good old days

THE BLOG IS MOVING!

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Mon, 21 Jan 2013 15:58:00 +0000

I have debated this decision for months now, and I finally got up the courage to go ahead with it.

This will be my last and final post on Good Old Days.

I have spent a decent amount of time creating a new space for myself. One that is fresh and new. One that will allow me to want to blog again. I know it may not make sense to a lot of people, but there is just something about starting fresh. This blog has been with me for the last 4 years, and has seen me through a lot of life changes.

However, I feel that I am a completely different person now. It's a good thing. I am so happy that I will always have this blog to look back on. To reminisce. To relive those happy moments in life.

And now I have my new blog, Junk Drawer, to grow and become who I am as a blogger now because goodness knows that has certainly changed since I started blogging.

I hope this doesn't confuse anyone, and I hope you'll follow along on my new adventure here! Be sure to change your Reader/feed to the new one!

Thank you so much for your readership! I am so happy with all the friends I have met through this blog, and I just know I'll make many more in the future.

So head on over to my new blog to check out the first post!

xo eden

MEYER LEMON & CRANBERRY SCONES

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 17:27:00 +0000

Baking has become such a crazy fun activity for me as of late. I've been having so much fun in the kitchen, trying out new recipes, and trying to use up things in our fridge! Who knew that this wannabe-domestic could actually be domestic! (The husband is definitely loving this too.) I picked up a bunch of Meyer Lemons at the grocery store because I had never heard of them before (I know. I'm SO behind on the times), but I knew I wanted to bake something with them, so I did a little bit of googling and came across this recipe by the Smitten Kitchen.

You guys...they are so good. I ate ~~four~~ three of them in one sitting, and the husband loves them even more! They'd be perfect served up with a glass of milk for breakfast or brunch, plus they were very easy to make, which makes them perfect for when you have guests over!

Have any of you ever baked/cooked with Meyer lemons before? I'd love some suggestions for recipes. Maybe a curd or cake? The possibilities are endless!

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Meyer Lemon & Cranberry Scones | slightly adapted from The Smitten Kitchen who adapted from here

1 1/2 tablespoons freshly grated Meyer lemon zest
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 1/4 cups dried cranberries
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup heavy whipping cream

01 | Preheat oven to 400 F and line a cookie or baking sheet with parchment paper.

02 | Peel or zest lemons and chop finely.

03 | In food processor (or with whisk/spoon) mix flower, sugar, baking powder, salt, butter, and zest until mixture is well mixed. (Should be rather coarse.) Transfer to large bowl.

04 | In a small bowl beat egg and yolk until mixed and then stir in the heavy cream. Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir until combined.

05 | Flour the countertop well, and with floured hands, pat or roll the dough out until it is about 1 inch thick, and cut with a 2 inch biscuit cutter (or rim of class). Cut out as many as possible, and reroll scraps as needed. Place on baking sheet keeping them about 1 inch apart from each other.

06 | Place in oven (on center rack). Bake for 15 minutes, or until light golden brown.

Enjoy with a glass of milk, butter, fresh whipped cream, or whatever you fancy!

xo eden

MINNESOTA & SNOW

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 02:24:00 +0000

Growing up in MN you tend to have a love/hate relationship with snow. Typically it's purely love until December 31st because come on a MN Christmas just isn't the same without that beautiful white layer, but post New Year's Day it's almost entirely hate. It's cold here. Real cold. In fact, we're so used to it being cold (like 1 degree outside cold) that when it's 25 degrees it feels warm. It's crazy.

I love it though. Going back to West Virginia is really going to be hard...

xo eden

FRIEND REUNION & BOWLING

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 02:46:00 +0000

Yesterday, Luke and I met up with our group of best friends at the local bowling alley. It was a night filled with bowling, beer drinking, and cheese curd eating. And a perfect night at that.

We did something similar last year, and it is a tradition that we've come to cherish. When you talk to most people who are graduated from college or any adults in general, you tend to hear that they didn't really stay friends with anyone they went to high school with. We stayed friends with most of ours. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful group of people to call our friends. It is even more wonderful that when we all get together, despite living thousands of miles apart, it's like no time has passed. They are such wonderful people, and I know we'll be friends for years to come.

