birthday week

thx thx thx

Birthday's should be celebrated for as long as possible.

 They are the celebration of you, rock it out!

Here's to the kick off of my birthday week.

 {I'll be 27 on Wednesday!}

 

week in the life: vol 2 / day three WEDNESDAY

Picture overload? Consider it sorrow over my lost Tuesday pictures.

Sam-cat is crazy in the mornings, he's basically addicted to the shower.

 Trash day. We filled all those yard bags last weekend. I was sore for three days. The whole yard looks better than it's looked in over a year, I'd call that success!

92 page views from Monday's post and not a single comment! This is always so surprising to me. Even if  you found my blog boring (cats, wine) wouldn't you comment just so it brought me back to your blog or to say "hey, go you, way to participate"?!

Work, clutter, Admin Professionals week card!

Customary bathroom shot. Leaving a rat in boss's chair for his return. 

Burning sugar beets? My gas mileage has been pretty impressive for the last few weeks.

Prepping dinner. Fab delivery unwrapped, Brooklyn Slate!

Standard salads. Beautiful blooms. Silly Lulu-kitty.

dear weekend, you're nearly here.

 link up with lauren

1.  Today is a great day because it's Friday! Last weekend we were away which was great, but I'm ready for a weekend at home. I hope to work in the yard and get on top of some house cleaning. Also bunches of relaxing but I may plan that into my weekend so I don't totally bum around.

2.   Tomorrow I will clean the bathroom if I get up after Matt, make breakfast (bacon!), veg for an hour or so, weed flower beds for a few hours, wash floors, dust upstairs, maybe another hour of yard work, shower, VEG.

3.  My favorite time of day is the evening because Matt and I are both home, usually, and we're together, eating something yummy and making fun of the cats and laughing.

view from the bed at the H last weekend

 

4. Sometimes you just have to plan the crap out of your weekend even if all activities occur at home to ensure maximum productivity AND maximum couch potato-ing.

5. A song that I just can't get enough of lately is... well, here's the one I've been wanting to hear:

  
6. My favorite accessory is a good necklace, I'm usually wearing one, unless my top comes all the way to my neck. Also hair ties, 99% of the time I have one around my wrist.

7.  My favorite thing about this week {so far} was serenading Matt in the car on the way home from dinner last night. It was pretty hilarious. 

 waiting for dinner at Cafe Zinc

Craving: bacon & pizza, things I've dreaming about all week and will be having this weekend

Seeing: a messy desk I need to tackle.

Smelling: oranges, mid morning snack.

Listening:  Meg's 2011 Playlist

Quoting: 

"Everything is flawed. Spending a lot of time on something is not going to make it perfect. Worrying about it and obsessing over it is not going to make it perfect."  -Elise

Loving: Getting geared up for Send Something Good & Week in the Life

Feeling: Well, a bit of that malaise is still hanging on, but mostly I'm feeling optimistic for a productive and relaxing weekend.

meet someone good, me!

first off: Please go here and listen to Adventures of a Misfit Librarian's 90's playlist while reading this. That way I know you'll be smiling while reading this post as I was writing it. You can't go wrong with Barbie Girl!

you can also smile at me with my lowest series of season trophy!

our season is long but it's fun even if you bowl like crud.

After quite a long lapse in blogging I've consciously stepped up my blogging this week knowing I have a stalker out there (hi!!!) thanks to Send Something Good. Last fall I participated when it was Package Pals and it was fun to pull a package together and send it off and get something good back in the mail!

Today the Send Something Good guru's {Gentri, Kaitlyn & Kristy} are starting a link up to get to know participants better. Throughout the day I've clicking into other linked blogs and really liked Misfit's list of details. Here we go...

