ten at ten..

ten things I love for a miscellany monday..

1. hardwood floors..every house should have some.

2. french press coffee.

3. paris.. someday

4. being cozy.

5. sun flowers.
6. cute-practical outfits.
7. pesto..I need to make this sandy..yummy.
8. my people..big families are fun!!

9. my boyfriend. {I can't believe I've never put this picture on here before, he's cute!?}

10. being barefoot.. even during winter.

*that's just ten {randoms}...there's many other nouns I love heaps.

AND...I've never "linked" with another blog before!! check out other "miscellany monday's" via Carissa!!

{pictures via pinterst + my trusty iPhoto}

ten at ten..

it's august!?

ten things about this {almost over} summer of eleven::

one) twin has been home for a while & it feels like she never even left!
two) my friend became a mrs. & I had fun being a part of her special day!
three) bike rides + a cute basket
four) hot hot heat + tan skin
five) loving on my babies + creating everything under the sun with construction paper
six) learning lots about relationships with people + my relationship with God.
seven) I crossed something off of my list of 30 things to do before I'm 30: #20
eight) fireworks on a rooftop + in a park.
nine) a lot of romans twelve.
ten) a week in nashville: old friends, new friends, seeing God through three sweet little boys, hot & sweaty & getting hands dirty, a homeless man asked me to marry him, sweet little cousins, long bus rides.

ten at ten..

ten at ten..

one) Michigan skipped spring, 40's to 90's... I'm digging the hot & sweaty lifestyle the last few weeks!

two) my skin is starting to look sun-kissed & it's not even officially summer yet! Typically it takes at least until the end of July for me to look somewhat tan!!

three) I don't think people understand the craziness of how soon my long lost twin comes home! We're talking two weeks from yesterday!!!!!!!!

*four) The last few days I've been in a funk making me really frustrated, annoyed, & in a bratty mood.. but thankfully it was just a funk, and I'm realizing I'm just really kind of selfish & God is just using circumstances to show me He's in control... not me!
{AND it's just always a punch/slap in the face for me to snap out of because I am SOOOOO spoiled with the life God has given me.. I might not have a million dollars laying around but I'm spoiled & take SO much in this life I've been given for granted wayyyy too easily & I let the feelings of wanting more or not being satisfied get in the way of my thanks/surrendering it all back the One who gave it to me...holla at my mumma for good heart/reality checks.}

five) I've been trying to avoid pants of any sort the last few weeks. Skirts & dresses please! {soon my twin will return home with several dresses waiting for me to borrow..!!}

six) Due to the lack of reliable radio in my car it is obnoxious having to find something to listen to while driving that is not fussy or country music.. so thanks to our friends in the North, CBC Radio 2 has become my new favorite thing in the morning while I drive to work & in the afternoon when I drive home.. I'm obsessed.

seven) I've been dating a pretty sweet guy that I had a crush on for a long time..for seven months now?! It's crazy & makes me happy!

eight) I'm going to Wayne State in the fall {FINALLY!!!!} & one of my sisters roommates is moving out in August.. hmm...

*nine) I've been reading a lot of my old journals lately.. it's SO crazy how different only a year can look from one to the next!?!? Good, bad, ugly, & everything in-between!!!

ten) Hoppipolla by Sigur Ros just came on my iTunes.. I think I will still enjoy this song until I'm 99 years old.

*kind of related: old journals & writing about the good, the bad, & the ugly, being spoiled with this rich life, all kind of correlate.

xox

craving some fall...

Fall, is my favorite season, I love spring, summer, & winter (sometimes) but fall, is my all time fave. I think the mid-west does fall best & I think growing up with Michigan falls {cider mills, apple orchards, pumpkin patches, pretty leaves..} is why I like it. Although fall technically isn't until September 22nd, I feel like it starts once Labor Day comes around & school starts. I already started school & it's Labor Day weekend, so bring on fall!

{I love my summer, warm weather, (some) time off, being tan, going to the beach, sun dresses, but I'm ready for the cooler weather.}

Today was the almost perfect Saturday. I slept in a little, I bummed around Arts, Beats, & Eats with my sisters for a while, had my first pumpkin spice latte from the bucks, I wore my favorite sweater & wasn't too hot, I played my guitar for a little while to some Band of Horses songs {good fall music if you're looking for something to get into fall mode.} (which are pretty easy to strum & sing to, which makes me happy!), went on a bike ride date with my youngest brother to get ice cream, bought a new dress & tunic from Lost & Found which can be worn during fall with boots, & gathered some of my favorite things about fall...

