.life in iphone pics.

This is what I have been up to lately in life...according to my iphone..that is!

.corn art at Minnesota State Fair. 

.Hanson at Minnesota State Fair. 

.Zac Hanson (what a hunk) and I.

.my best friend got married.

.family movie night.

.morning walks.

.swing patrol.

.birthday girl.

.beautiful skyline.

.daddy's girl.

.sister time.

.stone arch bridge.

.fall is in the air.

.Maggie and Lily story time.

.Maggie and Lily at nap time.

.date night with Atlas Genius.

.Run Sho Run.

I feel like it's been ages since I talked with you all about running, I guess that is what happens when you take most of the summer off from blogging and running! I believe that last time we talked about running here on the blog was almost a year ago, after we finished our first marathon! What happened after the marathon was we took a few weeks off, and then that turned into taking the winter off (it's cold here in MN in the winter!), and then the spring, etc.

Actually, I did do some running in the spring, it just wasn't very much! During last spring I became a coach for a Girls on the Run (GOTR) team near my home. Each week we discussed different topics and practiced for a 5k! At the end of our time together, 10 weeks or so, the girls, friends, and coaches ran the 5k! It was a cold morning and the rain was pouring down on us, but it was the most fun I have ever had running 3 miles!! I loved cheering on the girls towards their goal and helping their parents accomplish the 5k as well!  Not only did I run the 5k with my own GOTR team, I also ran the 5k for GOTR in Mankato, MN. I ran this race last year with my sister and we did it again, hopefully we continue the tradition! The best part of this race was girls had their names on the back of their shirts so you could personally cheer them on when you were running past them! Of course, I gave some people shout outs because it is a big deal that they are pushing themselves and becoming healthy!(kato time: 34min.)

In June Dave and I ran a half marathon with my friend Jenna (we ran our first half with her last year!). We ran the Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon in Duluth, MN which is partners with the popular Grandma's Marathon. As typcial Shoave fashion, we didn't train as much as we should have..but we did it!! The morning of the race was crazy foggy, you literally couldn't see your hand in front of your face! The race course is beautiful, for most of the run you are alongside Lake Superior...the only thing was you couldn't really see it with all the fog!! My favorite part though was watching runners in front of me just disappear into the fog like they got swallowed up, it literally looked like a movie! This half marathon has been my favorite so far, due to the wonderful atmosphere and energy. You have people alongside the course the whole time cheering you on, giving you beer (yes, my husband did a beer shot, a small beer bong, AND drank a smoothie during the race...and they were all from strangers!),and playing great music. I even made a friend on the race course who was running the race for the 22nd time! She watched the first ever Gary Bjorklund Half Marathon and decided she could do it, so she has every year since!! What a great inspiration! Our time wasn't that great: 2hr 48min due to elements out of our control, but we had fun and we finished, which I think is the most important!

After the half marathon I took a step back in my running and only did it from time to time. A month went by and I decided I needed to do another race AND I found one a few blocks away from my apartment AND it supported Girls on the Run!!!! Bonus: I knew a friend who was running it! The race was Esprit de She, which is a running series with Athleta and Lifetime Fitness. I can't begin to tell you how great it felt to be surrounded by 1,000 women who were there to support each other, run a race, have fun, and give a few bucks to an organization I hold dear to my heart! The fun thing is after you run your race, they give you free bubbly and the local stores give you good discounts!!!  (time: 32:01)

Last but not least, I just ran my latest 5k in September! This one, oh, this one I HIGHLY recommend if you live in Minneapolis!!! It was the O'Donovan's Mill City Suds Run in Northeast Minneapolis and it was a blast! I have never done a "fun run" before, so I wasn't sure what to expect. What I got was a lot of people, mostly dressed in fun costumes who were ready to run and drink beer...which was served at mile 2 and afterwards! My favorite costume was a group of friends dressed up as mario cart characters who ran to the theme music trying to crash and pop the others "life" balloons! They were having so much fun you couldn't help but smile! After the 5k you could grab your bbq lunch and more beer (or root beer) and join the party on Boom Island! The course was beautiful, the atmosphere was electric, and I would do this race again without hesitation! (3.37 miles: 35 min 33 sec.)

.can't have a Suds run without Suds.

RUNNING RECAP: 

Since the middle of October I have ran FOUR (4) 5ks , ONE (1) half marathon and currently am training for another half marathon next month.  When I first started this post, I truly didn't think I ran very much this last year but when I reflect on it, I feel different. It may not be what I wanted to do or as much as others do, but you know what I RAN five races this year as well as putting miles in for training and for fun! That is something to be proud of and gosh darn it, I AM!!!!