We are so so blessed.

Are you still friends with anyone you went to high school with?

xo eden

MY IPHONE LOVES CHRISTMAS, TOO.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:02:00 +0000

pretty barn // a friend's sheep

the ladies // beautiful barn again

all of the ladies // a warm fire

besties // colorful outfit

a cat that hates me // a husband that loves me

gingerbread house contest // so. much. food.

christmas morning breakfast // pizza for days

i love you // color sudoku

a lit tree // new christmas pajamas

How was your Christmas?

xo eden

PS. Follow me on instagram! @eden_gramith

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU AND YOURS!

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Tue, 25 Dec 2012 14:57:00 +0000

A DATE IN PITTSBURGH.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 13:00:00 +0000

Since moving to Morgantown (a mere 75 miles south of Pittsburgh), Luke and I have really fallen in love with Pittsburgh. We both agree that we could love living there, which is saying a lot because Luke isn't particularly fond of big cities usually. It's such a lovely city, and we try to make it up as often as possible. We definitely wish it was about a half hour closer. When I heard that Pittsburgh does a lot for the holidays, like put up a giant tree, skating rink, and traditional German Christmas market, I knew we had to plan for a Christmas date. We had such a nice time walking around the Market Square and PPG Place taking in everything the city has to offer. And other than trying to leave the city during rush hour traffic, we finally were able to spend a day stress-free now that Luke is officially done with his first semester of grad school. I'm so proud of him!

Now, we're just counting down the days until we get to head to MN for Christmas, and finishing up last minute errands (like getting the oil changed in our car and checking out some audiobooks at the library).

Happy Friday, friends! Have a great weekend!!

xo eden

MY WISHLIST.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 23:06:00 +0000

One of my favorite things about the holidays is making lists and buying gifts for friends and family. There is really nothing better than watching them open the gifts you've thought up and enjoy them! Let's be honest though, we all like receiving gifts as well! I had a heck of a time trying to figure out what I wanted this year because, to be quite honest, I feel that I have everything I need (well, except for a bedside lamp, but that story is for later). So here's a little list of things that I think would be fun to have! >>>

01 | How cute are these pajamas?! Lately, I've been swooning over gold polka dots on everything. Why not, pjs?
02 | I already have several latte bowls from Anthro, but I'd like to add this color to my collection. Red is just so versatile!
03 | Ok, bedside lamp. Let's just say, Luke killed ours in his sleep. This one's a need.

04 | These nude flats are amazing! The pop of color on the toes is just enough to make an outfit exciting!

05 | I got one of these as a gift from my mom at my bridal shower, unfortunately it broke in our move. They're great for holding fruit, knick knacks, or whatever!

What did you ask for for Christmas?

xo eden

ESCAPE

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 19:39:00 +0000

The past few days have been a little weird here at home. It is the end of Luke's very first semester in graduate school, and I've never seen him more stressed (which in the end stresses me out). No worries, he's doing well and his grades show it, but he's been feeling overwhelmed by his decision to continue his education. We're not thinking too much into it at this point because for all we know it could just be this one project that's making him feel this way.

It could also be that we've been feeling particularly homesick lately. A big part of that may be that we're not in Minnesota and it's the holiday season. In previous years, we'd have a holiday party planned with our friends, I'd be having girls nights with my best friends; drinking wine and watching holiday classics until candy canes start coming out of our ears.

This year is different. While we do have an almost two-week trip to Minnesota planned, we know it's going to be a busy one at that, and with so many people to see, it's bound to be stressful and unrelaxing. Just the opposite of how the holiday break is supposed to feel. Nevertheless, we are impatiently waiting for December 18th when we get to pack up and go home for the holidays.

