{Happy 5 Year Anniversary} Mr. Loerke!

Tonight we wore fancy outfits.


And stuffed our bellies with schteak & lobster (this food was even more fancy than our outfits)


We opened anniversary gifts.


And ate smaller versions of our wedding cake courtesy of Society Bakery.


A great way to celebrate the 5th Anni. Hope your weekend was just as lovely! xoxo

{You inspire me} Timothy James

Five years ago today Husband and I got married at our favorite park.


We invited our closest friends & family.


And rode off into the sunset on on a tandem bici.


It was magical.

Since then Husband and I have learned that good marriages are a dime a dozen, but great marriages take lots of hard work. So we work at ours every day. Sometimes this is easy, sometimes it's really hard. But regardless we stay committed to each other and to figuring things out.

Mr. Loerke, how bout we celebrate the last day of April with one of the best schteak dinner's EVER. Ps, only 54 more days till ALASKA. {But who's counting?} Love you more than Curtis Park and white balloons.

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, tonight when you came home you picked me up and hugged me until my feet dangled. Then you sat me down, picked me up and did it all over again. Three points for stretching me 2", 4 points for making me feel so loved. Dear Apartment Therapy Small Cool Competition, remember when we entered you last year? This year's winners are just around the corner. CAN'T WAIT. Dear Old Ladder, when I saw you sitting in a pile of trash headed for the dumpster I knew it was love at first sight. Thank you for being the perfect solution for husband's Chaco collection. Dear Mr. Loerke (who always gets two letters), I've decided to post this photo as evidence that I married the right man. Over and out.

A special thanks to Taza for being the inspiration behind writing Mr. Loerke two letters. It has made all the difference in our marriage.

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1.02.28

{Before & After: Dumpster Ladder + Husband's Chacos}

This one's for all of my perfectionistic idealist anal-retentive homies.




Sayonara shoe graveyard. Hello organization.

{Today's Letters & Reason #975}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, Reason #975 why I love Thee: You share your most wrinkly folded over Kettle chips with me. Because wrinkly folded over Kettle chips are MY FAVORITE. Dear Lending.com, I think your grass looks like carpet. You might just be the perfect place to take an afternoon nap tomorrow. Just sayin. Dear Evening Walk (+ 1 sprint), you were a lovely way to end the day, even if Husband did make us run 1 sprint because 'we're almost 30 and 30 yr olds should be able to run FAST'). Dear Husband, yesterday you pulled your car up next to mine at a stoplight, rolled down your window and whistled at me. I was so embarrassed (the good kind) but overwhelmed with gratitude that you still flirt with me. Kinda still crushing you after all these years. Not gonna lie.

{An Album Worth Purchasing: Nathaniel Rateliff's 2nd Masterpiece}

Some of you may remember me mentioning Nathaniel Rateliff, here, here, and here. Yesterday he released his 2nd album called, In Memory Of Loss. I've only been able to listen to it a few times through but it's already going to make this year's Year End Review.

BUY THIS ALBUM. It'll be worth it, I promise.

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, last night you stood on a chair and started spinning around with your headlamp flashing everywhere. It was kind of like being married to a disco ball. Dear Kegs, yesterday we sat outside during lunch and you taught me about Scissor-tailed Flycatchers. Today we ate ice cream by the pond and talked about marriage. So grateful for your friendship. Dear CTU, have you found the dead guy Dana Walsh hid in your wall yet? It's kinda been bothering me, him being wadded up in there for so long. Dear Husband, this Friday we celebrate 5 yrs of marriage. FIVE YEARS. Can I get a shimmy? How bout a shake? Perhaps some Elaine leg kicks? Or a couple of Arsenio Hall fist pumps? Every day with you has been an adventure. So blessed to be your wife.

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, after you woke up on Saturday you danced right into the kitchen while I was making granola. Then we sang Moondance into our can openers and flax seed went all over the floor. Stupid appendages. Must learn to control them when I shimmy. Dear Kite, sometimes Husband and I say damn it when we try and put you together. But you always make us laugh and remind me of good things. Dear Goonie & Matt, watching you this morning on the Today Show had me doing fist pumps in my cube. Love the Goonie Family of 5, even more than Fayetteville's Walmart & Hazel's Cheerios. Dear Husband, I like our deal. You help me pluck my eyebrows, I give you kisses in exchange for your services. A win win. Kind of like kites and flax seed.

{Desk Envy}

I think I'm in love. Made from old pipes, bridge gears, and salvaged barn wood this desk is the epitome industrial amazingness. Just sayin.


Click here for more photos of woodworker/artist Jordan Waraksa's studio. Pretty sure they'll make you drool on your keyboard.


(Photos by Jordan Waraksa & Blend Studio )

{Twinner Winners!}

You didn't think we'd have just ONE winner did you? We're Twinner's, silly which means TWO lucky people were chosen at random for this week's giveaway!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALI SCHLOEGEL DUNN & SHANNON BOWERS! The Twinner has made a special batch of granola bars just for you. She even promised to walk them to the post office in her Cowgirl hat and bandanny.


