school year 2006-2007.

like every other kid at camp that summer, i went home. to my job at the pool. to a few weeks of freedom before classes started. and like every other kid at camp, when i got home, i signed in to my newly established facebook profile and started sending out friend requests to all my camp companions. in those days, facebook was coming up in the world. it was exclusively for college students and it was sucking us all in with its stay-connected charms and status updates. how sweet it is to be a child of the social-networking generation. i am surprised to this day that i was brave enough to ask grant to be my facebook friend. and even more surprised that he said yes. grant is the kind of guy who you can tell is just cool. you know it when you see him. and all of us campers picked up on it. we all wanted to be his friend. he's the kind of guy who has this shining reputation without even trying, and without an ounce of ego. i remember a few days after he had "accepted me," sitting cross- legged on the corner of a king-size bed, surrounded by my best friends, the camp stories being dished out, and christine saying, "i can't believe you're friends with grant!" i grinned sheepishly and stared at my knees. my thoughts exactly, christine.

after a few weeks of being home, after i had come down from my "camp high," i still thought about grant a lot, especially since i had a means of communicating with him. i thought he was the most fascinating person on earth. i had a crush.. big time. but i didn't want to admit it. i was the girl who never wanted to be teased about liking someone. i was the girl who avoided my name linking up with anybody else's. i didn't want to be boy crazy, i just wanted to wait for the right boy. but in august, i made a historic move. i said to my mom, "you know who would be a good catch? that grant harms." thereby unofficially giving my family the heads up on this guy who would become the center of my world, and turn out to be the man of my dreams.

in the fall, grant and i wrote sporadic wall posts and short letters to each other. i was majoring in french, dabbling in spanish and russian, and working 12 hours a week at my orthodontist's office. grant had packed up and moved out to california, just to live in california. our messages were of the lighthearted genre. on my end, they were loaded with silly, unnatural words and contained way too many exclamation points. i was trying. he was being himself: witty, clever, and not at all a flirt. i was a little star-struck. he was older than i was, and i was amazed that he would spend time writing to me. our pen-pal relationship had no commitments, no design, and no end in sight. we just genuinely enjoyed hearing what the other had to say. so we kept writing. it was wholesome and classy. slow-moving and stress free. old-fashioned letter writing was proving to be the sweetest part of my life.

..to be continued.

if we had all the money in the world, we would be doing this in july.

i've always wanted to see london. and michael jackson is our favorite.

we may have found two tickets for a decent price on ebay last night.

and we may have checked into current rates for flights from minneapolis to london.

we may have done those things.

we do like to dream.

because they came! 

the lake 

haack

just an extra half hour in bed & i started to panic.

but after a few minutes of self-rebuke and frantic rushing to and fro, 

i decided i should go with the flow. keep calm and carry on, as they say.

we're staying stocked up on the berries and going through a mega smoothie phase.

grant is rocking the side part & i'm raving over it. he can do no wrong in the hair dept.

i can't get enough sunshine and green growth and ice-free sidewalks. we're taking walks through the 'hood & using a new greenbox thingy to rent dvds @ the store. i'm doing 

another round of the hobbit & have picked my top 3 on dancing with the stars. we are anticipating the arrival of a new computer and new running shoes. i am fired up to use 

my new deliciously dark nail polish & bust out the sunscreen chapstick. we're closing in 

on our first anniversary and counting down the school days. thinking about the end 

of may.. flying united, visiting family, and riding space mountain. thinking about the 

beginning of june.. moving out of our apartment & over to brygger room no.2 @ camp.

i am loving life as a couple and relishing the action-packed schedule ahead of us.

our days are full and speeding by. so much to look forward to these days. i like it.

my sister-in-law introduced me to these wonderful dreamsicle scones.

would you be so good as to make these as soon as you possibly can?

i think you'll go for the tang of citrus blended with rich butter. mm. magic.

they were a smash at my house. grant even took one in his lunch today. hooray.

he says they remind him of krispy kreme doughnuts.

i can't say that's what i was thinking, but thought i'd mention it,

just in case that would have you sprinting to your kitchen to get started.

heidi, thanks so much for setting me straight on my scones.

these are far and away the best i've ever put in my mouth.

orange scones from heidi

1/4 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. buttermilk

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 orange

2 c. flour

1/3 c. sugar

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

6 T. cold butter, cut into small pieces

1 c. powdered sugar

zest of one orange

juice of half an orange

1. in a small bowl, whisk together cream, buttermilk, egg, vanilla, and the zest and juice of 1 orange. set aside.

