{meg's musings}

Just in time for Christmas.

2013-12-10T16:24:00.003-05:00

i hate to do another shop-related post, but wanted to fill you guys in on the deal i'm running on Groopdealz from now through Thursday! my popular pine cone necklace is 42% off, with discounted shipping ($2.75)! on top of that, it's guaranteed to ship in time for Christmas, so you can give it as a Christmas gift (it's ok to get yourself a Christmas gift too. just sayin') there's only a limited number available, so i'd snag one sooner than later.

i would be super grateful if you felt like sharing this deal on twitter/facebook/your social media outlet of choice (you can actually do it from the deal page itself when you hover over the photo). thanks guys!! i'll check in soon with a more interesting (less self-promoting) post ;)

the good life.

2013-12-05T01:06:00.003-05:00

hey guys! i'm not sure why it's taken me so long to return to this space! it seems the longer it's been, the harder it is to jump back in because i just don't know where to begin. our new life in Portland has been pretty wonderful. i struggled with bouts of anxiety at the beginning (which i don't think was helped by our Breaking Bad marathons), but i feel like within the past month, i've started to find my rhythm and really start to settle in and feel like myself again. our house has started to feel more like a home (i wasn't really feeling it at first). there are so many amazing things about living in Portland, between all of the local farm stands/markets & amazing produce, endless mind-blowing (and reasonably priced) restaurants, gorgeous hikes, cheap/fun/unique entertainment options, the laid-back lifestyle, no sales tax(!).. and yea i could go on for awhile. yea, i would say it's a pretty incredible place to live & i get why Portlandians take so much pride in their city. i literally gasp every time i suddenly get a glimpse of majestic Mt. Hood. it's hard to believe it's real, that i get to live somewhere with so much natural beauty, and with such an appealing lifestyle.

i'm actually at 'home' (in Michigan) right now for the holidays. i get to stay a whole month because of my flexible work situation (i work remotely from Portland & am working in the office while i'm here). i'm learning to be more thankful for the flexibility, i think i generally take it for granted. i am a pretty bad complainer actually. anyway -- i am happy to get lots of time with my family and friends (and their cute babies). it's been so great being at my parents' house, especially with my brother here too. missing joel though, i will be very happy when he's back here next friday.. this is the longest we've been apart. need to get in lots of girl time in the meantime!

oh, hey.

2013-10-23T03:12:00.000-04:00

hey guys, remember me? i don't blame you if you don't! it has been a really freaking long time. happy to report i'm alive and well in our new home in the Pacific Northwest. i have to say, Portland is a pretty amazing place to live & is slowly starting to feel like home, though it still feels pretty surreal that we actually live here. will tell you more about that soon but for now i just wanted to drop in to let you guys know about the special i'm having on the pinecone necklace in my shop this week.

that's almost 40% off you guys! (still trying to figure out if they say 'you guys' here..) there is only a limited quantity available & the deal will end on Sunday (the 27th). this is a perfect everyday necklace for fall - it goes with everything, is a comfortable weight & such a pretty antiqued bronze. the length is 27", but i am happy to adjust the length on request, just shoot me a message on etsy. find it here.

excited to be back to blogging! i've missed you all, for reals.

my bungalow dreams have come true.

2013-08-08T14:19:00.000-04:00

like i mentioned in my last post, we finally secured a rental in Portland after quite a stressful process. the rental market in Portland is apparently extremely hot right now, some we talked to said it's the hottest they've ever seen it. this means places are snatched up immediately {and prices are hiked, wah wah}. people are even offering more than what the rental is listed for! ftw. so obviously this was not easy to navigate from across the country. luckily we have a couple of friends out there who were awesome enough to look at places for us. i think we had them look at six different ones, yikes. and we filled out apps for all of them, paid paid app fees, got credit checks done, corresponded back and forth via email and phone, even did a Skype interview, and crossed our fingers that something would work out. whew! it felt like we were buying a house or something. i can't even imagine what that process is actually going to be like.

