[Pending]

Some things I just hold out on. I wait too long.

Like this coat.

Or stocking up on this now discontinued lipstick that was the perfect shade of red.

Or picking up this blog and really getting down to it. I have ideas. Some of them are kind of interesting. Someone, like you (maybe?) might enjoy them. What am I waiting for?

So, here I am. Still journeying through life and love but now with a slightly bigger loft and a partner in crime.

{My two loves: my guy & KC. So glad to be here.}

So, I'm back. Stay tuned. There's much more where this came from.

The trouble is, we think we have time...

Ain't it the truth. Lately I've felt constantly late, like I'm always a few steps behind, as though I'm forgetting something.

Could be the new balance of graduate school (round 2. I know, I know...), retail management, a social life, and, of course the new manfriend. All I know is my life has been full to the brim lately. I'm exhausted. But I'm feeling...happy.

There has been music.

There have been surprises. 

It is fall in Kansas City. It is beautiful.

"Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall"

-Jordan, the Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

No Rearview Mirrors

"There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind." - C. S. Lewis

It can be hard to not look back. But if there are exciting things ahead, the temptation to turn around might not be so great. 

Ride an Elephant in Thailand | Learn to sail |  Own a pair of Christian Louboutains | Plan a perfect wedding | Visit the Middle East | Commit random (and anonymous) acts of kindness | Safari in Africa | Ride a camel in the desert | See the pyramids at sunset | See Cuba | Have a croissant at a French cafe | Take a road trip across the U.S. | Have an exceptional time in Greece | Drink whiskey at a pub in Ireland | Open a Swiss bank account | Make a (pretty) cake from scratch | Own my own business | Grow vegetables | Write a novel | Be conversational in four languages: 1. English 2. Spanish 3. French 4. Italian | Set foot on all seven continents | Set foot in all fifty states | Stand atop the Great Wall of China | Stand inside the Taj Mahal | Host a party in a vineyard | Do two pull ups | Go berry picking | Meet a president | Take dancing lessons | Ride through the Panama Canal | Go glamping | Live in a high rise | Institute chocolate and champagne Wednesdays | Be published in Vogue | Wear a large hat at the Kentucky Derby | Taste 1,000 Fruits | Celebrate Christmas on a snowy mountain | Get in the habit of grand loving gestures | Live in a house with a screened-in porch | Learn to surf | Attend services at Notre Dame and the Vatican | Change my own oil | Use my work to improve lives | Form a workplace with people and things I love | Participate in a giant food fight | Know New York like the back of my hand | Pretend we've had a power outage | Go a day without speaking | Write a book | Write thank you notes to my to those who inspire me | Own land | Throw a party like Jay Gatsby | Remove money as a concern | Write a million dollar check to a charity | Take a two-week vacation without computers or phones |  Drink lemonade on a front porch swing, on a warm summer night | Buy a stock on my own | Make a quilt of old concert Ts | Christen a boat | Have professional photos of myself taken | Live in another country for a year | Wear a sequin bikini to Carnival. | Go on a night swim on a secluded beach| Make a font | Spend the night in a department store | Sleep in a treehouse | Host 100 parties | Live in a space with a view of the ocean | Start an annual event | Movie night on the deck | Do a two-finger whistle for a cab | Do something big you thought you'd never do (climb a mountain, compete in a triathalon) | Take a child to Disneyland

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote, "I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." Here it goes.

How's it gonna be?

Ever feel like you're drowning?

{Take a look at yourself. It's important to remember who you are. And who you want to be.}

Life's tough. I know. And we all make our own choices. But it doesn't always feel like it. Sometimes it feels like you make one choice and from then on you're at the mercy of someone else.

{I live here. It's beautiful. I need to remember that sometimes.}

Love is like that. You love. And then you're at the mercy of someone else.
You just have to hope that it's worth it.

{I love this place. In Chicago. I hope it's still there. There's just something hopeful about it. It means nothing and yet, everything.}

Hope. What an interesting concept.

{It is beautiful. Even if vertigo-inducing. Maybe the best things in life are those that make you feel just a little bit sick to your stomach. Maybe.}

 ...Naive?

City Livin'

I live in a studio loft. It's small but it's mine. And, having lived with a boy before, and likely my next move will be in with a boy again, I wanted to satisfy all my girly decor urges.

A mix of vintage, frilly and DIY, my place is slowing becoming what I want it to be. Here's a glimpse...

{Cabinets previously had those ugly off-white doors--and some, the lower, mainly--still do. This is much more fun. But requires much greater organization.}

{This awesome clock was a gift. I just need to (re)hang it. And in a way that it doesn't fall and scare me to death again...}

As you can see, there are a few things awaiting my attention...

• big clock and lamp to be hung
• a rug... I'm wanting to do this but haven't jumped into it, as of yet
• my bathroom...it needs paint. But what color?!
• The unfinished book page wall as seen here
• So many more little ideas as seen here, on my pinterest page.

It's unfinished, but it's home. And it's mine.

Sunburns and Bomb Pops

Hi there. It's Sunday once again. The weeks go by way too fast, no?

I promised a Fourth of July recap so here it is.

What's more American than America's Favorite Pastime? We had lovely suite seats and cold beer. Can't ask for much more.

Parker needed a "cool" treat on the 4th, too.

I had a domestic moment. And I must say, these chocolate-dipped strawberries were rather tasty.

All-American. Sunburns and Bomb Pops.

Veggie burgers on the grill.

I'm including a bit of Farmers' Market Treasures as well.

Have I mentioned how much I love living in the River Market? Oh, I have? Well, it's true. And here's a few reasons why...

I don't think anything smells better than fresh basil.

Italian loaf from the best little Italian grocery in the City Market. I was this.close to getting gelatto. I don't think I've missed Italy as much as I did walking around the little shop. Everything is so fresh and so good.

The fresh food was just begging to be turned into a caprese lunch. So good. Did I mention I missed Italy?

Beautiful, fresh cut flowers. And $6!

Go out and eat some local produce, drink some wine and enjoy what's so great about summer [hint: it's not the 100 degree afternoons].



And if you're really bored, stuck inside where it's air conditioned, check out my Pinterest page here It's where I post all the things I fall in love with on a daily basis. What can I say, I'm a hopeless romantic.



PS- stay tuned for a house loft tour, coming soon!

Antiques and cowboy boots

Alas, the long weekend has drawn to a close and it's back to real life. I did have a fantastic weekend though; I am so happy I got to catch up with one of my very best friends, Emilie, whom I hadn't seen since her wedding in May. We did some vintage shopping to outfit the cute new house she and her husband just moved into.

While helping Emilie shop, I just so happened to find a few great pieces for myself...

Adorable milk glass vases (and only $5!)

A great medicine cabinet that was just what my bathroom needed (ie: more storage!)

What was once a milkglass ashtray has become a tray for my jewelry in the bathroom.

And the piece de resistance, the perfect pair of worn-in, vintage cowboy girl boots. Can you believe I grew up in Kansas and this is my first pair?!  And at $28, they couldn't be more perfect.

By the way, you can see all the cool stuff I love [and can't afford] here, on my pinterest page.

Hope everyone had a fabulous holiday weekend. More stuff about my Americana-filled Monday later.