life's a wee bit wondrous

cutest couple, mr & mrs wilson.

Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:59:47 -0500

cutest couple, mr & mrs wilson.

an example of the creeptastic messages/images i left for my...

Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:07:09 -0500

an example of the creeptastic messages/images i left for my yeti.

other coworkers left creeper sketches of their yeti’s, wrote poems and songs about their yeti’s, and sent their yeti’s links to google search results that they did of them.

LOVE IT.

peppermint chocolate cookie bars (& secret yeti)

Sun, 30 Dec 2012 23:55:00 -0500

december brought a legendary “secret yeti” event to our workplace.

secret yeti? whaaaa? —
if you have no idea what secret yeti is, here’s a brief synopsis:

1. each of our coworkers drew one name and kept it a secret (or tried to).
2. for the five weeks leading up to christmas break, we adorned our assigned coworker with gifts/random acts of kindness/borderline-creepy emails from us— their “secret yeti”.
3. on our last day of work before the holiday break, we unveiled the secret yeti’s.

i baked for my assigned yeti—who turned out to be one of my closest friends—and was asked for the recipe of these peppermint chocolate cookie bar thingies i made up.

well, i don’t use recipes… so here’s the closest you’re gonna get.

and—for the record—these are absolutely delicious. and super easy to make.

recipe a la kerstin:

i started by mixing—WAIT! i started by pre-heating the oven to 350.
that’s a lie. i always forget to pre-heat the oven, but you should not. because i just told you to do it. so do it NOW.

how i actually started:
mixing the contents of a box of vanilla cake mix, a stick of mostly-melted butter, and one egg in a large-ish bowl.

then, with my FRESHLY-WASHED hands, i mashed that dough up.

yup. better than playdoh.

when that dough was all good and mixed, i pressed it into a 9x13 cake pan (lined with aluminum foil, which was lightly greased with cooking spray).

then i unwrapped a bunch of peppermint hershey’s kisses.

i don’t know how many— maybe 20?— but it made a fun mess:

then i put those beautiful, unwrapped kisses in a microwave-safe bowl.

and nuked them on medium-low heat for like a minute.

then i mixed it with a fork, then microwaved it a bit more.

until it looked like this:

next, i spread that nummy mixture on the cake batter crust.

then i put like ten chocolate chip cookies in a big bowl.

and i crushed them. with a whiskey tumbler, because i serve with americorps and that’s what i have available to crush things.

once the cookies were at an acceptable crumbly-state, i sprinkled them atop the already sweetastic combo i had going in the cake pan.

i sprinkled even more mini chocolate chips atop this layer.

and topped all of that with 3/4 can of sweetened condensed milk.

and baked it for 20-25 minutes.

when i removed this beauty from the oven, i chopped it up into bars.
i’m not one to tell you what a serving size is, so you can cut yours however big or small you’d like.

but they were flippin’ delicious.

ingredients:

1 stick butter
1 large egg
1 box of vanilla cake mix
3/4 can of sweetened condensed milk (the normal size, 12 oz i believe?)
1 bag of peppermint hershey’s kisses
10-12 chocolate chip cookies
handful of mini chocolate chips (optional)

free-handed Notre Dame’s logo with a paper bag and a...

Thu, 13 Dec 2012 23:24:00 -0500

free-handed Notre Dame’s logo with a paper bag and a pencil… now to cut the fabric and attach it to the rest of the blanket!

celebrating 50 years of marriage. (my grandparents are kinda...

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 23:22:00 -0500

celebrating 50 years of marriage.

(my grandparents are kinda adorable.)

taking time for yourself.

Mon, 05 Nov 2012 21:36:00 -0500

[t][r][u][e] [l][i][f][e]: i binge.

i binge on adventures, and sweets, and exercise, and lack of sleep.

sometimes i get swept away in a sort of a tunnel-vision, missional sort of lifestyle that i forget to leave time for me.

time to decompress.
time to be creative,
and embrace my love of life itself.

i guess i’m not surprised that i found myself just last week at the brink of exhaustion.

i was tired, and crabby and not my usual, smiley self.
(sorry to anyone who had to deal with crabapple kerstin!)