1.) apple orchards
{my family for every year since I can remember has gone to Erwin's Apple Orchard to pick apples & pumpkins.. always a good time, always a good memory.}
2.) crunchy leaves
{sometimes I go out of my way to step on crunchy leaves.. and although I have bad memories of having to help my dad rack our mammoth backyard growing up, I still love crunchy leaves on the ground.}
3.) pumpkin spice latte's
{only enjoyable on a fall-esque day, nice & hot.}
4.) scarves
{thick knit scarves, or light weight lose fitting scarves, always my favorite.}
5.) earth tones
{I think I like earth tones all year round, but they are more fun during the fall to wear & fit in with the colors outside, I've been to a few fall weddings & think earth tones are ideal for weddings.}
6.) school supplies
{perhaps this is why I want to be a teacher...}
7.) boots
{not thick winter boots or rain boots, cute ankle-knee high boots, with a pair of skinny jeans or a dress.}
8.) cider mills
{doughnuts & hot cider.}
9.) franklin, tn
{fall time in the south is a little warmer & seems to go into at least December, but not just Franklin but the surrounding areas are pretty great to drive through when the leaves are changing colors.}
10.) bon fires
{a way to actually keep warm unlike bon fires during the summer..}

*happy {early} fall

s u m m e r...

along with listening to summer-y music such as any song that has the word(s) summer, summertime, sun, June, July, August... {typing the word 'summer' into your iTunes search bar is your best bet} today being the first official day of summer I gathered some of my summer-y faves...

1.) watermelon
2.) sundresses
3.) summer rain
4.) the beach
5.) 4th of july
6.) bonfires
7.) iced coffee
8.) picnics
9.) red popsicle's
10.) lightning bugs

f a v e ' s...

there are a lot of things in life that make me smile, but these are ten random favorites of mine..


1.) chocolate covered strawberries.
2.) being barefoot.
3.) café's.
4.) sleeping in.
5.) taking a bubble bath.
6.) day dreaming.
7.) swinging.
8.) diet coke.
9.) babies.
10.) eye contact.

Sweet springtime..

I'm currently sitting by the window at Caribou in downtown Royal Oak...I wish I could get paid to people watch, because I could do it all day, St. Patrick's Day makes for some interesting sights.

Anyway, the sun is shinning, I'm wearing flats & a t-shirt (no coat, jacket, or sweater.), & I'm drinking an iced tea latte. Glorious.

Today I completed my "Spring" Playlist... the main criteria for any of these songs was that they were fun-roll-the-windows-down-listen-to-over-and-over-again-get-ready-for-summer type songs...here is what I've been listening to:

1. You're My Favorite, Joy Williams
2. 1901, Phoenix
3. Giving Up the Gun, Vampire Weekend
4. Sushi, Kyle Andrews
5. Sweet Disposition, The Temper Trap
6. Audience, Cold War Kids
7. New Heights, A Fine Frenzy
8. In the Sun, She & Him
9. Walking On a Dream, Empire of the Sun
10. You Get What You Give, New Radicals

{My sister took this picture at a wedding show this weekend, creative & springy}

music to my ears..

January / February-esque music that I've been listening to lately, that's too good to keep to myself...

1. Set the Fire to the Third Bar, Snow Patrol
2. Blue Skies, Noah & the Whale
3. Knight of Shinning Armor, Silent Violet
4. No One's Gonna Love You, Band of Horses
5. We Own the Sky, M83
6. Moth's Wings, Passion Pit
7. Half Asleep, School of Seven Bells
8. Much Farther to Go, Rosie Thomas
9. Just Say Yes, Snow Patrol
10. Rosyln, Bon Iver & St. Vincent

* h e y.

1. God is good, gracious, & great.
   
2. court & i almost have a car finally. we have to wait & see though!
   
3. it makes me sad that brittany joy is down in florida now, but i am so happy for her. i can't wait to see how God uses her down there!*
   
4. i'm starting to babysit more & the girls i watch are my favorite, and i'm also going to start watching this adorable little boy that brit used to watch every so often.
   
5. music really does make smile.
   
6. i'm a very average girl, trying to live an extraordinary life.
7. i want to go to south africa, thailand, india, & australia very badly...
8. if you still know me in ten years, you should come visit me in nashville.
9. snow is only pretty right after it has fallen, and is a pain to drive in.
10. i'm actually looking very forward to my new classes starting on monday!

*i'm so thankful for the friendship i have with brittany joy!! its not goodbye, just because she is in florida now, its a see you later for a video chat or phone call!!