around the web :: January 2016

I had been trying to do a weekly links post, but then that kind of fell to the side, and at some point I was also trying to do it every other week. now, I'm going to try to do a monthly one, and I guess we'll see how long I can keep that up. (:

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I am a huge picture book nerd, but I guess that comes with the territory of being a preschool teacher! here's a list from BuzzFeed of the 21 best picture books from 2015. I've actually read four of them and can't wait to read more!

I'm sure we've all heard about the alphabetized Wizard of Oz by now, but I only managed to watch ten minutes of it so far.

when a waterfall is bound to come out of your eyes at any time...

this is from a few years ago, but one of my friends recently shared it on facebook, and it is a great list of little wake-up calls for everyone.

I don't know anything really about hair or makeup, but there are some hairstyles here that I really want to try.

I am so excited to see The Secret Life of Pets! there are so many great funny people doing voices! (:

all of the ice melted in my water.

xoxo.

Luna Lovebug :: five years together

yesterday was a very special day for me and Luna. the first time I ever drove her was January 25, 2011. I drove the GTI to my dad's office before school that morning, and then when I went back over after school to get the keys (I was parking there because I was borrowing the car from his automotive business, which was right across from the school.), he told me that I could take "the pretty car." the Beetle had been there for five weeks getting cleaned and detailed and a new windshield, and it was previously owned by one of our traveling musician friends.

it was a Tuesday, and there was a home swim meet that night. I had this grand plan that when I first got to drive the Beetle, I would drive over the steel bridge for the very first time and go to Glas for a strawberry smoothie, so I did just that.

it was so weird for me to drive an automatic after driving a car with three pedals for the past nine months. it took me a few days to get used to that. I also messed up the driver side window on that first night because I didn't know that I wasn't supposed to roll it down, as they were still working on the door. whoops.

here's a picture from that very first day! baby Teresa at seventeen. (:

I thought that this picture was from 2011, but I guess I only took it in 2012.

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so back to 2016. I ran some errands and went over to Glas between a few of them to get a vanilla chai latte. a little reminiscing music on the iPod.

as I was leaving Target, I decided that I wanted to go to the lake to take some pictures since I had my camera with me. I drove out and parked at the US Coast Guard station, and then I walked down to the North Pierhead. the only time I have ever been down there was with my camp kids, so I was excited. however, I kind of forgot that it would be pretty icy because it's in the water and it's winter. it was sort of unsafe. I only went out about three-quarters of the way because the ice was getting worse and I didn't want to fall.

and a picture of my favorite sign at the canal station...

finally, a dirty Luna.

here's to many more adventures together!

xoxo.

3/52 :: 2016

when I decided that I would do these posts on Mondays instead of Fridays, I thought that it would give me more time to get the photos edited and into the post with words attached, but here I am, doing it on Sunday night... someday I might learn.

anyway, I took a tiny trip down to Chicago to see my friends for a couple days, so my camera made it not only out of the apartment, but also out of the state this week. (:

Friday 15 January // day fifteen :: I rarely take pictures in this room since it's so dark, but here's a look at what's on top of my dresser. shortly after taking this, one of my canvas prints fell off the wall, so that's there now too.

Saturday 16 January // day sixteen :: walls and a doorway. I don't know, I just like looking at things in weird ways.

Sunday 17 January // day seventeen :: on the road again for a couple days.

Monday 18 January // day eighteen :: a new home away from home. thank you, Chicago friends. {you might recognize the bass from photo number five on this post.} it's less of a tripping hazard in their living room instead of ours. (:

Tuesday 19 January // day nineteen :: mornings at aloft.

Wednesday 20 January // day twenty :: a giant stack of library books because I'm not good at pacing myself or theming lessons.

Thursday 21 January // day twenty-one :: reading materials.

xoxo.

2/52 :: 2016

I'm hoping to be away from the internet for most of tomorrow, which is why I'm publishing this on Sunday instead of Monday. here's a look at some more little details from the new apartment. maybe someday soon I'll take my camera outside again. (:

Friday 8 January 2016 // day eight :: things I should have been dealing with, but I just took a picture and walked away instead.

Saturday 9 January 2016 // day nine :: one of my favorite things about this apartment (okay, maybe that's being overdramatic) is that there are two nails on this window in my bedroom so I could hang my sugar skull garland! (:

Sunday 10 January 2016 // day ten :: my NatureBox arrived the day before, and it's always fun to look and see what's inside!