I am 26.
I live in Michigan. I lived in New York City (Brooklyn & Harlem) for 17 months from January 2008 til June 2009. I miss it some days, but if I'd never come back to Michigan I'd have never met Matt.
Matt and I have been dating for 18 months, longer than I lived in NY?! woah!, and we'll have been living together for a year next month.We are ridiculous in the best of ways. I'm going to save all the juicy details for another post!
I am basically an only child.
I love watching tv {see new side bar!}.
I love Pinterest.
I love reading blogs.
I love food. So much love for the food!
I love beer and wine and mixed drinks (bloody mary's, margaritas, capiriniahs).
I love water. sometimes with lemon.
I am not the picture of health, but I'm trying. I'm learning moderation. Moderation, enjoyment, balance. 
These are the ways I spend most of my time.
I am obsessed with Draw Something.
I am excited to play outside this summer. This winter was mild, but it's time. Yard, you don't know what's about to hit you.
I have two cats, Sam and Lulu.
I want to run an inn; not a bed & breakfast which you must live in all the time, an inn a quint getaway for lovely people that serves up delicious, slow food and a relaxing atmosphere and reminds you to just breathe.

I'm a colorful girl. I'm always wearing some bright pop! Today my socks are bright yellow, I have a pretty purple top on and a great colorful necklace. Color is so fun.

 car wash kate

more stuff i like: sunshine. greeting cards. thunderstorms. scarves. lakes. flowers. getting mail! sending mail! tights. flip flops. instagram.

5 words to describe you or your style: {self} cute, colorful, cozy {home} vintage, eclectic. these are interchangable.

wind storm apple blossoms & room service daisy

lovey pins

hi.

this post was supposed to go up eight days ago, but then my grandma was in the hospital and priorities changed. priorities. i haven't been much of a blogger these past couple of months and i'm okay that. i'm loving reading my old favorite blogs and my newest favorite. i've been pinning more and that's fun. it's not even as dangerous as i thought it'd be. my love and i went on vacation. it was warm. my mum and i went skiing. life has happened, and it's been mostly really, very good.

click here to see the full board. 

oh and there was a treasury too. 

reflection and resolution

I love this time of year, the end of it. It's a time for reflection and resolution. love. it.

 source

I thought I had done pretty well on my list of resolutions but it seems that I only managed to cross run a (baby) triathlon, make and stick to a budget, clean up and keep my computer organized (and blog reader) and make more lists. So that leaves me with seven overlooked resolutions...

1. Take an academic course.

2. Sew (crafty goodness!).

4. Get a tattoo (or two).

5. (Look into) taking piano lessons.

7. Compile Grandma's recipes and history of my house.

8. Spend more time outside off of my list. 

10. Stick to a cleaning schedule.

That's okay though, I had a pretty damn good year. It was spent training for the triathlon, loving Matt and the kitties, and friends and family, eating and drinking lots of good food and drink. 

I'm taking a smaller approach to 2012's resolutions. Last year I separated my word, balance, from my resolutions but this year it is a resolution of it's own. Expanding on balance and looking at my list of 26 things before 27, which I have yet to post, where I saw a lot of the word "conscious" I chose intentional. The word struck a chord with me while reading this post from Kyla. 

"taking a moment to savour the little moments that knit everything together can slow down time to a stand still." -miss roma

As I work to have more balance in my life with health, good food, laziness, excitement, solitary time and friendship I want to be more intentional with that thought process. I don't want to feel overwhelmed, but consider my decisions and the alternatives thoughtfully.

I'll carry this word with me through 2012 and while tackling these four resolutions.

1. lose weight. get fit. but seriously, lose a serious bit of with like a final goal of forty to fifty pounds. whew! it's going to take some serious work and i'm glad (very, very, glad) to have matt along with me to get this done.
2. save at least $3000! and be more financially responsible. this year i learned to really budget and next year i need to learn how to SAVE and not over spend.
3. be on time. i tend to be a tardy to things and all this achieves is stress. seriously, i'm an adult. it's time to be timely.
4. develop solid communication skills. i feel awkward in somea lot of social situations and i'd love to be the person who always felt comfortable and could put others at ease. 

 source

That's it. That's all she wrote. Four goals for 2012.


tips on resolution making and keeping:
elsie.  no meat athlete. today's letters.


talking about resolutions, reflections and things for the new year:
kelle (home in michigan!) plus a birthday post.  rachel investing in 2011. gentri lee's fun goals. a recap of a full and lovely year from ashlee. a look back from lisa leonard. the lovely couple of today's letters 2011 review.

one little word:
cherish. up.

self portrait

Sweet Lacey in Love (really, truly in love these days) is doing a fun Photo Challenge, and I thought I might play along.

