did we just fall in love?

i hope this doesn’t come on too strong, but, i’m about to make you fall in love with me. yes. sh*t is about to get real.

have i kicked your interest? i thought so. it peaked mine as well when i read Hallie of corals + cognacs post on a recent essay from the New York Times on how to fall in love… with anyone. you betcha, anyone. and she threw out a challenge to the blog world for us to post our answers. so, peoples, i hope you’re ready to take things to the next level. i mean we have been chatting online for like two hours every day, so i figured things were getting pretty serious anyways, so here we go.

New York Times How to Fall in Love

alright here’s how this is going to work… according to psychologist arthur aron there are 36 questions that when answered with mutual vulnerability fosters closeness. i hand picked some for this post, you can see them all here. ready, set, love.

before making a telephone call, do you ever rehearse what you are going to say? why? not really; it would have to be a super important phone call, but even then i would worry about sounding too rehearsed or getting too flustered because it isn’t coming out the way i practiced.

when did you last sing to yourself? to someone else? my co-worker and i sang a line of the gem in a meeting today. and i can’t not jam out to this current song obsession when it comes on in the car.

given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest? as much as wholeheartedly believe that jennifer lawrence or lauren graham and i would be instant best friends if just given the chance, i would choose my baby sister, Haley Ellen. we lost her far too soon, and i would love nothing more than to meet her and have a sister, even just for an evening. hopefully she learned how to cook up there though; because otherwise we’ll be having wine for dinner. (not that that’s a bad thing; but i would get hangry)New York Times How to Fall in Love

what would consistute a perfect day for you? in some order or another it would involve these items: caribou coffee + snuggles with #starksthepup + spending all day with [b] + wine + peanut butter + dancing + lots of pictures + all my family & friends. hmmm. i think i just described 9.12.15 <3

for what in your life do you feel most grateful? my family, my fiancé [b] and #starksthepup. they’re all just kind of beyond incredible.

if you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be? i would have let me have that barbie jeep. man that would have been fancy.New York Times How to Fall in Love

is there something you’ve dreamed of doing for a long time? why haven’t you done it? the short, vague answer; yes. i have so much that i’ve dreamt about… taking my blog to a more “legit” level; becoming a social media consultant; etc. the why? fear. fear of failure, of not being (gasp) perfect, that i’m not good enough. the happy ending is that i’m working on it. i’ll get there.

what is the greatest accomplishment of your life? being asked to host a half day workshop at EXHIBITOR2013 on social media. i will never forget getting that email while at baggage claim at the airport.

what is your most terrible memory? seeing my dad after he had surgery to remove cancer from his prostate. they had to move him to the bed in his room and the tears just rolled down his cheek because he was in so much pain. to see the strongest man you know so vulnerable and weak… so hard.

New York Times How to Fall in Lovehow do you feel about your relationship with your mother? my mom is my best friend. i couldn’t feel more grateful for the bond that we share. she is my role model, my rock, my inspiration and my biggest cheerleader. she’s incredible.

if you were going to become a close friend with your partner readers, please share what would be important for him or her to know. mornings are for quiet and for coffee. directions are hard. i need snacks. (always). some nights you just need wine and non-stop marathons of criminal minds. i am fragile; be gentle with my emotions. my hair sheds. everywhere. once i let you into my life, i will be there for you always and will expect the same in return. and sassiness is just part of the package.

tell your partner readers what you like about them; be very honest this time, saying things that you might not say to someone you’ve just met. thank you, i appreciate you, you inspire and motivate me. there is nothing like someone telling me that they enjoyed something i wrote (heck, them just telling me that they read something i wrote makes my day); that it made them smile, helped them feel like they weren’t alone… those are the comments bloggers live for. to every single person who reads this, i love you. thank you for taking part in my story.New York Times How to Fall in Love

share with your partner readers an embarrassing moment in your life. just one? oh Lord. i used to have so many they were coined as “emma moments.” one of the top contenders would have to be when my dad and i went through the drive thru at the bank; i said my name and that i wanted to make a deposit. and then a wave of realization washed over me… i don’t bank there. #truestory (perhaps i will bring back some posts about emma moments, what do ya think?

when did you last cry in front of another person? by yourself? i’m an emotional person. so it was probably yesterday.

your house, containing everything you own, catches fire. after saving your loved ones and pets, you have time to safely make a final dash to save any one item. what would it be? why? i think about this all the time actually. and as petty as this sounds it would probably be my phone. it has everything in it; my photos, my messages, my work, my blogs.

