Currently...

Reading / a weird variety of books for my library's adult reading program. I'm supposed to read a book each in the romance, mystery, western, sci-fi, fiction, non-fiction and historical genres. This week, I'm trying mystery with an Agatha Christie novel. Big yays for trying new things!

Listening to / the same songs over and over again since I'm having trouble transferring my iTunes library to my new laptop. For some reason only like a hundred of my five thousand songs will transfer! Poop that.

Working on / getting in a fitness routine. It's so hard sometimes! I went on a run with my younger brother this morning and he made fun of me for being slow during approximately 98% of the run.

Eating / string cheese, oddly enough. Well I suppose it's not that odd since I'm a huge cheese person. I like to pretend it's kind of healthy?

Hoping / that work isn't too insanely busy during our village-wide barbecue on Saturday! But it's usually our biggest night of the summer so I should stop hoping. 

Watching / House, which is my go-to show when I'm not in the middle of another. Ever since I finished the finale of Orange is the New Black (which was phenomenal--it gripped at my soul, you guys), I need a new Netflix show to work on. Any recommendations?

Loving / my tablet! I swear, I don't know how I lived without it. It's totally a cheapie, but it works just fine for me. I use it every night at work, for taking inventory, for tracking our cash flow and for checking off cleaning tasks and such. And then I also use it for my hand-lettering, and of course, Netflix.

Hating / the weird influx of flies around my house these days. I live in between a forest and a lake, so naturally it can be quite buggy. And with storms rolling in the last few days, it's gotten sooo much worse. Every time I open a door, at least six flies come in and I have to spend ten minutes going all samurai on them with an old flip flop. 

Wanting / allll the cute cards in the world! Like this one or this one or this one or this one. Especially after looking through all the cards on Treat, I just want to send a card to everyone in the world!

Writing / lots of tweets! I feel like I've been missing out on conversations with you and my other readers and I'm trying to be more active on Twitter to keep up with you!

Planning / just the beginning ideas of a future collaboration/blogging group! Sound interesting?

What's going on with you these days?

Snippets 03.

1 // The weather here in southwest Michigan has been so spooky this last week. Normally around this time of year, it's sunny and perfect beach weather with the high in low 80s. I was sitting in the Tabernacle for service on Sunday morning and I looked out the windows to see this crazy thick fog that you could see rolling in. If it had been moving up, instead of towards the ground, I would have thought the church was on fire! 

From what I've heard, the middle of the lake (my town is on Lake Michigan) is still super cold, like almost with ice on it, and it keeps blowing off towards the warmer coasts and creating that weird fog. Way weird. But I'm still enjoying the cool and the mist before everything gets hot!

2 // I've been taking advantage of this cool weather to get some yard weather done before it becomes completely sweltering out. My backyard is two levels (because my house is on a dune) with terraced gardens in between. Even in the month it's been since we were here and did yard work, the gardens are filled with those little weeds. But as far as yard work goes, I don't mind weeding. I actually enjoy the cathartic experience of pulling out all the things that stifle our plants so that they can grow and thrive. I don't really enjoy accidentally picking up worms though. #ew.

3 // I'm still reeling from all the gorgeous views that I got to witness on my CA trip earlier this month. Honestly, it just blows my mind how such high mountains such as these cliffs in Yosemite could be formed by rivers and glaciers over thousands of years. 

What's going on in your life lately, friends?

Snippets 02.

ONE. I really, really like gardening...in theory. I've tried my hand at keeping up this little window box with some pansies and some kale and for awhile, it was going really well. My kale was growing tall and blooming with these pretty yellow flowers. My pansies were blooming and making me feel like a successful old lady. But then these big ol' bugs showed up and I have no clue what to do about them. I can't even figure out what they are, for are my googling. Like this is 2014, I should be able to do anything if I google enough. Anyways, my pansies are dying, thanks to these poopers. Sad day. 

TWO. Last weekend, I paid a visit to my future school! I'm not sure if I'm going to share exactly which school it is, but probably at some point. Anyways, it was really nice to scope out the whole living situation and trek through campus. This (very bad iPhone picture) was taken in a walkway through a ravine that cuts through from my future room to the student union (and food court, so you know I'll be walking this stretch often!). I just thought it was such a gorgeous little area tucked away in a busy, urban campus and I'm so excited to have this near me next fall!

THREE. H and I have had a series of lovely dates lately. Last week, as a particularly belated birthday dinner, we made fancy pizza. H picked up some fancy mozzarella and pesto and freshly-kneaded dough. We cooked up some chicken and fried up some quality bacon (YUM). It was just a really good-tasting and good-feeling meal and a genuinely good time with my main man. On another note, I'm a notoriously picky eater and H took me to a local Cajun place today and I tried approximately four new things. Which is about how many new foods I usually try in a year. Please be proud of me. 

What's been going on with y'all lately?

New Series // Snippets 01.

A few weeks ago, I shared some of my vision for this blog and how what I was currently doing didn't line up with that vision. I realized that I didn't just want to teach on this blog, though I truly believe that everyone has something to teach. I realized that I also wanted to show life through this blog. I want to read about what's going on in your life and though it may sound self-centered, I want you to know what's going on in my life. I believe it's a deep human instinct to want to share life with others. Why not do that through my blog?

I want to start a fairly regular series on my blog called Snippets, just about my thoughts in my daily life. I'd love your feedback and thoughts in the comments!



ONE. Some of you know that I'm going through the college selection process (yes, I'm that young). Lately though, it's been full of rejection. In the last week, I got rejected by one school, waitlisted by two others, and turned down for a women in science scholarship that I had sort of been banking on. It hasn't been easy, but I've been proud of myself in the way that I've handled it. I'm trusting that those colleges weren't the right ones for me and that there is something better in store for me. It's been a lesson in strength, in patience and in faith. I'm feeling encouraged that I still have two great schools that I like to consider (UVA is one of them!)

TWO. I love love love plants but I admit that I'm not the greatest plant mama. I've had my kale get attacked with some moldy-fungusy thing and my pansies are just getting all shriveled and brown because of all of our freezing weather. I spent some time today nurturing my little babies, pulling off the dead blooms or moldy leaves and clearing out the soil. I found it deeply therapeutic to spend time picking out the things that were suffocating my poor plants so that they can (hopefully!) live and thrive a while longer.

THREE. On a more lighthearted note, I've been using an app called Argus over the last week or two to track my steps every day. The recommended goal is 10,000 steps per day, and I find I don't even get close to that if I don't schedule in a good run or a session on the treadmill. It's ridiculous the kind of satisfaction I got when I hit 17,000 steps after a long day walking around UVA. Little victories, y'all!