Since Luke and I have been so stressed lately thinking about money, school, and the like, we decided to take a day off from everything. No school work, no bill paying, no responsibility for one whole day. We decided to escape for an hour or so in the heart of Morgantown at the Core Arboretum. It is so beautiful, and what makes it even more magical is that it really is right in the middle of all the hustle and bustle of Morgantown's busy streets, and yet once you get a ways into the woods it feels like you're miles away from anything. It works wonders on the soul and makes me feel so inspired every time we're there.

xo eden

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Tue, 04 Dec 2012 16:12:00 +0000

I still can't believe that Luke and I get to call Morgantown home. This city has so much charm and beauty. Every corner is a mixture of new and old, and there is so much to look at. For every building that is run down or abandoned there is another that has been given a facelift or been restored to its original beauty. I could spend hours just walking around the downtown area (which is where these photos were taken). We feel so lucky to be here and to be able to experience our first years of marriage getting to know our new home.

Do you feel this way about your town/city?

i love mondays...no, really. i do.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 23:03:00 +0000

Lately I have really been on good terms with Mondays. I look forward to going into work in the morning. I wake up at 8am. I'm chipper. It's disturbing really. It's the strangest feeling, but I guess I'll take it. Today was just like that. I woke up feeling refreshed, got ready for work, drank my cup of coffee, and then spend my shift decorating the restaurant for Christmas. What a tough life. ;)

After work, I spent the afternoon being as productive as possible. Laundry. Dishes. Vacuum. I even washed our sheets. There is nothing better than the feeling of clean, crisp sheets. Love it. While I was out running errands I couldn't help but stop and take a pictures every five seconds of all the Christmas decorations around town. There were trees for sale, homes with wreaths on every window, lights, and tinsel galore. I love this little town of ours.

So, all in all, I'd say I had a pretty successful Monday. Bring on Tuesday!

What about you? Are you a Monday/morning person?

xo eden

goodbye, november!

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:32:00 +0000

I can hardly believe that November is already over, and that December 1st is tomorrow! I wish I could slow down time because this is my favorite time of year, and I hate the emotional lull I go into come January! November was such a fun-filled month, and so I've decided to do a monthly recap just in case anyone missed out. Plus, it's kind of fun to look over all of the things you've done, and be thankful for it. That is what November is all about, right?

This November I:

voted
took an impromptu trip to Washington D.C. for my dad's 50th birthday!
fell in love with Capitol Hill
made sure to spend lots of time with my husband
visited Colorado to see friends and family
celebrated Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family
explored Ft. Collins, CO with Luke and my parents
went to Denver's Light the Lights ceremony
decorated for the holidays

I am so excited for everything we have planned for December, including our trip to MN for Christmas, and a few other fun things. I hope we get some snow here in West Virginia. The Minnesotan in me is just dying for a white December & Christmas!

Happy weekend, friends!

xo eden

it's beginning to look a lot like christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 22:48:00 +0000

Well, Luke and I are back in West Virginia now, after spending a great week with my parents and sister for Thanksgiving. We had such a wonderful time, and we miss everyone already! Our hearts are very full right now. Things are starting to return to normalcy around here, and after spending a few hours cleaning this morning (yes, we are those people that leave their home a mess before vacations, and them come home pouting because we know we'll have to clean and unpack), we put up most of our Christmas decorations! It feels cheery and home-y around here.

Luke may or may not already be sick of Christmas tunes because I haven't turned them off since we got home!

Have any of you decorated for the holidays? Post your links below if you've posted pictures! I'd love to see! :)

xo eden

coopersmith's pub & brewery

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 17:18:00 +0000

While we were in Fort Collins for the day, we ate lunch at CooperSmith's Pub & Brewing. My parents had been there before so we knew it'd be good. Plus, we love a good micro-brew. Their beer selection was diverse, and the couple that we tried were both very good (Sigda's Green Chile & Columbine Kolsch). I ordered the Mesa Verde burger, and loved it! The green chiles on top really made the burger! We thoroughly enjoyed everything about CooperSmith's. I'd definitely recommend it if you're ever in Fort Collins.

xo eden

denver light the lights.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Sun, 25 Nov 2012 04:36:00 +0000

Since my parents moved to Colorado, every year we've gone into Denver to see the City Hall all lit up. I was especially excited this year because, though we won't be in CO for Christmas, we were able to make it to the Denver City Light the Lights ceremony! It is truly amazing how beautiful it all is, and every year it surprises me. If you live in the Denver area it is definitely worth it to go see, and if you go on Tuesday evenings, the lights will change to Christmas tunes! So cool! See past years here and here.

