20 Questions

In the spirit of lists: 

1. What brings you the greatest joy? Traveling, reading, and family and friend time. 
2. What are your vices? Fried food, Essie nail polish, online shopping
3. What is on your nightstand? A lamp, a white noise machine, a frame and a beer stein full of water (every night, without fail)
4. Do you have a secret talent? It's a shame my mad piccolo skills aren't a secret...I do have an uncanny ability to white-girl rap, though.
5. What is your greatest indulgence? One letter and one word: J.Crew.
6. What should every woman try at least once in her life? Traveling, somewhere, anywhere, on her own. 
7. What makes you laugh? Buzzfeed's "100 Most Important Cat Pictures of All Time." Click the link. You'll thank me. 
8. What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you? I hide a lot of overwhelming insecurity behind asking other people questions about themselves, so everyone thinks I'm super outgoing. 
9. What is on your bucket list? Funny you should ask...
10. What is on your feet right now? J.Crew Liberty of London ballet flats from last summer. 
11. How did you make your first dollar? Um, technically the tooth fairy I guess. But I started babysitting at like, 12 and never looked back. 
12. What superstition do you believe in? I make 11:11 wishes like it's my job. And some of them have come true. 
13. What items in your closet do you wear the most? I've worn the same Gap "Always Skinny" jeans since college, and I'm a sucker for any J.Crew striped top. I have at leaaaast a dozen? Oops? 
14. What is the best gift you've ever received? My college education, debt-free, from parents who knew that by giving their children a degree, they were giving us the world. 
15. What is on your liquor shelf? Vodka and gin, always vodka and gin, along with the cutest bottle of Moet-Chandon being saved for a special occasion and usually a bottle or two of Meiomi pinot noir.
16. What is on your kitchen counter? Don't currently have my own kitchen counter, but my mom's is home to yummy candles, a candy bowl, and fresh-cut flowers...and I have a feeling I'll be copying her once I'm back in my own place. 
17. What would you never leave home without? My iPhone.
18. What movie has the greatest ending? When Harry Met Sally. That movie has the greatest everything. 
19. Who is on the guest list for your ideal dinner party? Right now, Kate Middleton (and baby George, of course), Hillary Rodham Clinton, Idina Menzel, and Tina Fey. Screw dinner parties, we'd have the best girls' brunch ever
20. What is one thing you wish you had known when you were younger? That nobody deserves to walk on me, no matter who or what. 

Lately I'm Loving

Things making me smile/on my mind/causing distraction these days: 

-Caribou's salted caramel creamy cold press. The salt-to-caramel ratio is pretty spot-on, and they froth it in the blender. The best is waiting for the ice and foam to melt in the bottom...I'm utterly smitten. Looks like I won't be checking off #12 on my 101 in 1001 list this summer...

-I'm working to start getting things ready for "Lizzie Moves Back Downtown," and one of the major hurdles I have yet to get figured out is a bed/bedding. I ordered two quilts from Anthropologie and can't decide which I love more...but I do know for sure that I can't wait to get to redesign a girly, all-me bedroom again!

-When I think burgers, I think beef, turkey, or veggie. There was a disastrous attempt at trying quinoa burgers last winter (which always makes me think of the Bud Light commercial), but apart from that I've never ventured out of the trifecta above. We tried these Spicy Hawaiian Chicken Burgers over Memorial Day, and it opened my eyes to a whole new world of (moderately) healthy summer grill options. 

-Last week the book club I'm part of met at the Lake Harriet Bandshell, and I found out that every night this summer the Bandshell is hosting live music! That night's show was a kind of odd techno-folk-fusion thing, but I looked over the lineup and there are several I'm really excited for, including Dustin Hatzenbuhler on 6/27 and Cantus on 6/15. 

-On a more serious note, I've been reading a lot of the coverage of the 70th anniversary of D-Day, which was celebrated yesterday. Seeing the photography from the invasion juxtaposed with yesterday's photography and footage of the veterans fascinates me. I highly recommend this compilation of invasion photos by the Huffington Post, as well as coverage by the Wall Street Journal and The Guardian of yesterday's events. 

101 in 1001 #79: Redesign my blog.

Welcome to the new and improved MinneapoLiz! I'm so excited to officially check the first item off my 101 in 1001 list, and thrilled that it's one I can see the effects of every day. When I started this blog, I was so utterly clueless about web design and user friendliness...not to mention I had no idea how Squarespace, my hosting platform, worked. Needless to say, the result of my cluelessness was a lot of poking around, messing things up and attempting to customize things I definitely didn't have the skill to customize. Ultimately, I ended up with a functional platform to write on, and as I learned more, I was able to expand the site a bit...but the more and more I looked at what I had created, the less I liked its aesthetic. 

I'm a big blog reader. On an average day, I check out probably a dozen different sites for updates, and as I grew less satisfied with my own blog's design, I started paying more attention to others' blogs. The consistent elements I noticed were clean lines, white space, and a consistent layout across pages. With that in mind, I checked out some of Squarespace's templates to see how I could customize. I settled on the "Beatrice" layout for its use of the elements mentioned above (and because the sample site was gorrrgeous, but I digress). 

Once I got started, I had a shockingly easy time customizing the template the way I wanted it! The new header, addition of the sidebar and archives to the blog, and expanded visibility across pages makes me so happy...as do the pops of pink through the links! Now I'm feeling extra-inspired to keep checking things off the list and, more importantly, keep writing. 