in the end, we were approved for an adorable 1926 bungalow in NE portland. you guys, i'm going to live in a bungalow. in portland. is this real life? and it's on 1/3 of an acre with three garden boxes and a raspberry bush, oh and a garage converted into a studio space (which i haven't even seen photos of, hah). i am rather giddy about it. it was a really stressful process and i am so thankful it's over and amazed that we came out of it with such an awesome place (at least judging by photos & our friend's reactions since we haven't actually seen it). it's really crazy how it all worked out in the end.. i won't bore you with the details, but it feels very much meant to be, even though we will be spending more than we were hoping to.

and now i've already started pinning a million ideas for decor. we sold a lot, so we're going to have quite a bit of empty space starting out. and i know it's going to drive me crazy, but i'm hoping i'll be patient because we are going to have to buy pieces slowly. also have started researching the area and have already located a community garden, two farmers' markets, a New Seasons Market, and a Trader Joe's nearby. i am kind of giddy about all of that. if any of you just so happen to live in/be familiar with NE portland, please message me! it feels a little strange not even having been to the neighborhood we're living in, hopefully we'll feel at home there!

sorry for the wordy post, i'm just a wee bit excited!

oh, hi.

2013-07-31T17:42:00.001-04:00

wow, i don't know if i've ever gone this long without blogging! wanted to let you all know i am still alive and well. finding it hard to keep up with the blog world while i prepare for this enormous transition that is just around the corner. but i definitely miss it and feel very much out of the loop. come tomorrow, august 1st, it will be moving month {we leave august 24th}. i had to pause for a moment after typing that and stare blankly at my screen. you guys, it still doesn't seem real and i guess it just won't until we're there. i have lived here {in the mitten state} for nearly my entire life, and i am moving 2,400 miles away. i just can't wrap my head around it. but i will say that, though the moments of overwhelming sadness/shock/i feel like balling my eyes out are starting to hit, overall i am still feeling really excited for this new chapter. there is SO much to look forward to.

thought i'd share a few of my favorite instagrams of life since you last heard from me. it has been rather full. we have had a 4-day yard sale in the hot, hot heat and moved out of our house & into my parents. we've traveled to the Denver area for my friend's wedding {for which i was a bridesmaid & joel played music} & then to Manitou Springs for some majestic sight-seeing at Garden of the Gods & Pike's Peak. i finally figured out my work situation for after the move. we visited my sister & brother-in-law (and their new pup) across the state and spent a weekend up north with my in-laws. we sent out a bajillion emails to prospective rentals in Portland, filled out multiple applications, paid multiple fees, stressed the freak out, and THANK THE LORD, secured a place to live (woot woot - more on that later). with LOTS of time spent with family and friends in between, some good memories for sure. there has not been a dull moment during these last days in Michigan. hopefully the rest will be just as sweet.

stuff.

2013-06-18T19:09:00.001-04:00

wow, have i been a terrible blogger lately. my mind has been going all sort of directions and apparently keeping up this blog has not been one of them. this season has been going so fast... we have just over two months before we make the big cross-country move. doesn't seem possible. in the meantime we have much going on (and much to plan & figure out, including a place to live in portland). in the last few weeks, we've helped my sister & brother-in-law move, traveled to Asheville for our anniversary (more on that soon), had a grad party for Joel, drove to the U.P (Escanaba to be exact) for a college friend's wedding, on top of trying to start packing, starting to inquire about rentals online, trying to sort out work transition stuff, etc etc. let's just say there's a lot to figure out yet. oh yea, and there was that time that joel helped open up for Eddie Money at DTE.

strangely, i am staying very calm lately, despite the garage sale coming up in 2 days that we are not all that prepared for and the move into my parents' house next weekend that we are definitely not prepared for. it'll all get done, somehow. and once it's done, we will be off to Denver for my dear friend's wedding and then to some very exciting, long-awaited travel plans (in celebration of Joel finishing his PhD).

photos from our trip to the beauuutiful oasis that is the U.P. this weekend. we will miss it dearly.

this my friends, is shaping up to me the most eventful, epic summer of my life. in mostly good ways but also chaotic ways. and eventually heart-wrenching ways. i got a tiny glimpse of the flood of emotions to come last night when we were watching real world portland (did i just admit that publicly) and the roommates were all saying their goodbyes in typical dramatic fashion to people they had known for what, 3 months? i was painstakingly reminded of the fact that i will be saying goodbye to friends i have know, oh just 10, 15 years and oh yea, the most important people in my life (second to Joel), my family. ok that's enough of that. i'll check in soon with more happy thoughts, on Asheeville.

this guy.

