Hot Spots of the Twin Cities

I have the week off from work, so yesterday my mom and I got up a little early and decided to do breakfast. A few months ago, my mom saw the Colossal Cafe on the show "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" -- If you are unfamiliar, it is hosted by the bleached blonde guy at the top^^^

Anyway, rewind to June, when my mom, brother and I headed out to the Colossal Cafe for breakfast on a Monday morning... trekking across town to the Cedar/Hiawatha area of MPLS, and to our disappointment, they are CLOSED on Mondays! We were so bummed... but this week, we finally hit it up on a Tuesday and arrived at our destination yesterday around 11 a.m. *Sidenote: my mom had to make a pit stop at the Farmers Market beforehand, then I had to mail out my Netflix DVD, and on the exit to the freeway, an older guy driving a pick up truck had dumped the contents in his truck bed, which turned out to be about 10 lb. boxes of broasted chicken, so we helped him clear the road by clearing out the heavy boxes.

My mom and I were one, so relieved to find they are OPEN on Tuesdays and two, so overwhelmed at their appealing menu. After much deliberation, we each ordered a breakfast sandwich of egg, tomato and fresh feta cheese on their homemade toast.

The Colossal Cafe located at 42nd and Cedar Ave in Minneapolis

While waiting for our food, my mom and i were growing extremely hungry, noticing that several people around us were also becoming slightly impatient for their food as well. The wait for our food ended up being 50 minutes long!! AH! At that point I was totally annoyed. Mainly just because I was starving, or because I tend to be more impatient than anything. We finally did get our food, and I set aside my annoying feelings, and took one bite of my sandwish and WOOSH I was instantly happy. This food is AMAZING!!! And definitely worth the wait. I snarfed down everything in a matter of minutes and then immediately dove into the bowl of fresh fruit that my mom ordered alongside. This wasn't your typical go to Perkins and eat crunchy cantaloupe with old shriveled grapes "fresh" fruit- this was amazing blackberries, blueberries, strawberries and banana fresh fruit. The way it should be!

We walked out of Colossal Cafe completely satisfied, despite the wait. Before leaving we offered our table in the shade to a woman who had just ordered and she asked us if we had seen the episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives... and we said yes! She then asked if we saw it last night and we were like... uh, no? Three months ago? Apparently it was on the night before, and we put two and two together and realized that's what caused the crazy wait!!!

So please, if you are looking for a good breakfast spot, I HIGHLY recommend this place! It was delicious, and not to mention fairly cheap! My mom and I combined cost about 15 bucks total, adding in drinks! I loved it. Definitely a new TC hotspot for me.

If you can guess from my love of food, I have a lot more hotspots in the area that I would love to recommend, so if you don't mind, I'll throw some more your way in a future blog post. Happy Wednesday!

A challenge

Lately when I've been getting ready in the mornings, I have been applying my makeup with a frown on my face.

Maybe it's because I find the process annoying and time consuming, maybe it's because I'm bitter that all I can afford these days is the cheap stuff from Target, or maybe it's because I feel like no matter what I do to prevent it, I can not avoid a break out for the life of me.

Does anyone else seem to have this kind of problem?

I have never suffered hard from acne, but I will be the first to admit that now and again I do experience break outs and my problem??? I can't NOT pick at my zits and pimples!
AH!!!

It's been indoctrinated into me since I hit puberty years ago; my mom would take one look at my face... point out a blackhead, and instantly come at me with her long nails and PINCH. And back then, I hated it! But she began a routine that would eventually become a habit for me personally. Now when I spot a whitehead, a blackhead, or anything that looks suspicious, I squeeze, and it's gone.

That is, until about a day later when a nice little red scab or blemish takes it place. And maybe you think this is nasty... but I LIKE POPPING ZITS!!!

I looked at myself today and just kinda groaned. You can't see the freshly popped zit just to the right of my nose. I couldn't help myself

The reason I'm telling this story of my sad skin is because lately, I have felt somewhat challenged to re-examine why I suffer from these break outs.. and what I could do to prevent them. The salon that I take Bernice to on Fridays is largely eco-friendly, and over the years I have gotten to know several of the stylists and the owner, all very nice women who are good at what they do. Now, when I hear the words "eco-friendly" I sometimes roll my eyes. I know that going green in today's society is becoming more of a hard-pressed issue, but I sometimes view it as being new-age-y and kind of annoying and can we say EXPENSIVE? I browse the organic sections of my local grocery store and find that I have to spend at least double to buy organic products... sorry, but no thanks. I am a college grad with no full time job.

