Troll Capital of The World!

Okay, that last post was a tad premature. Turns out I DO have something to write about! :) A couple weeks ago, I did a weekend getaway with L. It's something we've talked about for awhile, but never got around to it. Finally, we decided it was time! Here was the basic plan: We would choose a small, random town in Wisconsin that neither of us had ever been to before. This town would have a crappy little motel (where we would stay), and maybe a restaurant and/or bar. Other than that, we were going to wing it. Now, I know this isn't an ideal "vacation" for the average person, but it was perfect and very "us," so it was a blast.

Originally, we settled on Mazomanie, WI, a small town just outside of Madison, but believe it or not, the crappy little motel we'd settled on was booked. Say what?! Guess that's what I get for telling L, "It's not like people are going to be knocking down their doors," right before I booked it. Ha! Anyway, after doing some careful research, I found another town pretty close by that allowed us to do the same things we wanted to do on this trip. What town, you might ask? Mt. Horeb, WI (aka: The Troll Capital of the World). No joke. We ended up staying in the Village Inn Motel just outside of the "downtown" region. See that photo? That is literally ALL there was to our room. Perfect. ;)

Friday night was lowkey. Relaxed, ate Chinese food, drank a few beers, and went to bed. Saturday was our big day. We got up and got ready, and then headed to Cave of the Mounds, which was about 5 miles from our motel. (Photos below.) Going to the cave was always part of the plan when we planned this trip. After the cave, which was amazzzzzing, we used my GPS to find us some lunch. We ended up here. Despite the name and the suggestive logo, it was actually so much fun! More of a bar than a restaurant, but they had good food. We hung there for a bit and then headed to Botham Vineyards, which was also part of the plan. We tasted all their wines, and much to my surprise, there wasn't a single one that I thought was disgusting, ha! Because it was chilly out, there were no people on their outdoor patio. This allowed for L and I to get a bottle of wine and spend awhile out there all by ourselves. LOVED it. After that, we went back to our motel and just hung out for a bit since we were tired. We grabbed dinner and just spent the evening in the room. The normal checkout time at our motel is 10:00am, but thankfully, the owners were a sweet couple who extended our Sunday checkout until 11:30. The plan on Sunday was for us to sleep in, pack up our things, get some food, and then part ways. (L lives in La Crosse, I live in MKE.) Now, here's what actually happened. We went for breakfast, and on the way, we walked past a bar called The Firehouse. We were intrigued, but it didn't open until noon, so we decided we'd grab a drink there after breakfast and then leave. Welp, long story short, it was an awesome place and we had a ton of fun, so we made the snap decision to stay for the Packer game (a 3:15pm game). We sat outside in their new outdoor patio area that had a TV, and again, with the weather being chilly, we had pretty much the entire outdoor area to ourselves. Awesome! After the game, we went and got some food - I was craving onion rings - and THEN we finally parted ways. It's about a 2 hour drive for both of us, so we didn't get back to our places until about 10:30 that night. Wow! Needless to say, it made for a rough start to the beginning of the week, but I wouldn't trade it for the world. We had such a good time, and I'm already considering the next potential adventure... ;) Enjoy the photos!

Entrance into Cave of the Mounds. Impressive!

My favorite cave photo.

Yes, I'm a geeky tourist. ;)

L taking a closer look.

I mean, seriously, how cool is this cave?!

Me and L on the patio at Botham Vineyards.

Lighting his cigar at The Firehouse!

Yeah, I did that. ;)

After an unexpected thunderstorm, the sun came out. Like this pic!

Remnants of our afternoon.

Kinda fun and artistic!

Okay, this video might need a small description. L knows I'm a big Packer fan, but when I made the mistake of saying Robert Brooks invented the Lambeau Leap (it was in fact LeRoy Butler), he was sure to repeatedly remind me of my mistake. This is his joking attempt to sing Robert Brooks' song "Jump In The Stands" (original here), a song in which he clearly states that LeRoy Butler invented the iconic touchdown celebration. Anyway, get something in L's head and he won't let it go. My payback? Taking this video when he thought it was simply a photo. I laugh every time. :)

I'm Terrible.

