mother's day in NYC

mother's day was quickly approaching.
i was trying to talk my mom into a 4 day trip to NYC to celebrate.
with a little nudging {& the fact that i had already booked our hotel} she agreed to go.

& what a blast we had.

bryant park {free yoga!? you new yorkers are so lucky!}
times square & a night bus tour
central park, the central park zoo & the central park conservatory.
the 9/11 memorial & rockefeller plaza.
jersey boys  {my mom's favorite part of the trip}.
chelsea market & the highline {my favorite part of the trip}.

tiny shops. the subway. the hustle & bustle.
outdoor dining complete with people watching.
pictures together.
glasses of wine & bakery cupcakes.
adventure.
celebrating my mom.

it was a great weekend.
happy mother's day mom!
thanks for making the trip. it was worth it.

{photo: my mom and i on the highline}

i may be back, but summer is gone

hello old friend!
it's been so long since i've stopped by.
the summer is already such a distant and hazy memory.
i have lots of it to post here so that i don't forget anymore that i already have.

a trip to NYC in may with my mom.
sampson's first birthday!
trips to the lake over long summer weekends.
lots of calligraphy orders.
concerts.
a fantastic california vacation.
my 28th birthday.
our new patio.
baby showers for friends.

it was a great summer that went by oh-so-quickly.
i have to admit, i'm not quite ready for fall.
i need a few more boat rides with a cold margarita in hand.
a couple more chances to wear my brightly colored clothes.
a few more opportunities to wear wedges and flip-flops.
another day with those warm rays of sun adding to my tan.

for now, and for the next few posts, let's pretend summer isn't already over.
please and thank you.

{photo: in huntington beach, cali on my 28th birthday. quite the perfect view.}

it's safe to say

let's be honest.
labor day has come and gone. it's safe to say that summer is over.
it's getting darker earlier & there's a cooler breeze in the air.
& as giddy as i am that fall is quickly approaching, i already miss summer.
80+ degree days. frozen drinks. freshly cut grass. days at the lake.
fireworks. ice cream. bright colors. tanned skin. colorful totes.
my birthday. boating. flip flops & sperrys. grilling out. vacations.
hours upon hours of daylight. outdoor concerts. long weekends.

this past summer was capped off by a fabulous labor day weekend.
boating to & watching the sailboat races with my mom.
teaching our puppy, sampson, to swim.
finishing a great book.
time with family.
hours spent on the boat.
cheers to a great summer & here's too a fantastic fall!

photo via photo by matthew banks via snippetandink

each day

it's hard to believe that labor day, the end of summer, is already here.
i am off to enjoy a fantastic weekend at the lake my mom lives on.
sipping on as many frozen fruity drinks as i can handle.
dipping my toes in the still warm water.
wearing my favorite white pants one last time.
enjoying sunsets watched from the pier.
taking our pup out on the speedboat & teaching him to swim.
enjoying the 2nd annual corn-off {who can eat the most ears of corn} w/ family.
and gleefully untying the ribbons of these last few days of summer.

photo of lake wawasee via a family friend.

the summer night

to me, memories of summer as a kid (age 8 to 18) revolved around the lake.
a four stop light town in the middle of northern indiana.
sail boat races. long white piers. star-filled skys. a small supermarket.
diving in the water. swimming to the ladder & out. repeating 100 times.
hours spent cruising the lake with my parents on our old speedboat.
a one theatre movie cinema with showings at 7pm & 9pm of the same movie.
sun kissed skin, fireflies, cute guys, back roads & fresh air off of the lake.
such a simple place where i made so many simple memories.
a place where summer days that seemed to last forever
& summer nights that were a perfection of thought.
during the summers, my heart will always be at the lake.
so long, august. looking forward to september
& one more weekend at the lake to celebrate summer.

photo {not of the town at my lake} by hula seventy. love love love her work.

life is a festival only to the wise

sometimes summer fades by so quickly that i forget how great it was.
{you know, in the rush to get to autumn}
this summer was an interesting one. filled but not hectic. long but short.
& it lived up to all of my expectations.
summer started slowly. more tank tops & less jeans.
trips to home depot to buy flowers for the pots out front.
camping & boating with friends.
a 10 day vacation to florida & alabama with friends .
memorial day & fourth of july spent at the lake.
golfing {driving the cart} with chris for the first time.
witnessing my mom get re-married.
getting a puppy.
celebrating my 27th birthday
lots of calligraphy orders.
evening boat rides.
jason aldean, keith urban & kenny chesney concerts.

