Lately.

  This  weekend was one of those gloriously long ones where you find yourself at 1pm on Saturday thinking, "Man, I wish I didn't have to go back to work tomorrow," only to realize you're not even half through the weekend. Between Justin agreeing to visit the local antique mall with me to him making supper {from scratch! No Wetzels Pretzels!} and running with me- it was just a really great two days. 

  It felt like summer, with long steamy days and sunlight until 9pm. Summer last year was pretty much a wash. I slept through part of it, cried through even more of it, and then quickly wished that last of it away. I think that must be why I seem to be eating up even the smallest signs that summer is on its way here this year. We're at a completely different place 12 months later {a year out of grad school, Justin got promoted, and much more settled in our home and community}. The growth and change that can occur in 12 simple months is amazing, amen? 

I may hate our teeny, tiny panty. But I do love my kitchen chalkboard and the summer light that spills through our bay window. 

I will never stop loving Trader Joe's super cheap flower bouquets. And candles from Anthro & West Elm!

This guy. Lazy bum.

Ice cream sundaes! Guys, my lactose intolerant stomach hates me for this- but I've had 3 sundaes in the last week. Oops!

I snagged this beauty for cheap at our local antique mall. Now, what should I do with it??

Hey girl, heyyyy! Look who's easing back into running! {Me! Its me!}

When temps hit 80°, I always get a craving for lemonade. Add in some strawberries, and my little sugar-loving heart is in heaven.

Sexy lady.

  Holy goodness! Only two weeks left in May and then we're officially moving into summer. This is the first summer in 4 years that we don't have a singe wedding or shower. Not a one! That's quite the change from our usual 8-15. But a fun 5k, hiking, a Noonday trunk show, lake vacation, and some house projects are on the calendar. I'm so so looking forward to this summer. And making up for all the things I skipped out on last year. Yes, I've officially decided it will be a wonderful summer.

 What about you? Any great or wonderfully simple summer plans in the works? Do share! 

Best of my days. {15}

  Friday! I have a theory that the excitement and hoopla surrounding Friday's started way back with TGIF. I mean, who didn't love Friday's in the 90's? 

  Between book club, headboard planning {its happening! its really happening!}, deep cleaning, and hopefully catching up with some old friends- this weekend is looking good already. Temperatures are already pretty steamy here in Indiana, and I'm not complaining one bit. I love long, summer-ish weekends. Here's to hoping this one's just like that!

181. wine & food with friends

182. good friends

183. Justin being my DD

184. laughing

185. building community

186. lifetime movies

187. a clean house

188. a growing garden

189. noonday plans!

190. thankful text

In the kitchen:: Pizza bites.

  On a completely different note than yesterday, I have a favorite recipe to share! I've probably mentioned it a hundred times, but I'm a creature of habit. Especially when it comes to food. I love trying new recipes, but always with the hopes of finding a new favorite staple. This recipe is one of those. I have made these pizza bites probably 15 times over the last 3 months. No joke. These are dee lish ush. They don't look like anything special and everyone is a little hesitant to dive right in, but once they do- the bites are gone in minutes. There are two things that set these puppies apart from any other recipe I've seen or tried for pizza bites. I quickly substituted bread dough {this is my favorite! We also use it for stromboli} for pizza dough. Much fluffier and less flaky. You also cannot skimp on the olive oil seasoning. The garlicky, parmesan-y, olive-y goodness seals the deal here, people. You can get crazy and use whatever pizza toppings you want, but I would keep it simple. And, well, I do. I always stick with pepperoni and mozz. Yum!

On toeing the line.

 
  Happy Monday, friends. How are you? Full from the weekend and ready to tackle this new week? A bit exhausted and wishing for just one more day before the work week resumes? 
  I'm finding myself somewhere between those two today. I sat down with the intentions to share some heart things. Its been quite a while since I've truly checked in about real life. But I'm feeling a bit hesitant. I love sharing real life things. Processing out loud, if you will. But I think there is a need for balance when it comes to real vs. interwebs life, you know? It's one thing to sit down with a cup of tea or oversized glass of wine and share heart things with a friends. And quite another to share those same things with a people I may or may not know and probably won't have any back and forth with about it all. I love having this outlet and being mostly transparent, because I do love being genuine. More though, I want to make sure I'm not toeing the line. That I'm seeking wise counsel in real life. That I am sharing my heart, but face to face and not with a blank screen that may or may not talk back to me. 
  I have a lot to say about this season I'm in right now. I think, though, that it will probably be best said when the next season fully begins. I'm not necessarily in a hurry for this one to be over. But maybe I am. I go back and forth on that one. Either way, it's still part of the story. I know from experience that sharing any part of any story is a good thing.  So I hope to share this part one day, when I'm maybe onto the next chapter? It seems as if when things become the quietest in this little corner of the internet, life is happening in the biggest ways. So good or bad, I really feel like I should be treasuring life right now. 
  I don't know. I'm curious. Am I the only one who thinks so much about toeing the internet line with how much to process out loud? What's your balance? Do things seem quietest for you too when life really is moving in the biggest ways? 