2. sift together dry ingredients. cut in butter cubes until mixture looks crumby and butter is worked in. add in the liquid mixture and combine just until moist. don't overmix.

3. using a large spoon, divide dough up into 12 large egg-shaped balls, dropping them as you form them onto a lined baking sheet.

4. bake in a 375 degree oven for 15-18 min. while scones are cooling, make the glaze (you want it nice and thick). spoon glaze over warm scones.

why get rid of a good thing? why?

it didn't hurt anybody. it was nice and sweet and sudsy.

all of a sudden, i cannot find my perfect soap anymore.

i've checked target. i've checked walmart.

has anybody seen this bottle? it's gone missing.

i had a feeling this would happen someday.

someday i would go to the body wash aisle,

look up to the second shelf from the top- and it would be gone.

and now that day has arrived.

happily, i bought 4 bottles of it awhile ago, just to be safe.

so i'm not totally deprived yet.

can someone please check walgreen's for me?

hooray!

woke up this morning with a big birthday stretch.

put on some birthday blue sweats.

read a birthday text message.

sent grant to work with a birthday kiss.

made some birthday scrambled eggs.

drank some birthday coffee.

and now have the birthday caffeine shakes.

today we get a little bit older.

and for the first time ever in our lives, my twin sis & i will be apart on our birthday. no lipstick- penned happy birthday greeting on the mirror in the bathroom that we share. not this year. how strange it feels to celebrate my birthday. just me. on my own. happy birthday, dear summer? i've never heard those words sung before. not without haley's name ringing out behind mine. blow out my own candles? by myself? heaven and earth! that's just unthinkable.

haley's my first friend. my number one. my roommate. my wombmate. my sidekick. i can't do this birthday thing without her. what is the world coming to?

but.. i suppose the show must go on. we must grow up. birthdays must continue to come. let's just hope that when they do, they will occasionally find the two of us together. and by occasionally, i mean regularly. many a time. lots of times. again and again.

hello, hales.

happy birthday to us! i miss you.

i wish we could put on our party dresses and make a merry day of it. wish we could get dolled up. throw on some heels, tease our hair, go dramatic on the eyes, and slip out to the french cafe. we could use our almost-forgotten french & eat creme brulee to our hearts' content. maybe next year? i am wishing you the happiest of days.. even if it is without me. live it up. make it grand. be extravagant. please join me today as i'm indulging. i will be doing the following..

01. using new splurged-upon shampoo and conditioner.

02. running my heart out.

03. eating like a king. (burgers @ the hub tonight.)

04. feeling like a queen. (spritzing queen for a day thickening spray.)

05. wearing capris and flip-flops. this is a big deal.

06. spending a lavish amount of time scrolling through google reader.

07. toting raisinets for the movie grant is taking me to.

08. sporting a fresh coat of fuschia power on my fingers and toes.

09. doing the extra extra long shower. getting an extra close shave.

10. toning down the to-do list. turning up the music.

so, dear sister of mine who happens to be the same age as me minus seven minutes, have a marvelous day. i love you.

happy birthday!

ps. me on the left, haley on the right

the first-day-of-camp events had already begun. name tags slapped on, teams announced, wristbands fastened. we all gathered in the pole barn for the official beginnings, i filed into a line awaiting the cabin distribution, and all of us girls were called into the chapel for the giving of the rules. afterwards, i dashed to the gazebo for the green team meeting, where we determined that we should all be wearing green shirts. luckily, i had just bought the green camp t-shirt about an hour earlier. while running toward the parking lot to grab it from the van, i remembered a rule i had just been given: don't go to your car without permission. so, i needed to find someone in charge. someone who worked at the camp. i spotted some guys who looked like staff a few feet away from me. they were wearing walkie-talkies and walking to the staff entrance of clarke hall.