Go ahead lovelies, start licking your computer screens because these nolies are delicious. They're like little crack snacks, those granola bars.


Be sure and check out Flying Vegan for all of your future granola bar cravings.

Ali & Shannon, please email me your contact info to em@todaysletters.com so the Twinner & Mr. McFeely can ship you your major award first thing in the morning!

A special thanks to all who entered this week's giveaway. Each of your comments put a smile on my face (especially a particular friend who tried to enter 12 times).

{Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!}

Husband was so excited he couldn't wait to find out the winner of this week's giveaway. So he put everyone's name into his lucky hat.


And he drew one lucky winner!


This person is going to be SO happy. Be sure and check back tomorrow to see if it's you!

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, I think I almost died on our run this afternoon. Three points for kicking my tail, two points for keeeping me from burying my face into our neighbor's lemonade stand. Dear Flea Market, you were beyond good to me today. Pretty sure the Twinner's gonna shimmy and shake when she opens her dirty 30 birthday find. Dear Whole Paycheck, sometimes Husband and I get so excited about Friday night grocery shopping that we do leg kicks in your parking lot. (The Beloved's jazz hands were in honor of purchasing more kale of course). Dear Timothy James PA-S III, today marked the end of your first ER rotation. On Monday you start Family Medicine, then only 13 more months until you graduate. You are officially MY HERO.

Only a few more hours to enter this week's giveaway! I promise you won't be disappointed with these nolies. Scouts honor.

{Ming Makes Cupcakes}

I think I will make this one,

and this one ...

and this one.

Yep.

Click here for more of Ming's magical cupcake recipes.

And don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! Winner will be announced on Sunday!

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, I have a confession. I maybe might have used your deodorant this morning, and I maybe might have slept in a pair of your unmentionables last night. Maybe. Dear Earth Day, today we celebrated you because we know it's not always easy being green. Just ask Kermit. Dear Ming Thompson, Holy seizures of cutieness, Batman. You make the most creative & unique cupcakes I've ever seen. Coffee Chocolate with Baileys Irish Cream Frosting? Um, yeah. Dear Beloved, thank you for always offering to let me read your Sherlock Holmes book while I go big potty. Two points for thoughtfulness, three points for encouraging multitasking in the Loerke household.

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! Winner will be announced on Sunday!

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, this evening you announced that you had won a major award at the optometrist's office. Congratulations on your new contact case. Old Man Parker would be so proud. Dear Brinner (breakfast for dinner), you were perfect as always. Thanks for being so simple and always faithful to fill. Dear Favorite Rock, I knew I'd find a way to repurpose you. A little wire, an old post card, and now Old Faithful is standing again. Dear Husband, after hitting the snooze button 3 times this morning you whispered, "Emo, it's going to be a great day. I can feel it." Thanks for motivating me to get out of the biscuit. Pretty sure Woobie had me in a headlock.

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! Winner will be announced on Sunday!

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, while interviewing you today I learned that you used to collect Super Soaker water guns, drive a Buick Skyhawk, and liked to suck on change and once swallowed a quarter. A great reminder that I should never stop studying my spouse. Dear Quinoa Pudding, tonight you were proof that burnt milk smells like turd. Still grateful that you turned out okay. Dear Top Golf, the sign on your putting green reads; "Unattended children will be given a cappuccino and a free puppy." A FREE PUPPY? Anyone wanna loan me your kids for an hour? Dear Husband, tonight we walked like we always do on Tuesdays. Thanks for faithfully making the effort to be known by me. I love this about you (even more than yo sexy calves).

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway! Winner will be announced on Sunday!

{Holy Giveaway, Batman!}

In honor of kicking off the blog this week sweet Twinner's giving away a DOZEN of her Flying Vegan granola bars. A D-O-Z-E-N. Have you tried them before? They are so good I guarantee they'll make you wanna shimmy across your hardwoods in your skivvies shouting GET IN MA BELLY! They are most definitely D to the liiiiiicious.


To enter, just leave a comment below by Friday, April 23rd. I'll draw a winner at random and Mr. McFeely will ship your bars on Monday!

{Unmade by Sleeping at Last}

Favorite song from last night's show called Unmade by Sleeping at Last.

{Today's Letters}

Today's Letters: Dear Mr. Loerke, tonight we went to The Prophet Bar and saw Sleeping at Last & Jeremy Larson play their hearts out. You, me, hot date, good music, Stella on tap: a perfect way to end a Monday. Dear David Penuel, thank you for making my blog look as stellar as a restored FJ40 driving around White Rock Lake. Two chest bumps and a case of Diet Coke for you. I am forever grateful. Dear Egyptian Goddess, whenever people ask me what perfume I wear I sometimes get embarrassed to tell them your real name. Egyptian what the what? This makes me sweat. Dear Husband, you always reassure me that I'm awesome when I need it most. Thank you for always believing in me. To the moon ...

{Welcome to Today's Letters!}

Husband and I are excited to meet you.