yes, this summer was filled with just about everything.
attending a festival is the only thing i haven't checked off my summer checklist.
& i have juuust enough time left in the summer to squeeze one in.

it was a perfect day

i'm quite a fan of country music. there's a lady antebellum song that goes:
it was the perfect day/what I'd give if I could find a way to stay/
lost in this moment now/ain't worried about tomorrow
when you're busy living in a perfect day.

yesterday {& today} was that perfect day.
the puppy let us sleep in.
we rewarded him with a 4 hour boat ride.
complete with a free boat-in country concert that we stumbled upon.
sampson loves being on the boat.
he stands up on the bow of the boat. looking so handsome. king of the world.
we camped out & spent the night at the state park.
it was sampson's first camp out, but he was too tied to experience it all.
passed out by 10pm. we weren't far behind him though.
we had a few beers by the fire & admired the stars before calling it a night.
a whole day with my 2 faves - boating and camping.
it was a perfect day.

after packing up camp the next morning we were back out on the water.
we pulled our boat up on a shore & coerced sampson into swimming a bit.
the weather was perfect & the sun was shinning.
it was a perfect day.

one of those perfect summer nights

the other night was one of those perfect summer nights.
there have been a few of them recently, actually.
in which a few hours are spent on a lake with my husband & puppy.
on a speedboat from my childhood with the sun setting on the lake.
there’s something so soothing about those nights.

a happy puppy letting the wind blow in his face while demolishing a bone.
a happy husband driving us around & playing our favorite songs from his ipod.

and a happy me.
sprawled across the bow of the boat listening to the waves lap up against its side.
remembering back to my childhood
& all of those hours I spent on that same spot on the same boat.
soaking up the sun. reading my favorite books.
daydreaming about the years to come & how life would be.

life is good.

a boat. the sun at sunset. a puppy. a husband. good health.
& a good beverage. yes, life is good.

photo by Jennifer Hogan of Ever Whim Photography
from this amazing wedding feature on grey likes weddings.

summer checkist

summer is officially here!
we started celebrating a few weeks ago, with a camping & boating trip
& spent memorial day weekend at the lake boating, boozing & schmoozing.
& just returned from florida after our first summer vacay of the year.
is it just me or is summer slipping by too quickly already!?

here's what i'm setting out to accomplish before the chill of fall arrives:
1. attend country concerts.
2. put my happiness project in motion*.
3. go boating often.
4. continue the book reading spree i've been on.
5. never say "its too hot" as winter will be here soon enough.


6. focus on the simple pleasures in life.
7. attend a festival/carnival. eat funnel cake.
8. ride alongside my husband for a round of golf.
9. work out. even if it means getting up a half hour earlier.
10. drink more water.
11. do whatever it takes to hang out with our friends more often.
12. donate old summer clothes from 2002-2005 that i will never fit into again.
14. finish multiple DIY projects we attempted to start in the spring.
15. appreciate how good the summer sun rays feel!

cheers to summer!

* coming soon to this very blog!
p.s. i am happy to say that i have accomplished most of my winter 2011 to do list and spring 2011 to do list! high fives!
p.p.s. photo via bippityboppityboo on tumblr

pcb 8 years later

june. already.
not that i'm complaining.
just getting a little concerned that summer is already slipping away.
that's a different story for a different day.

right now its time to live in the present & enjoy a frozen cocktail.
we're off to the sunshine state for a multitude of days.
a little vitamin d & time spent on the beach with friends.
you know, partaking in the good stuff in life.

i will say that I hope this trip to PCB florida is a little tamer than my last...
freshman year spring break. oh my.
what innaoropriate but fond memories i have of that trip.
that too is a different story for a different day.
a story that my future children should never hear.

its my hope that this trip will provide a little more relaxation.
a few moments to read a chapter or two of a book at the beach.
just the right daily intake of alcohol and greasy food.
not a single tan line out of place.
long walks on the beach, multiple times a day.