2013-06-11T22:08:00.001-04:00

is now Dr. Joel Lane. yea, he's my husband.

though I wasn't able to watch him defend his dissertation (which was now two weeks ago by the way, I've sucked at blogging), i was able to creep on him from afar while chillin' in his office. and i got to join him in the conference room afterward where his dissertation committee told him that there was absolutely nothing he needed to change about his dissertation, that he did a brilliant job. he astounds me. at our celebratory lunch afterward, i encouraged him to sign the check Dr. Lane (which he says he will never do again unless the waiter deserves it). i am pretty freaking proud of this guy and all of the blood, sweat and tears that went into this insane accomplishment. it took an incredible amount of hard work, sacrifices, challenges, sleep deprivation.. the list could go on and on. seriously, it is mind-blowing, i could definitely never do it.

i am still in shock that his years of being a student are over. i will admit, it has not been exactly been easy being the wife of a PhD student, we have definitely had our challenges along the way (sidenote: loved this honest post about marriage from Lauren today). but i am so grateful and hopeful for our next season. a grand adventure awaits :)

At long last, Asheville here we come!

2013-05-24T01:09:00.001-04:00

We have been pining to road trip it to Asheville for years now, and we are finally getting our chance, thanks to a coworker hooking us up with a comp hotel stay, woohoo! (an amazing perk of my day job). And just in time to celebrate five years (!) of marriage. Neither of us have been to the Carolinas before and are thankful to have the chance before we are out of road-trip range. I am excited to finally experience the Blue Ridge mountains and plus I have heard amazing things about the food culture, the music scene and the beer. A few of my favorite things.

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For any of you who have been, I would love your recommendations! The only for-sures on our itinerary so far are hiking at Mt. Mitchell (the tallest mountain east of the Rockies!) and dinner at Tupelo Honey. Am thinking about a visit to The Biltmore but am not sure I want to spend the money, it is really worth it? For reference, we will be there for just a long weekend - two days and three nights.

Do any of you have a fun road trip planned in your near future? Hubs and I absolutely love them. I envision many in our Oregonian future.

friday links.

2013-05-17T18:24:00.001-04:00

{lovely garland made by Kristen of PomLove, with whom I'm going to be sharing a city in a few months! :D)

- was growing out my bangs but suddenly missed them desperately so I got banged

- have you guys seen this video of two guys undergoing labor pain simulation? They're actually two guys from my church, one of which is a good friend of my hubby's. they made it to play at services on Mother's Day. apparently it's going viral!

- really want these wooden clogs

- want to try this paleo granola

- and this Alfredo-like sauce made with cauliflower

- loving these sandals made by Guatemalan artisans

- found this article about why French kids don't have ADHD to be really interesting. now want to read Bringing Up Bébé (eventually)

what are you lovelies up to this weekend? my family and i are headed to Grand Rapids to help my sis and brother-in-law move (apparently this is the summer of moving!) my sister just accepted a job as Director of a Boys and Girls Club camp and they will be living on the camp site - so proud of her!!

that time a bat got into our house...

2013-05-17T00:04:00.001-04:00

And I went bat-shit crazy (please excuse my language - I just couldn't help myself).

{pretty hot, I know}

Joel successfully took care of the bat with a bat (he had opened the front door in hopes it would leave peacefully but 'twas not happening). While he was upstairs trying to get it though, it got away and flew downstairs into the living room straight toward me (or so it seemed). I screamed bloody murder, and as evidenced above, spilled my wine all over myself as I dashed toward our sunroom (back left) and slammed the door. I don't remember the last time I was so frightened, my heart was beating out of my chest! Joel said he has never heard a more genuine, blood-curdling scream, that it topped anything he'd heard in a horror film - haha! Pretty ridiculous. Thank God Joel was home because obviously I wouldn't have been able to remedy the situation on my own. I was quite impressed (and turned on) by my man swooping in and saving the day.

Has this ever happened to you guys? What did you do? I'm hoping to never encounter a bat indoors again, though it did make for a photo that many people seem to have gotten quite a kick out of.

Lately..

