30 Before 30: Run the Warrior Dash + St. Jude's Warriors


30 Before 30 is a list of 30 new things that I'm trying to accomplish before my 30 birthday.


One might say, if one were so inclined, that it is on like Donkey Kong.




No backing out now unless I want to forfeit my $65 and hahahaaaaaa... I think we all know I'm too cheap for that.

Chef Boyfriend and I will be running Ye Olde Warrior Dash together. I am not a praying person, but if you are and are feeling charitable, a brief request on our behalf that we might not kill or seriously injure ourselves would probably not go astray.

Now here's the really important part!

We've signed up to raise money for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital as "St. Jude's Warriors".

The mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is to advance cures, and means of prevention, for pediatric catastrophic diseases through research and treatment. No child is denied treatment based on race, religion or a family's ability to pay.

So I am asking you, dear readers, if you would consider contributing to our fundraising. Even a fiver would be a tremendous help. My fundraising page is right here and chef boyfriend's fundraising page is here. We're not competing with each other (at least I don't think we are...) so donating to either one of us is awesome. There is also now a handy-dandy widget over in my sidebar that will take you directly to my fundraising page.

By choosing to contribute, you would not only be helping St. Jude Children's Hospital, but you'd be helping us out on race day. Every Warrior who raises at least $250 will gain access to the St. Jude Warrior Battle Tent and everything they need on race day, including free food, drinks and showers. That's going to come in mighty handy after we've slogged through 3.38 miles of mud pits, barbed wire and fire. If we're not dead, obviously.


Have you ever raised money for charity doing something like this? It's my first time and I'm so excited!

30 Before 30: Photograph a Wedding!


30 Before 30 is a list of 30 new things that I'm trying to accomplish before my 30 birthday.


This is something I scratched off the list back in November, but I'm just getting around to posting about it. Our friends Chris and April got married! I was thrilled to take their wedding photos. They are two people who obviously adore each other and I could not be happier for them.

These are a few of my favorites:


Chris and April


Chris and April


Chris and April


Chris and April


Chris and April


Chris and April

A few more here.

Etsy Treasury: Crafty in the Keystone State

Apparently some people make the best of the cold Pennsylvania winter by cranking out a bunch of awesome stuff. CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. (Next year. Because IT'S ALMOST SPRING OMGOMGOMG!)


→ Crafty in the Keystone State on Etsy.

Friday Linkage: Gotch-Gutted Gormagon

This is unbelievably awesome + gorgeous:

Made by Hand / No 3 The Beekeeper from Made by Hand on Vimeo.


Ha ha ha ha GET OUT OF MY BRAIN LIFEHACKER.

What happens when a dude decides to donate one of his kidneys to a total stranger, just to be awesome? 30 people follow suit and pay it forward. Un-friggin-believable.

When Nicole Graham and her horse became stuck in quicksand-like mud, she first got her daughter and her daughter's horse to safety, and then she stayed by her horse's side for 3 hours, holding his head above the mud and comforting him, until help arrived. Good grief, I get choked up just looking at those photos. Bravo, lady. Good on you.

If there's two things I can totally get behind, it's 1) efficient use of tiny spaces, and 2) theme hotels. So obviously I want to move into one of these glass igloos post-haste. Obvious question: Can't all of your fellow guests see you getting it on? Are the Finnish less self-conscious about that?

This is not a new article, or new news, for that matter: Eaters, beware: Walmart is taking over our food system. Crazy, ridiculously important stuff. I haven't shopped in a Wal-mart since last year and I've decided that I'm just never going back. Now if I can just give up Sam's Club...

1811 Dictionary in the Vulgar Tongue. You're welcome.

We are heading down to Ye Olde Ikea this weekend to track down one of these to do something sort of like this. People with cats - do you have any suggestions for how to hide a litterbox/contain its contents? Especially when one of your cats is apparently an olympic litterbox vaulter?