LAST MIDWESTERN WEEKEND

We spent my last weekend in the Midwest this summer playing with adorable little puppies, spending time with friends, and constantly cooking (I actually ate a piece of bacon!).  A final farewell of sushi and champagne tonight and Kurt is sending me off to the mountains tomorrow!  I hope everyone had a fun weekend.

PATAGONIA MOUNTAINS

I'm so excited to start my adventure out west.  And when I came upon this seasons beautiful Patagonia Look Book I became even more eager.  I grew up camping (and was a diehard Patagonia baby-the cutest) so these photos brought some nostalgia for the past and even more excitement for my future in the mountains.

LUSTING

How beautiful are these dainty, simple rings?

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9

LIQUIDATION

Saturday was rainy.  But, we managed to make the most out of the momentary bursts of sun throughout the day.  After enjoying burgers by the river, we visited Mendelson's Liquidation Outlet.  I'd never been to a liquidation outlet before and it was fascinating!  An eight story warehouse filled with everything from hospital beds to restaurant appliances.  Upstairs, there were rows and rows of seemingly broken down engines, cylinders, tools, and computer parts.  Kurt scored some classic redneck belt buckles and I found my dream mugs (I can't wait to share them with you!).  After a trip to the farmers market for fresh flowers and some veggies we spent the afternoon relaxing and listening to the rain.  It was a lovely Saturday.

I hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

THE WEEKENDER

{a haphazard shot driving through Dayton last year}

We have another relaxing weekend planned.  Other than the awesome (surprise!) date I have planned for us tonight, we're just spending time with friends and enjoying the air conditioning (maybe we'll venture out for a bike ride on Saturday).  Have a great weekend!  Here are some fun links from around the web...

Manhattan inside of the Grand Canyon.

I love Channing Tatum.  Check out his early modeling days and this (more recent) hilarious video.

Netflix has put some awesome shows out lately.  Have you seen Orange is the New Black?  Kurt and I binge watched it last weekend and loved it.

A photo for every subway station in Manhattan.

I was just introduced to this vegan food blog (thanks, Hannah!) and I can't wait to try some recipes!

New York is a pretty unique place and this blog highlights the best of it's inhabitants. 

I would love to stay in this hotel suite (and I wouldn't mind being in Capri either).

I've been loving the gallery wall look lately.

DOCS

I've been lacking inspiration lately.  The sticky, humid air has been making me sleepy and making my runs harder.  In an attempt to get out of my rut I bought some new books and started, per a recommendation of the best books of June by elephantine, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry.  It seems like an amazing read and I'm excited to spend a portion of everyday sitting down with it and a cup of tea.  I haven't had this much time to play with in a while and I want to make it count so I also decided to start watching documentaries again.  This is something I usually take up over my prolonged winter breaks and I can't believe I didn't start sooner in the summer.  Some of my favorites include Forks over Knives, The Business of Being Born, The Science of Sex Appeal, and A Walk to Beautiful.  I can't wait to start watching more amazing films!

{Photo is in the documentary A Walk to Beautiful from NYT}

THE WEEKENDER

{my beautiful backyard in just a few short weeks}

The past few weekends have been full of traveling and parties with family and friends so we're excited to have a restful weekend at home with very few plans.  We went to the comedy club again last night with an old friend and are planning on biking along the river and grabbing some food at the Silver Fern Cafe (finally!).  Have a wonderful weekend!  Here are some fun links from this week....

We're making this salad for dinner tonight!

I can't wait to see this Disney movie around Christmas time!

Which caffeinated owl are you in the mornings?

As soon as I'm ready (we're talking years here) I'm going to get an English Bulldog.  I can't even handle their cute wrinkles.  But how adorable are these pictures of their brothers the French Bulldogs?

Isn't this beautiful home dreamy?

I used some of these great tips for my yoga routine this morning.

I LOVE kale chips and I can't wait to try this recipe this weekend for a new twist on my favorite snack.

BREAKFAST CHRONICLES

I haven't done a breakfast chronicles post in a while so I thought I'd let you all know what my mornings have been like lately.  I'm enjoying summertime and have been taking my Cheerios and coffee out onto the porch or snuggling back up in bed to read my favorite blogs or my current read (or, lets be honest, watch Private Practice) while I indulge.  I'm not a big fan of cereal but lately I've been craving the Cheerios/coffee combo in the mornings.  I don't mind it's simplicity and it's surprisingly satisfying!

GOOD READ

I've always loved to read.  There's nothing better than browsing through a bookstore... the smell of the books and being surrounded by so many wonderful stories.  In college, I had a hard time balancing pleasure reading with academic readings but, now that I've created more time for myself since graduation, I've gotten back into it.  Last winter, I found the amazing website goodreads.  It's such a great place to keep track of what you're reading and what you hope to read in the future.  There are so many helpful book recommendations based on what you have liked in the past and you can even get involved in virtual bookclubs.  Add me as a friend and we can share what we've been reading!

SNACK TIME

I am obsessed with guacamole and last summer I became an expert at making it.  Guac is so much better when it's fresh and once you're good, it takes no time at all.  I've read a thousand recipes and all of them tend to be practically identical but lately I've been seeing recipes scattered around the web that use pomegranate seeds so I decided to go for it and it was totally worth it.  They are such fun blast of flavor and perfectly complement the avocado.  So, after much searching and experimenting, I have finally compiled the perfect guac recipe.

2 Avocados

Squeeze of lemon (or any citrus)

Sprinkle of salt

Clove of garlic, minced

Seeds from half a pomegranate

Mash avocados

Mix with the squeeze of lemon, sprinkle of salt, and minced garlic

Sprinkle seeds on top

THE WEEKENDER

Our summer celebrations are almost over but for one last hurrah we're heading to a friend's cabin in Michigan for the weekend.  We are so excited to spend our last summer weekend together with friends... praying for nice weather!  Here are a few fun links from around the web...

How great (and useful) is this new app?

I'm so excited to be living in the mountains so I can start hiking again.  Here are some good hiking spots all around the country! 

Iced coffee is such a great start to a summer day.  (This one's for you, Kurt!)

Interesting concept for changing Barbie, do you think it could make a difference?

I'm excited to get back into an exercising routine next week.  I'll definitely want to remember these tips.

Some tempting recipes that all include cherries.

This really makes me want to go on a picnic (one of my favorite summertime activities!)

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

It's drizzling here in Ohio so we enjoyed a rainy Fourth of July brunch, filled the fridge with Michelob Ultra, and rented enough movies from redbox to last the entire day.  We have some grilling, pie, champagne, and sparklers planned for later tonight.  Happy birthday, America!

RECENTLY CAPTURED MOMENTS

DATE NIGHT

Last week Kurt planned so many surprise dates I can barely remember them all!  One of my favorites was making the drive to Columbus for a Chicago Fire vs. Columbus Crew soccer game.  Soccer was a huge part of my life from childhood until the end of high school and it was so fun going to a professional game with Kurt.  We ate awful stadium food (we're talking some major exceptions), cheered on the Fire as they beat the Crew, and ended the night watching fireworks light up the sky.  It was pretty much a dream date night.

BAR GAMES

{edited with Elsie and Emma's A Beautiful Mess app}

I don't typically play games when I'm at bars (other than trivia nights!) but last weekend I tried out darts and it was a blast.  I was even able to keep up with the boys!  Another one of my favorites is Bar Dice.  It's so fun making up interesting shots and seeing who the unlucky 'winner' is.  Do you have any favorite bar games?