THE WEEKENDER

^^looking out toward the Pacific Ocean on the MV Explorer (S'11)^^

Happy Friday!  I am headed to Baltimore to visit with Semester at Sea friends and am so excited for a girls weekend full of happy hours, relaxing on the beach, and soaking up the sun.  A few weekender links for you.... have a fabulous one!

I am looking forward to reading this book on the beach.  I recently watched the movie and loved it!  Have you read any good books lately?

I recently bought the top to this swimsuit and can’t wait to live in it this weekend.

I drove down to Chicago a few weekends ago to watch my boyfriend compete in a tough mudder and had so much fun.  I have been thinking about training for one ever since!  Would you ever compete?

I can't wait to try these paired with my own baked fries recipe when I get back from Baltimore!  Nothing makes me happier than cookouts on warm summer nights.

These sangria recipes look amazing.  I might have to try them all throughout the summer!

REUNITING

^^Megan and I looking toward California mountains^^

This weekend is going to be a memorable one!  I head to the east coast this afternoon to visit with two of my closest friends from Semester at Sea (spring 2011!).  I have traveled around the world with Alex and Megan and have (barely) been able to see them in the last two years.

The three of us have bonded over exploring the eccentric colors of Brazil, getting dirty building houses in Ghana, and wine tasting in the mountains of Capetown followed by days on the mesmerizing seas of the Indian Ocean.  We have relaxed beneath the Taj Mahal, sweated on the dirty yet beautiful streets of India, and have gotten lost on the winding streets of China.  I am so excited to spend the weekend with these two!

^^Alex and I in Brazil^^

^^Megan and I in Ghana^^

^^wine tasting in South Africa^^

^^exploring India^^

^^enjoying China^^

COFFEE CAKE

 

I love to be in the kitchen (more on this in an upcoming post!) and this morning I set out to make a coffee cake.  I used this recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, love and lemons.  With a sprinkle cashews and this delicious coffee, it was a beautiful morning!

TRANSITION

Transitions are a time of change and what a pronounced, exhilarating, and intimidating transition I am finding myself in at the moment.  Having just graduated from the University of Dayton with no set plans and a lot of dreams, it naturally seems like a worthy place and time to create a space just for me in a small corner of the great expanse of the blogging world… a space where I can express the things that I adore.  So welcome (!) to my tiny corner where I will explore, learn, and grow in this next phase of my life. 

“Most things, even the greatest moments on earth, have their beginnings in something small.” –Laura Oliver, Delirium