

As April is now upon us, I thought I would take a moment and share five lessons that I have learned about March while living in North Dakota. 

1) March can come in like a lion and leave like a lion- March don't care. Seriously people, we had what was probably the worst blizzard all winter yesterday, and woke up today to almost a foot of freshly fallen snow and the chilly temperatures that we normally associate with January and February. BRRRR!! 

2) Speaking of cold, after a while the number after the (-) sign ceases to matter. Cold is just cold. 

3) The wind is your constant companion- love it or hate it, it will always be there.

4) Clear skies and sun= more layers (sometimes it is just better to look ridiculous and be warm).

5) There is always time for one more cup of hot chocolate or five more minutes of chat before you head out the door. Accept this and you will always leave a friend's home well prepared to brave the cold.

I hope you are staying warm this spring season,

AK

Oh the merry month of January :)

Hello dear readers,

Is it just me, or does January seem to get a bad rep? It is true that after the buildup to the exciting holiday season and the New Year, January seems quiet and sometimes a bit forlorn, but I find January to be one of my favorite months for that very reason. While the holidays are full of traveling and hustling from one wonderful gathering to the next, January is full of... nothing. It is a month in which we can rest and regather- a blank slate so to speak. It is, as the New Year celebrations suggest, a month of new beginnings. January is when I reset my patterns for the next year, when I reconfirm my goals and plans, and just recharge. I love love love that January offers us that opportunity, because my introverted soul would wither away if it wasn't allowed that chance to rest!


January is not, however, boring. Or at least, it doesn't have to be! Two weekends ago Bob and I challenged the idea that January was no fun by exploring the city of St. Paul! It was thankfully warm that weekend (we've had a lot of -20 degree days... anything above -5 is appreciated), and I got it in my head that we HAD to find the 'cool' places in St. Paul. You know, the out of the way places that offer an amazing cup of coffee or make the best fresh doughnuts while still having a cozy "everyone is welcome and loved" atmosphere (though of course, cool hipster attire is recommended). Anyways, I wanted to explore and find these gems, but Bob wasn't as convinced (something along the lines of 'what the heck are we going out for instead of curling up and staying warm at home?'), so I had to change my tactics. With the help of a quick Google search (thank goodness for technology) and Bob's addiction to coffee, I lured him out into the cold to find one of the "best coffee shops" in the St. Paul area.

Amore Coffee is situated across the river from downtown, in West St. Paul, and it seems to be one of the few businesses in a mainly residential neighborhood. Housed in an old brick building, the coffee shop oozes a "we are your home away from home" vibe. The tables and chairs were all mismatching, and there are couches and small coffee tables which create a comfy nook within the larger space for groups to gather. Boardgames are provided, as are a few books, and work by local artists adorns the walls. The menu is not limited to caffeinated beverages, as soup, sandwiches, bake goods, AND amazing white hot chocolate are also offered. Bob and I both loved our drinks, and I had a blast watching as the 'regulars' drift through and interact with both the other regulars and the 'visitors' like myself. If you ever go to the twin cities and want a relaxing cup of coffee, defiantly check this place out!! 

 

Oh, and if all of that cool stuff isn't enough to convince you that Amore Coffee is awesome, it is SOLAR POWERED! I KID YOU NOT! THE PLACE IS SOLAR POWERED!!! HOW COOL IS THAT?!!!   

  

After an hour or so at Amore, Bob and I headed back into the downtown area proper and just wandered. Bob wanted to show me the Union Depot, so we headed into the sky-way close to where he works and backtracked until we hit the station. It was amazing. The station has been lovingly remodeled (or preserved, not sure which), and everything in it is stunning- from the polished stone floors to the high ceilings. The coolest part? Exploring it with Bob. One might think that since Bob walks through the station on the way to work everyday he would be bored exploring the depot, but he wasn't. As he told me, "It is so cool to actually take my time and walk through here. When I walk through on my way to work I get so focused on making it in time that I don't realize how beautiful this place really is." After we meandered and explored the station at length, we wandered around outside for a bit before returning home to nap before we headed to watch the Wild play. :) It was a wonderful weekend, full of exploration and rejuvenation- a perfect example of how wonderful January can be. :)

-AK

Outtakes- Wolftree Recipes

Hello dear reader,

Today I just wanted to share some outtakes from a granola recipe shoot I did for Wolftree this past fall. Please check out the recipe and the story behind it, which can be found on Wolftree's Website! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas, and that you are gliding happily into the New Year!!

-AK

Taking Back Christmas

Hello everyone and happy holiday season!!

