5 wonderful years!

5 years ago, a boy picked me up for a date... a date that he planned.  We start at the Dallas Aquarium and for those of you who don't know me, I love animals so this was right in my wheelhouse.  We then went to a wine bar and drank wine, and had dinner and talked for hours.

It was the best first date I've ever had, and because of that, I decided that I wanted to keep this boy around.  Not too long after that, I decided that I loved this boy and that I definitely wanted to hang on to him.  When I got an opportunity for a promotion at work, this boy, who had become my boyfriend, encouraged me to take the job, and told me that he would stay in Texas if that's what was best for me.  That summer, we moved in together.

The following December, that boy asked me if I'd like to spend the rest of my life with him, to which I joyfully agreed...

...and a year and a half later, we made it official.

www.catiescaptures.com

5 years ago, I went on a date with a boy and that date changed my life for the better...

Wine Wednesday

The lady that lived next door when we moved in just sold her house so we will soon have a new neighbor!  J helped her clean some limbs from her yard a few weeks ago and we found this hanging on our doorknob as a thank you - how sweet, right??

Apothic Red - 2011

• Type of wine - Red Blend
• Where to Buy & Price - I'm not sure where she got it, but isn't the label beautiful?
• Smell - I smelled a slight tartness, but one of fruit, like a blackberry
• What I Tasted - berry notes with a smooth finish - the flavor was more bold than the red blend from last week, but the finish was still smooth so the intensity was welcomed!

We drank this while chatting with our parents and while I probably won't drink a lot of it this summer, I can definitely see this being my wine of choice for next fall and winter - I'm really hoping I can find it at the store!!!

CHEERS!

Habitat for Humanity - Women Build

When I first came to Bloomington, my boss invited me to a Habitat for Humanity breakfast, and I was instantly intrigued by the organization, what they do, and the impact it has on its homeowners.

This year, I was invited by my boss to be a part of what I consider to be the ultimate DIY - her Women Build team!  Habitat for Humanity has Women Build Week all over the country, but I have heard from many women that Bloomington has a very strong group of women who represent well!  There were many teams of women who were on the build site for the whole week and I got to be a part of the group that framed the walls!

I don't shy away from building or working with tools - in fact, if we buy a piece of furniture that has to be put together, I am always the one to jump at the opportunity... maybe that's why I like IKEA so much  :)

This experience, though, was by far one of the greatest of my life!  There were probably 30 women at the build and we worked on two houses - putting all the walls together and getting a few of the exterior walls raised!  The homeowners were also there, which made this experience even more special because we got to know them, and got to spend the day with them, and to feel their excitement and appreciation was so great!

There were some people who were in charge of measuring and cutting and putting pieces of wood together to make the components of the walls.  I spent the entire day putting the actual walls together, and it was amazing to feel more and more confident as the day went along.  I even built a few walls totally by myself once I got the hang of it!  So - here's what we worked on!!

Our first few interior walls

Our first BIG interior wall

My first completed door way!!

I didn't take a ton of pictures because we were working really hard to get these done.  The house I was working on was a 4 bedroom, 2 bathroom house so it was larger than what is normally done in the Women Build week...

A big shout out goes to all of those friends and family who supported me - in order to be on the team, you have to raise at least $250.  I was close to $400 thanks to so many people who love Habitat and who also love me  :)  SO, here's to them...

We drove by the house a few days later (at the end of the week) and here's what we found!!!

I hope to be able to go back for the dedication of the house next week - I hope it's a place where the Mosiers enjoy raising their three children and where they really feel settled and connected to their community!

Wine Wednesday

Hello and happy Wednesday!  Hope your week is going well so far!!!  Here's the wine of the week...

I picked this bottle PURELY because I loved the label... in my opinion, one of the best ways to pick a new wine to try!

Primal Roots - 2010 

• Type of wine - Red Blend
• Where to Buy & Price - I got it at Sam's for around $9 a bottle
• Smell - It didn't have any fragrance that really stood out... maybe a slight sweetness
• What I Tasted - It had a slightly sweet start and smooth finish
• Intensity & Sweetness - It was not intense at all - probably because of the fact that it's a blend and nothing really stood out

I was drinking this while I was cleaning the house and it was a good pairing - it helped the time fly!  I'd buy it again...

CHEERS!

Look what I came home to!!

I was out of town for the first couple of days that J's mom was in town and when I talked to him on Thursday night, he told me they had a surprise for me that I'd get when I got home!  I had no idea what it could be, and I was so excited to walk into the kitchen and see this...

They got it at a cute little antique store in town, and it fits perfectly in this space - I was having the worst time deciding what to put there!!!  It's such a cute addition to our newly redone kitchen (posts coming soon) and although I really hate to take away the place settings that look so cute there, it's a great new place for J and I to spend some quality time together!

Happy Birthday

Today is Jason's Birthday!  

On of my fave pictures ever of J - Mexico 2009

We are so excited to get to celebrate it with his mom, who is in town from Minnesota, and my parents who came down for the weekend.  I love celebrating Birthdays and I especially love celebrating my best friend and the best husband I could ever imagine!!!

Wine Wednesday

A couple weeks ago, we went to game night at our friends' house.  Game night means dinner and fun, and what goes better with those to things than wine?!!?  Here's what I brought...

Blackstone Winery 2006

• Type of wine - Merlot
• Where to Buy & Price - The 2006 is about $18, but it may be hard to come by.  Sam's carries Blackstone wine, but I haven't tried more recent years.
• Smell - the label mentioned oak tones - smelling the wine is where I found these.
• What You'll Taste - Not oak, which is good for me because I don't usually like oaky red wines.  I found blackberry tones and a very smooth flavor.
• Intensity & Sweetness - There was great flavor, but not the kind that slaps you in the face.  The slightest bit of sweetness in this merlot makes it really nice!

We were obviously having steak for dinner, which is why I brought red wine.  It was a great pairing with our salt and pepper seasoned steak, but this is a red that I could also drink without food, which is unusual for me.

CHEERS!

Wine Wednesday

One of the best parts of a fun family weekend, WINE!  This is one of the bottles from our trip to Kalamazoo last weekend...

2011 Snoqualmie - Winemaker's Select

• Type of wine - Riesling
• Where to Buy & Price - My cousin (technically my cousin-in-law) is originally from Washington and she and my cousin spent some time living in Washington.  Snoqualmie is located in Paterson, Washington and she discovered it when my cousins brought it home to her.  Now you can find it at various retailers and their website has a great search option that will show you where to find it near you!  They can also ship to select states.
• Smell - I really just smelled grapes - which I guess is good because that's what wine is made of.  It has a strong scent to it and you can tell by the smell that it's a sweet wine.
• What You'll Taste - I found hints of melon - specifically honeydew and a sweet flavor.
• Intensity & Sweetness - I put these together because the intensity is in the sweetness.  While the sweetness is intense, it's not stomach ache sweet.  It's a good summer wine!

We were snacking and talking while we were drinking our wine.  I really loved the way the wine tasted with cheese.  We were eating a white and a sharp cheddar and it paired very well.  There wasn't anything about it that was especially outstanding, but it was a nice addition to our fun and conversation!

CHEERS!