surprise trip to L.A.!

 

I just got back Monday night from a successful surprise visit to L.A. and then of course, was hit with a post-travel cold, go figure. But anyways-I had hinted last week that I just might have a trip coming up in an attempt to not give away the surprise and my girlfriend certainly was shocked to see me sitting there on her couch Friday night!

With all the snow we have gotten and apparently are going to continue to get this week, it was great to see the sun and actually feel warm for a few days. I completely forgot to bring a camera other than my phone, so my photos are limited, but naturally I managed to snag a few from our delicious brunch and the good ol' Santa Monica pier.

 

currently 2.0

reading all about the different homes and apartments that apartment therapy has featured on their "tours" page-such a great way to keep finding inspiration for the apartment. I also love that you can check out classifieds on the site as well, basically like an somewhat upscale craigslist...check it out. seriously!

listening to macklemore & ryan lewis-what can I say, I dig it. This year they really got noticed with their song "thrift shop" and I personally love the song "same love"...there is just something about this seattle-based duo that makes you smile and want to turn the volume up

loving my new birchbox subscription...yes, I decided I would spoil myself with a handful of beauty treats each month! Makeup and beauty products in general are something I find myself hesitant to spend a lot of money on (I tend to go for the shoes!), so I thought I would give this a go and have something fun to look forward to each month in the mail :)

excited for a change in scenery...well, I guess I should say planning for a few trips in the future-hopefully to some warmer locations because this winter has gone on long enough for me! I'll be sure to keep you posted on the travel plans-I feel like something exciting could be just around the corner....

one corner at a time

well, it has been just over a month since I moved into the apartment and it is slowwlyyy coming together...slowly. like a lot of things in life, if you try and look at everything all at once, it can get overwhelming real quick-so in an effort to apply this same theory to making progress on my new space, I have been working on little things here and there, hoping that it will start to come together and really feel like home. So far, I feel like my kitchen has come along pretty well, though still working on a few details, but I thought it'd be fun to show you what's going on in this corner of the apartment....

as you can see, this is literally one corner of my kitchen, but I really love how this book shelf (thanks mom!) made the space very functional....I can fit all my cookbooks, plenty of wine glasses, and a few personal touches without having to do much work. The stained glass is one of my favorite pieces (thanks again mom!) because it breaks up the whiteness of the room and makes it feel a bit more cozy.

How do you go about organizing and decorating your space? I'll be sure to keep updating you as I make more progress and keep settling in...

love is in the air

this is one of my favorite shorts I have seen in awhile and quite fitting for this valentine's day <3

for all you last-minute lovebirds...

Valentine's Day sneak up on you??

Have no fear, a few ideas for some last minute ideas for your sweetie :)

Super simple coffee mug that you can personalize any way you'd like! Perhaps a favorite love poem, lyrics from "your song", or you can go with the witty route like this one on mint

Salted dark chocolate popcorn...yes please! This is sure to satisfy any sweet tooths and would be fun to snack on while watching your favorite rom-com ;) It's valentine's day-you have to!

No better time to say "cheers" with your main squeeze (or maybe your main-squeeze to be!), so why not have a special valentine cocktail? I like the sound of this Pomegranate-Champagne punch...

A delicious dinner is never a bad thing in my book for valentine's day, but you can always go the extra mile and try making something special at home! Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite spots to find cooking inspiration and I think this gnocchi looks pretty darn good! Whip this up with some garlic bread, a salad and a nice bottle o' vino and I'd say your set!

MOST importantly though (even more than getting flowers or chocolates)...just be with the one you love...friends, family, your partner...and remember how lucky we all are to not have to go it alone.

xo

back from chicago

I had such a nice time in Chicago this past weekend-so glad that I made this impromptu trip happen because I really was in need of some quality time with some of my favorite people.

The weather was really mild on Saturday, so after breakfast at Southport Grocery and a stop at my favorite hair salon for a quick trim, most of the day was spent enjoying the sun and a lil bit of crafting too.

Saturday was pretty low-key (we are clearly getting older!) and Sunday we rounded up a few more people and headed to the Bongo Room for brunch (totally worth the wait-minus the overpriced coffee...and overpriced milk) before I had to catch my bus back to Milwaukee.

Sigh...I miss everyone already!

thanks jules for the group shot :)

currently 1.0

Okay, so perhaps one of my new year's/birthday resolutions should be to bring more focus to this lil' blog of mine...yep, that might be a swell idea.
I think sometimes when you start out on a "venture" like this, it seems like you shouldn't have a problem sitting yourself down at the computer to do a bit of writing. But unfortunately, when most of my work week is spent at the computer, I just need to take a break! Although, this time I will blame my absence from the love type thing world due to my lack of computer charger (shout out to my brother for dropping it off!) 

Anyways! Here's what's been happening here in my time and place....

Watching:

Downton Abbey...have you hopped on the bandwagon? I love the characters and seeing the both the stories of the staff and Crowley family. I am finally all caught up and looking forward to see what will happen next :)

Listening to...

Tegan & Sara | Heartthrob...I became a huge fan of the Canadian sister (twins!) duo when I was in college and still love their music! If you are familiar with their past music, then you might have even noticed that where "love type thing" came from :) It's probably partly nostalgic, but I am really excited for their new album AND I am finallllyyy going to get to seem them in concert in March, hooray! 

Loving...

All spring-related fashion! I know, we've still got a ways to go here in the midwest before dresses can be worn without leggings and boots are traded in for sandals, but doesn't mean I can't look! (dress, sandals, top)

Excited for...

Chicago! I'm making a (impromptu) visit to one of my favorite cities this weekend to see some of my favorite people...doesn't get much better than that! (chi town print found here!)



thinking warm thoughts!

Okay people, it is FAreeezing here (again) and as I stood waiting for my bus this morning, I decided that I am over this winter season. My brother pointed out that we really haven't had that long of a winter, but with wind chills of -21, winter could have only been one week long and I would have been ready for spring time.
SO what to do with the winter blues? Daydream of warmer places of course!

Lucky for me, I was able to spend a few weeks last winter in Guatemala and Belize with my sister and I thought with the chilling temperatures outside I would take a few minutes to reminisce AND give you a few highlights of the trip...should you ever find yourself in that part of the world :)

One of our favorites spots in Guatemala was definitely the city of Antigua...we (to the chagrin of our parents) stayed at a local hostel, Jungle Party, which was cheap and surprisingly tame. The city is, to put it simply, charming. Cobblestone roads throughout the city center, dozens of cafes, and the most gorgeous view of the surrounding mountains (and volcanoes-we hiked up Pacaya!).

We also took a coffee tour through a non-profit called, As Green as it Gets, which was highly educational and really gave you some perception of how hard the local coffee farmers work to create their product. 

The last highlight I will leave you with, because it is exactly where I would looove to be right at this very moment, was the day trip we took to Monterrico to spend some time on the beach! Monterrico is about three hours away from Antigua and even apparently is a "hot spot" on the weekends. We happened to get there during the week, so it all seemed pretty quiet (and peaceful). We also didn't mind having the beach to ourselves :) 

Ah yes, already feeling warmer....hope you are too!