Flying by

This week flew by! I'm thinking about coaxing a friend into taking me on a motorcycle ride tonight, then I have to make two cakes for a birthday party tomorrow, and I'm doing absolutely nothing on Sunday. What are you up to?

(photo via le love)

Yay!

I was SO happy with the outcome of the bachelorette! Ed had my heart from the beginning. What a catch! I felt horrible for Reid though, even more so than Kip (and I didn't even like him that much). Too little to late I guess. Ce la vie. Best of luck Ed & Jill! xoxo

Mini goals!

Look what I got in the mail today! Last week I was lucky enough to win marta's give away of one of mary kate's beautiful mini goals calendars! It even came in a cute personalized package with my name on it. Goals for today: unpack and workout. Thanks Marta!

(photo via marta)

Home again

I'm home from vacation and had a WONDERFUL time! The cabin we stayed at was the ultimate cabin of my dreams and I had a hard time leaving. We tubed the river, panned for gold, and did a little cliff diving. How was your week?

(photo via cowgirl blues)

Cabin vacation!

I'm leaving tomorrow morning for a beautiful trip to Tennessee with the fam! We are staying in my Uncles gorgeous wooded cabin with a perfect river for tubing right in his back yard. After this week at work I definitely need a vacation. I can't wait to have my customary plane ride gingerale! See you next week luvs!

(photo via moderniteter)

Rain rain

I wish I had this umbrella from Urban Outfitters on days like today...

The Cake Slice

I've always been a fan of the Daring Bakers and now I've found another tasty baking group called The Cake Slice. They choose a cookbook and use it all year long with one recipe every month. They are currently using Sky High: Irresistible Triple Layer Cakes. All their reviews and pictures looked so good I had to order it! The first one I'll make will definitely be the Marbled Lemon Blueberry Butter Cake. Yum!

(photos by lick the bowl good)

Pretty Odette

I just discovered all of the beautiful jewelry at Odette and I think I'm in love with this feather necklace.

All you need is love

I'm loving these antique wooden signs from Rocket St. George

Shhh

(photo via mary ruffle)

Library love notes

Grace Light at poetic home celebrated her two year anniversary by making an adorable hand made gift with a box of inspired Dewy Decimal library cards. She replaced the book numbers with important dates in their relationship and titles were overwritten by chapters of their life together. She topped it off by putting them all in a perfect antique wooden library card catalog box. The best part is that you can make cards like this too with this catalog card generator!

(via simply freckles)

Don't Stop Me Now!

What a FUN wedding video! They had a great crowd and their guests played along perfectly. I would love to try something like this.

(via a cup of jo)

Homecoming weekend!

This week flew by! My sister is coming home this weekend from spending almost two months in Europe and I can't wait to see her! I'm hoping she'll be up for going to the drive-in and watching Up & The Proposal with me. Have a lovely weekend! Cheers!

(photo via theloveshop)

In her youth

" 'You are a charmer, Mr. Marsh,' she said, and Jeremy was struck with the thought that in her youth, she must have broken a few hearts..."

I love this quote from Nicolas Sparks book True Believer. I always love to look at old people and imagine what they must have been like when they were my age.

(photo via corbis)

Summer sandwich

What's better than homemade ice cream on a summer day? A homemade ice cream and snickerdoodle sandwich! I can't tell you how excited I am to eat this...

Snickerdoodle Recipe (Martha Stewart)

2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs

2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Sift together flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. Put butter and 1 1/2 cups sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Mix in eggs. Reduce speed to low; gradually mix in flour mixture.

2. Stir together cinnamon and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar in a small bowl. Shape dough into 20 (1 3/4-inch) balls; roll in cinnamon sugar. Space 3 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.

3. Bake cookies, rotating sheets halfway through, until edges are golden, 12 to 15 minutes.

Pouting in Ohio

My good friend Daniel is spending the week hiking, climbing, and camping in my dream state...Colorado. I'm insanely jealous so I intend to spend the week pouting and looking at pictures of other lucky people who get to camp in the mountains while I wait tables in Ohio

Can someone please take me camping?

(photo via corbis)

Oh Harry

Call me nerdy if you will but I'm going with my brother to see the new Harry Potter movie today and I cannot wait!

(photo via dailymail)

Romance

These pictures from Chris Craymers new book Romance have been popping up all over and they have me swooning

(Photo by Chris Craymer)

Camping snuggle

I want to be in the middle right now

(photo by Nick Hance)

Indexed

How fun are these index cards?

So much to say

First things first. Goodbye to Reid. I really did like him a lot. He was sweet and quirky but he just couldn't make himself tell Jillian how he felt. She was practically begging him to give her even a sliver of something concrete but he wouldn't commit. I don't think they were right for each other anyway.

Kipton had the first date and was adorable trying to coax Jillian through the ropes course. She offered the fantasy suite which he gladly took and the rest of the date was history. Kip has been at the top of my list since day one but he still hasn't commited to a proposal at the end which Jillian has made clear she definitely wants, so we'll see what happens.


