SUMMER

the promise.  it's here!!!

 downtown bay city

elise & paul's manifesto

kyla's summer intentions
ali's summer manifesto and project
lisa's summer checklist 2011
elsie's summertime goals 2011
summer to do (snagged lots of ideas here) 2011
kyla's summer love goals 2011

my foot / my list

vacation with matt to the upper peninsula
buy a bicycle and ride it. 
camp
pick blueberries
have a cookout for friends
picnic in the park
purge and organize the craft room and main floor closet and library
rock boat weekend
mini vacation with momma
do a picture a day
spend at least one day floating on a lake, at least once
fireworks
celebrate birthdays with love and fun
fresh, local, simple foods and dinners
grow our own stuff
wrap a light string around the apple tree
chicago in the midst of it
get out of the house once a day
walk to get ice cream
visit as many great lakes as possible
make a list like this
make a book to record it all

birthday card, roses

more goodies

jo's essential summer blanket
when in doubt
cheap summer ideas
road trip tips with kids
beach tips with kids
(really i think these can almost always be modified for adults)

one day this will be on the list.

last year's List

Swim in a GREAT LAKE. DANCE in the rain. Have backyard BONFIRES. Stay up late and listen to a THUNDERSTORM. Take more PICTURES with my love. 

What are you most looking forward to this summer?

blanks + senses + links + insta

  link up with lauren

 

1.  The best surprise ever would be if someone had invented a publicly available teleportation machine before this weekend and I could have stayed home and had a mostly relaxing yet productive weekend but also spent a couple of day eight hours away in Houghton with family. It mostly would have been the best surprise ever so that I wouldn't have stressed over the decision for weeks beforehand. I felt 50/50 the whole time.

 

2.  I'm feeling a bit removed from memories so I'm having a hard time thinking of my most favorite memory .

3.  The hardest, but most worthwhile thing I've ever done was moving to New York and being on my own for 18 months. It was hard because I was alone. It was worthwhile because I was alone.

4.  The best part of my day is the downtime in the evenings when Matt and I get to hang out, sometimes we veg hardcore, sometime we make dinner together, but we're together laughing about something, usually the cats. 

5. Something I like that most people don't is ranch dressing on my pasta & rice, no doubt.

6. Something I am willing to fight for is peace & quiet & calm in my home.

7.  Something you might not know about me is my house had an ant infestation on the porch. It was the in the top 10 the bug guy has seen in 10 years and 3,000 houses. TOP 10.

good morning, these cups makes me nostalgic for new york.

Seeing: sunshine and a quiet house. thankful. the yellow pages that guiltily remind me i did not get a property line survey lined up for next week.

Making: 

Watching: three episodes of Glee, earlier today. I think three is my max.
Hearing: songs in my iTunes, i'm trying to clean out the music I don't like.

Quoting: 99% of life is mundane, so it's important to remember to enjoy the everyday.  -Amanda's dad.

Anticipating: Matt getting home and deciding what to do with the rest of our day, out and about or lazing about. and then the rest of our weekend. I have a to do list to tackle.

Loving: this lazy day. i needed it.

Feeling: ready for a shower.

 

 good afternoon, making the switch from coffee to beer on a holiday weekend.

elise's summer vacation book.
sheen is making jealous of summer foods that grows in (not even) June and not October!
beca of tumbleweeds will be featured on fab in two weeks, i can't wait!
Koubachi gives your plants a voice, I downloaded this app as soon as I discovered it! thanks swissmiss.
After reading this it was fun to see this Marc John's illustration a few blogs down. It's so true. I'm also basically allergic to "big talk too."
Um, yes: Win A Free Wedding!
There is some serious stamp love and developing going on out there.
This. Gorgeous lady. (bonus, a new blog to follow!)
Great cover. I was so proud to be supporting President Obama on my car that day. Reading Meg's reactions on twitter really brought it home too. (one reposted on the blog)

15 Great Tips for making a marriage last 15 years remember this gem too.
already prepping for the holiday season. 
I've never paid for a photo app, but I'm excited to try out VSCO cam after Amanda Jane's recommendation.

