Dear Daniel

*Warning: Please excuse the extreme mushyness ahead.*

;)

Dear Daniel,

I know it's only been about four months since we started dating, but I feel like I have spent some of the best moments of my life with you.

The long awkward silence when we met for the first time...but then we ended up talking for hours for the rest of the weekend.

You sending me "snow" for my birthday.

Ice skating by The Bean in Millennium Park in Chicago.

Seeing Chicago and kissing you from the top of the John Hancock Building.

You teaching me how to make latte art and the giggles that ensued.

You waiting for me and hugging me at the end of my first half marathon.

Stuffing our faces at Paula Deen's Restaurant on Valentine's Day.

Sharing my favorite coffee shop, Coffee Underground, with you.

(Coffee Underground)

Sitting in a swing by the Reedy River and talking about the future.

Watching the sunset from Caesar's Head.

Dancing with you at your cousin's wedding in Charleston.

Still getting butterflies when I look at you...

Thanks for sharing in our adventures! It's been a wonderful journey so far!

I love you.

How To Waste a Gallon of Milk

During my trip to Milwaukee, I decided to try my hand at latte art.

(Yes, I just linked to Wikipedia. Don't judge. You know you use it, too.)

Daniel works at an Alterra coffee shop in Milwaukee and is learning how to make latte art. Here's one of his mocha creations...

...be still, my heart.

I wanna learn! So learn I did.

We used a gallon of milk, some old espresso beans, and Daniel's new Presso espresso maker.

My first attempt? A major fail.

I think I'll call this "blobby-bent-spoon-thing."

Just let me tell you now that I am a perfectionist, and I don't like trying something new and failing. I was determined to make something pretty. I think Daniel was amused by my eagerness to keep trying!

Attempt number two:

Sigh...more blobbiness. (I just decided that's a word.)

I turned to the internet for a little help and watched this video about ten times in a row.



Attempt number three was a little better...

...a blobby heart.

I watched the video a few more times, put my game face on, and moved on to attempt number four...

...SUCCESS!

Isn't it pretty? :)

Daniel can tell you that there was much squealing and jumping up and down after I made this one.

(I did try one more after this, but let's just say I should have stopped while I was ahead.)

Here's one of Daniel's from the night:

:)

p.s. More on the yarn shop later...I know you guys want to hear about it!

A Beautiful Hello

Since Daniel now has his Christmas package I can share pictures...

But first I want to share with you an Etsy shop I found called Beautiful Hello.

Aren't her cards gorgeous?!?

They all have fun song title names!

(Her name is Emily, too. And she lives in Greenville. How fun.)

She's new to Etsy, so please go check out her shop!

Since I didn't have time to order one to put in Daniel's package, I decided to make my own.

(Emily's are far more beautiful than mine, but I tried.)

So I pulled out my big girl watercolors (not the ones you use when you're little...the kind you squeeze out of a tube), and mixed up some pretty green colors so my tree would look like a Christmas tree. Instead of Emily's intricate, hand-stitched tree trunk (I don't know how to do that!), I drew in the tree's trunk with a metallic copper colored pencil.

So, here it is:

*crappy phone camera picture alert*

I think it turned out fairly well. And I think Daniel liked it. ;)

I'd also like to say that I'm pretty proud Daniel is learning how to do this:

This one is a mocha...my drink of choice. Mmmmm.

(Sorry, Daniel. I stole these again.)

Go on. Admit it. You're jealous.

:)

p.s. Don't forget to enter my giveaway!

Indie Craft Parade: Take 2

Apparently the Indie Craft Parade was highly successful...because I wasn't successful in getting in last night. The line was well out the door!

So my family and I decided to go eat downtown, and we ended up at Trio, which serves some of the best Italian food in Greenville. And fortunately (unfortunately for my waistline?), my favorite restaurant in Greenville, Coffee Underground, is directly across the street from Trio. Underground, of course.

I had their chocolate chip pecan pie and a mocha for dessert. Be jealous.

Luckily, the Indie Craft Parade was going on today as well, and despite a half hour wait in the rain, I finally made it in! There were so many fun crafts to peruse!

There were also food vendors, and I bought cupcakes from FiggyWhigs Cupcakes.

Yes, please.

I also bought a necklace from Going Home to Roost and this bag because the elephant is so darn cute...

Since I've started writing more letters recently, I bought some stationery, too. And I can write whatever I want in that cute little elephant's banner!

Speaking of letter writing, I've been getting a start on some of my Spread the Love projects.

I cooked dinner for my parents Tuesday night (chicken, carrot, and snow pea pasta), got a letter in the mail to Bruce, the chaplain at Silver Bay, sent a note of thanks to the personel manager of the Hendersonville Symphony, and started work on a few necklaces for some friends. I'm eager to get started on the others!

And speaking of Spread the Love, doesn't the foam on my coffee last night look like a heart?

How fun is that?!?