New York Times How to Fall in Love

so… are we in love yet?

sass and sarcasm aside; i think there is definitely some truth behind this. when you open up to someone and the open back up to you… you get place and REAL relationships are formed. though it may seem easier to hide behind who you really are online, sometimes i feel like this is where i am most genuine. i’m so much better with the written words than i am with the verbal ones.

want to join in on the fun? create your own post with answers to these questions and be sure to link up to Hallie’s post! (here) and please share them with me too! xo

it’s a wonderful life

it's a wonderful life

good day, my friends. i don’t know about you, but getting back into the swing of things after a lovely 5 day christmas and family filled weekend is the worst. i hope you had a wonderful holiday week; i had truly the best Christmas ever. though the excitement level slightly decreases as i get older, the amount that i enjoy it only seems to grow. perhaps it’s because i’ve learned that, “maybe Christmas doesn’t come from a store; maybe, Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more.”  and it’s more about spending time with the people you love and care about. and making memories. and continuing traditions. and just being so grateful for everything you already have.

that’s what my Christmas was full of. we spent Christmas Eve at my parents and celebrated that night at grandma dahl’s with almost all of the dahl cousins. it’s neat to see how much joy it brings my grandma to sit and just watch the madness that is our family. to have her kids, her grandkids, and her great-grandkids… knowing that she made it all possible. what an incredible feeling. something i hope to experience one day with [b] + #starksthepup – because he is going to be the pup that lives forever.

Christmas day is a day that has remained virtually unchanged for as long as i can remember. we have the same breakfast, the same routine, the same dinner, everything. we dahl’s like our consistency and tradition. as we were taking our annual stocking picture my mom said, alright one with just my kids since it’s emma’s last Christmas as a Dahl. woah, shit just got real. i will always be a Dahl, but when i wake up next year on Christmas morning i will be a Bica. and that’s kind of cray.

[b] + #starksthepup and i headed back that evening to celebrate our first Christmas in the new house and watching my favorite Christmas movie; Santa Claus is Coming to Town. we sipped wine and cuddled with the pup and i couldn’t have imagined a better ending to a more perfect day.

i hope that you all had merry and bright holidays; and i pray that your monday’s be short and your coffee be strong. xo
it's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful life it's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful life

it's a wonderful lifeit's a wonderful life


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a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma daya christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

i adore traditions. i love my family. so, when you combine them and throw in the christmas season + bloody mary’s and you’ve got yourself a helluva good time. now let’s rewind 6 years. it’s 2009. i’m 19 20 (math is hard in the morning. thanks for the help, [b]). a junior at Concordia st paul. and my daddy decides to come up on a friday morning for some father-daughter time. we head to downtown mpls; grab some breakfast; head to barnes & noble to get my daddy a calendar and since it’s the holidays we decide to check out the 8th floor of macy’s (which is another thing that hasn’t changed at all in 6 years if you’re keeping track). we wander across the street to the IDS center after being drawn in by a huge gorgeous and festive christmas tree. we find a Starbucks and sit and people watch while enjoying our coffee and treats. and with that, dad and emma day was created.

a lot has changed in 6 years; the conversations have gone from the stresses of finals and preparing to graduate college and start in the “real world”… to how my job is going and life after college… to wondering when i’ll meet someone and what he’ll be like… to about this guy i met on match.com… wondering when that guy will pop the question… and now to about the wedding with that guy and being a grown up and kids. and how one day we’ll have to bring my bratty kids with. i mean they probably will just be sassy, not bratty… just saying.

it’s truly one of my most treasured times; especially during the holidays. being the only girl, it’s no secret that i’m “daddy’s little princess” and no matter how old i get that will remain true. i’m so thankful for my daddy and these memories we get to make together. i can’t wait to continue this tradition on and on for many, many years to come.

here’s a look at dad and emma day through the years…

(maybe i should get my dad a new winter coat for christmas) :)

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day

a christmas tradition // 6 years of dad and emma day


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