I'm going to need to remember this. This is a great post about working with vendors. It annoys me to now end that there are only two Michigan vendors on A Practical Wedding, and both over three hours away. I mean there have to be vendors out there, close by, that align with a Pactical and sane wedding. Right?! I mean, I hope so. I certainly concerns me.... side track.  So, I love that they end with:  

And if you find a vendor that totally has APW values but doesn't know about us yet, do us all a favor and have them apply for the vendor directory! Trust me, we all want to know their details.

Read more: http://apracticalwedding.com/2012/05/how-to-hire-wedding-vendors-photographers-caterers/#ixzz1vuuIUteM

good day, spent the day reading blogs (the reader had gotten out of control once again) and posting links here. 

the cats embraced the gloriously lazy day as well.

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.

Traverse City // Mission Peninsula // November 5 & 6

Traverse City // Mission Peninsula // November 5 & 6


You know it's going to be a good weekend when your waiter says, "I don't normally say this, but you know you guys are ordering a lot of food, right?" Oh, we knew it and it was and it was so totally worth it.

This weekend was total decadence. As much as we loved the food there's no photographic evidence, but here it is in drinks and scenery.

2 lads winery

the views at 2 lads

A walk. The colors were STUNNING. 

Thankful for micro-climates!

We're adorbs. per ushe. ;)

The Jolly Pumpkin

Right Brain Brewery

Bowers Harbor

Finally, the view from our room at the Tesoro Inn a beautiful, contemporary bed and breakfast!

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. 

three things.

one. Welcome to readers! Hopefully some are stopping by from LA's latest and last post of Reader Appreciation. If you haven't checked out all the blogs who submitted, do so. There were nearly 200 people. 

And now she's designing widgets all day! I can't wait to see the different designs. She's a pretty good widget designer. :)

two.

{last edit : don't mind the video it was actually the least obnoxious i could find. seriously}
Do you watch The Good Wife? You may recognize this song from the season finale. <3 nbsp="" p="">

three. Yesterday, after an amazing breakfast, Matt and I headed down to the River Roar. And drank some, ahem, delicious, Bud Lights and watched some very windy races. One had to be restarted three times. It does get kind of scary, but everyone was okay.

 

Hooray for Hooray!

That's original, eh? 

I love Alli's blog because it's beautiful. And because she shares cool Michigan themed things.

Kid Icarus | via Jaime on Send More Mail on Hooray

Michigan tees designed by Amanda Jane

 on Hooray

She also does a fun His/Hers series with Brooke (from Pure & Noble)

hers & his

day beers on Matt's first afternoon off.

Happy, Happy Summer

 estetiska

We're welcoming summer here in mid-Michigan with a cloudy day. There is rain in the forecast, but finally, it FEELS like summer and here it is! So many days really do look like this:
 

Pure Michigan, Narrated by Woody. ;)

Inspired by the beautiful Lisa Leonard, I think I'd like to do a little a SUMMER TODO List!

Swim in a GREAT LAKE. DANCE in the rain. Have backyard BONFIRES. Stay up late and listen to a THUNDERSTORM. Take more PICTURES with my love. This is just a start... I'd like to read  What are you most looking forward to this summer?

Dear Jennifer

Summer Links | summer mantle | cliff jumping | berry dish

My Grandparents blueberry farm, Oak Ridge Blueberries which doesn't 

have any web presence, but you could use your telephone 

to find out hours and opening day. 989-862-5039

Today's the DAY!

What day you ask? Why, Fill in the Blank Friday of course!

1.   The last movie I saw was something for Hell's Half Mile programming, "en coma" disjointed. Don't mind our... disjointed... website. They say they're working on it. If you're near Bay City the first weekend of October you should stop by. Lots of films for $5 each.

2.  I want to find the motivation I usually have in the mornings to get up and clean the house. clutter, clutter, clutter.

3.  Surprises are pretty exciting. I'd like to practice giving them more and maybe then I'd receive them more too ;). 

4.  The best accessory is a genuine smile.

5.  My favorite warm drink is  coffee, black please. Tea when I'm sick. Carmel Latte when I'm looking for a splurge or big pick-me-up.

6.  My favorite cold drink is water, trying to drink more. I also enjoy the occasional bloody mary and margarita. I have a lemon grass martini in Traverse City last February. I wouldn't mind one of those. Oh, and you can't forget a good beer. This is an impossible question for me, can you tell?

7.  Currently loving my weekend: dinner last night, ribs, with some of my favorite people in the world, Friday's off and Matt's taking the afternoon off, then we head to Greek Fest tonight, tomorrow's my baby cousin's high school graduation party, then Matt's family on Sunday! Pretty good, eh?!