I can't believe that the holiday season is here! When Luke and I get back to West Virginia, we'll put up and trim our tree. It's my favorite time of year!

xo eden

thankful

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 23:01:00 +0000

Since we celebrate Thanksgiving early this year, we've spent the majority of today getting ready for our early Christmas! We decorated the trees, drank holiday beer, took silly holiday pictures, and warmed up with Peppermint Mochas. It doesn't hurt that there are numerous football games on today to enjoy either. We are a football family after all. I am so thankful for my family, and for this life. For a place to live, and for food to eat. For everything.

Though, I do enjoy shopping on Black Friday, I was terribly disappointed in the number of stores opening this evening for shopping. It pains me to think of all of the people who will have to leave their families early to go to work for megacorporations. Today is a day to be thankful, not selfish or greedy. So if you can, think of those who have to go to work, and refrain from shopping today.

Just go hog wild tomorrow. ;)

Happy Thanksgiving!!

xo eden

an afternoon in fort collins, colorado

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 03:09:00 +0000

Today, we spent the day in Fort Collins just a little north of where my parents currently live. Luke and I had driven through what we thought was Fort Collins various times on different road trips, but it always just looked like a lot of farm land and fields. We were so wrong. The downtown area is really lovely, and it was so great to see Christmas decorations up (keep in mind, we've already celebrated Thanksgiving). My favorite discovery was all of the wall murals throughout the town. What made the day even better was that it was absolutely beautiful outside! The sun was shining for the better part of the day, and the temperature was perfect.

We really enjoyed ourselves, and hope to return for more adventures someday!

xo eden

ps. I hope all of you (or at least those in the US) have a wonderful Thanksgiving tomorrow! Safe travels!

an early thanksgiving.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 17:31:00 +0000

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday with my uncle and cousins, and had a lovely day. My youngest cousin, John, is always good entertainment for gatherings, and yesterday was no different. We ate too much food, played a little Skip Bo, and spent time together. It's always great when our family gets together, especially since we live so far away! We miss everyone so much.

I hope all of you have a wonderful, relaxing Thanksgiving!

xo eden

i love a good surprise.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 15:24:00 +0000

Luke and I finally arrived in Colorado yesterday after 6 hours of air travel. I don't think I really need to tell you how tired we were throughout the rest of the day, but somehow we went out shopping and then had plans to meet up with my uncle at Pappadeaux in Denver afterwards. I should preface this story with this: Two of our BEST friends, Jake and Ali live in Colorado Springs, and so every time we're in Colorado we try to make sure we can visit one another. We knew that this week would be extra difficult because of Thanksgiving and lots of plans with families. So last night, when we showed up to Pappadeaux and I saw them standing in the entryway I was elated!

Turns out my mom and Ali are pretty good at planning surprises. I think they even enjoyed all of the little white lies they told me to keep me in the dark.

Dinner was delicious, if you haven't been to Pappadeaux in Denver you must, and the conversation was wonderful. So great to see you two. We love you, and can't wait to see you again in December!

xo eden

happy friday, friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 14:48:00 +0000

Luke and I are both just itching for the weekend to be over because on Monday morning we are flying out to Colorado (but to Philly first...darn you layovers!) to visit my parents & sister for Thanksgiving! Our flight leaves bright and early, so we'll be heading to the airport probably around 3 in the morning. Yippee. At least since we're traveling west, we'll gain time rather than losing it.

We (probably mostly me) are so antsy because this is the first trip we've taken since we moved to West Virginia. I can't wait to see my family (and pooches!). For the first time in our lives, we both have an entire week off for Thanksgiving. When we were both going to school in Minnesota we only ever had Thursday and Friday off, which made traveling anywhere basically impossible. Maybe it's just a Minnesota thing?