& god forbid there would be any 'bacardi o.'
had a little too much last time in PCB.
still can't stand the smell/taste 8 years later.

cheers!

http://www.etsy.com/listing/54521962/beach-umbrella-5x5-original-signed-fine

indiana camping

some of my favorite childhood memories are times spent camping with my dad.
spring tent camping and fall & winter cabin camping.
campfires, games, sing-a-longs & flashlights skipping here and there.
too many snacks, comfy sleeping bags, hot chocolate, & star-gazing.
laughter, late nights, fresh air & staying up late into the night.

twenty-some {!!!} years later i still love everything about camping.
although i now substitute an air mattress for a sleeping bag & beer for hot chocolate.

this weekend we'll celebrate the start of summer by going camping in indiana.

friends will come. campfires will be built. food cooked over the fire & beers drank.
stories will be told & we'll stay up way too late. too many snacks will be had.
& i'm sure we'll sing-a-long when our favorite country song comes on the radio.

when i'm camping, it's like all is right in the world.
the beer is colder. the night lingers longer. the stars are brighter.
marshmallows are for dessert.
life just automatically slows to an enjoyable pace.
sounds like a perfect way to welcome the start of summer.

picture by: simply bloom photography

happy campers & friday pow-wows

ever since i was all of 6 years old, i spent time at a little day camp each summer.
some years it was one week others nine weeks of the summer.
i started out as a camper. i loved each one of my counselors.
i progressed to a counselor in training & then to a counselor.

camp taught camping skills, nature education & Native American lore.
each day, campers worked together to
create & set up their campsite and build & start a fire to cook their lunch.
afterwords they played in creeks, slid down mudslides & sang camp songs.
all while learning & enjoying a little bit of nature.

to counselors, camp provided days in the sun & an excuse to get muddy.
pigs in a blanket, tinfoil stew, cheese toasties cooked over a fire for lunch.
the undevoted admiration of 15 kids, each week & pow wow fridays.
fellow campers over the years turned friends turned co-workers
to hang out with during the day and party with at night.
a chance to sing, laugh, skip, play tag, act a fool & breathe in the fresh air
all while wearing jeans and t-shirts. every single day of the summer.
also known to a college student as the perfect summer job.

the picture above reminded me of those such days.
those summers spent as a counselor were, hands down, the best.
on the eve of thanksgiving, first shared between Native Americans & pilgrims,
i wanted to reflect back on the simple things abbout camp i was thankful for.

jeans. warmth of a campfire. tee pees. the ability to run & play outside.
perfect summer jobs. nature. friends. feathered headdresses. sunshine.
camp songs. traditions. laughter. wooded trails. a paycheck.
happy campers & friday pow-wows.

to this day, i'm still thankful for those things & those days.
how could i not be?

photo via the design crush blog

looking good

someday, i will have children.
at some point, for whatever reason,
they might have difficulty believing that i was ever hip/cool/young.
i don't know why, but it might happen.
hear me now, children, at one time {from the ages of 19-26}
i did, infact, live it up.
one of my favorite memories from this summer involved a keith urban concert.
a hot summer night & floor seats at the show from the indiana state fair?!
it just doesn't get any better than that.
chris weaseled his way out of going with me so i took my best friend.
we "car bared" before the concert & sang along, recklessly, to every song.
and we looked good doing it.


tuesday keith urban's new cd went on sale. naturally i rushed to target to get it.
this morning i blared it in my car on my way to work. & i sang along.
with reckless abandon.
for the record, i looked good doing it.
{especially within the safety of tinted windows.}

remember that, kids, when i'm 46 & you just can't bare to imagine
that i was once a hot little one rocking out in my twenty-somethings.

photo of keith urban taken by me at the concert.
for some reason i couldn't hold the camera steady. or get it in focus.
i blame it on the car bar.

the end of summer

labor day always marks the unofficial end of summer.
while i do appreciate the end of swim suit season,
i do find it hard to part with the warm weather & golden glow of the summer.

this summer was, as usual, a complete blur.
it was filled with trips to the lake on the holidays & plenty of cookouts.
a bachelorette party in Chi & being the moh at my best friends destin wedding.
then seeing keith urban up close in concert w/ said best friend @ the state fair.
chris played lots and lots of golf. not as much as he would have liked. obviously.
i was busy with my little calligraphy shop
we took little mini vacays to florida {see wedding, above} & hilton head.
and made sure to soak up the sun....and the alcohol.
we were even able to spend a couple weekends at home. which was different.

oh, & chris started a twitter account. which he never updates.

in not so exciting news this summer {read, doing grown-up things}
we bought a couch & breakfast nook table. $$$$
hung a bird feeder in our backyard & spent $$$ on flowers for landscaping.
celebrated my 26th birthday on vacay with a divine steak dinner {& drinks}.
sold my yellow 2001 jeep wrangler {first & only car} & bought a '11 sonata.