* Wanna know something exciting!!! Soon, I'm going to take the time and tell you ALL about Girls on the Run and what it means to me!!!  I'm already so excited about it!!!!!

.bachelorette party.

As you can probably tell from the heading...kids shouldn't read this...and you may not want to because there may be a pictures of some shaped items. BUUUUTTTTT...I held my very first bachelorette party last month for one of my very best friends and it was so much fun!  If you don't know, I love planning events, even though I usually get stressed out about it, I love doing events.....therefore I wanted to make this bachelorette party special!

We are a low key group of girls, so I didn't want to go all out crazy but keep it simple, pretty, and a tad classy. The bride to be loves Barbie, so I knew that had to be part of the party in some way.

I decorated using lots of tissue poms from the ceiling to help create a cozy and pretty sitting area. I also used a lot of pink and complimentary colors to brighten the space up. We started the night with appetizers, drinks, and some games. One of the games included Pinning the Macho on Ken, which was a hit!

We continued the night out in Uptown, a popular area in Minneapolis where we had a great dinner at Chino Latino and drinks at the bride to be's favorite spots. After a great night out we came back to my house to talk and fall fast asleep. Before each lady left the next morning they got a Bachelorette Survival Kit to help recover from the night before. 

The Survival Kit included: Barbie ban-aids, hair ties, chips, bottle of water, sunglasses, pair of socks, advil, hand sanitizer, gum and Barbie kleenexes. 

The Survival Kits were a hit!! I know that I used some parts of mine the next morning while I passed my day away on the couch recovering!!

.around the city: Target Field.

My dad hasn't been to a Major League Baseball Game since he was a weeeeee little lad. I haven't been to the Minnesota Twins new Stadium, Target Field (not so new..opened in 2010), so I thought it would be a perfect Fathers Day gift for us to head to the baseball diamond.

Walking along the outside finding our gate

The weather was perfect baseball weather, the sun shining a little bit but a chill in the air to keep you cool. We drove to downtown Minneapolis with my dad holing the "oh shit" bar the whole way and found $5 parking 4 blocks away from Target Field.  We followed the people wearing blue and red and found the stadium with no problem at all. 

Target Field is located in downtown Minneapolis. Which is great because you have different options on travel; you can bike, walk, take the train,  or drive.  Also you get the great views of downtown Minneapolis from the upper deck. I always love being able to see the city when you are in an environment that makes you forget about the city all together. Does that make sense? 

I had only seen the Twins once before when the played in the Metrodome, a covered stadium shared with the NFL Minnesota Vikings. I must say I prefer outdoor stadiums to indoor stadiums, they truly make you feel like you are part of the game and enjoying baseball they way it's suppose to be. I have been to three other outdoor stadiums; National Stadium, Cambden Yards, and Citi Field; and the Target Field is up to par with all of them. It was a beautiful stadium with great vendors, hospitality, and atmosphere. 

My dad watching the game

The only complaint I have about Target Field is the entertainment being innings. I am someone who likes to be entertained; show me a video, make me sing a song, make me think I have an opportunity to win something. They had a lot of camera shots out in the audience with non fun songs playing, but even the people on the jumbo tron weren't feeling it. At one time a group started sining "Amazing Grace" and I couldn't find the relevance at all. The entertainment felt week and I wish they could jive it up a bit. The best stadium that I have been to have great entertainment is Citi Field, home of the New York Mets. They were giving away free pizza to different rows, playing tons of games, and played fun, relevant music.  I think the Twins could pick up a few pointers from them. 

All in all we had a great day at the baseball field. My dad had a blast and was thankful that we took him to see the Twins. The Twins played a pretty good game but lost in the 10th inning..but we did get to see a homerun. If you are a baseball fan you NEED to come to Minneapolis and check out Target Field. You won't be disappointed and it may just make you fall in love with Minneapolis a little bit more. 

.around the city: hunt and gather.

Do you like shopping/looking for antiques? It is one of Dave and I's favorite little past times that we don't do enough.  We are lucky and only live about 6 blocks from a corner filled with antique shops! There are about 4 or 5 shops all in one area filled with new items to be discovered every day. When driving down down Xerxes there is one shop that always catches my eye, Hunt and Gather. I finally took a little visit and it was as great as I always thought when driving by.

Hunt and Gather is different from other antique stores in the way that they showcase their different stalls and items. The best way to describe it is an organized free for all/chaos. Things are here and there and everywhere, but it all flows really well together.  