I love the holidays, and if you are like me, you are humming Christmas carols, checking people off of your shopping list, and waiting patiently for the Christmas season to start. This year I have three Christmas', which means lots of food, laughter, and lots of gifts to be swapped. I. Am. So. Excited. 0.0

However, if you had talked to me three years ago my outlook on Christmas would have been quite different. Growing up I loved Christmas, but after working the holiday rush at Target for three years I must admit that my holiday spirit was incredibly dampened. Instead of a time to enjoy people and connect, Christmas became something to dread and be critical of. Instead of appreciating the holiday giddiness that surrounded me, I grumbled and called the shopping stupid and got frustrated at all the little silly things people do when holiday shopping/returning their earlier holiday shopping. Christmas music became annoying- not so much because of the stress of working late night retail over the holidays, but more because I was in choir and we started singing holiday tunes in October and by December I had become tired of hearing holiday jingles.* In total, my holiday joy was crippled.

And the worst part was, it took me a while to realize it. I couldn’t see the changes, because, like many changes, these ones started out small. A grumble here. A murmur there. A shared laugh over a sarcastic Christmas themed joke with co-workers. I didn't notice that what I really loved about Christmas was slipping away from me. I still had fun buying gifts for those I cared for and spending time with my family. I told myself that I was still infused with the joy of the season, but I wasn't. It wasn't that I turned into a green Grinch or was cruel to those who hadn't had their holiday spirit dampened, but I had become blind to the magic and the joyful glimmer that surrounds the season. I no longer focused on the positives, and the negatives became a source of constant irritation.

But I did eventually realize it, and for the past two years I have been working to take back Christmas. Being out of direct retail has helped, but what really helped was me making a conscience effort to harvest the positive aspects of the season and use them to counteract the negatives. So this year I started humming Christmas tunes in July (which was probably a bit too soon) and started my Christmas shopping in August (the Christmas crowds stress me out a bit, so thank goodness for internet shopping). I am looking forward to my three Christmas celebrations, to spending my first Christmas with Bob's family this weekend, my second Christmas with my immediate family and with my 'not really blood related but you are my family' family (you know who you are), and my third Christmas with Bob, my dear friend Cathy, Anne, Darrin, and my parents. I am looking forward to learning the holiday traditions of others and enjoying my own. I am patiently waiting to see the looks of surprise on Anne, Darrin, Bob, Cathy, and Bruce's faces when they find their stockings and open their gifts. For the laughter and the "oh you shouldn't haves" and the "oh no, really I should haves." I am excited to team up with my Mother and Brother (if he makes it for Christmas eve *fingers crossed*) to convince my Dad that we really do open one gift Christmas Eve every year. To wake up on Wednesday and jump out of bed and race around the house excitedly calling everyone to the tree, to see my parents purposely insist on waiting to open anything until after they have brewed fresh coffee and had a cup and a bite to eat, to pretend to be annoyed by their purposeful delays. I am taking back my Christmas spirit, and immersing myself in everything the season has to offer.

How are you taking back your Christmas spirit?

(Sneak peek of a portrait series of my brother)

-AK

 
*P.S.: I loved being in choir and in no way am I trying to discourage people from participating in choirs or practicing Christmas music. I fully understand that choirs practice the compositions early because they want to perform them perfectly for their audience, and I think that is wonderful. Unfortunately, at the point in my life that I am currently referencing, I was struggling to remember those things and to appreciate the beauty and magic of the season.

Pulla or Finnish Dessert Bread

Hello my dear readers,

Yesterday my family and I celebrated Friendsgiving. :) We invited those who weren't able to make it on Thanksgiving to our house for brunch, which consisted of Apple Pie, Apple Crisp, Peach Crisp, Pumpkin Rolls, Leftsa, and fresh Pulla (plus any leftover turkey, stuffing, or other leftovers from the Thanksgiving table).  It was a wonderful event, full of laughter and waves of those we love entering and leaving the house. We saw those who had been absent from our table for too long and those who we see almost daily gather around the table and connect. That's what this holiday season is about for me-it is about the people. The decorations are fun (and trust me, the Klaus house loves our holiday decorations), the food is scrumptious, but it is those who join you in decorating, baking, and eating that give the season its sparkle. So, this year, I invite you to focus not in the shiny tinsel and skillfully (or less thank skillfully) wrapped presents under the tree, but on the people who create and enjoy those items. Share dessert, make snow angels together, take walks through freshly fallen snow, or cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. Time spent with another person is a great gift, and this time of year is laden with opportunities to join in a discussion with an  acquaintance or with a dear friend. 

Below are images from the Pulla makin we did yesterday morning. The recipe came out of The Kinfolk Table, which can be purchased here. The recipe can also be found in a post on Kinfolk's website here. 

Wishing you the very best of the season,

AK

P.S. All images in this post were taken with the Iphone 4s and edited with the Afterlight and VSCOcam apps.