Regardless, I recently learned from the salon owner, who has developed her own line of organic shampoo and conditioner, that the problem with my skin could be what I'm using and applying on my face each day. Through the owner, I found the following website that allows users to check the toxicity of products used in individual beauty routines each day.

After checking several of the products that I use personally, I was really shocked to find that several of them are high in toxicity and that left me with an unsettled feeling. Certainly it could also be contributing to the fact that I have break outs like mad now and then. I even went so far as to check the products I use on my hair, my nails, even my teeth!!!

I am by no means an environmentalist, but I have been challenged lately by what I use daily as a "beauty" regimen when in reality... it's causing harm to my skin. I can't necessarily afford the splurge of products such as Bare Minerals, MAC, or Arbonne... but I'm beginning to think if its a non-negotiable to splurge for something much more healthy for my skin. Any of you have tips or suggestions for better beauty products?

I myself have made a few small changes in my daily routine by investing in products... the following are a list of products that I have found helpful in keeping skin AND hair healthy and also score low on the toxicity scale, as given by ewg.com:

Clinique's dramatically different moisturizing gel has helped improve the condition of my face drastically since I started using it about three months ago. I have noticed an improvement in dryness on my face and it lasts long to keep my face feeling smooth and of course... moisturized!

Redken Extreme Anti-Snap is a product I've used for about a year now... about two to three times a week on my hair. It has helped to SIGNIFICANTLY improve my hair health... I've noticed a decrease in split-ends, and a decrease in dryness.

I was introduced to this amazing lip gloss at Kenzie's bachelorette party... We were all complaining about how burnt lips can get in the summer sun, and a friend of Kenzie's suggested Neutrogena MoistureShine. Normally I am not a fan of lip gloss, but I gave this a try and I love it. It has SPF infused into it and leaves my lips feeling moisturized and safe from the sun's rays.

This is perhaps my saving grace in getting ready for the day after a shower... Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion was recommended to me by my dermatologist in high school and I have never looked back since. It helps keeps my skin from becoming dry and works all day to continue giving me that feeling. I HIGHLY recommend it and it's affordable! Easily available at your local drugstore or Target.

Okay, so I'm not claiming to be an expert on this stuff... I just want to pass the word along about being challenged on this issue. Some may not consider it an issue at all, and that's fine. I just have become more aware now on how certain things can become harmful to our body's largest organ... our skin! And I also want to mention... these products are ALL products that were recommended to me by people who have used them and seen the results.

What do you guys think? Is it important to consider the chemicals, ingredients, and toxins that make up the products we use daily, or does it really matter? Is it all in our head??

Next time I look at myself in the mirror, please say a silent prayer that I OVERLOOK the little whitehead that seems to be screaming, POP ME!

Song of the Day, or "SOTD"

If you know me and my blog well, you know that sometimes, a song just ENCOMPASSES all that you are feeling in a given time. It can be temporary to feel down, and well... lately I have felt down about a lot. Loss, uncertainty, discontent. I'm working on it.

Well, I guess on that note, I want to introduce my favorite Song of the Day. Or I guess in this case, my favorite Song of the Week. Bon Iver is the brainchild of Kanye West, and helmed by Justin Vernon of Eau Claire, Wisconsin. A fellow mid-Westerner! I recently discovered this group through listening to The Current (89.3 for those of you located in the Twin Cities area) and I have fallen in love with his sad, slow ballads. Holocene is a song that caught my attention on the day of Sean's funeral. The tone of this song just encompassed every feeling I felt on that day. Enjoy.




*I plan on introducing more music, songs and artists in the future as I see fit. Maybe I will keep referring to it as SOTD. We'll see.

Callie Marie

Yesterday, July 17th, was a very special day. It marked Callie Wahl's 27th year of LIFE on this EARTH!

 Even more important... and something I have been meaning to share for a few days now, is that she is ENGAGED! As of Wednesday, last week! Andy popped the question just days before her birthday and I am so excited for her wedding in December... the 17th to be exact! SO officially, as of her birthday yesterday, she will be married in five months!!

Cal and I at W.A. Frost on the night of her engagement~ 7-13-11

Callie, happy birthday and happy engagement to a person I love, inside and out! I am so excited for the remainder of this year as it brings the most exciting things! I can not wait to celebrate your day with you and am so thankful that you are Dusty's sister :)

We are going out to celebrate tonight... her birthday that is. It does mean that I have to skip The Bachelorette and will have to re-watch it tomorrow- oh well! I guess she is worth it!

