I Heart Brunch

A Bloody Mary is the best way to start the day!

There Won't Be Snow In Africa This Christmastime

Favorite cheesy Christmas song, right here. I dare you not to sing along! It's hard to believe how young Sting, Bono and Paul McCartney look here.

Damn, George Michael was hot in his younger years!

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.

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!

Racing for Myeloma Research

We had another successful Multiple Myeloma Race for Research today! Thanks to everyone who came to support Team Lisa! Last year the Twin Cities race raised over $150,000...I hope they raised even more this year. It all goes to researching treatments to help multiple myeloma patients like my mom. It was a gorgeous day and Lake Phalen was beautiful...I really should go over there to walk more often.

Team Lisa is coming back bigger and better next year, so please mark your calendars for the last Sunday in September!

For more information about the race, visit http://www.mmrfrace.org/. To learn more about myeloma, visit the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation.

DWTS

Yay, Dancing with the Stars starts tomorrow! I know it is totally cheesy brain candy, but I love that show! As a matter of fact, I may do some semi-regular recaps...we'll see.

DWTS is the perfect show to watch when you just want to relax and be entertained. I admire the skills of the pros and the skills of the celebrities, too. As someone with two left feet, I'm not sure I could go and dance in front of America. The costumes are always a hoot and this season we have Tom DeLay dancing. What the heck!? How random is that? Maybe he needs the money or something.

I know what I'll be watching tomorrow night!

Photo courtesy of ABC.