there's no place like gnome.

Seriously. I can’t even. 

Three weeks until he comes home with us!

It’s not Friday but here’s what I’ve been loving lately:

Dreaming about a certain dog, projects and all.

THIS WEATHER.  Sunny.  50s.  I actually opened the patio door yesterday and it was wonderful.  I’m hopeful for a short bike ride tomorrow.  On February 19.

Today I successfully threaded and used a serger.  It was given to me and it’s sat in a closet for months.  The dream of making cloth napkins (yup. crazy person here.) for the wedding gave me the push to get it out.  It needs to be serviced but I’m so excited.  (After the photo was taken, I learned that  the spool holder needed to be pulled up.  Got it now.)

The MPR news app on my phone.

About four weeks ago, I started taking a yoga class twice a week through Austin Community Education.  I have fallen in love with it.  The course is six weeks long but the instructor decided to offer another session.  Thus, I will continue yoga-ing with a handful of other people on Monday and Thursday evenings for six more weeks once this first course is over.  We spend the last ten minutes laying on the floor in the dark.  It’s pretty great.

Crazy Mom Quilts released another quilting book.  She’s all about scraps to the point it blows my mind.  (I have her first book to credit my gumdrops quilt and Sunday Morning quilt currently on my bed.)

Debating making hundreds of these over the next year to stick everywhere on the day we pick for our wedding.  (Still undecided.)

Dave and I went on Saturday to pick which puppy in the litter would be ours. At three weeks, they were all adorable. We landed on a red-colored male with a white patch on his chest. And he is the most adorable, if-I-don’t-say-so-myself.  We learned that the day he will come to live with me/us is March 21. A Tuesday. 35 days and counting.  In the meantime, the breeder will send us photos of our little guy each week so we can see him grow. (Are you sick of me talking about this puppy yet?)

Meet Doctor Emmett Brown.*

* It is where we have arrived.  How did we arrive here?  Doc Brown = crazy hair on Back to the Future.  Puppy Emmett = crazy curly, fluffy hair. (I do not claim this logic but someone I love does.  I, however, do love Back to the Future. So I’ll go with it.)

Let’s rewind three years and some odd weeks.  I got a new message on Match.  Something like this:

I admit I got scared when you said that you are a pastor so I shied away from messaging you before.  (more words … conversation goes back and forth a few times) You sound like a very interesting person that I would like to get to know a little more. I hope I’m not being too forward, but would you like to meet and maybe do a fun activity – bowling?  At the very least, we could walk away friends. 

(Okay. The words weren’t something like this.  Those are exact words.  Because I still have the messages saved in a gmail folder. True story.)

Last Friday night, the boy that sent that message and the girl who received it got engaged. TO BE MARRIED.  Here’s how it went down:

Three or four weeks ago, as we approached the third anniversary of our meeting at the bowling alley, Dave, out of the blue, asked me to go look at rings. My response?  Wha – wait – WHAT?  Silence. Smirk. Confusion.  Hug.  What?!  Okay.  YES.  Insert many days of Lindsay thinking of nothing else and filling her Pinterest wedding board.

We went to look at rings at the local jeweler but nothing quite fit my fancy.  (Quite honestly, they were too fancy.) Afterwards, we out for pizza at the same place we went three years ago. I have the split-screen photo to prove it. (Yes, I’m a sap.)

I found a few rings I liked online. Dave purchased one and it was shipped to his house via UPS with a signiature required upon delivery.  Tracking information was delivered to Dave and, naturally, it was scheduled to be delivered while he was out of town for work. Practical people we are, I worked from his house that day and signed for my own ring. (Why not.) I promised him I wouldn’t open it; I put it in a drawer, and left.

I knew the first night I saw him once he was back in town it would happen. We both were excited – after weeks of knowing it was coming – to share the news and move to the next phase of planning.  So after I got crabby at him because he was fiddling with his trailer so he could leave early the next day to pick up a pinball machine or two (A glimpse of married life to come?)  … after we made supper … after it got really awkward because we both knew the moment was coming … after we started giggling … he asked me.

And that’s when we learned the jewelry store sent a 5 instead of an 8.5.  Boo. It fit on my pinky. (It’s currently been sent away. One that fits should return next week. Until then, my hand feels naked.) We called our mothers, both of whom concluded the conversations by saying, “I love you both.”  (Aww.  Lovely.)

We’re looking at early summer 2018 in Wisconsin, meeting our families a bit closer to where they are.  We are pretty darn excited.

I made new Valentine throw pillows for my couch tonight. They cost $2.99 each (plus the batting I already had).  That’s a cheap pillow!  

This genius tip is all thanks to Mama Leanne.  Years ago, while browsing the aisles of Target, she realized that many of their placemats are two pieces of fabric sewn together with only an outside seam.  Do you know what that means?Take your seam ripper. Open up one of those side seams a couple inches. Stuff the inside with batting. Sew the seam up by hand.  Ta da. A $3, ten minute throw pillow. Seriously. I’ve made Christmas pillows from placemats. Easter pillows from placemats. And now – Valentine’s Day pillows from placemats. Thanks, Target. 

Also. Speaking of Valentine’s Day,  love, and hearts, I’m engaged. TO BE MARRIED. (Say what?!)  That story to follow in the next couple days. ❤️