2013-05-15T10:44:00.000-04:00

I know I've been pretty absent from this space lately, so I thought I'd fill you in on just a few tidbits from my life lately, via Instagram of course. My DSLR has been feeling ever so neglected. I'm thinking it might be fun to take a photography class at PSU once Joel's a professor there so that I can learn how to go beyond the Auto mode.

Spent Mother's Day in E. Lansing with all my family. Had a delicious authentic Mexican lunch followed by coffee & dessert, then moved my brother out of his apartment! He's done with college aside from one class he'll be taking this summer and is now living with my parents (10 minutes from us!), so I am excited to spend a lot more time with him before we move to Portland (which by the way, has totally not sunk in). We'll really get a lot of time together once we join him at my parents' house at the end of June.. we'll be living there July and August in order to save some money before our move. My parents are the best.

Been doing a whole lot of cooking lately to avoid going out to eat (we're working toward paying off our credit cards and this involves being very careful with our spending). On Cinco de Mayo, I made my favorite tacos - Chicken Tinga tacos. Was going to post the recipe but then decided that was sorta silly since it is verbatim what is on Nicole's blog. I highly recommend these, Joel and I go crazy over them. The chicken prep is rather time consuming, but pays out on flavor and usually lasts us much of the week, which means I get a few days off of cooking. It's great on quesadillas too.

Celebrates Magg's 5th birthday on Sunday, although I'll admit he was a little neglected with it being Mother's Day and is being out of town most of the day. But he did get some treats from Trader Joe's that he flipped out over, as well as lots of lovin'. Hard to believe out bubbers is 5 years old. I love him to pieces.

Got to spend lots more quality time with Joel while he was on break from teaching classes, which involved lots of long walks and picnics. It's been so refreshing. I am so looking forward to having way more time with him once he's a full-time professor. No more being he wife of a PhD student.. Woohoo!! Really hard to believe this chapter is coming to a close. Hoping our last summer in Michigan is filled with amazing memories. Between moving twice, standing up in a wedding in Denver and having something going on nearly every weekend, it's definitely going to be a busy one!

What have you guys been up to lately? Is your summer a packed one?

Last-Minute Mother's Day Card Roundup

2013-05-07T09:46:00.001-04:00

Just in case you haven't gotten your mom a card for Mother's Day yet (I just ordered mine this weekend).

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8

Worried about it getting here on time? Another convenient option is downloading this lovely card. I got my friend's bridal shower invites (also downloadable) from the same shop, Paper and Pip -- I definitely recommend.

I'll be back later this week to share a recipe from Cinco de Mayo and some photos from the bridal shower I threw -- if I can get my darn desktop to work! April was a very full month and I'm happy for a bit of downtime before things get crazy again, which will include visiting this space more often - I've missed it!

moist & delicious grain-free blueberry muffins!

2013-04-18T16:18:00.003-04:00

When i first started venturing into "healthy" baking, I experimented with whole wheat flour (like this banana bread). since then, I've read {some of} the book wheat belly (helpful summary here) and my eyes were opened to how wheat - whether it be white or whole - is actually detrimental to our health, in a number of ways (stemming from its uncommonly high glycemic index). Yikes.. that was not an easy thing to swallow! since then, i have mostly eliminated if from my diet, with some exceptions here and there of course (um hello, I can never say goodbye to bread or pizza altogether (the real stuff)... although i am excited to use this to make my own GF crust). I'm pretty sure that eliminating it has been the biggest contributor to my losing weight and feeling a million times better (I used to feel tired frequently, esp. late afternoon, plus I would usually wake up with a tummy ache and have frequent bloating issues).

I have since discovered the wonders of almond flour... it makes amazing baked goods (and is super healthy -- win-win)!! In my opinion, it's results are FAR superior to whole wheat flour.. so much more moist and delicate! I started out with the Trader Joe's brand but recently finally splurged on Honeyville's and will never go back. It is freaking amazing. Because it is made with blanched almonds, the texture is far finer and superior to the TJ's brand. And though i know it seems crazy expensive, because it is such a large quantity, it should last you several months. also, if you sign up for their newsletter, you'll get updates about special sales (they actually just finished having a storewide 20% off sale)!

