First Thing's First

When a friend comes to town, naturally the first thing to do is pop a lovely, gifted bottle of sparkling rosé (my newest obsession), get a little dolled up, and hit the town!  

Luc Belaire Rosé

In a pinch, a mustache glass en lieu of a champagne flute will always work.

I got to wear, by far, one of my favorite outfits that I now own (thanks to an impromptu shopping trip with my friend Johnny), and hang out with two lovely ladies for the evening, which cannot be beaten.  Also, I will most likely be living in this top for the foreseeable future (flowy, soft, adorable - all I ever need).

Necklace:  H&M

Sandals:  Mossimo

Skirt:  Silence + Noise

Top:  Urban Outfitters Project Social T

Outfits in action

Lauren's top:  Loft

Shoes:  Michael Kors

Photo courtesy of the ever-patient brother-in-law, Josh

My Heart is Full

I've been feeling a bit worn down lately, working a lot without much time for myself, let alone any time to see my sister and the boys.  Lauren called the other day and said, "Remember when you moved to Dallas and I never saw you again?"  And it's true!  I've been going non-stop and I've needed a break.  Cue a lovely message in the mail and a visit from Tamra, just in the nick of time.  

Miranda and I have been friends ever since I wooed her with my humor in third grade.  We can go weeks without talking, then pick up right where we left off.  She can obviously sense when I need her, because I got this lovely, handmade card in the mail last week with a note in it that brought tears to my eyes.  To have such good people in my life is what keeps me going.

Speaking of good people. . .  my adorable nephews who make my heart hurt from loving them so much  ;)

To keep the good vibes going, Tamra came on Saturday for a four-day trip and I finally got to introduce her to the boys, though it feels like she met them and Lauren years ago.  I basically spent Friday telling everyone who would listen (and even those who tried not to listen) that Tamra was coming and I was so excited that I'd get to see the boys Saturday and have a girls' night with my Tam and Lauren. The excitement could not be contained!  Having a great friend in town and getting to spend time with her and explore the city was a huge gift that I am so thankful for.  Now, with the day off and only working one job the next few days, I'll finally be able to get some more posts up and highlight all the fun Dallas things Tam and I got to do together!  Prepare for an unreasonable amount of pictures to follow.

Busy Days

It's been about two weeks since I've had a day off and I cannot wait for this weekend!  My beautiful friend Tamra is coming to town so I'll get 4 whole days off and get to explore the city and spend time with a wonderful friend  :)  I need a mental and physical break, ASAP!  Luckily, I got to surprise Lauren and the boys the other day with a quick visit, which always revives me and makes my heart happy.

Took a little stroll down memory lane. . .  baby Amy and teenage Lauren!

Working so much is proving tough (I usually need at least 8 hours of sleep to be a functioning human being), but at least I'm in a beautiful city, working around some great views  :)

Note the pegasus theme going on. . . symbol of the city!

Hopefully I'll get to the point soon where I can strike a better balance and get some time to take better care of myself and really appreciate being in this exciting new place.  More blog posts to come - slowly but surely!

Room to Breathe

Sometimes, you move into your own place, get a second job, get scheduled doubles at your first job, and just plain don't have much time for the little things.  That's why I'm so lucky to be close to my amazingly-talented-at-hanging-things family who comes over and helps put some finishing touches on my apartment  :)  There are still a few things that need acquiring (shelves so that all of my lovely books will have a proper home; an ottoman or coffee table; and some bar stools for seating!) but it's certainly coming together thanks to the group effort that's been happening.

Planning stages

Mirrors, mirrors everywhere!

I'm calling this the white gallery wall (in my head, of course)

The wine rack/wood gallery wall (please note the adorable wedding picture of my grandparents)

You can't have a new place and not throw a housewarming party, so that's just what I did on Monday. I've never actually thrown a party before, and I suppose one might not call what happened on Monday a party per-say, more of a gathering of coworkers/new Dallas friends, but I got a new top and some snacks and made a night out of it nonetheless! 