[t][r][u][e] [l][i][f][e]: i forget to take time to relish in the things i love most.

i’d like to pose a gentle reminder that taking breaks to refocus, de-stress, and genuinely enjoy yourself is remarkably healthy for you.

it’s something i’m going to prioritize.
for my sanity, my relationships, and my health.

things i do to take time for myself:

- express emotion. dance like silly when i’m giddy, feel empathy towards others, cry during a romance chick-flick, laugh out loud (even when i’m alone).
- go for a run. or a jog. or a walk. (alone, or with a friend.)
- take photos from a different angle.
- send snail mail.
- take a nap. (and leave my alarm OFF.)
- drink peppermint tea in my bed.
- peruse the internet for cute, unique dresses.
- read cooking/baking blogs.
- look up travel tickets and plan vacations i’d like to take someday.
- hop in the car and drive to simply drive.
- build a fort. (and drink hot cocoa and watch a movie.)
- color in a jumbo coloring book.
- reflect on what i’m thankful for.
- go grocery shopping without a list or time constraint. (i love wandering grocery stores.)
- make a real adult meal.
- bake something. (then take photos of it.)
- mow the lawn. (best chore ever!)
- indulge in some sort of crafty/home decor project.
- write. haikus, blog posts, letters. yup.

how do YOU indulge in yourself?

oh, hai ku! didn't see ya there.

Sun, 04 Nov 2012 00:13:12 -0400

i adore autumn
crunchy leaves, cider, crisp air
best beers, scarves, fam’ly

steel-cut oats.

Sun, 21 Oct 2012 15:01:00 -0400

please allow me to make light of one of the most underrated breakfast foods i’ve yet to encounter…

STEEL-CUT OATS.

i was recently introduced to this wonderfully fibrous dish and have since integrated it into my daily diet.

so what are steel-cut oats?

“Steel-cut oats are whole grain groats (the inner portion of the oat kernel) which have been cut into only two or three pieces by steel rather than being rolled. They are golden in color and resemble small rice pieces.” (thanks, wikipedia.)

yes, it’s true: these oats have a coarser texture than their mushy, traditional breakfast oatmeal counterparts.

aaaaaaaaaand…they are DELICIOUS!

they are perfect with diced apples, bananas, or syrup, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice, greek yogurt…or a delectable combination of any of the above.

the only downfall? i’ll tell you, but you must promise to stick with me through my argument.

deals?

ok.

they take about 40 minutes to prepare.

WHAT?! now you’re probably thinking, “kerstin, i don’t even have 40 minutes in the morning to do ALL of my morning routine…there’s no way i can dedicate that kind of time to my breakfast.”

neither do i.

you see, the beauty of steel-cut oats is that you can prep them in mass quantities and reheat them for days to come.

you can set aside 40 minutes sometime during the week to make these.

you probably spend more than that each day repinning healthy recipes to your pinterest board, so why don’t you actually set aside some time to MAKE something healthy?

just a thought.

i usually whip up a batch on sunday afternoon, refrigerate the batch, and just chip away at it throughout the week. they microwave beautifully, and kick-start my day with a healthy dose of fiber and smiles and… uh. yea. they’re just plain terrific.

The Ripple Effect

Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:52:00 -0400

I’m one of the “office people” at College Possible.
I use that term lightly because even as a cube-dweller, I definitely have more than enough opportunities to venture outside of the office walls.

This week was especially busy, adventure-wise.

Aside from visiting 4 of our partner high schools to complete various projects (recruiting new students, accompanying a donor on a visit, interviewing students, photographing cohorts, sitting-in on sessions), I had the opportunity to chaperone a campus visit for our juniors & seniors on Monday.