Monday 11 January 2016 // day eleven :: my nevermore mirror was the first thing that I hung on the walls here.

Tuesday 12 January 2016 // day twelve :: cozy. (I need to get another one of these for the other side.)

Wednesday 13 January 2016 // day thirteen :: Chimes ginger chews are my favorite.

Thursday 14 January 2016 // day fourteen :: when you nearly forget to take a picture, just take one of one of the two other living things in your apartment. (does anyone know what kind of plant this is?)

xoxo.

NatureBox :: January 2016

here's a look at what I got in my NatureBox this month! four of the six things are repeats this time. honestly, I just wish that I could go to the store and get more of this stuff because a lot of this is my favorite.

as always, I don't sit on the floor and eat, it's just sometimes easier to take pictures on the floor because of the light. exploring lighting in this new apartment, where there are only four windows.

Dried California Peaches :: yum. that perfectly peachy fruit flavor without all of the juicy mess.

Sourced from a family-owned orchard in California, this healthy snack is an homage to our home state. In addition to being a good source of Vitamin A and fiber, they have absolutely no added sugar. Perfect for salads or as an elegant addition to a cheese plate. Bonus points for portability and not bruising in your bag.

{I had these in January 2014.}

Strawberry Greek Yogurt Pretzels :: I'm not much for chocolate covered pretzels (is that weird? because I like pretzels and I like chocolate.), but yogurt covered pretzels are a yes. these have the fruity flavor of strawberries, and so they are a great sweet and salty combination.

We’re going Greek with these tangy bite-sized pieces of heaven. Forget the regular ol’ yogurt pretzels and opt for these instead. You’ll be glad you did. Originally food of the Greek gods, with these pretzels you can now feel like royalty too.

{I had these last January.} 

Crispy Coconut Squares :: these are so so cute! they remind me of teeny tiny rice krispy treats! there is no marshmallow in these, so they don't taste like that, but they are sweet and delicious anyway, with the perfect coconut flavor.

Send your taste buds on a tropical vacation. Or just stay home and try these crunchy little morsels of awesome. They're delicious and made from just a few ingredients like coconut (duh) and a touch of sea salt. Pop 'em into your mouth, satisfy your sweet tooth, and move on with your life.

Aged Cheddar Lentil Loops :: I've had the Salt and Pepper Lentil Loops, so of course I wanted to try these too. at first I didn't think that they had enough of a cheese flavor, but I now disagree with myself. they are perfect. I love that they are light but still crunchy, and the curls are pretty adorable too.

What do you get when the richness of aged cheddar meets our beloved light, airy Lentil Loops? A crispy, savory snack that will make you ditch the chips and wonder where your favorite new snack has been all of your life. Beware: They’re highly addicting so get ready to get loopy.

Asiago & Cheddar Cheese Crisps :: these are a repeat, this time is the third that I've had them! I wouldn't have gotten them again so soon, but they were a $2 add-on snack this month. I still love them and don't know what else to say! they're perfectly cheesy and have a great crunch and airy texture.

If you spent more hours in the kitchen, you’d whip these up yourself the night before the big party. But, who’s got the time? Luckily, you’ve got a secret weapon. Serve these simple yet elegant crisps as a smart alternative to chips and dip or on a charcuterie board for a cheesy twist. Nothing but simple, straightforward ingredients, like real cheese, butter, and a hint of cayenne pepper. Twice baked for extra crispiness and perfect for your next cocktail party spread.

{I had these in October 2014 and March 2015.}

Chocolate Quinoa Granola :: the thing that really confuses me about this granola is the dried blueberries. I just don't understand why there are blueberries in a chocolate almond granola. definitely not my favorite.

It’s time to spice up the same old boring breakfast routine of yogurt, oatmeal or cereal with this cocoa-kissed granola. Crispy quinoa makes for a totally airy and satisfying crunch, while hints of chocolate, vanilla and coconut offer a subtle sweetness that will leave you wanting more.

{I had this in June 2014.}

xoxo.

1/52 :: 2016

I guess I am doing another photo a day project. this time I'm giving myself a few days to get them edited by posting on Mondays instead of having to edit things the night before posting. we'll see if I can make it through for a third year in a row. (:

Friday 1 January // day one :: a fun morning on five hours of sleep for the second day in a row. not feeling the best after too much fun the night before. anyway. trying to get little red (aka Velvet B Mine) into some more pictures this year. xD

Saturday 2 January // day two :: old planner, new planner, and five year journal. part of my mornings. (:

Sunday 3 January // day three :: I am so in love with these bricks, as I'm sure we will see for as long as I live here. it was kind of hard to straighten out this picture because I forgot that in old buildings, not everything is perfectly parallel/perpendicular to everything else.

