Wax Jambu

Stunning work for Wax Jambu by Studio-Output.

Found via graphic-exchange.

Leslie's getting married

Could my cousin possibly be any more beautiful? I will tell you, she could not. And smart too, she's a doctor. Yep, full package that cousin of mine, Devan is one lucky man.

I can't wait to see her and celebrate at her shower this weekend!

You can see the rest of their engagement photos by Kat Braman here. They're beautiful.

Good Morning!

image via creature comforts

Us

This was basically King and I last night. Between weeks of craziness at work, a busy wedding planning filled weekend and days of humidity, heat and rain that exacerbated my fibromyalgia, I was wiped. I fell asleep on the couch a little after 8, woke up an hour later and took King out and then went straight to bed.

I had to get ready for work this morning and King got to stay under the covers.



top image via modish/pinterest.

Merry Mary Monday!

I'm dreaming about our upcoming vacation this fall. This palm leaf photo that my mom took in Florida is one of my all time favorites.

you can read about the origins of merry mary monday here.

Weekend

Half day Friday's in the summer are one of the best things that have ever happened to me. Genevra and I have a date with a rooftop patio and a couple bootleggers. Holla!

Happy weekend everyone!

image by Sebastian Foster

On trying

There was a day a few weeks ago when I had plans with a couple friends after work so when I got home from the office I was in a hurry to get King fed, get myself changed and my under eye cover up blush refreshed so I could get us both out the door. Sometimes when I have plans in the evenings I drop King off at my parents who are nice enough to watch him for me so he doesn't have to sit at home by himself all night after he did so all day.

On this particular evening I was running around trying to figure out what to wear and making sure King ate all his food and while I was putting on my shoes King was at the door whining, wagging his tail and jumping up and down telling me in no uncertain terms he would like to go out. His desperate need and anticipation was making me so anxious and I said, "Ok King, I know you have to pee, I'm trying here, I'm doing the best I can." And the second I said it I realized it was true and I kind of sighed and added "I'm always doing the best I can. It's exhausting."

Life can feel like that hu? And I wasn't even getting ready for anything stressful, not even a first date, just drinks with my friends, but still, obligations... expectations... dogs having to pee... life... can be exhausting.

Before and after porch

This before and after porch in Ghent, Belgium is so bad ass. You can see more pictures and the original design*sponge post here.

Growing tomatoes

This is the first year that I've added a tomato plant to my tiny balcony garden. Well, in a pot on the ground, not crammed into the hanging ones. I haven't ever grown anything edible other than herbs before so I'm considering this more like an experiment than anything, but with my recent addiction to caprese salads I thought I'd give it a go.

I recently found this post by Kristina on growing tomatoes extremely helpful. Who knew what suckering was and who knew that you had to do it from the start? If you grow tomatoes and you don't know what suckering is, you should read the post too!

Now I just need to do some research on trimming basil. Are you supposed to cut the flowering tops off or leave them? I'll find out.

Suck it Garfunkel

I don't really mean it Art, sorry. I'm just bummed you have throat problems so your concert got canceled. I guess mom and I will just have to get some fish 'n chips at The Anchor instead.

We can at least listen to this in the car on the way.

The Patio

In case you were all sitting and waiting impatiently to see the finished product from this post about the patio I thought I'd share some follow up photos. My brother-in-law and my dad did the lions share of the work, but Jady and I helped a lot too and mom helped by keeping an eye on Love Pie. And Love Pie helped by being cute.

The back and side of the house were made into a patio years ago so this spring my dad wanted to finish the front with a wall, patio and the front sidewalk, I think it turned out beautifully.

Some other recent favorites on from Sophik.

image via sophik.

Getting pumped

Genevra, this picture is making me really excited. :)

From the outstanding in the field facebook fan photos.

Best buds

Somewhere in his own genius little baby brain Louis figured out kissing. And I do mean kissing, not head butting, because he likes to head butt the dog too, but I honestly think he knows the difference. He knows instinctively through the crazy amounts of kisses he's received, that lips on something is a term of endearment. So the fact that he closes his eyes and shoves his face towards things in an act of smooching just kills me. And that he does it to King is just too cute for words. They're buds, they really are.

I love them.

Graduation

I started babysitting Shae Shae (yes, that's a nickname) when I was eleven years old and she was pretty much a new born. She and her older brother lived down the street from me and since her parents liked to run the lake they often called me down to keep an eye on them for the hour or so that they were gone. It worked out since even though I was so young (eleven seems almost crazy to me now!), my parents were just a few houses away so there was always back up if needed (though, I have to say, it was never needed). I babysat her and her brother and eventually her younger sister from that time until I graduated high school and went away to college. Often with the help of my friend Caroline. When the littlest one came along I needed back up. :)

Now Shae is all grown up and has just graduated from high school herself. My inclination here is to say something like "Oh, I feel so old!" but really I kind of just feel pleased that these kids are becoming adults now and I get to know them on a different level. I'm happy to say that even while I was in college and when I moved home after I graduated I still gave Shae and her sister a call from time to time so I could stop over and see them, or take them out to the dog park with King and I.