If you are claustrophobic or have a little OCD this may not be the store for you due to the "clutter". At times I was a little overwhelmed with things coming out from all areas on the wall, the ceiling, and even the floor. In the beginning it was a stimulation overload, but it only took a few minutes for me to get used to it.  

I found items in Hunt and Gather that I haven't seen offer in other stores. You can by letters by the wheelbarrow, old cards, billiard balls, old school book pages, basically anything that looks cool and something someone would pay for! My mind kept racing with all the different things I could do with so many items in the store. It was hard to resist picking up a lot of things for "future" projects. 

We did pick up a few things from the store. My favorite were the license plate letters. Dave has a thing for license plates. When we have a garage he wants to put old license plates up on the walls, so we have started a collection of old MN plates. Seeing these letters made me think of a great DIY. Since we love traveling and Dave loves license plates we bought the letters to spell out SHOAVE (our names together: Sho + Dave = Shoave).  It is a fun little piece of art in our apt. that showcases our passions. 

When you drive down Xerxes in Edina you can't miss Hunt and Gather. The outside of the store is brightly colored and showcases items. The large alphabet letters in the front and on the side of the store always draw me in. Plus the outside display items are always changing, one day it could be letters the next day it is old gym lockers.  I hope that when in Minneapolis you get a chance to visit this unique antique store and go home with a few treasures of your own!

Website :: Location 

.Around the City: Lake Calhoun.

Last week I shared with you one of my favorite spots, Lake Harriet. Well not to far from Lake Harriet is the very (very) popular Lake Calhoun. Lake Calhoun is the biggest lake in Minneapolis and there are both walking and biking paths that connect the lakes, making it super easy to navigate and explore.

One of my favorite things about Lake Calhoun (besides people watching) is the great view of the city! I find it utterly amazing that we can have such great lakes, trails, and be part of nature within being a few mile(s) from the city. Where else can you find this?!?! I love how people come to the lake to walk, run, hang out with friends, swim, sail, and to just be seen! (if you are curious the walking path is about 3 miles around)

Around the lake their are three different beaches in which you can take a dip to cool off or work on your tan. If you aren't the swimming type you can always partake in other water sports such as renting a paddle boat, kayak, canoe, or taking a sailing lesson. Or if you are like me you can go sit on the dock, let you feet hit the water, and watch all the fish swim around. 

I think these two girls have the right idea, getting on a paddle boat and relaxing in great company. That is what the summer days are for, right? Not for working late in the office but for getting out into the summer and being with the people you love and make you happy (just remember to wear sunscreen!).  So if you are in Minneapolis grab your gear and head towards the lake for some sunshine, people watching, and good eating at the Tinfish food stand. I promise you wont' be disappointed!

Where do you like to go in the summer?

.Around the Neighborhood: Lake Harriet.

As you may know I run, and mostly I run just in my neighborhood area. It's such a great area and we are lucky to be able to run near home. Dave and I started running in Australia with the ocean by our side and I was worried how we would transition. Thankfully, it was easy since we now run around Lake Harriet majority of the time! I am excited to share with you a place that has come to mean a lot to both Dave and I. It is one of the main reasons we love our apartment sooo much!!

Lake Harriet is one of many lakes in the Minneapolis area. It has both biking and walking paths (walking path is 2.75 miles) for you to enjoy. On the paths you find lots of families, walkers and runners enjoying nature and sunshine. It doesn't get to crazy filled with people, which is good for when we run! During the summer people bring their boats and sailboats out to the lake and dock them there for the season. I had never seen so many little boats on a lake before, I love the way they look on the lake. You can even sign up for sailing lessons..how great is that!!!

Lake Harriet houses a beautiful Band Shelter and food stand which is busy busy in the summer. In the summer you can find live music almost every single night and movies in the park a number of times. I'm sure other things will take place in the shelter, we just haven't been around long enough to see them! 

Along with sailing and boating you can also rent canoes, kayaks, and paddle boats by the hour.  It's a great way to get out on the lake and spend the afternoon. This summer I know that we are going to rent a kayak one day and work our arms out all afternoon!! 

The pictures above are from my favorite section/place on the lake. When running I always look over to the city view because it makes me feel very lucky to live where I live. I think, " This is why we moved here, to be near nature but still so close to the city." Who has this great view of the city? Well a teen tiny elf of course! On the lake we have the "Elf Tree" where our local elf lives. Inside the home you can leave wishes and notes for the elf and if you are lucky the elf will leave you a note back! Whenever I see little kids peering into the house a smile spreads across my face as I see the wonderment on their faces. 

This is one of my favorite areas in the city.

Where is one of your favorite areas?