Weekly Wrap-Up

J. Crew Factory stores had a half off sale last week! I bought a pretty dress.

Here are my favorite posts of the week:
This spaghetti squash alfredo from Jenny at Everyday is a Holiday looks soooo good. And it's vegetarian!
Oh my goodness, these mushroom sugar cookies from Kaylah over at The Dainty Squid look delicious and are beautiful! She also made letters and teeth - I am so impressed!
I love Vanessa from Vanessa Chloe's World's five favorites. I think I might borrow this blog idea and share a few of my current favorite things later this week!
Gentri Lee went south and shared some gorgeous photos. I've been to Austin, Texas and LA but really no where in between. I'd love to go!
I love this post from A Cup of Jo about making your own salad dressing for the week. Not only is it easy, but it is way better for you than store bought dressing. Eat healthy!
I'm not really into nail art myself, but I like this coral ombré idea from Lily Pebbles because she used a different color on each finger. Really pretty!
Mmm, I used to hate rosemary but I've been coming around. The ladies from A Beautiful Mess posted a recipe that I've been eager to try - Rosemary Lemonade. It looks divine!

Best thing I ate this week:
I'm just going to throw it out there. Qdoba naked vegetarian burrito. I seriously love Qdoba. Do you have them where you are? Everyone is all crazy over Chipotle, but I don't get it. I also had a delicious bloody mary from a fun bar we have here in Grand Rapids, Stella's.

Favorite day of the week:
On Wednesday, I received my official offer letter for my first "real" job ever! It's been three years since I finished my coursework, two since my internship, and over one since I had to start paying on my student loans, so I'm really excited! Finally!

Best purchase of the week:
In addition to buying a bunch of great clothes on sale from J. Crew and Kohl's last weekend and then getting compliments all week, Andrew and I ordered a couch yesterday. We've been sitting on a cheap futon for years, so we're really excited for it to arrive! I love the throw pillows that come with it. Pictures soon!

Something I learned this week:
That hard work really will pay off in the end!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I marvel at his sweetness everyday! We have had him for just over three months now!

Here are my favorite posts from the week:

Alice at Sweet Dreamer traveled to the U.S. and shared her first batch of photos from Disneyland! I loved scrolling through them and am overdue on a visit to L.A.!

♥Elycia recently shared that she is pregnant, and answered some questions about it on her 21-week mark. I have no interest in being pregnant anytime soon, if ever, but I love hearing about her experience! Congrats!

Wow, Katie of Chestnut Mocha posted the most gorgeous photos of spring in South Korea. I want to go there now!

Melissa from So About What I Said posted the results by gender of one college's survey. The subject - what's your favorite color? I can't believe so many people like blue!
Mmm, Jess from Vintage Pie really spoke to me with her post about Italian coffee terms like espresso and affogato. Coffee in Europe just tastes so much better!
Spring is definitely on my mind and way overdue around here, so I love this simple post from Sandra at 5 Inch and Up celebrating her spring favorites.
Finally, green tea donuts? They look amazing! Emma from A Beautiful Mess shared her recipe.

Best thing I ate this week:

All the sushi my belly could handle! Our friend Elise is moving to Hong Kong very soon for work and we had a going away party the other night. She supplied all sorts of treats, including lots of sushi that was amazing and wonderful. Thanks, Elise!

Favorite day of the week:

The day of the party, which was Saturday! Not only did I get lots of great sushi, I enjoyed some ginger ale and whiskeys, AND we played Just Dance 4 on the Wii U. If you haven't played, make a friend with someone who has it because it's so much fun! (And a great workout).

Best purchase of the week:

We bought our tickets to Istanbul this week! We are going at the end of the summer. Now that we all have our tickets, we'll start to plan. Many updates to come!

Something I learned this week:

That my job prospects are looking really good! I think I'm really close to my first full-time salaried position, which is awesome! I feel like I graduated so long ago, so I'm really happy to finally be this close!

Happy Monday. What does your week have in store?

Weekly Wrap-Up

Our Valentine's Day bowling crew. "No one left behind." My team won though, obvs.