This particular group of 25 students (and 3 chaperones, including myself) boarded the bus around 7:30 AM and headed up to Ripon College for the day.

Between playing a 45-minute long game of Catch Phrase, listening to two of our students freestyle rap, seeing the students interact with one of their coaches outside of session, and eating my breakfast, the ride to Ripon was enjoyable…to say the least. It was a nice deviation from the external relations work that usually fills my schedule, and it was a pleasant reminder of WHY I do what I do!

The visit was incredible as well. I was astoundingly pleased with the students’ excellent questions and observations throughout the day. More rewarding yet was the dreams and goals that the students shared with me as we wandered the campus grounds.

One student in particular shared that he wants to eventually work on a college campus— after he graduates and crosses one other goal off his list: completing a term of service with College Possible. He went on to explain that he wants to give back to the organization that gave him so much. I wanted to hug him right there.

At College Possible, we often reflect on a speech that Robert Kennedy gave on a trip to South Africa:

“Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts to improve the lot of others…he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope, and…those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.”

Our student is an example of what we would refer to as a “ripple”: his experience with College Possible moved him to the point where he wants to serve others in the same capacity.

I love my position at College Possible; however, sometimes serving “behind the scenes” can bog you down. It’s imperative that we have reminders, such as the “ripple” experience I had with the student at Ripon College, to keep our eyes on the ultimate prize— breaking the cycle of poverty through college access and success.

happy autumn, milwaukee. peace & love.

Sun, 23 Sep 2012 21:20:33 -0400

happy autumn, milwaukee.

peace & love.

old love is new love.

Sat, 22 Sep 2012 20:01:00 -0400

old love is new love.

i love my coworkers. and food. and lovely weather!

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 23:05:17 -0400

i love my coworkers.

and food.

and lovely weather!

hustle & bustle

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:51:00 -0400

78 & sunny, with lake winds: perfect biking weather.
biking instead of driving: most excellent kind of release.
2.6 miles between my apartment & work: quality me time. (and cheaper than gas.)

combine the three and you’ve got a fool-proof formula for a mind-clearing 11 minutes in the morning.

working out in the morning has been a necessary part of my schedule.
be it biking to work, running along lake michigan, or elliptical-ing til my legs feel like jello, getting my heart rate up keeps my life balanced.
it’s how i let my mind relax and my body de-stress.

week 7 of life as an americorps*VISTA has crept up on me.

though i honestly cannot believe how fast my minutes (and days, and weeks!) slip away from me, i do know that they are filled to the brim.
filled with life.
filled with joy, and hard work, and fun, and sweat, and tears.

our work for college possible is very often exhausting.
our work for college possible is always rewarding.
our work is missional, meaningful, and moving.

much of my work for the organization is “behind the scenes”.
i work with donors, harboring those relationships so our services can continue to expand.
it’s important work.
and i really enjoy it.

when i come into work early & stay later than i expected, i do so voluntarily.
we all do.
our entire team knows the importance of carrying out our mission,
each of us contributing our time, talents, motivation and energy to make college possible the best it can be.

because we see the sheer value,
the true results,
and the life-changing impact that we’re having on our students & their families.

many days i come home from work absolutely drained.
and falling asleep each night, knowing that i’ve dutifully served america in lasting ways, makes the exhaustion worthwhile and the sleep that much sweeter.

milwaukee kite festival, on lake michigan.

Tue, 11 Sep 2012 22:18:29 -0400

milwaukee kite festival, on lake michigan.

the top half of a vintage washing machine.

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 21:35:11 -0400

the top half of a vintage washing machine.

camp friend. <3

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 15:33:00 -0400

camp friend. <3

the busiest month of my life. thus far.

