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Life

May in Photos

June 6, 2017 Crystal // Dreams, etc. 7 comments
May in Photos

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Hi, friends! Remember me? I know I’ve been a little absent around the internet lately. (Can we talk about the fact that it’s been so long since I’ve entered anything on Goodreads, I’m not sure I’ll be able to accurately update my reading challenge. 🙈 Not that I’ve been reading a whole lot, lately…)

I think I said this back in April, but it’s true for May too: the month kicked my ass. And I think June is headed in the same direction, so it’s probably just safe to say that life is kicking my ass these days. BUT, I think June will be slightly less busy, which means I should have more time to update the blog this month, which is great since there are a lot of posts I’ve had on the backburner!

Anyway, let’s get reacquainted, shall we? Here’s a look at May.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

My coworkers and I found they key to making Monday the best day of the week: naan pizzas, chips and guac, and wine.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

One day I stood in the kitchen and when I glanced down I saw Little One sitting next to me. 💙 Love that girl!

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

I don’t really know why I took this, but I did, so here ya go.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

On the National Day of Prayer my sister, brother-in-law and I went to Day Block Brewing Co. for dinner. The Italian pizza was fantastic, as was the bacon flight. I’m undecided on the pickle flight.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

After dinner we went to the National Night of Prayer event at the US Bank Stadium. This building is so big and ugly, but it is fun to take pictures of and it has a fantastic view of the Minneapolis skyline. I love this city!

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

The Pineapple Spice soda from Izze is so much better than it sounds–I really liked it!

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

Odin. 💙

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And I returned to Ottawa for the weekend, this time with my mom.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

We stayed in a cute, but definitely not top-of-the-line Air BnB. Still, it was in a great location and was a great price.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

I just really love this city.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

I found my entry from the fall in the guest register at the Bytown Museum.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

We got coffee and nutella-stuffed donuts on Mother’s Day/my birthday. (We also went out for a real meal and it was a lot of fun!)

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

We decided to go for a mother-daughter trip over Mother’s Day/my birthday, since it was also the start of the tulip festival.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

Just a random snack from the coffee shop across the street from our Air BnB. It was delicious, but a little too much.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

While there I read through Undaunted by Christine Caine and continued going through The Armor of God by Priscilla Shirer.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

I was thrown in jail.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

But they let me out in time to leave. 😂 Seriously, though, I’ve done a bunch of the Haunted Walk of Ottawa tours now, so I think I’ll do a little roundup of them.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

We had a work retreat and at the retreat center there were speakers inside that brought in the sounds of the birds outside (and the rain, since it was raining all day) to the cafeteria. It was so cool!

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And in the midst of the stressful month, I made a trek to the bookstore. I decided I probably didn’t need to get all of these, so I only picked up Dog Songs and A Thousand Mornings by Mary Oliver.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And then there was a really bad day. I almost bailed on the plans I had for the evening, but I’m glad I didn’t. I got some work done before a book release launch and had my usual (at this coffee shop) cold press with a shot of raspberry.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

The night included a reading from Dalia Rosenfeld from her short story collection The Worlds We Think We Know. I absolutely loved the story she read and even though I haven’t started the collection yet, I’ve been carrying it around with me and I’m excited to dig in. After she read, Julie Schumacher came up to do a Q&A.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

Afterward I sat in the not-so-empty, but closed, coffee shop and had a lot of thoughts.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

That was the first day of musical week at work — another reason I considered not going because musical week eats up a lot of energy due to the busy nature of the week and the mishaps that occur… like the catering issue we had one day. But we got the food where it needed to go and everyone was fed.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And the performances started.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

My dad and I snuck out for dinner one night.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

This felt like a monumental picture at the time. #lastdayofmusicalweek 😂 (And I don’t even have it that bad on musical week.)

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

After the last performance my friend/sister from my hometown came to visit, so we had homemade pizzas with my parents. The next day she went through her essential oils to find what would be most helpful to my parents and me right now and she and I went out for a girls morning of shopping and a Thai lunch.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

That weekend my sister was out of town, so I decided to go to her house and be a hermit. I found a bar of chocolate on the counter when I arrived.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

Little One was on alert for all the new sounds.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

But she also knows how to relax.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

My hermit weekend included some un-hermit-like activity on Sunday: church and dinner out at Holy Land (a must-visit if you’re ever in the Twin Cities. I still remember when they were much, much smaller. Also, if you ever find their hummus in your grocery store, it’s totally worth picking up. This is what I get when it’s in the grocery store/I’m passing by their grocery store. Love this place!)

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

The weekend also included lots of coffee and books, in particular The Beach House: Coming Home by Georgia Bockoven.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And just another cute picture of Little One, because… can you have too many puppy pictures? I think not!

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

The last day of the month was graduation/the awards ceremony for the other students.

A peek at the "month that kicked my ass" round two: May 2017. // dreams-etc.com

And after I grabbed dinner, which included a margarita and the pierogi appetizer that finally returned to the menu.

How was your month?

[Tweet “Let’s chat about May.”]

About Crystal

About Crystal

Hi! I'm Crystal, a millennial learning how to live slowly and sustainably, while still seeking adventure and following my dreams, etc.

