Ugh, Allergies!

My allergies have been sooo bad for the last couple of weeks. I expect this during the summer (I'm allergic to pretty much every type of grass out there), but in the fall? I thought my yearly sufferings were done. :( Maybe I'm allergic to the thought of winter coming...

Where I Want To Go: New Orleans

Talk about history! From the recent tragedy of Hurricane Katrina to its status as an early American trading post, New Orleans has seen it all. And maybe it's from reading too many V.C. Andrews books as a pre-teen, but it seems to be a dark and mysterious city with voodoo and jazz lurking around every corner. I love Frommer's three day trip suggested itinerary: perfect for a long weekend when the Minnesota weather gets bad: Day 1, Day 2 and Day 3.

By the way, I always feel bad that these Where I Want To Go posts aren't filled with things I want to do when I get to that place. But mostly, these are places I know I want to visit--it's kind of hard to get more specific until I have a plan to actually go!

Photo courtesy of Lonely Planet

Home Comforts

Has anyone read Home Comforts: The Art and Science of Keeping House by Cheryl Mendelsohn? I've owned it for a while, but I did a lot of cleaning today (and still feel like I didn't get even half of it done), so I was thinking about it. I think everyone should have copy in their home. It is a wonderful reference book, although I have to admit it gets a little overwhelming at times. Sometimes when I look at her list of what you should be doing daily, weekly, monthly and seasonally, I start wondering if it is possible to have a full-time job and keep a clean house! Plus, who really cleans their fridge once a week, as she insists it it necessary to do?

There are quite a few chapters on laundry, so if you ever wondered how to launder a particular item or how to get a stain out, this is a book you should be reading. She also gives a lot of personal background and housekeeping history to keep it from getting too dry. Read it and clean!

Photo courtesy of Apartment Therapy.

Pampering for the People Who Need It Most

I got this in my inbox the other day. What a great way for someone undergoing cancer treatment to feel a little bit better! Way to go Juut...I'll definitely be making another appointment there soon! If you know a cancer patient who needs to just feel good, make sure they go to the St. Paul or Wayzata Juuts on October 25 for some pampering. According to the e-mail, all gratuities received that day at those locations will be donated to Sanctuary for Cancer Survivors.

The Golden Suicides

I'm a regular Perez Hilton reader, and he wrote a post about how an article from the January 2008 issue of Vanity Fair is going to be made into a movie. I read the article on Vanity Fair's website, and holy crap is it fascinating stuff. Very dark and sad though.

Nancy Jo Sales wrote The Golden Suicides about Jeremy Blake and Theresa Duncan, a couple and art world luminaries who committed suicide within a week of each other. The whole thing is really bizarre, but like I said, fascinating. Two beautiful, talented people in love, who seemingly suddenly went insane. I'll be interested to see what the movie is like. I'm seeing Joaquin Phoenix and Naomi Watts in the roles...



Photo of Vanity Fair's January 2008 issue courtesy of Vanity Fair

Pasta!

Mmmmm...went to the Loring Pasta Bar last week courtesy of my uncle Hans who was in town for some continuing legal education. I just love that restaurant! It's so chicly disheveled. I always feel like I am dining in a Parisian artist's garret when I am there. And they have the best artichoke dip ever! Punky waiters, good pasta, live music and beautiful red booths...can't ask for much more than that!

Photo courtesy of the Loring Pasta Bar.

Can I Live Here?

Lately I've been dreaming a lot about buying real estate. Notice I said dreaming...I'm nowhere near to actually buying, or even being able to realistically think about it. But that doesn't stop me from doing some Internet research.

If I could buy tomorrow, I'd buy a condo or townhouse. Right now I just don't want all the maintenance that goes into a single family home. I know a condo isn't maintenance free, but it's a lot less...of course you do have the association fees to make up for it!

I also like a more traditional look. My current apartment has that now, but it also has an older kitchen (no dishwasher, which explains my current sink of dirty dishes) and a cramped bathroom. So when I found this place, I knew it was perfect. Gorgeous woodwork, hardwood floors, generous size, good location in an up-and-coming neighborhood, modern and updated kitchen and bathrooms and a FIREPLACE!!! Let's hope it is still on the market in 20 years or so when I am able to buy. :) I LOVE IT!!!! *Sniff*

Photo courtesy of Edina Realty.

Decorah Memories

My post about Homecoming made me think back to a wonderful trip this summer, when my mother and I went to Decorah, Iowa for a weekend visit. When I was in college, we often talked about things we wanted to do around town. But whenever she and my father were in Decorah, they were busy picking me up, dropping me off or or attending some Luther event that didn't leave time for exploring.

A couple Christmases ago, I got my parents a gift certificate for a night at Hotel Winneshiek in Decorah. They didn't get around to using it, so finally my mom suggested that she and I go down for the weekend, which we did in July.

It was pretty jam-packed! Let's see...we:

• Ate at Mabe's...best pizza in Iowa!


• Walked around the Luther campus and saw the new union


• Went to Dunning's Springs


• Drove around Decorah and up to Phelps Park


• Got coffee from the Oneota Co-op


• Shopped at Van Beria, where I got the first blue and white tea cup for my collection


• Had dinner at the always-fabulous Rubaiyat


• Drank a few drinks at Albert's


• Enjoyed the night in our beautiful room at Hotel Winn

On Sunday, we headed home with a few stops...first off we went to Seed Savers Exchange on the edge of Decorah. Really a cool place. They are devoted to biodiversity and collect seeds from all sorts of heirloom fruits, vegetables, herbs and flowers. There were even a few rare chicken breeds. Mom bought some really cool tomatoes there...green, orange, yellow and red. I wanted to get the black tomatoes too...maybe next time!

We drove on to Burr Oak to see the Laura Ingalls Wilder museum there. I love the Little House books, so it was awesome to see a place where she lived...and I can't believe that many people crowded into beds at hotels of that era!

Lastly, we stopped in Lanesboro for lunch at this 50s-style diner before heading back to the Twin Cities. It was an amazing trip with my mom, and I am looking forward to doing it again next summer!

Homecoming

I have been AWFUL about taking pictures lately. But I had to post about Homecoming, even though I never took my camera out of my bag.

Five years since graduation from Luther...I can't believe it. I keep thinking that it is five years since I started college, and then I realize my mistake. Can't believe I'm this old!

The five year reunion was great. It was wonderful catching up with people, but kind of stressful. I'm one of the class agents for my class, so I co-chaired our reunion. So I felt kind of responsible for people having a good time...probably the reason I'm a bad hostess!

But I only lasted until about midnight at Roscoe's...it was too crowded, my feet hurt and that place is just DIRTY! Sometimes the slightly sad realization comes to you that you're not 20 anymore. On the other hand, there are good things about that, too. Let's hear it for 27! Can't wait for the 10 year!

Photo courtesy of Luther College.