Ed was the last date and he and Jillian spend the day sailing. Can I just say that I fell in love with him all over again when he broke out the old school green swimming trunks! Yes please. After boating he surprised her by flying his parent to Hawaii where he told his dad he would propose if Jillian chose him (yes!)

I was not a happy camper when all the fantasy suite dates had gone smoothly and I realized the "bedroom issues" were Eds! I was hoping that Reid would be the culprit. The whole thing was a bit overplayed. Things started out perfectly. Ed told Jillian that he loved her, they broke out the oil, and then things just sort of fizzled out. Having a camera in your face while trying to get it on could do that to anyone, I think. Either way, I think Ed is perfection. Sexy, smart, sincere and I think hes the best fit for Jillian.

Looking forward to "The men tell all" next week. I'm especially eager to see Michael again!

On my table

I would love a bundle of NYC street roses on my table right now

(photo by Emma Goldman via 31 experiment)

Toss of death

It is always funny when you watch a bouquet toss at a wedding and the girls go crazy killing each other to get the prized bundle of flowers that will ultimately seal their fate as being the next one married. I always laughed at this too...until this weekend when I was attacked, my wedding hair messed up, and my dressed almost ripped from my body, as the psycho maid of honor (and I use that term loosely) mauled me down as I caught the fated bouquet. Really? It's just symbolic people! I'm about as far away from a proposal as I could ever get...but who knows, maybe I'm in for a surprise :)

Besides the bouquet incident my weekend was absolutely perfect. Friday was spent relaxing with friends on the lake and catching up on our summers so far. I was sad to make the drive home but can't wait to make a visit to Grand Rapids in the near future!

(Photo by Gabriel R).

Wedding Weekend!

Happy Early Weekend!
I'm headed to Indiana this evening to spend the weekend with friends and go to my old roommates wedding on Saturday! I love love love weddings!
And how great is this 1920's theme wedding? Not many people could pull this off but she looks gorgeous. Would you ever try a theme wedding?

(photo by josh goleman)

Can't wait

The Time Travelers Wife just came in for me at the library
I can't wait to start!

(photo via her name was lola)

Granny Card

I found the best birthday card for my Grandma at Amanda Wolfe's Etsy shop TweeCards. It's practically custom made for my grandma and I know she'll love it. She's always doing crosswords in the paper and never misses an episode of jepordy, probably becasue "Alex Trebek is the best dressed man on tv". I love you Grandma!

"Numero Uno"

I was sooo ready to light into Jillian for accepting all four of the fantasy suite invites this week. However, I was pleasantly surprised when she turned each one of them down. All except Ed who she let stay with the requirement that they remained fully clothed. Definitely a first for the bachelorette. Good for you Jillian.

As for Wes, I still can't stand the sight of him. Thank God he's gone. Everything he did annoyed me. I especially hated all the pet names he used when he was talking to Jillian. It made him seem even more sleezy that he already was, if that's even possible. I think Jillian knew it was over when he firmly stated that looking out for "numero uno" was the most important thing to him. What a classy guy. Go have lots of sex Wes. I'm sure someone in Chihuahua will take pity on you. Good luck with your album too, your personality is bound to make it a best seller. I'm glad Jillian finally saw the light and sent him packing.

Reid is actually growing on me. I never really paid attention to him much but I think he's cute and genuine. Kipton is still a frontrunner. Did you see Jillians face when he said that he didn't see a proposal in the near future?? I think that one lost him points, but at least he was honest. I'm calling Kipton and Ed for the final two.

Ah Ed. I love him. I really do....but something tells me that he might disappoint me again. Let's just hope I'm wrong.

Far

I just downloaded Regina Spektor's new cd Far a few days ago and have been listening to it nonstop! My favorite songs are Blue Lips and Dance Theme of the 80's.

I LOVE it. And her. Thank you Regina.

(photo via theedgitator)

Up in knots

I was browsing around Goodwill yesterday afternoon and found an old game of twister! Score! I can't wait to play!

(photo via vintage postcards)

Happy Holiday Weekend

I watched Homeward Bound last night for the first time in about ten years. Not gonna lie, I teared up a little bit at the end when Shadow limps over the hill. It made me want a dog of my own. Until then, I'll be spending my holiday weekend house sitting for a friend of my moms who has two adorable chocolate labs

This picture reminded me of an episode of SATC where Charlotte and Carrie are watching men on the street...

Carrie: I don't like dachshunds for men. Can't handle a real dog, can't handle a real woman.
Charlotte: But he was gorgeous!
Carrie: That's another thing: men who are too good looking. They're never good in bed 'cause they never had to be.

Haha I agree whole heartedly! Have a wonderful weekend and cuddle your cutie (or in my case dogs) when you watch the fireworks!

(photo via weheartit)

Pretty pastels

Pretty pictures by Minako Fujita