Sat, 01 Sep 2012 18:04:00 -0400

hooftah.

the past 5 weeks have been absolutely, wonderfully exhausting.

there’ve been so many terrific, blog-worthy happenings lately, but unfortunately there’s been little time to sit down and just…think.

sorry for throwing everyone by the wayside.
(i probably owe an extra-special apology to my dear camera for the neglect. sorry, elliot.)

busyness aside, i’d like to shed light on the fastest-moving 5 weeks of my life.
namely, the past month.

late july/august in a nutshell, here we go:

-americorps*vista pre-service orientation, which is essentially training for vista members. filled my noggin with facts & figures about poverty & vista projects in the area…all whilst enjoying the luxury of a hilton hotel. (ironic, much?!)

-the big move, which involved lugging all my belongings into my 3rd floor, east-side milwaukee apartment in 100* weather. (sans elevator!)

-starting my job at college possible, which meant adjusting to both last year’s team transitioning out and welcoming this year’s team aboard.

-cried over the loss of my favorite walking buddy, koa. losing a dog is just as difficult each time it happens. now i carry his dogtags on my keyring so, in a sense, he walks with me everywhere.

-more job training in st paul. romped a few msp college campuses, played a pick-up game of barefoot soccer, sang karaoke for a coworker’s bday, and ate turkish food. (mmm. delightful.)

-photographing my aunt & uncle’s wedding in the UP. drove my trusty saturn up to baraga and camped for the weekend with my family. aside from freezing my toes off, camping and the wedding were perfect.

-more job training in milwaukee. this involved roaming several mke college campuses, loving on an adorable baby, wearing my onesie pj’s in a work-related skit, getting stung by a bee twice in 15 seconds, and going on several picnics.

-apartment decorating and roommate bonding. hmm. my roommates are fun. the apartment is…well, coming along! sidenote: our apartment is kinda large, so we haven’t mastered the decorating portion yet. more to come!

-enjoying the luxury of running by lake michigan each morning at sunrise. ok, so maybe not quiiiite at sunrise, but 5:53am.

-free/cheap activities in milwaukee. happy hour, trail-explorin’, jazz in the park, fish fry & a flick, cooking dinners with my friends. mmm. it’s the life.

-custard-tasting at every milwaukee custard venue. SO YUMMY. (tiramisu custard from kopp’s has my vote!) i’m going to start biking everywhere before my pants stop fitting.

so there you have it: the sparknotes version of my life in milwaukee thus far! aside from a parking ticket (which apparently is a “right of passage”, according to my friends), milwaukee’s been just peachy.

AmeriCorps*VISTA training + the issue of poverty + other thoughts

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 09:43:00 -0400

I loaded up my car, checked the oil, picked out a mix CD, and backed my trusty Saturn out of the driveway.

I had spent the past 3 days on a small sabbatical—a bit of time in the town of which I called home for the past 4 years—between ending my job in my parents’ hometown and attending AmeriCorps*VISTA (Volunteers In Service To America) training (also known as “Pre-Service Orientation” or “PSO”) in the cities.

Upon arriving at the (rather fancy) hotel, I checked in and got registered for the training-intensive week ahead. I settled into my room and awkwardly waited for my “surprise” roommate to show up. (She turned out to be wonderful, by the way.)

Socially, PSO was a blast. I was immersed in a community with 170 other VISTAs, and energy just radiated from the venue.

And, although I averaged a mere 4 hrs of sleep per night, the emerging friendships, late-night swims, buffet-style cuisine, and liveliness of the group was electrifying and worth every lost moment of shut-eye.

I connected with people from all walks of life – grandparents, recent college grads, a recent high-school grad, people who were returning from volunteer positions abroad, a woman who had experienced homelessness, a former graduate of the program I’ll be volunteering with, and most importantly, a family of VISTAs eager and excited to address real issues in our communities.

Training-wise, PSO was draining. Exhausting, but incredibly insightful.

Since *VISTAs are specifically focused on eliminating poverty in America (rather than being in “direct service”, which sometimes means giving a person fish rather than teaching them to fish), our facilitators challenged us to define poverty in our own words.

Poverty.

Prior to PSO, I defined poverty simply financially. If one’s income falls beneath the government-determined “poverty line”, then they lived in poverty. Right?