Here are my favorite posts from the week!
Kayley from Down the Rabbit Hole shared her love for double exposure photography, which is always so stunning to me. I love the examples she showed!
Trish from JellyBones posted a recipe for spiced pear cider that looks amazing and doesn't require a ton of ingredients.
Katie Ann from It's All Happening shared a few pictures from her visit to see The Chew. I love hearing about behind the scenes stuff like that! I got to go to The Ellen Show once!
I love these photos of Eastport, Maine from Amanda at Little Lady Little City. I have never been to Maine, but I would love to go.
I, too, have a style crush on Carrie Brownstein after this post from Sierra at Exceptionally Ordinary. Andrew and I have been watching Portlandia and it's so totally weird, I love it! I also embarrassingly didn't realize she made her claim to fame in Sleater-Kinney until like a week ago. Whoops!
And lastly, I love all of my girl Shell's posts on Kitty and Buck! This week she shared some mango gelato all melted over her hand. So silly and for a second made me forget about all the snow outside!

Best thing I ate this week:
I made avocado enchiladas with a side of black beans and white sangria to drink. I love making that dish because not only is it super rewarding (I bust out the food processor and make the enchilada sauce from scratch) but it reminds me of when I had the original inspiration for the recipe at the Little Chihuahua in San Francisco with my favorite cousin, Andrea! Good times.

Favorite day of the week:
I would have to go with Monday because I got two questions right at trivia! I normally feel useless, but these had to do with the Beatles so I excitedly wrote down the answers. I know you want to know the questions: 1. After what deceased celebrity was the Liverpool airport renamed for in the early 2000s. 2. Eric Clapton's wife Patty was formerly married to which rock star? I didn't actually know the first one, but I encouraged us to go with John Lennon, and George Harrison's first wife was obviously Patty! I mean, who doesn't know that?! ; )

Best purchase of the week:
I actually didn't spend that much money this week. I indulged on a half shamrock half chocolate shake from McD's a couple days ago, so I'll go with that!

Something I learned this week:
I have been watching documentaries lately - Vegucated, Freakonomics, and Hungry for Change. So I learned a lot watching those! I also got to see a doctor of Chinese medicine speak at work, so I learned about acupuncture and diet. Lots to think about when I consider what I put into my body. Andrew and I are trying to cook more and eliminate a lot of artificial things from our diet, but it's not easy!

Weekly Wrap-Up

Good morning and happy Saturday! I just whipped up some banana chocolate chip muffins and am enjoying some coffee while I wait for my better half to wake up. (It's almost 11am!)

Time to share my favorite blog posts of the week!

I love this post with some great guy accessories from The Wood. I know Andrew would look extra gorgeous in all of these!
I think it's great that Gentri Lee met up with her best blogging friend! It's amazing to me what a great community bloggers sometimes have: )
I love Sofia's Valentine's grahams that she created! They look delicious!
I do not remember the last time I had chocolate pudding. A Cup of Jo makes me want to revisit it!
Kitty Cat Stevens shared some vintage finds from the Nashville flea market. I want to go!
These photos of New Orleans from Wanderlusted were great for Mardi Gras. I have never been, have you?
Chantilly shared a secret about using cornstarch as face powder. I'm not sure I would do it, but I think it's a pretty cool idea!
Lazy Explorers shared some wants that I also want, including some awesome fox bookends. I still have yet to get very far on my fox collection!

Best thing I ate this week:
Hmmm, I think I would have to go with the Vietnamese Pho I had yesterday. I still don't completely get the concept (I should have researched how to eat this before I went), but it was a fun new dish with lots of fresh herbs involved!

Favorite day of the week:
Valentine's Day was fun! Since we have a big group of friends, some of us single and some of us dating, we all went to happy hour and then bowling! No one was left behind: )

Best purchase of the week:
Kate Nash tickets! I love love love her, and this will be the first time I have ever seen her live! I didn't even know the show was happening until the venue posted that the tickets were almost sold out! A very close call.

Something I learned this week:
How much I paid last year in student loan interest. Almost a grand! Grrrr.