Now you.

Sam & Lu

sleepy kitties. i love how SPRAWLED Sam is. <3

starred

new curlygirl

i'm starting a new feature, starred posts. (the posts i starred in my google reader this week.) so you'll probably see a lot of the same blogs but it'll be fun. obviously i'll work on a name.

this photo of gaga is BEAUTIFUL. notice the freckles?

 have you seen pyrex like this? i love it. i hope i win! 

 

Leigh of Curly Girl discovering and growing in her truth.
Jeremy Larson's remembering to realize his dreams are coming true.

Locally Grown 

via homemade by monica

 yummm : Spiked Mac & Cheese, Warm Winter Salad

you can never go wrong with a fort

is it summer yet?! i could live in this image.

she quit. she wrote a book.

"sweet anniversary notes by angela hardison

(via say yes to hoboken)"

via oh, hello friend.

you've got to see these colors!

impromptu liveblogging - superbowl commercials

if nothing else, watch the Chrysler|Detroit video.

tonight Matt and I are watching the Superbowl - correction we computer clubbing with the Superbowl on in the background - and I was watching the commercials. I decided to liveblogfacebook my thoughts. I will now share these nuggets of wisdom.

what?! the doritos brought grandpa back to life?!! crazy.

Eminem you don't do commercials? You're in two - that I know of. (Lipton Brisk)

Chevy Cruze, that's just creepy and definitely unnecessary. (facebook in the car)

Next year, I propose a giant game of tag for the half time show. This isn't very good.

spontaneously live blogging (facebooking) sb commercials exciting until the commercials start to disappoint. favorites so far: bridgestone & carfax. literal lol.

weird... making penelope cruz look like kiera knightly. cram it in the boot.

adrian, stella. it's love

Nice. Chrysler, Detroit (seriously, watch it.)

seriously, mcd's your commercial wasn't that good in the first place.


Bridgestone! another good one. props to the beaver. 




bless you peppers. sneezing kitty<3 (and i don't even like the baby.

top3 

it's FRIDAY!!!

It's been a weird week. I'm really disliking this winter. I always feel like I'm always on the brink of sickness and I'm tired and I want it to be summer. so there.

Thank goodness, we're going away for the weekend, me and six of my favorite people!!! Do you think I need it?? ZoodeSKI, Boyne Highlands here I come!

That also means it's time for Fill in the Blank Friday!!!!!

 this feels like spring.

can i live in that image for the next thee months?

can i take matt?

1.   My favorite quote is "Always look on the bright side. Be eccentric. Be inspired. Follow your heart and be your funny self." It's from a beautiful shop in Paris, Karine Dupont.

2.  A bad habit I have is well, can lack of motivation be a bad habit? Because that's definitely my biggest fault right now and inconsistency, same boat.

3.  The first time I felt like a "grown up" was I think that first night I was at Ferris all by myself, I had a private dorm, definitely felt grown up, breaking up the ex was pretty grown up (almost six years ago), moving to New York to be on my own, with no connections was but I can't really pinpoint an exact moment.

4.  Weekends are FANTASTIC, full of possibility but we usually end up in the same state, cuddled up on the couch reading/sports/lazing. Definitely not complaining.

5.  When I was a child I wished my name was Abby. That's an easy one!

6.  I wish for so much. Today I'm wishing for inspiring meetings that will build a fire of excitement in me about training for the tri and give me oodles of motivation for Monday.

7.  A secret I have is I'm scared I'll never figure it out.

Are you?

Miss Elsie included this reminder on her BEAUTIFUL blog this week.

I'm not sure I'll be shopping today, and if I do I'll definitely be 

staying away from the mall side of town.

Bay City has the SWEETEST little downtown with some really 

FABULOUS shops.

Maybe I'll take you on a tour

or at least share some of my favorite purchases.

thankful for my cozy home.

fall in love

I saw this on my main page of facebook from a film networking acquaintance. He says, "In NYC and la I fall in love 20x a day I am fickle that way in Milwaukee once or twice a year" I'm happy to report I can fall in love with Michigan the way I would when I saw something special (or ordinary) in New York. and i do it just as often. I'm going to start documenting it more. i promise.

kudos

love, kate