I have been making muffins like crazy lately for the hubs and I for breakfast (we love them and they stay good for a few days). Some of my favorites so far have been raspberry chocolate chip (amazeballs), pumpkin chocolate, and banana chocolate). Finally made one without chocolate, haha. Plan on trying these and these next.

GRAIN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

(adapted from this recipe)

Yield: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/3 cup honey
4 tablespoons melted coconut oil (or pastured butter)
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon lemon zest (from 2-3 lemons)
2 1/2 cups almond flour
1 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease muffin pan with coconut oil or butter or use unbleached muffin liners.
In a medium mixing bowl use either a whisk to combine the eggs, honey, coconut oil, vanilla, baking soda, sea salt and lemon zest.
With a spatula, first mix in the almond flour, in batches, and then gently fold in and blueberries.
Batter will be very firm so you’ll need to use a spoon to evenly divide the batter amonst the 12 muffin cups. Place 2-3 blueberries on top and press down into the batter…just because it looks pretty!
Bake for 20-25 minutes. Toothpick should come out clean and they should be a nice golden brown.

This is a recipe I will be coming back to time and time again, for sure. I am craving them as I type this!

an invitation.

2013-04-17T17:33:00.002-04:00

I read a really beautiful passage from Bob Goff's Love Does last night that stirred my heart immensely and I don't want it to leave my mind.

"I get the invitation every morning when I wake up to actually live a life of complete engagement, a life of whimsy, a life where love does. It doesn’t come in an envelope. It’s ushered in by a sunrise, the sound of a bird, or the smell of coffee drifting lazily from the kitchen. It’s the invitation to actually live, to fully participate in this amazing life for one more day. Nobody turns down an invitation the White House, but I've seen plenty of people turn down an invitation to fully live..."

I don't want to be one of those people that rejects this amazing invitation. Especially when we just never know when our time here could end.

Thinking about and praying for all of those affected by the Boston bombings, have had a hard time posting this week. Hope you and your loved ones are safe.

2013-04-12T15:10:00.000-04:00

{source}

I've been so caught up in my seemingly never-ending to-do lately, that I've been neglecting to be in the present. Even when Joel and cuddle up on the couch to catch last week's New Girl or HIMYM, I find myself trying to do some other task at the same time, like last night I was making a grocery list on my phone. Ridic. It makes for an inward, joy-deprived way to live. One thing I've been thinking about this week is how I'd like to be more intentional about taking time out of each day to do something kind toward someone in my life (or a stranger), whether it be sending a card, an encouraging email/text, cooking/baking for them, making something for them, or whatever.. Trying not to beat myself up about being so terrible at it but rather work toward changing it.

On a somewhat related note, have I mentioned before how much I hate that busy-ness is so valued in our culture?! That we seem to have this belief that life is more meaningful/complete if you are super busy all the time? I envy Europeans' way of lingering over coffee, as Erika observed on her recent trip abroad. They don't seem to be constantly in a hurry like we are; they are there in the moment soaking up time with people in their lives. I think their priorities are much more in line.

And on a definitely unrelated note, some of my favorite links from the week :)

-- this knock-my-socks-off-beautiful Indian wedding
-- new adorable kid art from the lovely lisa
-- healthy food for camping or hiking
-- drooling over this chicken and rice bowl recipe (but keeping meals super simple (cheap) right now)
-- a helpful tutorial for a fun party (or decorative) garland

hope you all take the time to linger over coffee this weekend!

etsy makes for great gifts.

2013-04-10T17:26:00.000-04:00

right?! i know i would be giddy to receive any of these handmade beauties (even the elf hat.. i could always stash it away for our future kiddos :)). love that they are all reasonably priced.

when i pulled items from my favorites on etsy for this collection, i wasn't i wasn't even trying to color coordinate. i guess it just shows how i am constantly drawn to peaches, mustards and turquoises.

p.s. have you guys heard of Fotor (or am i just way behind)?? i used it to make this collage - it's got some really great layout options and it's FREE. now i'll have to see if there's an app for my iPad, since i rarely use my aging desktop these days, except to proofread hubby's dissertation, which he recently finished writing(!!!) in the matter of seven months. he is superhuman.

oh no they didn't

2013-04-09T22:03:00.000-04:00

if you are as obsessed with rifle paper co. as i am, i am sure you have already seen this.
yup, they introduced iPhone cases. i'm kind of glad my favorite designs aren't available for iPhone 4s because i probably would have already bought one, and that would have been against the spending freeze rules (which by the way, i broke for the first time last week with a couple of spring clothing purchases.. whoopsies...)