Okay, so I've been thinking day after day about what I could be writing about on my blog, and then I came to a sad, sad realization. I don't know!! I feel like my life has been crazy these days, but when I sit down and think about it, I'm not really sure what to share with all of you! I mean, I know the 10-ish people who even read my blog are just dyyyying to hear what I have to say (ha!)... In all seriousness, though, I do feel bad that I've been so terrible at posting! I don't know, maybe it's activity overload or something, but I'm drawing a blank and this post is basically just serving as a "hello" of sorts. I haven't forgotten about you, my few faithful readers, and I hope my lack of blog entries hasn't scared you away! Stay tuned. I promise in the next month or two I'll have more exciting things to report! I can just feel it... :)

And They're Hitched:)

No surprise here, but I'm WAY behind on posting these days. One of the main things I wanted to be sure to do an entry on is my brother (Jacob) and sister-in-law (Casey)'s wedding!! I'm only a few weeks behind... ;) Anyway, the first part of their wedding celebration was in La Crosse, and that was primarily for immediate family. It was a really intimate ceremony, and we had a great time! Everything was perfect, even the weather! Loved it. Not to mention, I was selfishly excited about getting the chance to spend a few days in one of my favorite cities! :) The first pictures I have posted are from that day. The second part of their celebration was a reception back in Colby at Casey's parents' land. Also perfect!! I tend to get pretty nervous about outdoor events, no matter what time of year it is, but we seriously couldn't have asked for a better day for the reception. I got a little chilled at night, but I just tore up the dance floor to keep warm, ha! Couldn't be happier to have been a part of their special day(s), and I'm even happier that I can now officially call another Zimmerman a sister of mine! :) Woohoo! Hope you enjoy the photos!

Casey getting her hair done for the ceremony! :)

Austyn after getting her hair done!

Trying to get everyone together!

Okay, not a good picture, but it cracks me up EVERY time. A VERY candid shot after Drew sneezed all over Lia. Too funny!

A good one! :)

Me and the bros!

Table at the dinner!

Me and Drew at dinner!

The Zimmerman fam! :)

Me and Casey at Wine Guys!

Me, mama, and Casey!

Dad and the bros at Top Shots!

HERE'S THE START OF THE RECEPTION PHOTOS!

SO bummed this is blurry. Otherwise a cute picture of the fam!

Me and Jacob (aka: The Groom!)

Me and Casey (aka: The Bride!)

Crazy group of peeps gettin' down on the dance floor!

Mama and Papa dancing!

First dance as husband and wife. :)

Dave and Court (lovebirds) dancing!

Father/daughter and Mother/son dance!

Macarena:)

Last photo of the evening. Happy smiles! :)

Thrifty!

As always, my weekends of freedom are pretty few and far between these days. Fortunately for me, this weekend offered me the opportunity to completely relax and do whatever I wanted. LOVE it. On Friday night, I had the perfect chance to just relax and play around on the internet. Through my online browsing, I ran across a gem of a blog called Sunday Crossbow. Just an 'average' girl whose motto is "Play dress up every day." So simple, yet such a great idea! Her blog largely focuses on cute outfits she puts together, and needless to say, it's already served as an inspiration for me. Interestingly, I expected this to be like many other blogs in the sense that it'd show me adorable outfits for outrageously expensive prices. Wrong. This girl is one thrifty chick, and even when she doesn't buy her stuff at thrift stores, she gets it at places I shop all the time (Target, H&M, etc.). How freakin' perfect to find a blog like this that shows me I can actually afford such cuteness on a budget like mine?! Anyway, because I was extra excited about this whole concept, I decided to spend part of my Saturday heading down to the Third Ward to do a little thrifting. There's a store right near my work called Retique. It's a branch of Goodwill but carries more selective, stylish items. Perfect place for these purposes! After finding a few items that I plan to mix and match with my current wardrobe (photos below), I also wandered around and found myself stopping to enjoy a beer on the patio of a local restaurant. Seriously could not have been a more perfect day. I could get used to this whole thrift store thing. Super cheap and super fun. I highly recommend it! :)

The shirt ($3.99) and pants ($7.99) are both new purchases. Pants are a little more high-waisted than I'm used to, and I'm not sure where I'd wear this, but I'm kinda diggin' it! :)

Shirt... ($3.99)
(Pants: Delia's; Boots: Boston Store)

Shirt... ($3.99)
(Pants and Shoes: Kohl's)

T-shirt... ($2.99)
(Jeans: GAP)

Belt... ($3.99)
(Tank: Deb; Jeans: GAP)

A couple shots of my relaxing time at Cafe Benelux after thrifting. :)

I'm a Celebrity!