the guy who was closest to me turned around.

him: "yeah?"

me: "um, is it okay if i go get something from my car?"

him: "what do you need?"

me: "i need to get the green t-shirt i just bought from the camp store."

him: "okay."

me: "thanks!"

he turned around and kept walking. i rushed over to my car, thinking about how glad i was that the permission part was over. wondering what he thought of me. thankful that i wasn't mistaken about him being staff. thankful that i hadn't made a fool of myself. reassuring myself that my question was completely reasonable. wondering if he would remember me. wondering why i cared so much.

later in the week, after finding out who grant was from the girls in cabin 7, i realized that he was the guy. the one who had given me permission. grant harms had said yes to me. well.. he had said "okay." but, even so, the whole thing was rather thrilling. grant's attention was a privileged thing to have held. even for just a moment.

and that was our first encounter. face to face. no names. no introduction. no flirtation. just a girl camper and just a guy staffer. but that adds to the mysterious and memorable quality. and don't think there wasn't any noticing going on during this meeting. because there was. how could i not notice that he was tall, lean, sun-tanned, and distractingly handsome? he was wearing his customary camp getup. and no one could wear it better. shorts that fit just loosely perfect, a worn t-shirt, flip-flops, and keys + walkie-talkie. that's him to a t. and man oh man, does he look swell. so boyish. so campish. i can't wait to see him break out the uniform again this summer. the sight of him in his camp threads brings back so many good memories.

and now you know how we first "met." if you were looking for romance, i'm sure i left you high & dry. but please bear with me. this is just the beginning. it's all part of the fairy tale.

photo by kaitlin haack

i have a serious soft spot for sandwiches.

i could eat them everyday. and in fact, i do. 

i'm a staunch sandwich-for-lunch gal. 

but it's not everyday that i make this sandwich.

nope. this one is extra special. 

reserved for dinnertime, even.

when i made this favorite a few nights ago,

i served it with these nifty wedges, mom's baked beans, 

and this salad. it felt just like summertime. 

i was ready to head outside & watch fireworks.

with chicken salad, i like to play around.

mayo or miracle whip. grapes or apples or baby gherkins.

dorothy lynch or vinegar. dill or honey mustard.

here's what i did for this batch..

roughly 2 c. cooked chicken

3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped

1/2 braeburn apple, diced

plenty of coarse salt & pepper

a dollop of mayo

a sprinkle of dill

a dash of cayenne pepper

serve atop toasted wheat bread & fresh spinach.

i'm sorry, this is not the next installment of my tale.

but thanks to you, i am all psyched up to keep writing it out.

so, i talk about this camp a lot. it's high time i tell my tale. it's a story of falling in love with a summer camp.. and with a boy. let's start at the beginning. part one. when i was a camper.

it's the summer after my senior year of high school, and my friends have finally convinced my sister and i to go to their "minnesota camp." we're on the brink: about to be too old for summer camp, about to go off to college. this was going to be our last hurrah. a whole crew from youth group was coming, too. it was the best. the gang was all together, just like grease.

we drove into camp shetek on a monday afternoon, holding our pillows on our laps, sleeping bags smashed into the trunk, and jamming to starry-eyed surprise. about to venture out of the minivan and into the sweltering july heat, darrin warned us girls to watch out for boys that just want to flirt with us. camp is the place for flirting. hundreds of thousands of crushes take root during that week of summery bliss. little did we all know, later that very afternoon, i would lay eyes on my future husband. (more on that little scene in a future post.)

i stepped into the chapel that first night and thought "in a few days, this is going to feel like home. and i'm not going to want to leave. i had better savor it." and that was how it happened, too. the week was hard-core fun and time flew. i was on top of the world. thriving under the tight camp schedule. loving every minute of being a kid, but still trying to be a lady.