Happy Friday, campers--have a great weekend!

Summer Bucket Lizt.

In keeping with the list to end all lists, my 101 in 1001, I decided that this summer cannot be a total schlump just because I'm a suburban single instead of a coupled-up Minneapolitan. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Minneapolis comes alive in the way that only a city used to seven months of ice and snow can, and I intend to take full advantage of that. Here are a few of the items on my summer bucket "Lizt." Who wants to join me in checking them off?

1. Basilica Block Party, July 11-12. The line-up looks awesome and I'm particularly excited for Caroline Smith. 

2. Firefly Music Festival, June 19-22. This technically isn't a Minnesota thing but I've had it on my calendar since my birthday and cannot wait, so there. 

3. St. Paul Saints game. I haven't been to one since I was really little and I've heard they're a blast!

4. Twins game. Again, haven't been to one since the summer after I graduated college--time to get back to Target Field. 

5. Uptown Art Fair, August 1-3. Like the Edina and Stone Arch Art Fairs, this is something of a family tradition and I live to browse the tents and booths for new discoveries. 

6. Edina Art Fair, June 6-8. And a de rigeur stop for cocktails on Salut's patio after, of course. 

7. Stone Arch Art Fair, June 14-15. And a de rigeur stop for vodka tonics with a whole lemon at Pracna, of course. 

8. St. Paul food trucks, Wednesday lunch: one of my favorite summer traditions. 

9. Happy hours on rooftops and patios: Crave, Cafeteria, Coup d'Etat, Hola Arepa, Salut, Union, and Solera to name a few. 

10. Outdoor movie: Either a triple feature that lasts all night at the Vali-Hi Drive-In, or maybe one of Solera's sangria-soaked affairs? 

11. Aquatennial Parade: a torchlit Minneapolis classic that I'm proud to say I've actually marched in (go high school band!). 

12. 4th of July, Aquatennial fireworks: I adore fireworks without restraint. The 4th of July is a no-brainer, but the true winner in the Twin Cities is for sure the Aquatennial display. You'll find me on the Stone Arch Bridge oohing and ahhing like a five-year old. 

13. Waterski: I grew up doing it and cannot wait to slalom again this summer!

14. Girlfriends' drunk day on the lake: Because nothing tops swimsuits, sipping a cocktail, and spending time with friends on the boat. 

15. Walk the Lakes: Calhoun, Harriet, and Lake of the Isles, that is. The real-estate eye candy just adds a whole new dimension to the nearly-10-miles of walking paths. 

16. Minnesota Zoo: I'll be skipping the barnyard exhibit because barn-smell makes me gag, and the uber-creepy Big Bugs summer special, but otherwise I can't wait to embrace my inner kid and go nuts over animals.  

17. Minnesota Landscape Arboretum: I'm feeling a gorgeous sunny day admiring flowers and maybe spending way too much time in the butterfly garden. 

18. Sea Salt Eatery/Minnehaha Falls: Hannah and I visited the Falls this winter when they were frozen solid, but I haven't been in the summer since probably high school. I've heard that Sea Salt has great seafood...sounds like a fun after-work stop for a hike and snack!

19. Brewery hopping: Kelsie and I have hit this one hard already! The Saturday of Memorial Day weekend we checked off Indeed, 612, and Sociable Ciderwerks, and recently also paid a visit to Dangerous Man. There are so many more to sample though! I'm particularly excited for the NE Brewers' Block Party. 

20. Roadtrip: Perhaps to Chicago to visit Laura? Or up north for a weekend at Kelsie's cabin? We'll see!

21. Minnesota State Fair: It's the Great Minnesota Get-Together, y'all. I can't wait for cheese curds and people-watching and things on a stick. 

22. Sculpture Garden mini-golf: I've never been mini-golfing, and it's #86 on the 101 in 1001 list. The Walker's contemporary-art-infused approach looks right up my alley!

23. Visit a farmers' market: For fresh flowers, or to check off #54?

24. DCI Minnesota: My inner band nerd is coming out full-force June 29th with fellow Band of the Fighting Irish alums! No shame.

25. Northern Spark, June 14: An all-night interactive art installation? Sign me up. This looks ridiculously cool. 

Here's to the best 90 days of the year!

Dirty Little Secrets

In the spirit of full disclosure: 

-Watching "The Bachelor/ette" makes me believe in love, even knowing how cheesy and fake and contrived it is. Ditto romantic comedies and occasional engagement ring/baby commercials. 

-I get a lot of very shallow, bitchy satisfaction from the fact that my ACT score is higher than every one of my ex-boyfriends. 

-One day right before I left my old Big 4 job, I was the only one at a client site, so I gave myself a manicure and watched "The Biggest Loser" for like three hours. And still left at 4pm. 

-I accidentally stole a book from my college bookstore once. I was reading it there between classes, ended up running late and, without thinking, popped it in my backpack and left. I did go back and return it...but only after I finished it. 

-When I get stressed, impatient or distracted, I pick and scrape at my cuticles and the skin around my thumbnails, sometimes until my hands bleed. I don't know why, but I've done it my whole life and it never really seems to stop no matter how hard I try. 

-Lately I've been terrified that I'm unlovable and doomed to die alone, not just in a sad post-breakup way, but in a very real, solidly certain fashion. It's gotten to the point where I've browsed the Humane Society's website on more than one occasion for a cat to adopt. 

-I worry about what other people think of me to the point of obsession, and I'm almost always afraid I'm boring.