{source}

once it is time to upgrade to the 5, i will most definitely be adorning her with one of these beauties. that won't be until we live in portland (say whaaaat?)

p.s. don't miss the 'shop my closet' sale on instagram. i need to make up for that new stuff i bought... yikes.

shop my closet sale on instagram!!

2013-04-07T15:50:00.001-04:00

It may still be a bit premature, but I boxed up all of my winter clothes this weekend (including my heavy winter coat, yesss). Next time I will see them will be in Portland. That is just too much to digest. but I have to say, I am pretty much at peace with leaving the cold, dreary Michigan winters behind. this one has seemed to be never-ending. I wouldn't even be surprised if we got another bout of snow yet. I am longing for greenery and flowers, which are already in full bloom in Portland.

There are a few wardrobe pieces that won't be making the trip to Portland with us. I decided to steal Blair's idea and open up a 'shop my closet sale' on instagram under the username @shopmeganlane. I've added several items already and will continue adding more, including some great quality jeans that no longer fit me.

Each item will go to the first person who leaves a comment. feel free to leave a question or email me at prettythingsbymeg@gmail.com. all prices are negotiable! I don't mind a little bartering. I will accept payments via PayPal or check.

Shop my closet here. Also, there are still a few items left in my previous shop my closet sale here on the blog. prices have just been reduced (and are still negotiable). feel free to comment with any questions!

Happy Easter!

2013-03-31T22:18:00.001-04:00

{source}

Reminded today of all that God has done for me. He loves us so much!

a new etsy shop obsession :: GYPSA.

2013-03-27T18:47:00.000-04:00

i just discovered this shop the other day via Poppytalk & i am pretty much enamored. in particular, this quilt. i've decided it must adorn our future queen-sized bed that i'm hoping we will get to purchase shortly after our move (we have a full now that was mine growing up and some other family member's before that... yea, i think it's time for an upgrade). it's things like this that make me all the more motivated to continue pitching pennies in the meantime & knockin' down that credit card debt.

some other things i would really like to have prettying up our next place. they are all perfect. and also pretty reasonably priced. win, win.

speaking of our next place, we are looking to rent a 2-3 bedroom house in Portland -- for those of you that live there, do you have any recommendations of what neighborhoods we should look in? we've been told SE is a great area & we really enjoyed what we saw of it while we were there. i think this finding the right place busiiness is going to be a bit tricky, especially with the budget hubby is hoping to stay within. the plan is to go there in July to find our place/sign a lease (we move at the end of August). in the meantime, i'm checking craig's list incessantly even though it's still much to early. not a huge fan of the waiting game.

a weekend in cincinnati.

2013-03-24T23:55:00.001-04:00

This weekend, I tagged along with my hubby to Cincinnati, where he attended the yearly ACA conference. I love to accompany him on these conference trips because it gives me a chance to explore a new city and get a mini-vacay (while he gets up everyday before 7am to gives presentations and go to meetings, etc. -- my hubs is one hard-working man). He even snuck in some time to work on his dissertation. What?! I'm telling you, he is our of control. I got all emotional/proud-wifey on him on the drive home talking about how it still feels so surreal that he got the Portland State position, but that everything will feel real once he sees his name on the door to his very own office there. I was overwhelmed by feelings of pride; he has worked really stinking hard to get that job - a job that tons of tenured professors applied to -- (he met a ton of people at the conference who were like, "WHOA, you got that job!!" It seriously was a very hot commodity.)

Didn't mean to go off on a bragging tangent but I couldn't help myself :) Back to our little road trip. We stayed at the 21C Museum Hotel (courtesy of my work - one of the many perks). It was a really unique and beautiful boutique hotel that actually had an art museum inside! Also, cute yellow penguins in random places, including the elevators. It is one of my fave hotels I've stayed at.