Sort of.

By the end of the week, I redefined my personal view of poverty to include the 4 types of poverty (situational, generational, absolute, and relative), as well as a lack of resources. Resources to achieve educational opportunity, insurance coverage, financial intelligence, or disaster relief.

Resources are widely spread.
Resources are readily available.

The problem is that often times these resources never reach the people who need them most.

As a VISTA, we dedicate a year to serving in a non-profit organization that addresses poverty. We work to build capacity for these organizations to help them reach the people who need their services most, and help these organizations live out their missions.

So how does my work with College Possible, an organization that helps low-income students achieve college admission and success, address the issue of poverty? Why are we thinking about education when there are people who are homeless, hungry, and sick in our country?

The facts show that our country is in a state of high educational inequality. Only 8% of low-income students complete a 4-year college degree.

Those who have college degrees are much more likely to land higher-paying jobs than their non-degree counterparts.

Because education opens long-term financial opportunities, the work of College Possible is breaking the cycle of poverty in many lives.

Poverty can be generational; it can be a cycle of families scraping by generation-after-generation.

But poverty can also blindside you.
A medical emergency,
A job loss,
A death in the family.

Regardless of the reasons behind poverty in a community, VISTAs exist to attempt to remedy this ever-growing issue across America.

living on an americorps stipend, part one: furniture.

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 23:36:00 -0400

as many of you know, i’m moving to the big, bad city next weekend to start “big kid” (post-college) life!

i’ll be serving for a year as an americorps VISTA (volunteers in service to america) and living on a “modest” stipend of roughly $900/month. with rent/utilities teetering around $550/month, i’m flirting with ideas for how to live thriftily without feeling like i’m still a college student.

item 1: furniture.

the only piece of furniture i personally own is a (fairly comfortable) futon. while this worked wonders in my studio apartment last semester, i decided i’d need a bit more to fill my much larger apartment this year.

instead of immediately hitting up a furniture store, i asked around to see if my family and (parents’) friends had any dressers/bookcases/bedframes/etc. to both the delight of myself and my extended family members, i was given nearly every piece of furniture i could ask for… absolutely free.

for those of you who’ve used this method before, you might recall that a lot of the furniture you collect is in…well, interesting shape!

this was the case with the dresser i scored from my rents. covered in stickers, ranging from hawaii tattoo parlor bumper stickers (how the heck did we end up with those?!) to clothing stickers to scooby doo stickers to scratch-n-sniffs to banana stickers, this dresser has certainly been loved to pieces by my baby brother, nick. and while the huge pokemon sticker atop the dresser possessed a certain middle-school-boy charm, it was not gonna fly in my big kid apartment bedroom.

so i decided i’d tackle this sticker monster with vinegar and a credit card and enjoy the look of the wooden dresser that it was meant to be.

3 hrs of sticker removal and elbow grease later… i sat, disappointed by the stupid sticker residue that still clothed my dresser.

after scouring pinterest, i decided i wasn’t going to give up on this guy. not yet. i was gonna fix it up and use it, for a few reasons: 1) thriftiness, this was a free dresser and i needed to work with it; 2) sanity, i had scrubbed away at the stickers and my fingers reeked of vinegar and were rubbed raw - i couldn’t give up now!

challenge accepted.

so i took a field trip to the ole’ paint shelves (again, my loving parents were a great resource!) and surveyed the stash of colours.

i picked one out, hauled the dresser and drawers out to the garage, and began painting.

the final painted product is actually quite lovely.
not that it took much to top the sticker-infested mess it once was.

i’m planning on eventually distressing the paint so it looks all vintage-y or something.
but i’ll save that for another day.
let’s not be over-achievers, here.

time for a niiiiiice cup of tea.

found this gem of a bottle crate in the old shed at the...

Sun, 22 Jul 2012 16:45:00 -0400

found this gem of a bottle crate in the old shed at the farm!

so.stinkin.gorgeous.