Just the other day, I was told that my picture is on one of the UW-L website pages (far left picture). Say what?! I didn't know they'd put me on there, especially since I don't go there anymore; however, I'm not complaining! Here's a little explanation. One of the offices I worked in during grad school was called the Campus Climate office. This office is aimed at promoting social justice issues and making the campus a safer, more welcoming and inclusive community. I really enjoyed my time working there, and I learned SO much, not only from the people I worked with, but also from the students I interacted with on a daily basis. That particular day, we were promoting a "United Against Hate" campaign. The ribbons we're sporting (mine around my leg) all said, "UNITED." As you can see, we also wore black. I was proud to help send such a great, powerful message. Anyway, kinda of a random entry, but to see that picture and to be reminded of what an amazing experience I had working in Campus Climate just took me back a little. Definitely going to visit those peeps while I'm in La Crosse next week! :)

Hair!

Okay, folks. I broke down and did it. I took a few of those awkward photos of myself the past couple days in an attempt to give you a glance at my new haircut! Three weeks ago, I was in La Crosse and decided to make a hair appointment while I was there. My last two years of living there provided me with the opportunity to find "my" hair stylist, so needless to say, I was sad to leave her behind when I moved. Fortunately, she's still doing her thing and was able to get me in for a haircut. Perfect! I knew I wanted to cut it before my brother's wedding, and I didn't want to do it like the day before (usually takes me at least a week to start liking it again), so this seemed like perfect timing. As always when I make a somewhat significant hair change, I got freaked, but fortunately for me, Jenna at the Orange Pearl worked her magic once more. :) Anyway, it's SO unusual for me to go this long without having a reason to take photos, but since I've had a few requests lately, I thought I would post a few pictures and give ya a peak. Not too far off from what my hair used to look like before I started growing it out, but I must say, I'm a pretty big fan. I think I've come to the conclusion that this hairstyle is "right" for me! Maybe you disagree, but at least I'm happy with it. :)

I'm a Chef!

As some of you may know, I've been attempting my fair share of cooking over the past couple months. I've really ramped up my efforts over the past few weeks, and I've gotta say, every time I eat something I've made, I'm still shocked at how delicious it is! :) I've always said I can't cook, but I think the more accurate statement is that I never really tried. With some guidance and encouragement from L, I've done a lot of experimenting and have enjoyed every minute of it. Below are some photos of a few meals I have created recently. Some of them include pictures of the process, while others are just the final product. Click on the images to make them larger. Any questions, just ask. I'd be happy to share my kitchen secrets. ;)

Buffalo Chicken Wrap
(Buffalo chicken, ranch, bacon, lettuce, and cheese in a tortilla)










Steak and Peppers(Chuck-eye steak, garlic, onions, and peppers)
Served with rice.
























Chicken with Pan Sauce
(Hand-breaded chicken and homemade pan sauce)
The final presentation isn't the best, but it was awesome!























Italian Meal(Tomato basil chicken, garlic, onions, peppers, pepperoni, & cheese)
Served with pasta.
This meal ROCKED. Making it again tonight. :)























These are just a few photos of other meals I've had recently. This one is a variation on the steak and peppers meal above. I just used spicier peppers and added some mushrooms. Yum!

















Chorizo and a variety of peppers on rice. Spicy, but awesome!
(Meal courtesy of L.)


















Pan-seared tuna, asparagus, shrimp, and a green pepper stuffed with cheesy garlic rice. Again, courtesy of L. AMAZZZZZZING.