When it came time to get Shae a graduation present I immediately thought of the one that my sister gave me when I graduated high school. Being that it was so creative and thoughtful, just like my big sister is, I thought I would re-create it a little bit with Shae's present. So I (along with Caroline and my mom) got her many of the things that a college freshman needs, but also a little bit of fancy thrown in for good measure. These were a few of many things I didn't think to get when I went off to college, but whenever I used the ones Jady got me I thought of my sister and home and it made me happy.

A nice shower caddy filled with a lovely ceramic mug and bowl from Anthropologie, fancy hot chocolates and coffee (when you need something better than the cafeteria), shower sandals to keep away the warts in those horrid communal showers, ear plugs for when your roommates come home loud and drunk during finals week (one in one ear and the other ear to the pillow and you'll still wake up to your alarm), a frame for pictures of familiar friends who are now in far away states, a cd of lovely songs with no lyrics that are perfect for studying to in coffee shops and a fancy little notebook just for fun.

I think she's ready. Look out world, this girl is going places.

Lucy

My dear family friend Julie and her daughter Lucy made their first trip home to Minneapolis from Arizona last week. It was so nice to finally meet Lucy on Sunday. She must have been a little pooped out from meeting so many new people over the past few days because she gave herself a little time out and slouched down against the garage for a while. There is something about this image; the wooden fence, the long grass, the garage and the giant speaker, that make Lucy look a little bit like a baby redneck, and somehow that's what makes it so insanely cute. Of course neither Julie nor Lucy are anything close to rednecks, but I like to pretend she's leaning against a garage in podunk Tennessee and "Honk if you Honky Tonk" is playing out of that speaker.

Sunday

Man, we had the best fathers day. We had a great brunch, including this new egg bake recipe I tried that we enjoyed with sausage and sourdough toast, apple fritters, fruit and Jady made our (very German) family's kuchen recipe. It was delicious. Then we sat around on the deck all day until it was time to head to a graduation party and a bbq. All in all a fabulous fathers day, especially for Jason's first.

Below is a picture that Jady took when she, Louis and my dad went to the zoo last week. Having my great dad as a grandfather and Jason as his own amazing father, this little boy has some incredible role models on how to be a great man.

Merry Mary Monday!

A happy flower on a Monday morning.

you can read about the origins of Merry Mary Monday here.

Weekend Away

Happy Friday

What are you guys up to this weekend? I've got a couple graduation parties, wedding dresses to find, BBQ's to attend and a fathers day brunch to enjoy. Have a good one!

image via raquelissima. found via animalirium.

I love him.

Lake side boy

The weather when we were up north last weekend was overcast mixed with a few periods of drizzle and rain. Normally you'd think this would upset us, but it was actually really nice. The perfect excuse to be extra lazy and to linger over our coffee longer in the mornings and cuddle up under quilts at night.

The first morning we were there I took Louis down to the dock so he could see his first ever northern Minnesota lake. It was calm, quiet and beautiful and Louis LOVED it. I mean, you wouldn't think that he would really emote over a lake, but he was smiling, laughing and bouncing up and down in my arms.

While we were sitting down on the dock we were greeted by a loon. Louis' first loon siting. And even though it was the beginning of the weekend, it already felt complete.

Cynthia Vardhan

Lovely ceramics by Cynthia Vardhan featured recently on design*sponge. Shop here.

Up do's

*Disclaimer: this will be one of the girliest posts I've ever written, just so ya know.*

I've had long hair ever since I started to grow it out in tenth grade. I made a new years resolution once, years and years ago, that since I had long hair I would try and do a different hair do with it everyday of the week. Which of course lasted about a day and then I gave up and went back to my regulars. Who has that kind of time anyway?

I have the type of hair that I can wear curly or straight, so within those two looks I have a few staple do's and I generally don't deviate too much from them. In the same way that once you figure out what cut and style of clothes work on your body type you tend to keep repeating them, hair do's are similar. My hair is too heavy for most clips and bun styles, but I can still do a lot with it and, like fashion, it's good to try new things every once in a while.

So when I recently watched this clip from daily candy on a messy low bun look I realized that it's one I want to try on myself. And I will try it and hopefully it'll work out with my type of hair, but the video also made me realize why I don't really try new hair styles as much anymore and why I never managed to learn to braid my own hair, because it takes so damn long to get it right that your arms start to burn like hell. Just watching the video made my arms get the tingly aching feeling that comes when you've had them behind your head working for too long and you literally have to rest them before going back to finish the look. Maybe I just need to do some more push ups, but I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in the exhausted-arm-hair-do-pains. I think this is one of those instances when you use the term pain for beauty. Yeah, that's it, complicated up-do's and those son-of-a-bitchin' high heels.

image via typography served.

Hasselbacks

It's always fun to try a new spin on a potato as they are probably the best food God ever invented. Last night I tried this hasselback potato recipe with my chicken and grilled veggies and it was delicious. Next up are these crash hot potatoes (thanks betty!) and then these bad boys, red potatoes with herbed goat cheese. YUM!