My New Desk

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you...

The Desk that Adam Built!

In my winter issue of Living Magazine (I don't know why, but I love Martha), I found a how-to for this wonderful desk:

(photo from Martha Stewart)

As luck would have it, I was moving into Adam's house (now our house) over winter break, and I needed a new desk!  So I diligently waited until they put the instructions online, and immediately put Adam to work.  Or Adam immediately put himself to work, because he likes making things :)

It took a lot of work and time because of the repeated sandings and stainings (did you know you have to wait 24 hours for each coat?), but it turned out fantastic.  It so satisfying to work at a desk that was made for you.  It looks very simple, and it was made with plumbing piping and plywood.  I love it.

My brother and sister-in-law got me this comic book for Christmas :)  Happy building!

Surprise Night Out

Don't you just love surprise nights out?  Corey and I had a girl's night on Friday, and it was just supposed to be a wine tasting and dinner, but it turned into so much more!

We started out at Wine Styles for their weekly wine tasting, and enjoyed a variety of reds and whites.  If you've never been there, you should definitely go.  Bob is so friendly and he will help you select the perfect wine for you, and gifts for any wine lover out there. 

Thanks Bob!

After dinner, we went up to Benson for a quick drink at Burke's.  Corey got this look on her face, and said, "I know that hair!"

Ran into these two Kimmy, and proceeded to hop around Benson for the evening!

We played some pinball up at Beercade before heading up the Sydney.

I made Dan's friend Colin call him to lure him out :)

Then Jimmy and I had a photo shoot with the PBR light

Kim didn't want me taking her picture, but it turned out cool :)

Pinned it, Tried it, And...

With last weekend being Super Bowl Sunday, I of course had to cook a couple things up.  Adam and I went over to my brother and his wife's house, and I was craving the usual: wings, cheese dip, etc.  I decided to try a couple recipes I had pinned, and they were both fantastic.  So, without further ado, I introduce what I hope will be a regular blog series: Pinned it, Tried it, And...

First recipe I tried was Skinny Taste's Queso Dip.  I thought I had gotten all the ingredients at the store, but it turns out I forgot a few, so there were some modifications.  Plus my brother and his wife really don't like cilantro, so I left that out, and Adam hates onion, so I left that out.  I rarely get to use onion because of this, so I don't really know what I'm missing.

I made quite a few changes:  I used rice milk instead of skim milk and vegetable bouillon instead of chicken broth.  I took out the onions, added more garlic.  Also, as you can see above, I thought it called for chipotle peppers instead of poblano peppers, so I just put in more bell pepper.  No cilantro, extra cumin and added liquid smoke.  Oh, and I put in the whole bag of cheese (because why not?) and added soy chorizo.  It was extremely tasty and a great hit at the party!


The second recipe I tried was Homemade Ranch.  This was the easiest thing I've ever made, and it was so good!  It's even good for your (or at least not bad for you).

The recipe is really straightforward and simple.  I thought it was really tasty, and I put it in little containers to take with me for a snack with bell pepper sticks.


I've also started making zucchini pasta every week.  The first time I made it, I pressed the zucchini for an hour, and no water came out.  The second time, I didn't press it and it tasted the exact same.  So I don't really think it was necessary.

I doctored up a jar of spaghetti sauce with bell pepper, shaved carrots and soy chorizo, and it tastes exactly like spaghetti!!  It was so fantastic, and I could eat as much as I wanted without going into a food coma!  How could you ask for more?

Benson First Friday: February Edition

Benson First Friday was this weekend (because it was the first Friday of the month, of course), and it definitely did not disappoint.  The Instagrammies were held at the Sydney, so we all got to vote for hashtagged photos from different categories.  There was wonderful music everywhere for the ears, and fantastic artwork for the eyes.  

Our first stop was the Omaha Bicycle Co. down the street from Dan's house.  Unbeknownst to us, there was this hilarious band playing called the Polka Police.  They played covers, my favorite of which was there own version of Gangnam Style called "Nacho Vegan Style."

I got artsy (or tried)

The car dealership seemed to be trying their hand at art, but it was just creepy

Then we wandered down to the PS Collective where our talented friend Josh Audiss was showing his work.  I bought a beautiful painting of an owl who I promptly named Hubert :)

I liked his new stamp :)

Artist's Portrait!

Lovely ladies enjoying themselves (I apologize for the blurriness)

I'm a child and I thought this was funny.  Someone erased the "S."

Tara pulled a cow phone out of her purse, and countless cow puns ensued.  It was udderly ridiculous.

Newlyweds!

The bartender had a new tattoo of a Nebraska Pinup Girl, corncobs and all!  I was jealous :)

This picture doesn't really do the scene justice, but the Sweatshop Gallery had a Club No Quiet art auction and a band playing.  The place was so packed!

Some of the artwork up for auction.

A few of the Sweatshop Guys :)

And the night wouldn't have been complete without a little Bad Country at the Barley Street Tavern!  By far one of my favorite local bands.  They definitely get your feet moving!

Artsy again

Nothing like a little High Life to spice up the night!

Dancing the night away with a smile on her face :)

Tried to get a full band shot

Can't get enough of the High Life!

Chuck strumming away

Probably one of my favorite pictures from the night

We made our way down to the Sydney for the awards ceremony, but it was so dang packed I don't even know who won anything!

Sitting outside on a not-so-chilly night

Isn't she lovely?

For some reason, Dan had a gold phone (maybe to match his wife's cow phone?)

Place was packed!

I spent most of my night hanging out with this bow-tied clown, and we of course had a great time!  Can't wait for March!