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7 comments

  1. Divya Budhraja says:
    June 6, 2017 at 10:00 am

    Beautiful pictures! My favorites were, OBVIOUSLY, the food ones! That hummus looks delectable!

    Reply
  2. Beth Kondrick says:
    June 6, 2017 at 11:20 am

    Oh man, these food pictures are making me hungry! Looks like a lovely trip to Ottawa. I’d like to go there sometime!

    Reply
  3. Mia Sutton says:
    June 6, 2017 at 11:37 am

    Those tulips are so beautiful! And I really love your Monday morning spread, that’s a great way to start off the week! šŸ™‚ Also, I really love Mary Oliver. I can’t get enough of her stuff. šŸ™‚

    Reply
  4. shootingstarsmag says:
    June 6, 2017 at 12:27 pm

    Love the photos. Sorry the months have been really hectic lately, but it seems like you got a lot of fun things in and that’s always nice!

    -Lauren
    http://www.shootingstarsmag.net

    Reply
  5. Bethany says:
    June 6, 2017 at 1:04 pm

    All the food pictures had me salivating! From that pizza to the naan. Yum! It looks like you had a lot of fun in May!

    Reply
  6. blm03 says:
    June 7, 2017 at 10:44 am

    It looks like you had an amazing May! These photos are amazing. I want to follow in your footsteps!

    Reply
  7. Shannon says:
    June 8, 2017 at 12:09 am

    Looks like you had a fun month! So much good food. And your Airbnb looked adorable!

    Reply

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hi!

I'm Crystal, the storyteller behind Dreams, etc. I'm all about learning how to live slowly & sustainably, while also seeking adventure as we follow our dreams, etc.

Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few g Hello, friends! šŸ‘‹šŸ¼ Swipe through for a few glimpses from January. As 2022 came to an end I had this feeling that I was preparing to hibernate and I guess, in a way, I have. I’ve been slowly easing into the new year, focused on getting back into a few routines after Iceland and the holidays. And it’s been a great month. I can’t believe it’s almost over. What have your favorite moments of January been?
2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of 2022. Looking back on this year it was the year of so many dreams experiences. Whales. Cape Cod/Nantucket. Iceland. I saw musicals that have I’ve been dreaming of with Moulin Rouge, Wicked, and Six. 

It wasn’t without its stresses and rough moments but I’m grateful for the good that can be found, even when it’s hard.
Let’s journey back to November for the second we Let’s journey back to November for the second weekly dam walk of the month. My dad joined me for this one and we made it somewhat fast because it was a chilly day. ā€œThe water looks cold,ā€ I said when we back to the car.

Between Iceland and the below zero, windy, and snowy weather we had last week (which came with requests from my parents not to go) it’s been a few weeks since I’ve been to the dam and I miss it!
Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Years ago I celebrated Christmas and New Years in Vienna and it still lives in my memory today as such a special time. I know December in Reykjavik will be the same—and not just because I came home with a little over $100 worth of ornaments of all 13 Yule Lads AND their mom AND the Christmas cat. (There was a little bit of miscommunication between my mom and me on that shopping trip. šŸ˜‚)

It might have been cold (and when that wind hits you don’t want to be outside or by the harbour…I speak from windswept, breath-stolen experience and will forever be grateful for the library we eventually found respite in) and we only saw the sun a few hours each day, but seeing this already charming city decked out in Christmas lights with a skating rink and the prettiest tree secured it’s place in my heart.

Reykjavik, I hope to see you again one day. Soon. Probably not in December, but I’m glad I got to see you in December once.
Last year my niece and I visited New York at Chris Last year my niece and I visited New York at Christmastime and it was fun to see the city decked out in lights. I can also now say that I’ve seen the Rockefeller Christmas Tree and skating rink and the Saks Christmas lights, but I’ve also seen the crowds they draw.

It was completely different in Reykjavik this year. You actually had a chance to skate on the ice rink if you wanted (and I never did the conversation, but I think it’s cheaper) and you could actually walk up to the Christmas tree. Two very different Christmas in the city experiences.
Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle Iceland, Day 2, Part 2. We ended the Golden Circle tour with a stop at Thingvellir National Park. My fingers froze as I took these photos but it was worth it to capture this view. šŸ˜ PS - the last photo is from a lake we stopped at on our way from Geysir to Thingvellir.
Iceland, Day 2, Part 1. We went on a rather unvent Iceland, Day 2, Part 1. We went on a rather unventful Northern Lights tour the night before and slipped in a few hours of sleep before meeting our bus for the Golden Circle tour. Our tour guide was @busdriver_annie and she was amazing! Pictured: Faxi (the small waterfall) Gullfoss (the big waterfall), a wool market where we also saw some animals, and Geysir (the hot springs area). Geysir is actually the most famous geyser in the world but it doesn’t erupt anymore. However, Strokkur erupts every 5 - 10 minutes. I’ll share more photos from the tour soon!
Iceland, Day 1. We landed bright and early at 6:30 Iceland, Day 1. We landed bright and early at 6:30 am, dropped off our bags at the hotel, and went exploring. We saw HallgrĆ­mskirkja, the amazing view from the bell tower, the rainbow street, and walked down Laugavegur. Swipe to the end to see the view from our apartment!
Scenes from November, which were mostly at the dam Scenes from November, which were mostly at the dam apparently.
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