Monday 4 January // day four :: bedroom. <3

Tuesday 5 January // day five :: so I still haven't practiced... but I love that it sits out in the corner here.

Wednesday 6 January // day six :: I was awoken at 3:15 am because they were clearing the snow off of the sidewalks and into the street. fun times.

Thursday 7 January // day seven :: one of my coworkers gave me a couple plants because her husband said that she had too many. I love having windowsills even though I only have four little windows!

xoxo.

2015 :: Year in Review

I am so crazy that I started writing this post in February to keep it up-to-date and ready to go instead of throwing it together at the end of December.

Project 365:2015 posts here

Goals for 2015

*join GoodReads {done} and keep track of all of the books that I read {yes!}
*import photos to LightRoom and edit them before importing them to iPhoto {yes!}
*take at least one DSLR photo a day {again} {see them here}
*buy a new lens {actually done 29 December 2014}
*floss teeth every other night {I only forgot twice!}

January

I rang in 2015 with some wonderful friends at a New Year's Eve Party. It was the first time that I went out on NYE, and we saw my dear friends WiFEE and the HUZz Band. My "little sister" Abi and her mom surprised us by driving eighteen hours back home from their Christmas trip to see us.

I did some baking and reading, and I went on a nice winter drive, where I visited Cave Point for the first time.

The best part of the month, though, was when I went to St. Petersburg, Florida. It was my first time in Florida and I stepped into the Gulf of Mexico for the first time as well. It was so great just driving around and visiting museums and parks. I got to see my friend Geri X perform in her hometown, and had my first whiskey with her. We had a lot of fun the next day walking around and visiting places downtown.

some posts
*New Year's Eve 2014
*goals for 2015 {and 2014 year in review}
*never have I ever {not all correct anymore}
*Cave Point & Door County winter photos
*St. Petersburg, FL posts
*January NatureBox
*January Instagrams

books read
*Only Earth and Sky Last Forever by Nathaniel Benchley
*We Were Liars by E. Lockhart
*Pointe by Brandy Colbert
*Worn Stories by Emily Spivack

February

The first of February was quite the travel day, due to some winter storms back in Chicago, where I was headed. After driving, flying, failing to get a cab, taking the train, and walking, I checked into the hotel at midnight. I slept in a super comfortable bed and had Sprinkles for the first time!

I was thrown back into things at both jobs when I returned, and some of my lovely friends were here for the week of Valentine's Day. It was, as always, so wonderful to see them.

{Abi is taller than me, but I am wearing heels which are cancelled out by the fact that we were standing on a sloped floor! haha.}

Another Door County drive to take some snow pictures. I went out to Kangaroo Lake for the first time and learned that Coyote Roadhouse is in fact a real place. (:

February is also Ruby's birthday, which meant a WiFEE and the HUZz Band and Adam Mackintosh and the Last Dancers show. (I missed getting to see Purgatory Hill though.)

I was playing around with my camera one day, and I took this picture which I made my profile picture on Facebook. (By the way, I find it super awkward that Blogger airbrushes every picture that it thinks is of a human face. Totally creepy.) Of course I got comments about how I should smile, but I just really like this picture!

My sister came up for her baby shower, so of course my mom wanted some pictures of the three of us. We got some pictures with my sister's husband in them as well, but he's a bit taller than the rest of us, so my mom thought they looked awkward.

some posts
*Chicago mini trip
*Valentine's Weekend
*February NatureBox
*February Instagrams

books read
*Secrets of a Shoe Addict by Beth Harbison
*Yes Please by Amy Poehler

March

In an effort to be in front of the camera more, this happened. And people wonder why I'm not smiling in every picture! It's hard, that's why. (;

March doesn't seem quite as interesting as the previous two months. I got to drive around a few times and take pictures here at home in Door County, which was fun.

I got a few inches taken off, and while no one seemed to notice, I did and it felt better!

We were pretty busy at the motel, with little to no vacancy on the weekends, which is really great for this time of year. I guess it's probably in part to the fact that the weather started to warm up and was in the 50s a few times. At the Y, in continued teaching my three classes a week, with a few extra subbing classes, and we started planning for summer camp!