i played frisbee golf while wearing a beaded necklace and white sunglasses. i sat on the boardwalk and chatted with new friends. i forgot about my camera. i took notes during chapel. i raced to the shower line-up in my pajamas when the morning bell rang. i felt starved-to-death after night games. i got a tan line from my green team bracelet. i loved mail call, but didn't get any mail. i ran to clarke steps for game time, belting out show tunes as i went. i wanted to wear a shirt with cut-off sleeves like those athletic girls. haley french braided my hair and i skipped out on shaved legs for a couple days. i learned all the actions and shout-outs for "when justice rolls down" and jumped around, singing my heart out like i had been doing it since third grade. i was part of the nebraska group. i made a few good serves in the volleyball tourney. i sat on my sleeping bag trying to hold my purple conair mirror and put on mascara at the same time. i bought the green camp t-shirt and got my sister to go halvsies on the pink blanket with me. i wore my camouflage pants and swiped black paint under my eyes for war games. i slept like a baby in the corner bunk of cabin 7. haley and christine were across from me. the 3 of us laughed constantly. we were giddy girls at camp. we loved every part of it. i met loads of new and wonderful people. all was right with the world that week. i had the time of my life.

but here's where it gets important.. the very first night in our cabin, i heard some girls talking about the harms boys. apparently these harms boys were the sun, the moon, and the stars. apparently the whole harms family was a legend. i had no clue who they were talking about. anyway, the moral of their story was..

everyone wants a harms boy (there are six of them), but we can't all get one. because there's only one left. and that was grant. grant harms. the grant harms. whoever gets him, they said, is one lucky girl. over the course of the week i figured out who the girls were talking about. so that's grant. he's the guy i see at mail call. he's the one who's single. and a week after i got home from camp, we became facebook friends. but that's the start of another story..

..coming soon.

i've found another use for my dreamy cream cheese. 

it's in the freezer, by the way. just waiting to be spread all over..  

these cinnamon swirl buns. mm. mmmm. mmmmmm.

thanks for showing me the way, smitten. 

speaking of smitten. she's got exciting news today.

i almost couldn't believe it. the world is changing.

she's moving to a brand new kitchen. with a dishwasher & window! 

hello lovely photo lighting. as if her pictures weren't stunning enough before. 

and she's going to have a baby! oh how exciting.

can't wait for kid-friendly recipes to start filling up her archives.

someday i'll need them.

oh. and she's going to visit the pioneer woman! that's right. 

the pioneer woman. the woman who writes the blog that i can't resist.

her words stream through my reader roll & go straight to my sarcasm-loving heart. 

speaking of the pw. i could also go this route for my now-frozen frosting.

anyway. in just a few days, the sk + pw conference will begin. 

i can't wait. but i'm still getting over the initial shock.

it feels like one of those dreams where your social spheres merge.

teachers from high school are co-existing with kids from camp. that kind of thing.

well. now my food blog worlds are colliding. can this really be happening?

yep. sure is. and i like it. 

01. do go grocery shopping on easter night.

the walmart aisles were never so pleasant. the place was deserted.

02. do stock up on fresh fruit while you're there.

then you can make this too good to be true salad every night this week.

which is what i'm planning on doing.

you'll need to add black plums, strawberries, gala apples, & kiwi to your list.

03. do buy the target brand of this. in spring fresh scent, please.

04. do sample the all-natural grilled breakfast sandwich at panera.

05. do put heart breaker by michael jackson on your workout playlist.

06. do tell your husband that you're making dinner without a recipe. he'll admire you.

07. do make a point of watching old movies. and musicals. you won't regret it.

08. do add this blog to your google reader.

09. do use google reader.

10. do tell me if you do any of these things. would love to hear.

11. don't tell your 16-year old sister that you don't text.

12. don't order the wild lemonade at buffalo wild wings. too wild. too wildly sweet.

13. don't expect to find a fingernail brush at target. or that coral elbow-sleeve in a medium.

14. don't judge me because i like high school musical.

please don't, i mean. manners are nice.