PS... what do you guys think of the new layout? I am loving it myself! I would love your input just as much!!

Re-born!

I have officially updated my blog and given it a facelift--- LONG overdue! I hope you like the changes, I'm excited about them, especially considering I spent the last two hours configuring and working out the kinks. I am not a genius when it comes to formatting websites. I did the best I could for what I do know anyway.

Now that I'm on a natural high from figuring my blog out... I can hopefully finally rest... I spent twenty hours (!) awake yesterday from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. this morning as I officially ended my childhood by attending the final installment in the Harry Potter series! A bittersweet ending to an 11 year journey of attending HP movie premieres at midnight. While I will admit that attending a Harry Potter midnight showing is a thrill in and of itself, it's nothing compared to the thrill that Dusty and I experienced over this past Christmas (see photo below for explanation).

Watching the final film also reaffirmed my appreciation for Emma Watson. If you don't remember my post about her from months ago, read it here.

As for the rest of the weekend, we have a wedding tomorrow and I am catching brunch at YUM in St. Louis Park with friends tomorrow morning. Can't hardly wait. My dad is finally home from his two-week endeavor through Washington and Montana, and he is now taking me out to dinner. Ciao!

That's right... We made a guest appearance at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in December. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Midsummer Night's Blog Post

I woke up this morning and was honestly kind of shocked to check my phone on this day, July 13th. Considering that the past two weeks are a literal blur of basically anything and everything, I guess I let myself become kind of preoccupied with savoring the summer moments that are rapidly flying by. So now that I feel I can breathe again, what have I been doing this summer?

~I did follow through with my previous blog post on summer reading (read here if you missed it) by finishing both American Wife and the first Hunger Games book. Both of them, as expected, I could not put down. I am now reading Catching Fire, the second book in the Hunger Games series. Yesterday, Dust and I went to Border's after seeing the movie "Horrible Bosses" and it took everything I had not to buy a book on clearance.

~I spent the 4th of July in Jamestown, North Dakota. Home to the world's largest buffalo. We traveled up with Callie, her boyfriend Andy, and spent the weekend with the rest of the Wahl clan. It was a great weekend and just like last year, I felt completely at home and comfortable with every member of the fam. They are a pretty special group.

There he is... the largest buffalo himself. This photo was actually taken last year. I did not bring a camera up to ND this time around... oops.

~Even given the incredibly unfortunate circumstances, I got the chance to reconnect with some of my closest high school friends this past week, many of whom came into town specifically for Sean's funeral. Although it was hard, and very sad, it was really pretty nice to be able to reconnect and share memories from through out the years. It's been really nice seeing my girlfriends and catching up on each other's lives, like I said.

~I have been really enjoying my nannying job. I work with a 14 year old and an 11 year old who are both really fun and very easy to get along with. The parent's are great, flexible, and all around just a really nice family. I've been blessed with this time of summer to just kind of relax and unwind after graduation. I'm okay with having a bit of a break before looking for full time work.

Just a small recap on the funeral this past Monday... I thought it was a beautiful service. I was so incredibly encouraged by the pastor's message, as he mentioned that most recently Sean had become very involved with an athletics bible study at Purdue, while also spending quite a bit of time with Fellowship of Christian Athletes. I had no idea that Sean had involvement in FCA! How cool. It's funny, over the years, especially when I was young, I really had a hard time becoming comfortable discussing my faith with my friends from Roseville because for others, I felt it was such a foreign concept. Really one of the few people I recall discussing it with was Sean. It really got me when I heard he was actively pursuing a relationship with God. Monday (and Sunday night, at the memorial) was filled with a lot of tears and sadness over a life that ended too soon. I took it harder than I ever anticipated. Nothing could prepare you to watch your friend become lowered into the ground in a box. It just didn't seem real, at all. But I can't tell you how much support and love poured out of people I grew up with at that funeral. It was overwhelming, and it was amazing. To see so many lives touched by somebody is humbling for me. I was truly inspired by what was said and reflected on in remembering Sean. I've learned a lot through this experience... But I think the thing that sticks out to me most is this: Love God, Love others, and you will be blessed.

I have also been working part-time, still, at Eagle Crest with the elderly folk, which is where I'm headed to now. One day I think I need to do a blog post on some of the crazy things those old people say and do each day that I'm working. It's hysterical, for sure.