What do you have in store for your weekend? I need to finish a cover letter for a job I'm applying for, and tonight we are volunteering for a Grand Rapids Symphony event, which means we get a really nice free dinner!

Weekly Wrap-Up

I have felt a little uninspired and a lot busy this past week! I plaaaaan on updating more next week. Today is the last day to enter the sweater clip giveaway from my friend Kat! Good luck!

Stevie and me (he doesn't really like to be picked up, but we love each other)!

Here are my favorite posts from the week:

Kanelstrand had a great guest post from Vivid Please about DIY constellation cards! Such a neat idea for Valentine's Day!
I just love the concept of The Little Brown Book - Ella reviews great places in London in her handwritten brown book and shares her experience on her blog. It's a really beautiful result! Her latest post is about a place called The Riding House Cafe.
Anna-Rosa has another gorgeous blog that I drool over, especially with her post about homemade chocolate-peanut butter cups! Yum!!
Um, Moorea Seal has some absolutely gorgeous amethyst rings in her etsy shop that she shared in her blog, I wish I was that talented!
Not only is Shell's (from Kitty and Buck) backdrop and entire outfit theme amazing here, but the red bow in her hair is beyond rad.
I love when other bloggers share (which is partly why I started sharing), and Yellow Bird, Yellow Beard did a nice post highlighting some great Etsy and Storenvy shops. Simple and sweet!


Best thing I ate this week:
Truffle Fries, in particular, the ones from The Green Well

Favorite day of the week:
Wednesday actually ended up being really great. A friend handmade us ravioli, which was amazing, and we all drank too much wine for a Wednesday.

Best purchase of the week:
Kate Spade had a super secret sale on Monday and I finally bought myself a bag! And then it came like two days later. Pictures soon: )

Most useful thing I learned this week:
How to remove borders from the pictures on my blog! That was realllllly annoying me!


Hope you found a new great blog to follow! I'd love to hear your favorite bloggers in the comments, or yours; )!

Weekly Wrap Up

I'm sharing the love this Sunday with the blog posts from the past week I enjoyed the most. I hope you discover something you like as well!

This stuff sounds intriguing - has anyone tried it?

I loved this photo backgrounds blogging tip from Chantilly! (I did a couple practice shots above).
This post from MAIEDAE on living well is so inspiring!
The gals over at Cakies weren't feeling too well and made this delectable looking chocolate loaf. Mmmmm.
You know I'm a sucker for film photos. Thanks to Anna-Rosa at myLifebox for sharing a few: )
Tea Tree Vintage shared her Wednesday Want List, and I'm loving her list.
This decorated plate tutorial from Urban Nester is so neat!
And finally, I won a giveaway, so I love the post announcing it! I will definitely be posting when my prizes arrive!

Happy Sunday!

Sharing the Love

Found this card while looking for one for my mom that How I Met Your Mother fans will appreciate: )

Happy Saturday! In an effort to show some love to the blogs I follow and hopefully find a new blog for you to follow, I'm going to start sharing my favorite posts from the week. I know I'm not the first person to come up with this, so thank you to other blogs for the inspiration!

This week's, in no particular order:

• Hey Miss Pickle shared some gorgeous photos from Versailles, France.
• I also loved MAIDAE's photos from her weekend cabin excursion in Georgia.
• Kitty and Buck appropriately sported cats on her dress!
• A Cup of Jo shared a great interview with the costume designer from the raunchy HBO show, Girls. 
• I also loved Gentri Lee's "instant life" post. So pretty!
• Lazy Explorers shared some planners for 2013 that should inspire you to stay organized.
• And my buddy Sofia shared some really neat Mexico photos from over the holidays. I didn't think I wanted to go there, but she has convinced me otherwise!

I'm also happy to be involved in two really great blog hops right now - they are the first I've ever been a part of. I've already discovered a lot of great new blogs and gained many new followers. Welcome to everyone, I'm so glad you're here! If you want in on the action, check them out: The Totally Awesome Blog Hop and New Year, New Friends.