Most importantly, I shared the following goal list on Facebook.

new life goals:
- make a conscious effort to tell people that I am thinking of them
- make a conscious effort to call people by name!
- give out gold stars to people doing good things for other people

and as always:
- travel.
- love.
- capture the moment.

some posts
*#333
*What I Ate Wednesday (4 March 2015)
*a noninconclusive list of things I love
*some political talk
*March Door County photos
*March NatureBox
*March Instagrams

books read
*I worked on reading The Complete Poems and Tales of Edgar Allan Poe

April

I totally failed on getting in front of the camera this month. I am absolutely in love of this shirt though!

April wasn't too interesting of a month. Easter was spent at my grandparents' house on the water. I made chocolate chip cookies to bring, and then I made them again to send for my sister's birthday. Luna got waxed and looked pretty for a couple days. (: I also got to babysit my three-year-old cousin, who is super adorable!

some posts
*about some politics in Sturgeon Bay
*favorite preschool books part one
*April StitchFix
*April NatureBox
*April Instagrams

books read
*Scoop: Notes from a Small Ice Cream Shop by Jeff Miller

May

I had to go down to Madison for a fundraiser at the beginning of the month, and I got to see some great friends! Yes, I really love this shirt, and I have paired it with the same sweater and tank top the first two (and probably more) times that I wore it.

I went out and took pictures of the cherry and/or apple blossoms not once, but twice this month!

My Memorial Day was pretty relaxed. It's one of the few days each year that I never end up working, so I went up north and finally took pictures at the Gus Klenke Garage in Ellison Bay. I drove all the way up the county and came back and other than stopping to get some jam, this was the only place I stopped. I looked around a thrift store back in Sturgeon Bay and then went grocery shopping. It was a really exciting day, clearly. (;

So, I got rid of the not-smiling profile picture on Facebook for this one, and now they say that I look like I'm up to something with that smirk! (;

some posts
*blossoms {5/13 & 5/22}
*Gus Klenke Garage {Memorial Day}
*May NatureBox
*May Instagrams

books read
*The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
*Pawnee: The Greatest Town in America by Leslie Knope

June

with my father for a tribute to our dear friend Chris Aaron. thanks to Jen Brilowski for capturing this moment.

so Ty (right) and Abi have always wanted to get me drunk, and I had promised a few people that I would have one drink at the end of the week. Ty wasn't supposed to be drinking that night, so I had him find someone to do a shot with me, and somehow he ended up with DanO. I was just a little excited for this (; (thanks to Abi for the picture and Ty for lightening it some.)

these three photos are all from the same day! Abi took this one as well of me and my sweetest gold star Lumberjack Cash. it was so wonderful to get to know him better while he was here and to know that he is really even more of a gentleman than you could ever guess.

June is always such a crazy month for me because at the same time of the motel's biggest event, we are also getting ready for camp at the Y! it's a very exhausting time, and this year I discovered how wonderful a short nap can be! the event went so well this year (it seems like it's always getting better) even though we were missing some of our dearest. we had such great kids for camp this year as well.

I did make some time for a couple adventures, one of which was driving Cash down to Milwaukee, and we went to our friends Greg and Ariana's new house for a barbecue, so that was fun!

some posts
*June NatureBox
*June Instagrams

books read
*Finding Audrey by Sophie Kinsella
*Girl Walks into a Bar...: Comedy Calamities, Dating Disasters, and a Midlife Miracle by Rachel Dratch

July

I met my two-month-old niece at the beginning of July!

WiFEE and the HUZz Band for the 4th of July at Sunset Park! Oh how I love them.

causing trouble at camp. (:

Is it bad that I can't even remember what else happened in July? It was such a blur of working with the camp kids and at the motel! I do remember going shopping in Appleton for a dress to wear for my birthday party but not being able to find one strapless dress. I didn't know that that was even possible. Oh! I also got really sunburned on my chest because I sat out in the sun for an hour in a tank top with sunscreen only on my arms. That was fun, and also right before my birthday.

some posts
*July NatureBox
*July Instagrams

August

I love this picture of me and my little ducklings at Whitefish Bay Dunes!

Birthday month!!!

Instead of rehashing everything that happened for my birthday, I'll just direct you to the post, which is here. Let's just say it involved some fun with WiFEE and the HUZz Band, like last year.

