facebook is evil.

I don't know what possessed me but I decided to jump in... and could barely get out!! One really cool thing is that in less than 24 hours after setting up my profile, I received a message from an old high school friend. Very fun, though I still think Facebook is evil.

Sharon and I met again at the Good Day Cafe (we were under some very harsh light but after spending so much time flirting with evil tonight, I just didn't have it in me to fuss with edits). The girl is ON THE MOVE with many great things happening in her life right now. It made for a very fun coffee date.

I'm a little behind on preparations for the crop on Saturday (it could be I'm a bit rusty after having two months off or simply that Facebook is evil).

coffee w/sharon **1-year anniversary!!**

We met at our new usual hangout - the Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley (Sharon has a new job and we're working our coffee dates around it). Instead of touring Twin Cities coffee shops, we're now touring the Good Day menu :-) I had a delicious version of Eggs Benedict today with a mushroom sherry sauce. So good. It was also our 1-year anniversary celebration. Now I can finally share what I've been working on these last couple of weeks:

Remember those little friendship necklaces where you keep one half and give the other to your friend? These albums are kind of like that - one for her and one for me. They chronicle every coffee w/sharon date over the past year; each spread bears a number and at the center of the album is an index with details of our time together. It was such a fun project to work on; I am amazed at what God has done with our friendship. Never in a million years would I have guessed we'd be where we are today.

Talk about raising something from the dead.

Anyway, it was fun to meet despite the Education Minnesota Professional Conference break. (Whew.)

Week in the Life Challenge - Day 4

celebration
noun
1. a joyful occasion for special festivities to mark some happy event
2. any joyous diversion

Today's theme was Everyday Celebrations. I would definitely describe the following as joyous diversions in my day:

I thought I'd do my journaling in list format:

1. A spontaneous visit with my nephew.
2. Coffee w/Sharon.
3. Another Good Day Cafe delight.
4. Meeley's last football practice of the season!!!!
5. Reading with the kids.
6. A Klondike Bar.
7. A quick stop by the local scrapbooking store to spend the rest of my gift card: journaling box rub-ons and alphabet stamps.
8. A surprise in the paycheck.
9. The dusty little note I found written in my van when the sunshine hit it just right.
10. The free Ali Edwards font I picked up HERE. (Technically, this was last night but I'm celebrating it today by sharing it with you ;-)

what a bloggy surprise!

Someone has nominated this site for a bloggy award!!! If you would like to vote for it as well, just click on the voting button featured on the upper left side of this page. (Whoever did the nominating... thank you!)

The yummy drink featured in this post is an Almond Joy from the Good Day Cafe in Golden Valley, MN. I met Sharon there for our regular date and LOVE IT! The food is incredible; my pick was a fried egg sandwhich what was layered with ham, tomatoes, cheese, and avocado. My fried potatoes were SPICY and I didn't even have to ask for it that way (for those of you afraid of spicy, it's just enough to notice). Sharon ordered “Payslie’s Favorite” benedict that boasted two poached eggs with guacamole, tomato and hollandaise on an English muffin. She said it was the best hollandaise sauce ever. (Okay, I added the ever part but she did say it was really good!)

We're coming up on our one year coffee w/sharon anniversary as well. Boy, does time fly...

Edited to add: I just realized this website is offering a $250 prize to the winners in each bloggy category. As an FYI, this money would go directly into our faithbooking ministry!

it's that time of year again

With the school season upon us, I'd been anxiously awaiting the return of my favorite Starbucks drink. Lo and behold, Caribou has their own version of the pumpkin latte and it's available NOW!!!

Speaking of coffee... guess who I saw yesterday?

We're back on track with our "coffee w/sharon" dates as well! We met at the Common Roots Cafe in Minneapolis (BTW, a great place to grab a bagel) and spent a couple of hours talking about football and dogs and schedules and kids.

I'm so glad it's that time of year again.

