Our Week

First off--we've had not one, but two snow storms in one week.  And yes, it's mid April.  This is what I saw when I looked out of my window this morning....

And earlier this week:

 I've honestly been feeling so restless being stuck in the house.  I was going to venture out and take photos the other day but dredging through 5 feet of snow carrying a camera is pretty exhausting.  I've been getting impatient waiting for flowers and baby animals.  I just want to walk outside without a winter coat or boots on.  We've had 6 months of grey, white, slush, and cold. 

{It even snowed when I was in AZ in Feb} 

 I'm cursed.

So with no choice but to be stuck inside-- I made a shepherd's pie :-)

Trust me-the photos make this pie look much more appetizing than it actually was.  I was so excited to eat this, but didn't realize that the beef stock I bought was sodium/fat free.  It was like beef flavored water.  So disappointed.  Luckily, I was able to salvage it by making gravy to mix in after the realization...but still, you don't make Shepherd's Pie when you're being health conscious. 

And to top off the naughty eating with the rest of the week, we went out for an ice cream date <3.  

We didn't care that it was 15 degrees out.

My favorite place to get ice cream in Minneapolis is Sebastian Joe's.  It was the first public place I was introduced to when I relocated and it's the only place that has ever wowed me with their ice cream.  This place puts Cold Stone and Ben and Jerry's to shame. 

I got the salted caramel and Logan got the oreo cookie.  To DIE FOR.

After Ice cream we took a little stroll and followed up with some window shopping which turned into real shopping :-)

Just so LOVELY outside....

This is what I wanted to buy.

but ended up with this instead :-)  

{I'm a huge gnome lover}

This weather has been quite a bummer though.  I've been trying to stay busy with painting projects:

{I got this little guy from Michael's and have been slowly blocking off sections and working on them}

I got this cattle skull when I was in Arizona.  For $20 I think?!  Such a deal.  But I thought some flowers and vines would liven him up.  Still not finished, not sure what my next step will be with him. 

And today---such a lazy day.  My last day off before my 5 day stretch of 5 am work days :-|  I've been spending it by catching up on missed episodes of Game of Thrones and Once Upon a Time.  My two obsessions.

Our lazy munches

 Looking at the photos of the lazy cats makes me want to crawl into bed.  <3  Hopefully it will be warm soon and we can update with some photo adventures.

xo

Our Year

I might have lied on the last post when I said that it was going to be our longest post---I think this one definitely tops it. 

Come this June, marks 1 year ago that we packed up a U-haul, a tiny car, and our cats and left Milwaukee forever to move to Minneapolis.  It honestly only feels like we've only been here 6 months max.

some of the last photos before we left Milwaukee forever:

{apology ahead of time for the phone photo quality.  Not the greatest, but some of the only ones were have from the fun times in that town.}

My favorite painting in the 3rd Ward in Milwaukee.  I wish this was a poster.  I would be the first to buy it plus a zillion copies.

Logan's Viking's themed birthday bash that I threw him. (And yes-Viking's decor in a WI bar, I got enough crap from people that night while setting up!  It's not my fault Logan loves them more than the Packers)

       My going away outing--I think that was my last night out in Milwaukee.     Makenzie, Cassie, Me, Casey, Geri, and Natalie <3

                                     Logan and fellow film-maker friend, Mark.

The one night that Logan and I tried to set up my friends Joe and Makenzie.  Yeah, that didn't work out.  But was still fun anyway!

Our friend Gio's wedding that Logan stood up in

(And yes, my hair color has changed quite frequently between this and my natural dark)

 

Me and Makenzie at Summerfest--the largest music festival in world--not even making that up

Makenzie and I on our way to Chicago, via train, drinking cheap champagne.  In plastic cups.  CLASSY.

My final birthday party in Milwaukee.  This night was actually kind of terrible.  One of my friends ended up getting really sick and had her mother drive 45 minutes to come pick her up at like midnight.  such a bummer.  

And worst of all--Logan had a scare that sent him into the emergency room.  Two different doctors without knowing what the problem was.  He is fine now, but I basically became his live in maid/cook after that ;)

LIFE AFTER MILWAUKEE...