Anywho, I'm ready to power through all of my work shifts this weekend so that we can finally be off!

What are your plans for Thanksgiving? Are any of you traveling far? Staying home?

xo eden

ps. The photos above are from our last road trip out to Colorado, but are all from when we stopped in Deadwood, South Dakota. Yes, they are random. No, I didn't have any other photos to post. Yes, I do miss my top bun terribly. Who the heck let me cut all of my hair off?!?!

pps. South Dakota is awesome. Don't let anyone tell you differently. Luke hates it. Lucky for him, we won't have to drive through on our way to Colorado anymore since we're not living in Minnesota. Sad day for me.

Moving as Newlyweds

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 01:50:00 +0000

Easily one of the most annoying parts of planning a wedding was the unsolicited advice you start to receive from absolutely everyone you encounter. Sometimes I was shocked by the things people would tell me, especially when I didn't feel that they knew anything about Luke or me. We were told how our ceremony should be, how inappropriate it was that we were living together pre-marriage, and the list goes on and on.

However, the one thing that we received the most "advice" about was the fact that we would be moving to West Virginia, far away (and farther away) from both of our families a mere month after our wedding. People wondered if we would be lonely, or if it was the right decision to be that far away (hello! I've lived 1000 miles away from my parents for the last 4 years!), or if we'd get sick of it just being the two of us. The last one always got me because isn't that what marriage is, tying yourself to one person forever? That's why we chose to spend the rest of our lives together.

It really frazzled my brain, and after hearing it all, I honestly couldn't wait to move with him! A good friend of mine reassured me that when her and her husband moved right after their wedding that it brought them closer together than they ever realized it could...because it was just them. Depending on each other the way married couples are supposed to, learning more about one other everyday, and enjoying every second of it.

After living in West Virginia for almost 4 months now I can say that, while I have gotten lonely from time to time and have wished that we were back home in Minnesota, I truly love being here with him. Everyday is something new, and at the end of the day we have each other.

Turns out, not all advice is helpful.

Have any of you ever moved far away when you were newlywed? Did you get any "helpful" advice about it?

xo eden

be together.

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Tue, 13 Nov 2012 02:23:00 +0000

With the hustle and bustle of our busy schedules and the coming holiday season, Luke and I have been trying real hard to remember to make time for one another. You know? Sometimes, even when you're in the same room, you're together, but not together. So tonight, Luke and I ate dinner by candlelight. We let go of our stresses and worries, and just sat together. I made shepherd's pie (a double batch -- I will never have to cook again, we have that much leftover), and bought a bottle of moscato d'asti. We sat and ate dinner at our little table amidst a rather messy little apartment. I didn't care. I was with him, and we were together.

November always makes me realize all of the things I have in life to be thankful for.

Today, I'm thankful for you, husband.

(and for pinecones that smell like cinnamon)

xo eden

...and i'm sitting here on capitol hill

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Sat, 10 Nov 2012 14:00:00 +0000

While visiting DC I fell head over heels for Capitol Hill.

The entire area is just charming. We ate breakfast at Jimmy T's Place on East Capitol Street before heading to the airport to drop my parents and then heading back to West Virginia.

I'm already planning our next trip back for sometime in December with Luke.

He'll just love it there.

xo eden

a few photos from a day in dc

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:44:00 +0000

While we were in DC for the day we did a lot. It was a really fun day with my parents, and I can't wait to get back to our nation's capitol with Luke in tow next time! He unfortunately had class all day on Thursday so he wasn't able to come with us. And with a random day of activities comes a post equally as random. Enjoy. haha

xo eden

impromptu trip to dc

noreply@blogger.com (Eden Marie) — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:48:00 +0000

My mom texted me the other night asking me if I'd want to drive into DC to meet her and my dad while they were out visiting. She surprised my dad for his birthday with a quick two day trip, and it's been a lot of fun. we had a very busy day, and tried to fit as much in as possible. I'll have more pictures soon.

In the meantime, I just need to say...

I miss my husband!

xo eden