15. don't vote off kris allen or matt giraud. please? we like them.

a haircut from haley.

paul mitchell lemon sage thickening magic.

bowling. with personal bests included.

high speed scrabble.

an early birthday soiree, featuring mom's 3-layer red velvet.

meeting up in the big corner booth over chicken burritos.

a flawless, sunny saturday.

frisbee golf outing with grant.

late night egg dyeing at the kitchen table.

the pow-wow panera breakfast summit.

giving grant the grand tour of my alma mater.

cruising with the sunroof open.

laptop central living room.

redken all soft + smooth down.

sunday morning at cbc. just like the good old days.

christ the lord is risen today, alleluia.

easter ham & classic corn casserole.

and the drive home was adventurous too.

the april issue of instyle- thanks, mom.

reading up on the beauty buys '09.

new mix cd from haley.

including new john mayer & a little archuleta crush.

surprise mochaccino from grant.

homeward. with a full car & full camera.

thanks for a wonderful time, guys.

you are always the perfect hosts. love you.

He is risen!

i'm home from the holiday. will be spending the day with a husband who has the day off.

and making easter egg salad.

may be popping over later with a weekend rundown.

am ready to go. phones & camera charged. 

ipod fully loaded. forgotten bottle of cologne grabbed. 

fridge close to empty. sink scrubbed. outfits planned. 

i even cleaned out & swapped in an old favorite purse for the occasion.

whenever i go to mom & dad's house, 

which is where we'll be traveling this afternoon,

i always pack my things in a laundry basket.

thanks for teaching me this trick, fellow camp staffers. it's so very handy.

everything is layered, instead of squished.

plus, there's room to bring stuff home.

like the wedding gifts that are stashed away upstairs in the old toy room. 

or clothes that never made it through the move because 

they've been smuggled into a sister's closet. no hard feelings, girls. 

glad they found a good home. 

but back to the point i'm making: sometimes suitcases are overrated.

in a few hours i will make a pb & banana sandwich for the road,

load up the car with my laundry basket & laptop,

pick up grant at his school, and head to my hometown for easter break. 

will be back on monday, & may be stopping in over the weekend.

there's two sisters, two parents, two best friends, one yellow lab, 

and a most favorite chinese restaurant calling my name.

matching mondays. new campers. new camp threads.

see last year's gear over here at the camp store.

you might recognize a familiar face amongst the models.

thanks to all of you who participated in the new runners poll!

i loved reading what you thought & have already been able to

narrow down the options, thanks to your votes & comments.

you were most helpful. i love having other people weigh in.

in other news, 

the strawberry jam you've been asking about is this kind. 

don't judge a bottle by its not-so-spectacular label; it's oh so scrumptious. 

and it's au naturel. you'll love it. you'll want to have a toast party. 

which is something my friends & i actually did once. it was brilliant.

without a doubt, one of the best parties i've ever been to. 

did i mention that it snowed last saturday? yeah.

gobs & gobs of clumpy snow. heavy & wet. snowball perfect.

the above photo was taken at 1 o'clock in the afternoon 

and is a gross understatement of the final outcome. 

it was the snowiest we've been all winter.

which, by the way, became a full 5-month season over the weekend.

so it was saturday & snowing. i called mom to discuss my left shoulder

bothering me while i run & what she's going to bake this week.

grant spent the morning being a spelling bee judge. 

later we went for a drive & i found a real charlie brown tree.

i passed on grant's offer to stop for cappuccino due to my sugar game,

and opted to curl up on the couch & take the most glorious nap ever.

jesse, julie, & moses were here for a visit. we were invited to the harms farm 

for dinner dominican-style. plantains & all. delish. 

the meal was accompanied by name that tune

& speculation over whether or not church would be cancelled. 

it was.

by the time we went back to town that night, 

the snow blanket was 6 inches thick & the highway was perilous.

it was a pretty april snow storm. and i'm feeling even better about the

whole thing now that there's only a few patches of white left on the grass.

supposedly 51 degrees on friday.. come on spring. 

note: please forgive the winter dreariness of this post.

i felt compelled to continue with my task of 

accurately documenting my first minnesota winter. 

hopefully i will come back & read it someday when winter 

is only a 3 month season & realize how far i've come. 

i wasn't about to use 3 whole slices, but i really wanted a taste of

something savory, something simple, and something sweet.

so for lunch i had mini toast samplers. a bite of everything.

somehow it didn't make it to the photo shoot on time.

anyway, this resulted in me finding an old friend.

hello, strawberry jam. you're perfect. i don't use you enough.

every once in awhile i'll go through a phase where jam is my thing.

usually it's when we have really good toasting bread on hand.