Up next for me for the remaining summer months: More work, more reading, HARRY POTTER 7 PART 2 (tomorrow!!!!!), four weddings, two road trips, and hopefully... just hopefully! A trip somewhere. To be determined. I will keep you posted, no worries.

Take a breath, reflect on what we've been through

This past week I have done a LOT of thinking and reflecting. Mostly just about life. I've been listening to a LOT of music. Here are some of the songs from the past few days that just really strike a chord with me. Enjoy.

*Beautiful Boy by John Lennon... this song is one of my favorites... John Lennon wrote it about his son Sean. Coincidentally, it was played at Sean's funeral today.

*I will always love this song, "Yesterday" by Atmosphere

*When I Get Where I'm Going by Brad Paisley

*Oh, Tonight by Josh Abbott Band... this song makes me really happy because I think about Dustin Wade and how much I love him.


WHEW! Who is ready for a new day?? ME!!!!!

Same thing, different day

Well, if you are up to speed on the blog posts, you are probably well aware that this has been one hell of a week. Sorry for swearing.

Seriously though, Tuesday is a blur. I had a headache at the end of the day from crying until I literally could not cry anymore. I then spent Tuesday evening out to dinner with friends from high school. It's funny how an event like someone dying can thrust you into holding on to friendships that can often times grow distant after years apart. It was so so good to get together with my girlfriends, though. We took turns going around the table sharing what was new in our lives from the past couple of years. In all, three of us have graduated, one of us is a nurse, one of us is a teacher (okay that's me), one of us is attempting to move up in a sport, and three of us are seriously dating. That was catching up in a nutshell. We then went to Buffalo Wild Wings in Har Mar Mall (glamorous location, I know) to meet up with a huge group of people who were gathered to honor and remember Sean.

Like I said in the last post, I met Sean in 8th grade. That was the year that my girlfriends, guyfriends and I spent countless hours causing trouble at Har Mar. It happens to be a block from my house so it was convenient, and kind of a meeting point halfway for all of us friends. Needless to say, there were many nights spent at Har Mar and toward the end of high school, many dinners and late night trips taken to Bdubs. Did I mention that Roseville had one killer football season the year I was a senior? We went to State for the first time in YEARS-- only to get sorely defeated by Eden Prairie in the first round. I say this in all honesty... It would not have been done with out Sean. He carried the team as a running back, quarterback, defensive end, kicker... He did it all. We had a lot of celebratory late night meals at the beginning of senior year. I'll never forget those times. Specifically when we went to Applebees in Maplewood after seeing the dumbest scary movie (Silent Hill) at Marcus on Halloween night. I remember Sean made fun of me because I came to the movie dressed like a lumberjack for Halloween.

Sean and my friend, Lauren after Roseville defeated White Bear to go to the State Tournament~ 2006

Everyone that I spoke with on Tuesday had just the best things to say about Sean. It was actually really nice to gather and just remember a really great guy. As we all were hanging out and talking about old times, I was trying to remember some of the more fun memories I had of my friend. I remembered the last time I saw him downtown, about a month after I turned 21. I was at some bar, we bumped into each other and talked for a really long time. He was always so easy to talk to. I also remember his junky old Cadillac that served as a vehicle for many through out the years getting to and from places. I remember Christmas break of my freshman year of college when he came over to hear all about Bethel. I tried to get him to transfer so many times. He would have been an all-star at BU.

I remember when Sean called my dad to ask if it would be okay to use the weight room at school when he was home from Purdue. It was always fun to see his familiar face and to catch up on life. All my guy friends at school made fun of me and would ask if I had a crush on "Sean Ma-tee" (couldn't pronounce his last name of course). I would get mad because it was as if they couldn't understand me having a good guy friend. I remember getting destroyed at our senior all-nighter when Sean decided to sumo wrestle against me. I remember he went and sat next to the principal when he received his diploma at graduation. I remember watching him pump air into a freakin' blow up doll that he tossed into the crowd at graduation!! He was just a goofball. And so fun to be around.

Lauren and I got together the other night and made a shadow box frame for Sean's family that I am actually quite proud of. Along with that are some other picture's I've found from the past few days of Sean from the high school days. Enjoy.

Shadow box for the Matti family
New Years 2007 with friends ~ Sean, Me, David and Jordan
Happy New Year! The one thing that cracks me up about these pictures... You'd think it was like pulling teeth to get Sean to smile. Oh well.

We are celebrating Sean's life tomorrow evening at my high school's football field. Please pray for that time. Thanks again for reading.