 Lacey / via Jenni of Story of my Life / originated here: Oh So Lovely:

So here we go:

I don't think I've ever posted this picture before. It was taken in June 2009. I had just moved home from New York, just bought this car that I'm sitting in, and had gotten caught by a boat on the way home. I love the reflection in the in my sunglasses of blue sky and big truck, the colors I'm wearing and my relaxed smile. I lost those glasses shortly after this, sad days. It's very summer, very Michigan, very me. 

Shabby Apple Outfits!

Shabby Apple did a fun contest on their facebook, create a collection of their items in honor of their sale. I couldn't do just one, so I did three!

dress.shoes.key.cameo 

Purple shoes = purple tights, with the bugle boy dress. 

I love the idea of the layered necklaces. When I first picked them I didn't realize they were from the same line. 

dress . necklace . shoes

i love the circus feel of this dress. i'd love to see it with bright blue shoes. 

kind of like this combination from dainty squid.

dress . shoe . earrings

And of course a dress from the Manhattan line. 

I've loved the Washington Square park dress since I first learned about Shabby Apple.

This is kind of a heavy post, maybe you just want to listen to a nice song watch a fun dance (it looks sad, but it gets fun fast):


Melanie & Marco, NappTabitha & Napoleon  / my girls are holding strong!!!



In my reflective mood, I've been thinking a lot about this post and the things I left off. The things that I couldn't admit to myself or even see.

2010. losing my way through an absurd relationship
2009. finding a job in within 5.5 hours of home.
2008. finding a job and apartment in new york.
2007. finding a job in bay city.
2006. ending work at delphi. enjoying the summer, getting ready to travel with mom.
2005. being newly single.
2004. fighting for a doomed relationship.
2003. finding my first job.

Last June I said, " didn't realize for the past three springs i have been job hunting. or that this is my first fully employed spring of my 24 years. this is my first spring when big changes aren't taking place. i'm trying to find a balance of work, friendship and self."

Look at me, I thought I had it all figured out. 

“Do you remember the things you were worrying about a year ago? How did they work out? ...”  Dale Carnegie (via the messes i make)


I think maybe they didn't work out then, but every year I grow. I've definitely found my way through. I'm here and I can just be.

instagram / mattPhone / love / holy freckles!

Happy Mother's Day to my MUM

me & momma.

and yes, omg. that last picture is just... no words.

In just a minute...

I'm going to get moving again. I'm dogsitting this weekend and Gdog and I took a rest after a trip to the park. 2 hr walk = 2 hr break makes sense right?!

I was also busy creating this on Vista Print. Thanks to a Living Social deal I got $116 worth of Train4Change gear for $44.81, and I ordered extra.

 next Valentine's day? one day? so pretty, the sparkly love.

 i feel this way sometimes. but i think it's the best part of my personality. sure it's burned me in the past but it keeps my heart light. i know i have people who i will love for the rest of my moments that make these momentary loves, lovely but inconsequential.

TINY ELEPHANT!!!

these images have been sitting on my desktop for a while now, thought I'd share.

I have no idea what their original sources are.

 my momma and me visiting abe. 

how cool are we?! 

I on a Gray Saturday

I'm glad the sun came out for just few minutes. I'm glad that we're getting some April Showers to bring May flowers, even though the weather is gray. I'm definitely feeling this way about our spring weather. I made it through 400 google reader items this afternoon. I probably spent way to much time there. I need to reevaluate what blogs I follow and why. I really, really do. I just heard Matt pull in the driveway from a trip to the grocery store. I think I will turn off the computer and spend some time with my love. I will probably be back with a giant link post tomorrow. I believe this will make you smile, adorable.