As I'm sure I've mentioned before, one of my favorite part of traveling is eating (duh). The culinary highlight of this trip :: -- wood-fired Neopolitan pizza with fig jam, prosciutto, fontina and arugula -- seriously one of the most scrumptious combinations, my stomach just growled, no joke. That was accompanied by my new fave cocktail -- made with homemade ginger beer and rum. And followed up by homemade salted caramel gelato topped with a shot of Bourbon. Heaven. The other highlight :: Graeter's ice cream (thank you SO much for the recommendation Kelly!) -- it is indescribably good. They now carry it in some grocery stores (yes!) -- you must try it if you can find it (check their website). I now understand why Oprah said "you haven't tried ice cream until you've tried Graeter's.

Wow, I am really obsessed with food!! Other than that, I really just checked out some local vintage/handmade shops (one with a vegan cafe!) and hung out an awesome coffee shop. Oh, and slept in. And ate some more.

This lady let me know that this painting is by Charley Harper, who was based out if Cincinnati! So cool!

Have any of you been to Cincinnati? I really enjoyed the architecture there, particularly in the historic Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, as well as the artsy and laid-back feel. Definitely plan on joining Joel on all of his conference excursions in the future, even if it means leaving our {future} kids with a sitter. Next March :: Honolulu(!!!!!!!!!!!)

what i've been eyeing lately.

2013-03-22T16:59:00.001-04:00

If I could splurge on a few things right now, it would be these.
They make my eyes very happy.

1. Pompom Peasant Blouse | 2. Chartreuse foldover clutch | 3. Citrus Floral Print | 4. Collared Skipper Tank |

5. Cotton Skirt from Vanilla & Lace | 6. Wildflower Turban Style Headband

Would love the Rifle Paper Co. print for our place in Portland (loving all of their new spring line right now. And loving that they're offering 20% off their featured section w/ coupon code PICKS20!) I am practically drooling over the two Anthro picks (1 & 4). I have never spent full-price on anything there (duh) but am considering getting those two pieces with the $250 (!!!) gift card that's burning a hole in my pocket. What do you guys think -- would it be dumb to use it on full-price items rather than wait for their additional 25% off clearance sale & stock up? I'm just scared that these lovelies won't make it to the sales rack and they are both screaming my name.

Hope you all have a lovely first weekend of spring! You are lucky if where you are it actually feels like spring. We are in Cincinnati (sadly just as cold as Detroit) for the weekend for a counseling conference for hubs, so if any of you are familiar with the city and have any suggestions of how I should spend my time while Joel conferences, let me know! So far I've been eating yummy food, checking out cute boutiques and hangin' at a sweet coffee shop. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the art museum (it's free!) and not sure what else yet. Maybe a trip to anthro? What are you guys up to this weekend??

lately...

2013-03-15T16:34:00.000-04:00

WOW, i knew it had been awhile since i posted, but a month?! where did it go?? a lot of you probably think i have been busy packing, but i forgot to mention in my last post, that we actually aren't moving to portland until august. but we are talking about moving in with my parents in june to save money so the sorting/purging/garage saleing/craig's listing/packing will ensue soon enough (barf).

so what's been taking me away from blogging? mostly work (snore). i've been working some crazy overtime to meet deadlines for production and for the new website that we're working on (i will not bore you with details). though it's been exhausting and consuming most of my free time, i'm really thankful because the extra income is beyond helpful right now. also, it was fun spending lots of time in our fave local coffee shop with the hubs, getting stuff done.

{i had to share with you the prettiest dessert table i've laid eyes on from a lovely baby shower last weekend.
courtesy of The Cake Lady, out of Cedar Springs, MI -- she is amazingly talented.}

there have been more exciting, life-giving things taking up my time as well. baby showers, bridal showers, a college friend reunion, the beginning stages of planning a bridal shower (the invites are out - woo!) and despite my long work days (that are now no longer - phew), i've been doing lots of cooking of healthy eats. oh and baking with the almond flour that i delightfully received in the mail. my favorite recipe try lately : raspberry and chocolate chip muffins. wowwy. i am kind of obsessed. so delicious, so healthful & keeps you full all morning! love that. i would like to try these from kelly of the pretty bee next. also, i am happy to report that i am still going strong on our spending freeze.. i have not bought anything for myself since the end of December (!!!) surprisingly, it really hasn't been hard for me, but i'm pretty sure once the weather starts warming up, it will be a different story. i love dressing for spring. luckily, i do have an anthro gift card (courtesy of work!) to spend that will get me a little somethin' -- woohoo!!

well i think that is enough rambling for now! you should be hearing from me more regularly again now that work has calmed the heck down. although i'm sure they won't stay that way for long :) i've missed you all!

and we're moving to...