Best of my days. {14}

 Yes. Amen. That quote is so true. 

  I have the day off with just about no plans {short of a wine tasting with friends tonight!}. I'm a little beside myself. I've only checked my work email 4 times, so that's good. Right? Maybe I'll get some cleaning done and go for a run and plant some flowers. Maybe I'll watch Call the Midwife. So much room for activities! Its kind of the perfect ending to another full, full week. A slow morning to sit with Jesus and reflect and practice hope & faith is never a bad way to start a long weekend, you know? 

  So, here's to the weekend! Here's to building a calm life rooted in gratitude. 

171. a new book

172. Justin's hard work

173. fresh flowers around the house

174. a day off

175. mornings and evenings in the backyard

176. hope

177. Liz Barron. {you made the blog! :D}

178. mom's successful surgery

179. Brooke Frasier in the car

180. feeling really, truly full 

Up & Doing. {May}

//go hiking// Well, that's self-explainatory. We have a favorite state park that we like to meet up with friends at, and I want to try some close to home as well. 

//get licensed// Its been a year since I received my Master's, but since getting a new job last Fall, I never sat for my licensure. {face palm} Its embarassing. I've been dragging my feet. No more!

//cheer up the deck// We may have tackled front yard landscaping, but the backyard will have to wait until next year. My mom picked up an adorable flower box for me at Ikea a weeks ago and I want to get it filled with bright summer blooms to bring some color to our deck.

 Pretty basic goals, but I know they'll feel so good to accomplish. {especially that whole license thing!} Let's do this, May!

Knock off.

   Who doesn't love the ever popular Anthro Homegrown Monogram mugs? But they're so homemade-ish, I knew I could make a knock-off. And what better excuse than Mother's day?! A trip to Goodwill, a shipment of some lovely Martha Stewart Craft goodies {eek!}, and a bit of handiwork later- and I'm in love with the finished project. Add a little flower, and you have the cutest Mother's Day gift or brunch place-setting.  

   For this project, you'll need a white ceramic mug, Martha Stewarts large paisley silkscreen, adhesive letter stencil, brush, and all purpose acrylic paint. All of these lovely supplies can be picked up at your local Michael's. 

    What I love about these silkscreens & stencil is their adhesiveness. It makes applying the paint so much simpler. I did notice, however, that the more I used my silkscreen and rinsed it off {I made two mugs}, it lost some of its stickiness. The adhesive letters worked great, though! 
  Start by wrapping the silkscreen around the mug. Wrap tightly and work out bumps so the paint goes on smoothly.

  Paint a layer of acrylic over the silkscreen. Slowly remove the stencil and wipe any smudges with a wet cloth. Let the paint dry, and then reposition the stencil/repeat until the mug is covered with the print. 

   

   After the entire print is dry, evenly position the monogram. 

   Paint and slowly remove the stencil. 

   I liked the sloppy edges that bled through, but cleaned them up a bit with a wet cloth. To set the paint, place in a cool oven and bake at 350° for 30 minutes. To make sure the paint still doesn't chip, be sure to wash by hand or the top shelf in a dishwasher.

Et voila!  Isn't the print lacey and lovely?

    To add a bit of pop, I picked up a baby geranium and planted it in the mug. Adorable? Yes. 

  And since I'm posting this days before Mother's Day, the cat's out of the bag. Guess you know what you're getting, sisters! :)

I'm sharing this at the following parties: The Shabby Creek Cottage, Liz Marie Blog, The Shabby Nest, Whipperberry, DesignDining&Diapers, Serenity Now.  

full disclosure:: This post was written as part of Blueprint Social and Plaid's Mother's Day campaign. I got some free stuff, but absolutely all the opinions and love for Martha's gorgeous craft supplies are all mine. 

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