Sean

Sometimes, you can never be fully prepared for something to hit you hard on a seemingly normal day. I woke up on Tuesday morning tired but happy after a beautiful 4th of July weekend. I was with Dust in the early hours of the morning, planning our day off to spend out on the lake. Obviously a natural occurrence of mine is to check Facebook. I signed in expecting nothing out of the ordinary... until I noticed virtually everyone from high school was posting statuses and updates about our friend, Sean. He had been missing for nearly a day after swimming in Indiana for the holiday weekend. I panicked at first. Was this a joke? Did I miss something? I didn't know what to do so I just figured I'd google this whole Sean missing thing... and that's when I saw the news I could not even be prepared to see... Sean's body was found after him being missing for nearly a day and a half. And I lost it.

You have to understand that I was nowhere near prepared to lose a friend like Sean. Although I will admit we had lost touch in the last year, I could not even tell you how much this kid meant not just to me, but to everyone in our large high school circle at Roseville. Sean was an incredible person. He was caring, kind, and hilarious. Always could make you laugh without even cracking a smile. Was there for you if you needed ANYTHING at all. He was an amazing athlete, one who carried his teammates and supporters with a humble heart and spirit... someone who people looked up to for making wise, smart decisions. Sean was surrounded by people who partied, and yet I know for a fact he did not touch alcohol once in high school. He took athletics and integrity seriously... something that is so rare for a star athlete at a large public school. That's the other thing... Sean was a friend to all. There were naturally different groups, "cliques" I guess you could call them, but Sean seemed to be the glue that brought everyone together. He was a friend to anyone and everyone. I don't exaggerate with these descriptions. He was a wonderful person who looked out for everyone.


Sean and I shared "M" last names which I think is the reason we always had classes, and that's how we became friends. I remember meeting him in 8th grade Spanish class. He was always a goof in class and yet, he always got A's on assignments while I struggled to figure out how I was sucking at learning another language. That class began a friendship that lasted nine years, which is where I got to know someone who became a person I trusted, laughed with, and enjoyed being around. I was especially thankful for the last few years when I worked the weightroom at Bethel. Sean would come home from school in Indiana (he attended Purdue, where he played football) and used our weightroom facility after okaying it with my dad. We chatted for hours on those visits that he made. I will be thankful for those memories as they now have become so precious.

Sean died at an Indiana lake after going missing on Sunday afternoon. I still can't wrap my head around why someone with so much potential, and so much personality, was taken so soon. Sean wore #22 in football... and died at age 22. It just feels so surreal. People from high school have died in the past few years... and it's obviously always tragic to hear, but I never thought it would hit close in that I'd lose someone that I really cared about. Now I'm trying to figure out how to cope with losing someone that really meant a lot to me in my high school years.

When I told my dad what happened, he said that he was so sorry I lost a good friend who did things right. That statement couldn't be more accurate. Sean was just a great guy, someone who I will miss and remember for the rest of my life. I feel so sad about his loss. I always question God's intentions when things like this happen. Why did he take Sean so soon, at the young age of 22? Why wasn't Sean allowed to live out his dream of playing football, and being a leader, like he always was, and always will be in my memory?

I don't have the answers to why people are taken from this life earlier than seems fair. The one thing I can say in all this is not a verse for comfort, or a special saying about death and loss that sugarcoats the whole process. What I can say is this. God has a plan and a purpose in this... and maybe for me it is to cherish the relationships and friendships that I do have. Life is precious and very fragile, and I want to cling to and love the people who matter most to me in life. The second thing I've learned is this: Life is wasted on being angry and bitter. I can think of nothing but positive things to say about Sean... I want to be thankful and grateful that I got to know him and call him my friend. I feel a peace when I look at it that way. I don't think it's fair to Sean to only dwell on the tragic way he left this earth. He left an impact on me, a very positive one, during years that really were quite tough for me at times. I am thankful for the friend that he was to me. Very thankful.

Do you all have any advice or thoughts about dealing with loss? Everyone heals and deals so differently. It's comforting to hear how different people deal- Just curious. Are there words, or bible verses, or memories that help to deal with the loss of a special person?

Thank you for reading and for all the support, all you faithfuls out there. I'm glad that I can use this blog to vent and write, although under these unfortunate circumstances. And if you think of it, say a prayer for Sean's family; his parents, brother, and two sisters. I can't imagine or grasp the heartache that they are feeling right now. I didn't proof read this post, and I'm not going to, because I want to just leave it with the thoughts I'm feeling right now in this moment. I will miss Sean always. Rest peacefully, my friend.