I'd be.

If I were a month, I’d be July.

If I were a day of the week, I’d be Saturday.

If I were a time of day, I’d be 7 pm.

If I were a planet, I’d be Earth.

If I were a sea animal, I’d be a whale, Killer or Blue.

If I were a direction, I’d be forward.

If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be a Manhattan Chair from Pottery Barn.

If I were a liquid, I’d be a cab, probably Redwood Creek.

If I were a gemstone, I’d be a ruby

If I were a tree, I’d be a birch.

If I were a flower, I’d be a sunflower.

If I were a kind of weather, I’d be 75 degrees and sunny, with a light breeze.

If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a piano.

If I were a color, I’d be orange.

If I were an emotion, I’d be happy.

If I were a fruit, I’d be a blueberry.

If I were a sound, I’d be laughter.

If I were a car, I’d be a VW bug, classic.

If I were a food, I’d be a caprese salad.

If I were a place, I'd be my backyard.

If I were a material, I’d be cotton.

If I were a taste, I’d be garlic.

If I were a scent, I’d be sunshine on skin.

If I were an animal, I’d be a sweet kitty cat.

If I were an object, I’d be your favorite coffee mug.

If I were a body part, I’d be a smile.

If I were a facial expression, I’d be the look of love.

If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be Old Navy flip flops.
If I were a song, I’d be:

core story

What central story is at the core of you, and how do you share it with the world?

The core story of me, or the core story of twenty10? The core story of twenty10 has been figuring it out, embracing it, and I suppose, in essence, that's the story of me as well. (lots of commas. too many?) To let go of overthinking and just embrace where I am is what I've learned this past year. I'm happiest when I'm relaxed and content with where I am and the only person standing in the way of that is me.

To share it with the world I think I simply need to be calmer and more confident in that state of mind, content with myself and the world around me. Calmer, less frantic. I share this now with big smiles and big loud errupting laugther. Because that's me. Maybe I shouldn't be worrying about being calmer.

achieve

What’s the thing you most want to achieve next year? 

This question has been bothering me for most of the year, not always present but there under the surface. Next year I would like to discover, achieve, what I want to achieve for my future; the next year, the next five.

How do you imagine you’ll feel when you get it? Write that feeling down. 

Finding the answer to that question would make feel on track / heading in the right direction. 

Brainstorm 10 things you can do, or 10 new thoughts you can think, in order to experience that feeling today.

1. make a list of the things i may consider to be "what i want to be when i grow up."
2. research the top five, or however many feel right
3. write, right here, the reasons why i feel these things are exciting and would suit me and why i feel i'd be on the right track.
4. figure out how where i am right now might just be "on the right track"
5. just breathe, and focus on the favorite things in my life
6. work on my list of 25 things to do before i turn 26
7. make a list of the things that are day-to-day, like getting healthy, that may not be part of the big picture in my mind right now but will make feel more balanced overall
8. think about the things that i think will make me feel more balanced
9. work on them
10. take a step back. you have an amazing fucking life, enjoy it. 

another fill in the blank

1.   True happiness is  laughter and love.

2.  The most surreal moment of my life was  i have no idea

3.  My favorite texture is  I like the chunky knit look of cozy sweaters.

4.  My signature color is   color, any and all!

5.  My signature style is   color, any and all! comfy casual cute. with a dash of pretty and dressy thrown in.

6.  If I could choose one store to spend my life savings at, it would be   modcloth.com but with a storefront in my hometown so i could try everything on and ooh and ah in person.

7.  My best thing about autumn is  the smells & the colors.

love: anxious sparrow tumblr

i feel: sad. inspired. jealous. understood.

unless otherwise noted, all images from anxious sparrow tumblr, original source unkown! (i tried!)

today really was a good day, the first day i didn't feel sad or angry or lonely 40% of every moment. thank goodness.

and tomorrow another day begins.

it will be a good day. promise.