Random

This post doesn't really serve any purpose other than it is extremely random.  The topic is randomness.  During a recent bored moment, I went through all of the pictures on my phone and couldn't help but laugh at the hundreds (seriously) of random and pointless pictures.  From pictures of food, to myself, to my straightener, it's all there.  Why would I take a picture of my straightener?  I have a small case of OCD and am always paranoid that I left it plugged in before I left the house.  Sometime I just take a picture of it so that when I'm in doubt or am thinking, "crap, I think I forgot to unplug it" I can just look at that picture and reassure myself.  I know it's REALLY weird of me, but that's just the way I am.  Don't wanna burn anything down.  So, I would just like to share some of the random pictures that I have taken in the past year.  They may be random, but they keep me entertained and always give me a giggle!  Randomness is perfectly fine!  Pictures are very low quality since they were taken from my phone.  I hope you get a few laughs out of my random assortment!  Have a great week everyone!

I like them.  Why not take a photo?

Don't worry, I wasn't driving!

I made him put on my scarf.  I also made him let me take a picture of it.  :)  He's cute!



I still enjoy and am proud of my Play-Doh creations. 

:)

hahaha!



That's Amore!

With the last name of Valentino, it should be a given that I come from an Italian heritage.  I am absoulutely in Amore (meaning, Love: in Italian) with my last name, and I will have a hard time giving it up when I get married.  My Grandpa is a nearly full-blooded Italian, although his eating habits would argue.  1.  He doesn't like pasta.  CRAZY, I know!  2.  He hates onions, which are a staple, in many Italian recipes.  3.  He prefers meat and potatoes, which is totally a "non-Italian thing."  My Grandpa Valentino is truly one of the most hilarious, BLUNT, and accomplished people you will ever know.  Him and my Grandma have endured harder times in their lifetime than I will ever know or understand.  He is someone who has made a tremendous mark in the lives of his family and friends.  I am very grateful that he, and my Grandma are still with me, sharing stories and love.  My Grandpa has taught me many things about the Italian heritage that I come from. 1.  He warns never to eat polenta.  Polenta is a thick, cornmeal based Italian food and I guess Grandpa had too much of it when he was younger because even the thought of it makes him cringe.  2.  The song "Thats Amore" is a staple!  I knew the song by age 3 because he would always play the "tape" and teach us (granchildren) the song when we were little.  "When the moon hits your eye, like a big pizza pie, that's Amore."  3.  Salami is the greatest Italian creation of all.  Hard salami, salamini, salames (all different types of Italian salami) are all one of the greatest things you can eat.  Instead of candy, Grandpa would give us kids nibbles of salami that he ordered specially from his favorite meat shop.    There is so much more that I could tell you about my wonderful Grandpa, but nevertheless, all of the memories are securely stored in my mind.  In honor of my Italian heritage, I would like to share with you some of my favorite Italian foods and where you can get them.    

    Pizza Margehrita: Fired baked crust with garlic and olive oil, roma tomato, mozzerella, and basil  

Bella Cucina:  Bloomington, MN

  Ceasar Salad: Romaine lettuce, parmesan, garlic, olive oil, anchovies, and egg yolks

Lakes Grill:  Woodbury, MN

Linguine pasta with spinach, shrimp, mushrooms, garlic, and parmesan cream

Lindsey Valentino:  A recipe I created

FALLing.in.love

I LOVE the season of Fall!  The warm colors, pumpkin scents, apple ciders, and crumble deserts get me every time!  It is such a warm and fuzzy time of year to get together with family and enjoy a football game, brisk walk, or cup of cocoa.  This post is dedicated to many of my favorite fall items whether it is food, clothing, or hobbies.  Enjoy the season!

1.  Scarves: Infinity scarves or regular scarves, all are amazing, warm, and add a great accent to almost any wardrobe.

My Favorite:  Target 

2. Fall Jackets:  Lightweight enough to wear for the entire day, yet warm enough when it cools down. 

My Favorite:  Target

3. Squash: Mash it, make a soup out of it, or set it on your counter or in a basket assortment for fall decor. 

My Favorite:  Butternut Squash (back right)

4. Yankee Candles:  If you don't have one, you haven't lived.  The best scents EVER!

My Favorite Fall Scent:  Spiced Pumpkin

5.  Nature:  The colorful leaves, cool winds, and of course...hunting!

I Love You, Fall

*Check out the Good Eats tab for my favorite fall drink recipe

Meet Zoe

Luke and I are lucky enough to have special little people in our lives.  We have 2 spunky nephews, and 2 fancy nieces (one still in the belly).  There are lists and lists of funny stories that we could tell you about these kids.  They definitely keep us on our toes, and VERY entertained!  Zoe, who is our niece, is also Luke's Godchild.  The second-to-last time we saw her, she had just learned how to walk and was still a little wobbly on her toes.  This past weekend that little girl was zipping around the house like there was no tomorrow!  She likes to race if you say "ready-set-go", give kisses, high-fives, and wave.  Some of her favorite snacks include goldfish crackers, fruit snacks, and pretzels.  She likes to nap with the radio on, and her purple sippy-cup isn't far from where she is.  She likes to play with leggos and trucks (her brothers' and cousins') while wearing her "Little Black Dress" shirt.  She has wavy blonde curls that match perfectly with her cute shirts and little animal-print leggings.  She recently got a new pair of purple Nike's which could explain her talent of running around and "racing".  She has quite the personality!  Even though we don't see Zoe often, we could tell you so much about her because humans tend to remember details about the things and people they love.  We Love You, Zoe!

 

Stay tuned for upcoming features of our other little pals

    

Birthday Boy!

Happy Birthday to my man, Luke! 

You're my best friend, my guy, my "wook"

You're an amazing person to all around

You and our love is what I'm glad I found

Today is your Birthday, another year older

I'll be here for ALL of them, leaning over your shoulder

I can't see you today, and it's something I hate

But I can't wait for Friday when we go on our date

So Happy Birthday to you, Luke Adam Sipple

The only thing to rhyme with has to be...nipple :)

*Happy Birthday to the best guy a girl could ask for!*

  !Love you lots!

love.life

After my recent incident of falling off of a step and having a sprained ankle, I have found myself extremely grateful for what I do have in my life.  Although I find myself complaining about using crutches and not being able to walk for the time being, I feel very lucky that the situation is only temporary.  There are some people out there who don't have the ability to walk, see, or perform their every-day life functions.  I admit that sometimes I have to scold myself for complaining when there are others out there who have it MUCH, MUCH worse.  What I do have to be thankful for:  health, an education, parents, sisters, a "love-of-my-life", a place to live, a car, clothes (really cute ones), food and water, values, friends, nieces and nephews, in-laws, pets, grandparents, and SOOOO much more that this would be the biggest run-on sentence you have ever seen!  I have a great life, and sometimes we all just need to sit back and look at what we have and the gift of life that we were blessed with.  Although my "bum ankle" seemed like such a tragedy, it is just a tiny road bump in my life and none of my blessings disappeared because of it.  So I leave you with this:  falling down hurts sometimes, but the ground will catch you, you WILL heal, and Life's blessings will be waiting for you when you get back up.