Bralette and tanktop:  Target

Lotus bracelet:  Alex and Ani

Bangles:  Loft

Necklace:  FreshyFig

Jeans:  Pacsun

Being in a uniform all day, I get excited when I find clothes for my time off that can show off my tattoo a bit without being super revealing.

Bought a new curling iron after two months (mine got hairspray all over it during the move when the bottle I had decided to explode everywhere) so I got to get a little fancier in the hair department than I have been as of late

Should have sent the invite out to read "BYOC (bring your own chair)"

The possibilities of this city and my new life are really making me hopeful and excited about the future  :)

Mugs Not Drugs

Can a girl ever really have too much tea in her life?  I don't think so.  I am not a coffee drinker and have always loved tea (Meijer brand jasmine green tea is my go-to in a rush), and I got more serious about loose leaf tea a few years ago.  Now I'm a bit of a maniac.  I was gifted some Teavana and their ingenious tea steeper a few years ago by my lovely roommates (Eureka shout out!).  The aroma of the Maharaja Chai Oolong and Samurai Chai Mate blend relaxes the heck out of me and puts me in a very happy place.  

My other tea obsession, Joseph Wesley Black Tea out of Detroit, makes me a proud Michigander. Joe is bringing knowledge and craft back to tea and the result is some amazing, pure, delicious drinking. I have and love the Darjeeling, Assam, and Keemun Congfu (sourced from India and China).  The tea comes out light and flavorful, with wonderfully complex notes.  The packaging and information provided with each tea is awesome - I love to learn about what I'm eating and drinking, and they make sure you are an informed consumer.   Be sure to check out the beautiful website and blog and get yourself some goodies while you're there!

Current state of my kitchen cupboard.  Clearly there's room for more tea.

As if I didn't have enough mugs (and bottles of wine, apparently), here are some more mugs I'm currently pining for. . .  because Etsy is a dangerous place for me.

 

Knotworkshop

  

 

StyleDahlia

Sushi Soothes Me

I'm getting myself settled into my new place and got to wake up yesterday for work only an hour before I had to go in, which made me wildly happy.  My view isn't half bad to wake up to either.

Nina popped over after work for a drink and some dinner.  We went to Blue Sushi Sake Grill, which is close to my new place (highly dangerous because I have a sushi addiction).  We kept it simple with a California roll, salmon and avocado roll, and a shrimp tempura roll, but their specialty rolls are a definite must-try for next time (because obviously there will be a next time. . . I have no self control when it comes to sushi).

Some sparkling rosé in the new living room.  Makes a place feel more homey to have friends over for celebrations :)

Things Fall

Life is funny.  Things fall apart, then somehow manage to fall back into place.  Things were stagnating for me and I wasn't sure what to do about it, so this move is really a new beginning in a lot of ways.  I now have 400 square feet that I can call my own and do with what I want.  I haven't lived alone since college, and, after sharing a bathroom with a four- and six-year-old, this time to myself should be nice.  This new start is exciting and scary, but I'm feeling like this is finally where I'm supposed to be.

Gold mirror on the right: Eastown Antiques (Grand Rapids, MI)

Tall gold mirror: Home Goods

Smaller mirror to the left: Antique, from the family cottage

I always have these set up somehow in my room wherever I live.  I have ever since I moved back into my childhood home right after college.  They're my comfort objects and I've added to over the years.  A dream catcher from our family cottage; a handwritten note from someone my grandparents encountered years ago, written partially in Norwegian.  They make a place feel like home.  

Craigslist has been good to me.  From it I found my favorite apartment in Chicago during college, a fantastic house where I met great friends in Grand Rapids, and now this adorable, fits-perfectly-in-my-new-apartment couch.  

The miniature version of my book collection.  Some day the three boxes of books in my mother's basement will make their way down to Texas and we will again be reunited.

Getting to be around my amazing family again is a lovely reminder of how good I have it.