these days the sun starts to set on my way home from work everyday.
& there seem to be fewer & fewer fireflies out at night.
& i'm getting the urge to trade in white zin for cabernet.
all sure signs of the end of summer.

dear summer, thanks for warm weather & golden glow. hurry back.
but not before i get to experience a long & glorious autumn.
& short winter, preferably. xo, j.

photo via it's mary ruffle via inspired by love

cheeky on the beach

chris captured this picture of me on a recent trip to destin, florida.

we were eating dinner at a seafood restaurant {w/ frosty beverages}.

and overlooking the sand volleyball courts and the beach.

it's funny to think how different life would be on the beach vs. in the city.

strands of wispy hair and little to no makeup are welcome on the beach.

so are bright colors, flip flops and frosty beverages garnished with umbrellas.

i might as well call the city the suburbs as that's where we're living now.

it requires looooong commutes into the city to work in a corporate office.

where white button-ups are all too often paired with grey or black pants.

and the only suitable beverage available is coffee.

which often is the only reason that i make it thru the day.

the grass is always greener, isn't it?

july 16th, 2010

chris & i went to hilton head earlier this summer.
our trip just happened to fall over my birthday.
we went out that night. with our friends to the harbour.
i wore my favorite coral dress.
and we had the most delicious steak dinner
with a round of champagne and chocolate cake to top it off.
it wasn't ice cream cake, but it was just as good i suppose.
after dinner we wandered around the marina.
we stopped when we heard a musician singing journey
and other oldies but goodies.
so we grabbed a couple of coronas, with limes, and sang along.
it was a happy happy birthday.

when the sun sets

as a child growing up on lake wawasee,
i always looked forward to the fourth of july fireworks.

i always brought my fireworks notepad.
before the fireworks started i would make a list of all of the possible colors.
during the fireworks i kept a tally of how many times each color appeared.
{it seems i was destined to be an accountant, doesn't it?}

in case you were wondering, red and blue were always the most popular.
and the "weeping willow" fireworks have and will always be my favorite.
there is always a furry of excitement & anticipation for the fireworks
as the sun begins to set on the lake.
after the fireworks, as the sky returns to it's dark blue hue,
there's a sense of sadness in the air. that summer is half over.

we start to look forward to labor day & sending summer off with a bang.
and then to memorial day to welcome summer with open arms.
and then, once again, to the fourth of july. waiting for the sun to set.
so the fireworks can glow.

i'm alive & i'm free

there's no other way to see the 4th of july fireworks at the lake...
than being in a boat on the lake yourself. with friends. & some cold beverages.

we had a spectacular fourth of july. and it wasn't just because of the fireworks.
we went to the frog tavern & the sandbar, channel tubed, ate too much,
applied sunscreen liberally, played skip-bo, wakeboarded, laughed too much,
watched a corsica attempt to trailer a pontoon out of the water at 1:30 am,
& rode a jet-ski from the 1980's. not to mention my mom was the perfect host.

i'd say we celebrated america's birthday quite perfectly.
"i'm alive & i'm free. who wouldn't want to be me?" - keith urban

ice up that old igloo

the weekend is here little ones.
and per the advice of brad paisley we're going to
grab our swimming trunks, ice up that old igloo and drive until the map turns blue.
because all you need this time of year is a pair of shades and an ice cold beer
and a place to sit somewhere near the water.
it should be fabulous as chris and i & 4 of our friends are making the trip up to the lake.

86 degrees and sunny all weekend? yes, please.

i see lots of boating, sunning and cans of beer in our future. {just being honest}

and if we're really adventurous, we'll hit up the frog tavern. the people watching can't be beat.

whatever you're doing this weekend i hope that it at least includes enjoying a few rays of sun.

photo by nicole green the summer of 2008.

july 1

can someone tell me why and how it's already july 1st?
for some reason, the july 4th weekend always marked the beginning of the end of summer.
perhaps because august always brought the rush of back to school shopping {which i loved}
and then, before you knew it, school was back in session.

so the july 4th weekend has always necessitated an extra dash of tequila in our margaritas.
an extra boat ride around the lake, even if the sun has already gone down.
one last dive off the end of the pier.
and hoping that the fireworks show over the lake lasts just a little longer.

so here it goes. tomorrow starts a 4 day 4th of july weekend for me.
and i intend to make every second of it last as long as i can.
because if this is the beginning of the end of the summer, i'm going to milk it as long as i can.

p.s. speaking of july...my birthday is coming up. july 16th, if you wanted to know.

photo by nicole green. taken the summer of 2008 at lake wawasee.