That's one of my neighbor's front yards after the storm. That tire swing hangs about 2 feet off the ground, and you can see how buried it is now. The snow accumulation this year is getting out of control! But still, super, super pretty. Yesterday we got a little more than 10 inches here in Minneapolis (they got more just east of the Cities).
Before I left for today's shoot, I thought I would take a dramatic angle from our sidewalk where the snow banks are SO HIGH! Right?
And this one is from the middle of the street. While we did get hammered, I love it when the snow sticks to the trees like this -- it's like a winter wonderland! Also? Maybe don't go driving in this before noon if you don't have winter tires or 4WD. I have never been happier to be tooling around in my SUV as I was this morning.For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you to the live Eagle Cam! This is a solar-powered web-cam that the Minnesota DNR set up to monitor an eagle nest as they raise a family. I watched online yesterday as this poor couple adjusted their nest, adding grasses to make it warm and then as the snow began to fall, they just kept repositioning themselves to better protect the eggs. Today it doesn't even look like they are in a nest! So much snow! I worry about those eggs next week when our high is -3.
Ah, there's my handsome prince!Whenever it snows hard (like it did today), I like to take Merlin out for a quick walk up and down the block without a leash. His back legs are so weak these days that sometimes he'll slip on just the kitchen floor, so I hesitate to take him too far in snow and ice, but we both love the quiet, stillness of these moments, and he's the perfect one to share it with. Plus, I feel like it's so awesome when the whole world's color palette all of a sudden matches his! (Yes, that's the geeky designer in me.)Also? This was what it looked like after maybe 40 minutes of snow. And it's supposed to keep going like this for about 12 more hours. I am super glad my first shoot tomorrow is not until 11 am! And! I cannot wait for my man to get home so we can go walk around and throw snowballs at each other. This is the winter I love. Not the -15 degrees (that is forecast for next week).For your internet share of the day, I'm giving us something else to look forward to. Summer! And lightening bugs! Check out 
Today it hit 37 (at least) and it was glorious. And yet? That's what it looks like outside. We've just had so much snow that these past two days above freezing have only put the mildest dent in the tundra, and tomorrow we are supposed to get five more inches of it.However! I won't complain about fresh snow. I know I'm in the minority, but I really love snowfalls and the quiet and romance of them. It's the super cold temperatures that have me grumpy this year. A week from tomorrow, our high will be zero again with lows around -17. Ick. I better buy a few more books to settle in with.For your internet share of the day, how about seeing 
Tonight my buddy Nyberg came over for dinner and she brought a whole blueberry pie with homemade whipped cream. Let me be clear, I am not sure there is a faster way to my heart. It was divine. (Don't worry, I didn't eat the whole thing... though tempting. I'll be eating this baby all week long.)Otherwise it was a typical workday except for the nice, long walk I got to take the dogs on because it hit FORTY degrees and it felt soooo nice.For my internet share, I'm sending you to this 
I checked the forecast yesterday, and it said we would get 1-2 inches of snow today. We woke up to a significant snowstorm and the forecast now says 1-2 inches PER HOUR. Yeah, those last two words make a bit of difference, right?Magda here is getting super antsy with winter. She has been extremely well behaved this week, but she needs more runs and longer walks to burn her energy, so she's back at daycare today. The amazing news is that tomorrow it's supposed to be FORTY TWO degrees, so I'm pretty sure I'll put on shorts and a tank top and walk the dogs all afternoon in my flip flops! Or something like that :) I seriously cannot wait for that heat spike.Plus, hopefully, it will melt a bunch of this snow so that the shoveling won't be as bad.Even today, it's supposed to hit 36 degrees, so it looks like Merlin might get a walk as well. Oh man, how happy will I be if we can keep these temperatures around!For the internet share of the day, NPR is 
I am really, really excited to share this recipe with you guys. I learned how to make this dish when I lived in California in the first few months that Jamie and I were married. We loved this dish and made it ALL THE TIME. It was the thing that all of our friends requested we bring to potlucks etc, and we made it at least once a week. Then? Then we got tired of it and forgot all about it. Until I started this project and remembered! I promise you will love it, plus with the fresh herbs and veggies, it's a taste of summer, which might be a nice break this time of year, eh?
So let's get started! Here's what you'll need:• 1 lb small red potatoes• 1 lb trimmed/cleaned fresh green beans• 1/2 cup olive oil• 3 tablespoons white or red wine vinegar• 2 Tbsp dried, minced basil or 3 tbsp fresh (up to you)• 1 tsp Dijon mustard• 1 clove garlic, minced• 1/4 tsp sugarsalt and pepper to taste (I use a lot)
First, quarter the potatoes while you wait for a big pot of water to boil. I use a pasta pot that has a steamer insert (you'll see why later) but any pot will do.
After throwing in the potatoes (which will boil for about 15 minutes or until fork tender), chop the basil and garlic.
Mix the herbs, garlic, mustard, oil, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper in a small bowl.
When the potatoes are done cooking, run them under cold water and set aside in a pretty dish that you later realize will be too small. Wait. Don't do that. Choose a proper bowl. (But isn't this one cute?!)
Return the potato water to the stovetop and bring to a boil again, this time using an insert to steam the green beans for about 7 minutes. If you don't have a steamer, you can totally boil them or sautee them or cook them however you like.
While the beans are cooking, whisk up that dressing again.
When the beans are done, run them under cold water and mix in a bowl with the potatoes. Now drizzle the dressing all over them and toss with tongs! Voila!
You know what else this salad is awesome for? Easter dinner. Something about that mustard dressing with the ham is divine. But! This salad is best at room temperature, and it's best as leftovers so the flavors in the dressing really settle in. So I refrigerate it and then just set it on the counter about 30 minutes before eating (and re-toss so the dressing doesn't all sit at the bottom).You guys are gonna love this one. I promise.Ok, and for calories! If you are eating this as a side salad, I think you can get at least 8 servings out of it, which would be 176 calories each. If it's more as a main dish, probably double that per person (four servings).For your internet share of the day, I'm sending you to 
Man, this weekend is full of boring, adulthood decisions... except for the House of Cards marathon which, btw, is just fabulous.Today we were at several salvage stores around town looking for doorknobs and plates for the new french doors in the basement. We chose the plates in the bottom row, four in from the right. We didn't have a ton of options because we needed four plates, and it's hard to find more than two matches -- but I think they'll be great.My internet share for today is total eye candy. Check out 
Isn't he just adorable? He steals my heart almost every day with his gentle kisses and requests for butt rubs. Since Mags gets a blog day each week, I wanted to feature the fabulous collie today. Also, I had this great idea for a posed photo, so I headed out and bought those terrible chalky sweetheart candies. My inspiration was to have the dogs facing each other with their paws and the candies between them.
But this was as good as I could get. While Merlin is the BEST DOG IN THE UNIVERSE, he is not the best at posing in an exact position. (Also? His nose is totally in the way. Poor guy.) Oh sure, he'll lay down and stay for you all day, but he'll shift his weight and get comfortable on his old bones. And should you try to make any adjustments to his feet, you get a stern look and the hint of a growl. So this attempt wasn't going as I had planned.
Luckily, Mags is a FANTASTIC model (stunning, really) and I got this one set up here. I really wanted to redo the heart (more centered) once her paws shifted, but I also didn't want to press my luck. Maybe next year I'll be a touch more of a perfectionist. Still, you get the idea. I love these guys :)If you are one of those people who are against Valentine's Day, today's link is for you. It's