The fun process of unpacking.

And the 9837483 movies that we needed find a home for.  If it were up to me, I'd take out all of the discs and neatly store them into a dvd binder.  But that is a No-Go with Logan!  Those movies took up two huge boxes alone in moving. grrr

And after getting a little bit more settled, an overview of our little box of a home <3

{And finally, a tour of our new town}

this is around the corner from our place, we're within a 5 minute walk to the lake

Lake Minnetonka.  so pretty.

{our first summer, followed by our first and very long winter.}

Our first little Thanksgiving in MN according to our camera

{It was my first time making a turkey, ever.  But it turned out really great.  And Instead of traditional stuffing, I baked individual servings <3}

Our first Christmas (and my birthday) in MN according to Instagram

We made Gingerbread houses at Logan's parents, I took time to wrap gifts for once and I made my favorite MAC and Cheese for xmas dinner at Logan's aunt and uncle's.  

And the long winter according to our camera...

 I'm pretty sure that Minnesota just skips fall.  It's mid April. And we just had another snow storm last week.  We really are feeling ready to move again already!

New Year's weekend:

Logan's friend Mark and his girlfriend Dawn made the trip from Milwaukee to Minnesota to eat Juicy Lucies.  I'd never heard of a Juicy Lucy until then and I didn't want to find out.  It's a grease drenched burger filled with cheese.  And there are two places "famous" for their version of the Juicy Lucy.  And we went to both.  First was Matt's and the second was the 5-8 Club.  I didn't eat a juicy at the 5-8 but a lot of people seem to enjoy their food.  I'm just a picky eater, so I won't give my opinion on that place.  However-Matt's was pretty tasty. 

And lastly...Logan and I aren't big partiers or night people, but there is a cute irish pub/restaurant down the street off the lake that we like to go to when we do want to get out the house.

Logan's highschool friends: Jeff, Kojo, and Kojo's girlfriend, Heidi.

We will miss milwaukee for bars opening up at noon, liquor stores being open on Sunday, tailgating for hours at WI stadiums (MN doesn't seem to have that for some reason), cheese, good beer (New Glarus), the smell of yeast when driving on Hwy 94, Summerfest, Irish Fest, Italian Fest, Bristol Renaissance Faire (Brandi will miss this most of all), and lastly-our friends.  Most of them have moved as well or are planning to so we knew Milwaukee was over for us.  Minnesota isn't forever, but it was necessary for us to save money and to be near Logan's family after he had been away from them for over 4 years.  We have one more year here in Minnesota--so we'll see what happens <3

Our First Post (and probably the longest!) An intro to us

{OUR STORY}

We are a couple who work together, live together (plus our furry children) and try to live frugally to save money for our future!

{Logan}

 Ever since I was young I knew I wanted to make movies.  As soon as I learned how to write, I was writing screenplays for my friends to act out and I had my mom hold up a camera as I directed my actors. At the age of 10, I had my own video camera that was permanently attached to my hand.  It wasn't until I was in high school that I realized that this was something I could actually do with the rest of my life.  I studied Film in college at UW-Milwaukee's Peck School of the Arts, where I begun to perfect my craft.  I met Brandi when going in to my first eye exam, and soon after we begun dating. We soon learned that we had a joint love for the arts and collaborating in the medium of photography.  

Logan at 10 years old :)

{Brandi}

I've dabbled in many forms of art throughout my life.  (my family is full of talented artists)  From a young age I loved to draw and paint.   When times were tough I was able to sell a few paintings here and there before I met Logan.  But it was Logan who reintroduced me to photography.  I did take photography classes when I was in high school but never explored it beyond that. When Logan and I formed Love BEA Photography, my responsibility was to think up with the conceptual ideas, find props, style wardrobe, and do the makeup.  But slowly I started to get antsy to take some photos myself and so here we are-2 years later and Logan taught me everything that I know :)

Makeup by Brandi; A before and after of our model Dawn

{The LOVES of our life}

<3

And in case you're interested:  A few samples of our photography :)

Thanks for visiting :)

<3 Brandi & Logan