12 on the 12th

I actually remembered to post them this month! Croppers take note of the photo on the upper right... I'm marking down LOTS OF ITEMS. Be sure to check out my monthly newsletter for details on the summer clearance!

speaking of sharon...

Guess who I saw today?!! I grabbed a Caribou to go and met Sharon and her daughter at my mom's pool. (What can I say... it's summer.) She really put the pressure on for highlights from the Beth Moore conference. (What can I say... it's summer.) I'm finishing up a 6-week Bible study tomorrow and then the highlights will follow. I hope.

What can I say... it's summer!

Digital Scrapbooking Page #2

I worked on this one at the July Faithbooking Crop and plan to hang it as a 12x12 print on my Everyday Display as a reminder of our fun dates. Speaking of which, we are WAY overdue!

coffee w/sharon

Bet you've been wondering where this girl has been... me too! Actually, Sharon was the one who got this boat a movin' again. It's scary how quickly time slips away when you're dealing with life. We met at J&S Bean Factory in St. Paul and I had one of THE BEST COFFEE DRINKS EVER. No kidding. It was called a Mexican Mocha (which I've sampled at a number of previous coffee joints) that I ordered skinny, w/o whip, and spicy. I'd never heard of the spicy part before and just had to try it; in addition to the copious amounts of cinnamon, they added a dash of chili pepper.

TO-DIE-FOR. And now I'm hooked on yet another coffee drink.

Whenever writing about Sharon, my thoughts turn to all that is hip, cool & extreme. Along those lines, I have a really cool new digital product to share! (A cutting edge sort of product. That a seven-year-old told me about.)

The website calls itself, "Home of the Unpronounceable Rabbit"; this new Wi-Fi gadget is called a Nabaztag and can be purchased HERE. I am mildly intrigued and yet simultaneously disturbed... this digital bunny can wake you, read email, provide weather updates, and even SMELL!

coffee w/sharon

Perhaps I should rename this post - Lost in a Big City because I was, and it is... Sadly, I spent the better part of our coffee date lost. Once I found the place I was caught off guard by parking meters - HUNDREDS OF THEM. Knowing that many of the lots work on an honor system, I grabbed a handful of ones before leaving - but quarters????? I'd fed most of them to my children at The Malt Shop (they have a very cool gumball gemstone machine onsite). I lived in Minneapolis for six years, worked downtown for five years, and never once relied on quarters for parking.

Laundry perhaps, but not parking.

Admittedly, I've never really hung out in the Warehouse District either. That's what I get for hanging out with such a hip & cool friend. Thankfully, she's also a friend who carries extra quarters!

The place I barely made it to: Moose & Sadies.

coffee w/sharon

Look who I found! It's been more than a month since our last visit - way too long. She just returned from Jamaica (can you tell?) and has been equally busy with life, kid sickess and all.

We met at a quaint little spot in South St. Paul called the Coffee Exchange. Tilly has been talking up their Mississippi Mud drink for months and though I went there with the intention of ordering one, I was distracted by the frosted Pumpkin Spice scones. For those of you traveling near the Inver Grove Heights/South St. Paul area, there is even a drive-thru!

The drinks come with these cute little stickers on top (okay, the real reason for my visit). Unfortunately, I wasn't able to capture the sticker on camera because the autofocus kept grabbing other things. You'll just have to take my word for it, they were pretty darn cute.

We're back on track now and all is right with the blogging world. Sharon has next pick so it's sure to be a hip and happening spot. Until then...

coffee w/sharon

Where she finds these places, I have no idea! We met at Anodyne - a trendy little spot on the south end of Minneapolis. Loads of character, yummy food, and great coffee. Our visit was an important reminder of many things, especially God's hand in bringing us together.

We swapped stories of life's ups and downs. We laughed and cried. And in the end, we prayed... because there are times when a girl needs a little more than just a good cup of coffee.