2013-02-11T23:24:00.001-05:00

Yup, we're moving to Portland (!!) Joel accepted an offer for an Assistant Professor (in the Counselor Education program) at Portland State University -- our number one pick!

And I am going to take this opportunity to gush about him a bit. I can't help myself, I am just so proud of him. Out of the three on-campus interviews he had in the past two weeks, all three offered him the job, rather quickly (coincidentally, all on the same day -- the timing couldn't have been much more ideal). They all wanted him pretty badly. My husband is a hot commodity! It felt like he was getting drafted. He really enjoyed getting to know the faculty members at each school, and it was no easy thing turning down the other two offers.

Photos from the beautiful towns where Joel interviewed.

But we feel pretty strongly that Portland is where we're supposed to be. From the minute Joel first saw the job posted, it felt significant. Joel felt like the position was created just for him; everything about it aligned with his specific interests and experience. It really is the perfect fit for him more than any of the 29 jobs he applied for. We planned a trip out there for a counseling conference Joel presented at before the job had even been posted. Once the trip came around, the job had been posted and he'd just applied, and had the opportunity to meet with a faculty member to learn more about the position & felt even more strongly that it suited him to a tee (plus he really clicked with the faculty member). On top of that, we absolutely fell in love with Portland, as is evident in this post. There were moments, while hanging out at Powell's (when Joel was at the conference) where I had to snap out of feeling as if we already lived there. It was the strangest feeling; something about it just felt so right. We left very reluctantly, hoping very much that we would be back soon. But by no means were we getting our hopes up, knowing the chances were so slim that he would be offered the job (there were over 100 applicants after all).

{source}

But he got it! His #1 pick. Not only that, but the search committee voted unanimously to offer him the job. Talk about confirmation. All of his ridiculously hard work and determination over the past five years has led up to this. I am amazed and inspired by what he has accomplished. We have both made many sacrifices to get to this point (being the wife of a PhD student definitely comes with its set of difficulties!). It is hard to believe we are on the brink of this challenging (and long) journey coming to an end. We feel incredibly blessed and are so excited for the adventures God has in store for us.

home tour :: our living space.

2013-02-07T21:43:00.001-05:00

I think the last time I shared photos of our place was shortly after we moved in, three and a half years ago. It's changed quite a bit since then so I thought it'd be fun to document it on here before we leave our beloved abode, starting with our living space.

colorful pillow is from anthro (got a crazy deal) as is the ceramic turquoise basket. globe, thrifted.

With the exception of the two side tables, which were found at an antique shop in grand rapids, and the green chair, picked up for $10 at an estate sale, every piece in here was either handed down by my parents or bought second-hand from the previous tenants of the first place we rented together. I am kind of hoping to sell most of the furniture and start fresh with our new place, wherever that may be. I would love each piece to be intentional and well thought out. I will be scouring Craig's List and flea markets I'm sure.

pink pintuck pillows came from Home Goods, as did the orange ruffle pillow on the blue chair.

SO excited to leave our massive TV behind, haha. hoping for a fireplace instead of a TV in our next place :)

Anyway, this is what our living space looks like now. It is a space I have grown to love despite it not being exactly what I would want (for example, I would love a couch like this). I am trying to let go of feeling like everything needs to look perfect. Looking at beautiful blogs can exasperate that feeling but I've been learning to put things into perspective and remember what's really important. And it is quite freeing. But we'll see how I do when we have a new place to make our own.. I could definitely see my perfectionist ways making me all crazy-like again.

I am a huge fan of Rifle Paper Co and have several of their cards displayed as art work throughout our house. Talk about affordable art. And then when I'm ready for a change I can use them for their original purpose and get a new set of pretty stationery to display :) The "there's no place like home" print is from here. I love it. It's weird to think about how much it's meaning will change soon..