heavy mitted love

"our love is a star
sure some hazardry
for the light before and after most indefinitely

danger has been stole away"
-Bon Iver, Beth/Rest


It's not often that i become completely obsessed with an entire album, but for Bon Iver's new self titled album, it's obvious why I am obsessed with it. It's been out for a few weeks, and I strangely enough hadn't gotten it until today. The flow between the tracks is effortless, yet each of the songs has its own beautiful story. I'm in love with "Michicant" and "Beth/Rest", although it's safe to say im in love with all of the tracks on the album. This is definitely one of my favorite albums of the year. You must buy it now.

You're a true friend

I've had these graduation gifts for my best friends completed for over two weeks, and I've been waiting to blog about them until I actually gave them their presents, but with our constant busy schedules, I hadn't found the opportunity to do so until last night, and even with that I still haven't given one away yet. I decided to make a collage for each of my best friends to take to school with them. I bought the mattes and used some lavender scrapbook paper at the background. The photos are ones that I have taken from our times together, and I then added in a vintage postcard, fortunes and some magazine clippings.

 This one, made for my friend Natalie, has a vintage postcard of the New York Public Library, because Natalie loves New York City, and she is going to school in New York. The magazine clipping says "put on your happy feet" which will hopefully brighten her days during the tough school year. The upper photo is of a church from Madrid, and the lower photo is of the Royal Palace in Madrid as well. To finish this one off, the fortune says "Don't be afraid to take that big step", an encouraging fortune for the new times ahead.

 This next one was made for my friend Meredith. The postcard is of the Martha Cook dorm at the University of Michigan, which is the school that she will be attending in the fall. The upper photo was taken on the beach from our trip to the Dominican Republic, and the lower photo is of Toledo, Spain, which we visited together. I chose a magazine clipping for this one that says "Let love shine". The fortune says "You do not have to know where you are going to be headed in the right direction", a very true statement, especially during the years in college where everything is new.

 For my friend Ally, I chose a postcard that says "Greetings from Michigan" because she is going to school out of state, so it will remind her of her wonderful home state. The upper photo is the same photo from Meredith's, of the view of Toledo, Spain. The lower photo is of a a red Vespa, also taken on our trip to Spain last summer. The fortune says "Do not give up, the beginning is always the hardest"; hopefully it will be an encouraging little note, even though I know Ally would never give up.

The last one is for my friend Olivia. The postcard on this one makes me laugh every time I see it. It says "Guess I'll be a darned old maid", because we always joke that we will one day become old maids. The upper photo was taken on our trip to Spain, of cute potted plants. The lower photo is from our trip to the Dominican Republic, looking up to beaded t-shirts. The upper fortune says "Luck helps those who help themselves" and the bottom one says "An hour with one friend is worth more than ten with strangers".

I'm so thrilled with how these turned out, and I'm excited for my best friends to be able to put them up in their dorm rooms, all at different colleges might I add, to add a little artsy touch and to make their room feel more like home.

I can't take my mind off of you

Happy Sunday! It's been a relaxing weekend for me, filled with the Plymouth Art Fair, a little bit of work, meals with my family, and maybe a few naps. On So You Think You Can Dance this week the boys did a dance to "Prague" by Damien Rice (it was amazing!), and now it rekindled my love for his music. One of my all time favorite songs is his song, "The Blower's Daughter". I just put it back into my sleep playlist, which is coming into its own with my new laptop. I've had it on repeat all night, and I just love the heartfelt lyrics of the song, especially my favorite part, the first few lines of the song:

And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
And so it is
The shorter story
No love, no glory
No hero in her sky

Just stay right where I can see you

I went to the mall for a shopping trip for the first time since April (yes, that's true...), and obviously i enjoyed browsing all of the pre-fall merchandise. I can't wait to buy some new items for my fall wardrobe at school, including lots of cozy layers and woven accessories. Here are some of my current items that I am lusting over:

1. I tried on a skirt similar to this at Urban Outfitters in cream. I love how floaty the fabric feels, and I can definitely see myself throwing one like it on in the fall with a slip underneath and a chunky knit.
2. To spice up my workout wear for the fall, I recently added in a crop top and a pair of yoga shorts to my collection to make going to the gym a little bit more fun.
3. A few new dresses, especially one like this, to put on with some boots and a printed rust colored scarf for the warmer days in September.
4. I've been searching all over for a robe, similar to this one (although it's a bit out of my price range). I'm hoping some will come out sometime in the next month so I can have it before I leave for school.
5.  Some cute, comfortable shoes to go with skirts, dresses, shorts, or pants, because I never know what Michigan weather might throw at me.
6. New earrings, such as these, to add a little spice to my outfits, and I might even let myself wear these now.

& I'll be wearing white

This is NOT new

Happy 4th of July weekend! This is most definitely one of my favorite holiday; I love being able to celebrate our wonderful country with my friends and family. Last summer, my family spent the weekend in northern Michigan, the best way to spend this holiday weekend. Although this year we aren't making the same trip to the north, here are some of my favorite ways to pay tribute to the beautiful USA during this weekend:

1. Wear a bit of red, white and blue all weekend
2. Attend a parade on the 4th
3. Cuddle up with your favorite American classic movie, even if what constitutes as an American classic means My Best Friend's Wedding
4. Catch fireflies in an old Mason jar
5. Cool off with a red, white and blue Popsicle
6. Decorate your desserts with mini American flags (cupcakes, brownie bites, etc)
7. Listen to country music nonstop
8. Search for some American treasures at at an antique fair (there's always a great one in Petoskey, MI over this weekend, which I am depressed that I am missing)
9. Go for a drive with your windows down
10. Hit up a diner for some late night favorites, including those french fries you always crave but never let yourself order
11. Have a water fight on the warmest day of the weekend
12. Indulge in a s'more
13. Say "God bless America" as many times as possible, and truly mean it.