Be prepared. You're up against far more than you can handle on your own. Take all the help you can get, every weapon God has issued, so that when it's all over but the shouting you'll still be on your feet. Truth, righteousness, peace, faith, and salvation are more than words. Learn how to apply them. You'll need them throughout your life. God's Word is an indispensable weapon. In the same way, prayer is essential in this ongoing warfare. Pray hard and long. Pray for your brothers and sisters. Keep your eyes open. Keep each other's spirits up so that no one falls behind or drops out. Ephesians 6:13-18 (MSG)

coffee w/sharon

We did things differently this time. Instead of meeting at some trendy coffee shop, our bi-monthly visit took place here - at my humble abode. There was a specific reason for this locale (and it wasn't my coffee). Ladies, she has turned to the dark side scrapbooking!

My wildest dreams have come true.

After stopping by a local bakery for treats, I plugged in THE GIANT. Though it's been several months since the death of my beloved Krups, I have yet to replace my coffee maker. After all, the 42-cup GE and I have been doing just fine.

Anyway, Sharon and I spent an hour or so catching up before breaking out the stash. A lot can happen in two weeks ya know. Apparently, she and and her hubby are proud new furniture owners as well; we had much to celebrate!

Then I introduced her to the tools of the trade.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure she's hooked.

coffee w/sharon

Whew! Between the holidays, her job, and my chaos with the boys home for two weeks - it took A LOT to pull this one together. In fact, I'd go so far as to say we experienced the Lord's supernatural intervention (that, or we are both extremely determined to keep this up).

We met at Cafe Latte in St. Paul and had a wonderful visit. I am so blessed by our time together and amazed at what God has done to our friendship in recent months. Talk about a breath of life! These dates are inspiring, fun, refilling, and RELAXING. And, to top it all off, there's even coffee involved!

What more could I ask for?

coffee w/sharon

I met Sharon again at yet another stop near our old stomping grounds. A few weeks had passed since our last visit so we had a lot to catch up on. She had a special gift for me... this beautiful ornament. She told me that the very same angel rests on her tree as a sweet reminder of our rekindled friendship.

"A true friend is someone who wants what is best for you. Seek to have those kinds of friends and seek to be that kind of friend to other people."

~Pastor Chuck Lovelady

coffee w/sharon

Not only has this become a regular appointment on my calendar, but a regular post as well! Just thought I'd share a couple of shots from our time together this week at Muddy Waters. It was a rustic little joint that served up a suprisingly fluffy mocha.

As always, I look forward to our time together! As a matter of fact, did you know that God longs for the very same thing with each one of us? He is honored when we take time to get to know Him. He knows us inside and out but it is His desire for us to know Him! Unfortunately, I am not always as conscientious about my time with God as I am with family and friends.

If you are interested in deepening your relationship and would like some practical tips for spending time with God, here's a link to a great series of articles.

I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you... Ephesians 1:17-18

coffee w/sharon

The hot spot this week was Gigi's Cafe, a trendy place on the edge of Uptown. It was actually rated Best Restaurant for Kids by the readers of Parents magazine - which is pretty amazing, considering the food (not your typical kid fare). You can find their menu by clicking HERE and weekly specials by clicking HERE.

It was a crazy day for Sharon and a crazy week for me but we agreed that our time together was a priority.

PS: I found an awesome sermon about "hurry sickness" and the importance of slowing down. You can get to it by clicking HERE. What a great reminder about the damage done by our hurried lifestyles. Very convicting.

I was the *cool* friend today!

Another coffee date with my hip & cool friend Sharon and it was my turn to choose the place. Oh, the pressure! I suggested The Black Sheep Coffee Cafe in South St. Paul, an independently owned shop fairly new to the area. They have a knack for "coffee art" - check out the butterflies below! Sharon called me the cool friend today.

This is turning into a thing for us and I like it!

Journaling Ideas: What do you like to do with your friends? What traditions do you have in place? How have those traditions changed over time? How do your friendships vary from one another? Do the traditions vary as well?