Other fun things that happened in August included getting to see another one of my favorite bands, Thy Dirty Deuce and then actually making it to one of the Musicians Loco 333 open jams.

God bless my mother and her patience in trying to get a picture of me the way that I want it. This wasn't my original vision, but what I wanted was actually impossible. Do you know that it's really hard to be behind and in front of the camera at the same time?

Also in August, my car decided to die while I was at the place where I get my car fixed, so that was fun. And then Abi and her mom and niece came up and we got to have a fun afternoon and I tagged along to her senior photoshoot and got to see one of my photographer friends in action, which was amazing. Such an inspiration!

some posts
*22nd birthday recap
*August NatureBox
*August Instagrams

books read
*Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

September

it was such a surprise to see my dear friend Miss Meaghan Owens in early September! she had been living in Hawaii for the past few years, so it had been over a year since I last saw her. Meaghan has such a sweet soul and I am thankful for her presence in my life and her wonderful advice.

on Labor Day I went horseback riding. it had been probably seven years since I last went, so I was so excited and happy to go!

I sort of started swimming again in September! I wanted to go every Tuesday and Thursday early morning, but that didn't quite work out so well. I did manage to go twice, though, swimming 900 yards (just over half a mile) the first time, and 1000 yards the next time. I find that not only do I feel better after doing that, but I also feel like I can accomplish more things in the day.

My niece (I always spell that word incorrectly) was baptized at the end of the month, and I was one of her three sponsors. That night I got to spend some time with family that I haven't seen in a few years.

some posts
*forgotten summer photographs
*a melancholy Tuesday afternoon post.
*September StitchFix
*a post on divorce
*September NatureBox
*September Instagrams

books read
*Whiskey & Charlie by Annabel Smith

October

I got my hair cut at the beginning of the month, and it was definitely more noticeable than last time. I'm pretty sure that was the longest I had ever had my hair, and it was just really getting to be a pain with gymnastics class because it was always falling out of the bun that I would have it up in.

I made some time for photography, exploring, and reading, and it was glorious.

some of my loves came home for a week for Halloween, and it was exhaustingly glorious.

matching unicorn tattoos from Tattly.

some posts
*what I wore :: Halloween week
*October NatureBox
*October Instagrams

books read
*American Gods by Neil Gaiman (I didn't actually read more than a third of this because I just could not get into it)
*The Clasp by Sloane Crosley
*Gold Fame Citrus by Claire Vaye Watkins

November

I started the month off right by staying out all night. literally. we went out to breakfast at the Inn at Cedar Crossing, and they let us in shortly before opening at 7:30. then we went and opened up a bar down the block, where I tried to get some sleep because I had been up for over 24 hours on 5 hours of sleep. that was fun... I started crying when Abi and Geri were trying to wake me up. (thanks, Mike, for that picture.)

I went out with a few of those people and some others a couple days later and learned that I shouldn't try to do gymnastics after having any alcohol. Lesson learned.

I got new glasses and sunglasses!!!

Mondays usually included a drive somewhere to take pictures.

The week of Thanksgiving, I got to see some friends again which included a few late nights that were well worth the time spent with lovely people. Thanksgiving was spent with family and included winning a game of Candy Land and my sister announcing her pregnancy.

some posts
*real talk Tuesdays :: on being the quiet one
*What's in My Bag? v.5
*favorite November outfits
*November NatureBox
*November Instagrams

December

On the 30th of November, I heard that an apartment became available in an area I wanted to live in, and so I went for it and found out in early December that it would be mine! Because of all of the moving prep on top of working and holidays, December was a pretty busy month.

Christmas Eve was spent at my grandparents' house, as always. There's always a lot of food and laughter and the brothers tell stories of the crazy things that they did when they were growing up. That night, I also worked on moving things to the new apartment (in a dress and heels) and met up with my second parents later in the evening.

We didn't get any snow until a few days after Christmas, literally the few days that I was moving all my stuff, so I was listening to Christmas music on December 29th.

New Year's Eve, oh New Year's Eve. What a fun night with who else but WiFEE and the HUZz Band. Oh how I love them and the rest of the  #songfamily who was there. Special thanks to Abi, Ariana, Ty (who took the photo above and many more), and Barrett.

some posts
*fall landscapes 2015
*Influenster Spice VoxBox
*small space living (before)
*December NatureBox
*December Instagrams

xoxo.