Thanksgiving 2014

We spent turkey day this year in Pennsylvania spending quality time with both sides of our family. We got into town Tuesday night in order the beat the snow then spent most of Wednesday cuddled inside watching the snow come down and prepping some food for the big day.

This year I was in charge of the pecan pie, homemade rolls, and some roasted vegetables. I turned to the trusty Pioneer Woman for both recipes and they did not disappoint. I also love her step by step instructions with pictures, it gives me more confidence to try new things because I can make sure it looks right every step of the way.  The rolls were a labor of love considering they had to sit and rise for multiple hours, but they turned out delicious! This Georgia girl also represented well with a pecan pie, but beware this pie is not for the faint of heart when it comes to sugar. There is lots of it! But perhaps that is why it is so yummy.

This year Jameson's sister hosted and I love going over to her house for the holidays because she has such perfect decor and this year she did not disappoint! Isn't her chalkboard adorable?

Friday morning we packed up for a quick trip to my grandparents house to spend some time with my aunts, cousins, parents, and of course grandma and grandpa! We enjoyed (another) big, yummy meal and spent the night engaged in a rather intense game of Phase 10. I am so grateful to have been able to spend time with them! Saturday we headed back to State College so the boys could go to the last football game of the season. All in all we had such a wonderful time with all our family and returned back to Michigan on Sunday with full stomach's and even fuller hearts!

Soaking Up Fall

Recently a lot has been going down in the Lietzke household. And by a lot clearly I mean mostly activities revolving around football and home improvement projects. Are we predictable or what? Jameson and I have been lucky enough to take a few quick trips back to State College to watch our beloved Nittany Lions play (let's just not talk about the outcome of the games, deal?) We also got to enjoy a game in Ann Arbor with my parents to watch PSU play at the Big House. (another 1001 in 101 goal accomplished!)

Fall is always such a wonderful time of the year and I'm trying to soak up as much of it as I can! We got our first snow flurries this morning so I know it is only a matter of time before winter is here to stay. But never fear my friends, I will be burning my autumn candles all the way until the Christmas tree gets put up (which in my family is never until after Thanksgiving). I think Fall is one of my favorite seasons simply because of it's candles. You can find me burning this Spiced Pumpkin one starting in August and I recently discovered Autumn Harvest Soy Candle (Target Limited Edition) and it sure is scrumptious as well. Nothing makes me want to curl up in a blanket with a good book quite like a pumpkin candle.

Jameson and I have also managed to do a some home improvement projects, including painting a couple of rooms. When first picking out paint for the house we settled on a very light grey figuring it would be the perfect neutral. Well low and behold that light grey turned out to be way too light, almost completely white is some lighting. Like stark hospital wall white. It was no good! We decided on a darker grey color for the kitchen and living room so that the white cabinets, trim, and cove ceiling would pop. We absolutely adore it now! It's amazing what transformation a can of paint can have. All of a sudden these beautiful features are a focal point instead of just blending in with the walls. Both Jameson and I agree that these rooms finally feel finished (or as finished as they can be considering I change my mind on decor about every 8 days).

The same weekend we tackled painting our bonus room upstairs. For the first 6 month of us living here it was simply a glorified storage room/walkway to the master bedroom. This room is open to the stairs so it cannot be completely closed off, but it definitely still provides enough practical and useful space. We splashed on same paint, moved some furniture and before you know it we have a brand new office room. This little area has quickly become one of my favorite spots in the house.

Milton wanted to be a part of the pictures

I was also super excited because I could finally showcase this beautiful print from BW Prints.We met Bobbi and her husband in our young marrieds small group at our church and she is such a talented artist and designer! Go check out her website and Etsy shop, you won't be disappointed!

101 in 1001 Update

Back in March I created a list of 101 things I wanted to complete in 1001 days. I have gotten to check quite a few off the list so I thought I would highlight some of them today!

19. Go to a Tigers baseball game
I have been an overachiever and gone to 2 this summer! The first time with my parents when they visited at the beginning of July, and another time during Steph and Scott's visit in August. Their trip may or may not have corresponded with when their beloved Pittsburgh Pirates were in town. Coincidence? I think not.

Mom and Dad on the famous Woodward Ave before the game

Tigers vs. Pirates --- A House Divided

29. Celebrate our one year wedding anniversary
On June 29, 2014 Jameson and I celebrated 365 days of marriage!! Friday night (otherwise known as the one year anniversary to our rehearsal dinner) we had some fine dining within the comforts of our own home. My husband - the grill master - made us D.E.L.I.C.I.O.U.S steaks that were seriously the yummiest thing I have ever had. We completed the meal with au gratin potatoes, asparagus, and of course our wedding cake! Jameson and I both missed out on eating much of the cake during our actual reception - we only had small bites during the cake cutting - so we were looking forward to chowing down on this. And I am happy to announce the cake was just as delicious as I remember it being. We ate way more of that cake than 2 people should. On our actual anniversary we celebrated downtown at Coach Insignia. The food was delicious but the view was definitely the best part! We had 365 degree views of downtown Detroit, the Detroit river, and Windsor, Canada.

45. Take Milton to the dog park
We have recently discovered the Oakland county park system and quickly have found Milton's new favorite place to run around. The Orion Oaks dog park is HUGE! Complete with grassy fields, walking trails, and a doggie dock. Milton loves running off the dock and jumping full speed into the water - usually with his eye on a tennis ball. He is a retriever through and through and could spend a whole day swimming in the lake. We don't mind though because a tired pup is a happy pup.

53. Host a non family member visitor in our home
In May, Erinn and Tyler came for a quick visit in between stops in Chicago and her grandparents house in Michigan. It was so good to see them both considering they spent the prior 6 months traveling all around the Pacific. We has such a good time catching up on life and can't for them to both be in Chicago! I foresee many weekend trips to the Windy City in our future.

The future Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell in Michigan

Erinn loves her a Lietzke sandwich

Clearly Milton doesn't like sharing his frisbee

61. See Lady Antebellum in concert
Jameson surprised me with a last minute date night to see Lady A at DTE and it was such a fun night with my hubby. Joe Nicols and Billy Currington were the opening acts and they did not disappoint. And of course Lady A was even better than I could have imagined!! We had such a fun night spending time together and soaking up the last bit of summer.

Happy One Year Anniversary

Why hello there long lost blog of mine, I sure have missed you!
I have lots to document about what's been going on in our household the past couple of months, but I'll ease back into it slowly with sharing some of our one year anniversary photos. Jameson surprised me with scheduling a little photo shoot to celebrate our first year of marriage and document our life here in Detroit. We sure do love this city and strive to show people that their is so much more to Detroit than what is shown on the news.

We worked with Michelle and Chris Gerard and was had an absolute blast. We went all around downtown Detroit, Eastern Market, and Belle Isle and felt like we were on a mini city tour while getting our pictures taken. Chris and his wife just moved to Corktown and shared with us some of their inside knowledge of the cities' hidden gems. It was truly such a fun evening and we have so many beautiful images to remember it with.

Jamie - thank you so much for this surprise! I love this little life we have built together and cannot wait to see where the Lord takes us in the future. Cheers to many more years love!