like when we used to get loaves of nine grain from great harvest. mmm.

anyway, i think i'm entering another fruit spread chapter of my life.

which is especially convenient right now.

you see, i've made a new list.

a list of 20 things to do during the last 20 days before my birthday.

and eating less sugar is on the list. goodbye chocolate chips with my pretzels.

thankfully, i'm finding a piece of toast seems to help satisfy cravings.

and the jam is completely natural. fruit only. just goodness.

i figured going 20 days without sweets wouldn't be too bad.

difficult? sure. but fun, too.

at one point, when i was wedding-crazed, i did it for 2 months.

grant has gone 2 years before. yeah. have i mentioned that he's amazing?

he's a no fear, high pain tolerance, loads of self-discipline,

would like to go out into the wilderness & make it on his own kind of guy.

he doesn't need sugar. come on.

but me & sugar, we're tight.

we hang out everyday, especially after dinner.

and almost every time i socialize, sugar is invited.

sugar is always around for the major celebrations in my life, too.

the break up has been tough. and i'm only 6 days into it.

but this challenge is too short to not have fun.

it's like my own little game. and i make the rules.

and i'm pretty sure i'm going to win.

grant is my inspiration. he helps me say no.

but he never puts pressure on me. in fact, he builds me up.

and he says lovely things like, "with that physique, you should just enjoy food."

hearing that was enough sweetness for me last night. thank you, grant.

you make me feel so good.

so here's to eating healthier.

and remembering that the point is to feel good, not to get carried away.

i'm off to finish out the remaining 14 days. keep the toast coming.

new running shoes. 

as i've mentioned, they're a must. 

and i've been procrastinating. browsing.

let the real search begin. 

what i know.. they need to be asics.   

be in the asics gel series. have less white than my oldies. 

and rock some bright color somewhere.

what i did.. got down to business & picked out six options.

they all come in my size & surpisingly, they're all quite girlie.

pretty as pink lemonade. yay. 

whimsical meets sensible, that's the idea.

what i need.. if i may, i'd like to request your input.

which pair gets your vote? and, if you're a runner,

do you have feedback|reviews or insider info?

if you have other options for me to check out, please share!

here's a closer look at the front runners to help you cast your vote..

01. the business in the front, party in the back vega  

02. the understated strike  

03. the sporty antares  

04. the sleek & pretty 1140  

05. the old school, playground in 4th grade kicks maverick  

06. the edgy fluent

          

hello weekend blogateers.

i'm here with the start of a new series.

the things that make camp, camp.

why i'm thrilled to be going back.

why i'm in it for the long run. 

to get this underway, i'll start with mail call.

the maintenance men host it, create a brilliant game, 

and come up with a catchy theme song.

there's usually a signature dance to accompany it.

it's a big deal. and we like it like that.

photos by the lovely kaitlin haack. 

april seems to make all the difference.

i am now letting myself think about the end of school,

the start of camp, & our upcoming vacation. exciting.

march just seemed too early. april is just right.

so many things to look forward to. 

let the anticipation flow. let the good times loom.

but this particular april has me looking back, too.

with the turn of a calendar page, i'm suddenly remembering. 

reminiscing about where i was last april. 

living in my made-up world of wedding plans

jamming to imogen & natasha bedingfield in my car

brown bagging it

living 236 miles away from grant

talking on my old razor & racking up the minutes

watching my left hand sparkle in the sun 

madly making lists. crossing off. counting down.

writing thank you notes

going to nancy's house for dress fittings

planning the last sleepover with the best friends

working full-time at an allergy clinic

listening to maroon 5 in medical records

a few weeks away from quitting my job

using my ne drivers' license

making phone calls. asking favors.

realizing all the little things one must map out

sometimes wishing we had decided to elope

sweeping the target aisles with a list in my head & plastic gun in my hand

a month away from moving out

soaking up the last days of home life

still making time to watch top chef

living for the weekends when grant would visit

crying as i watched him drive away on sunday nights

freaking out about flowers

squeezing in a rendezvous or two with the pow-wow

visiting the mac counter, picking out perfect eyes for the big day

spending my wed. nights @ church with 4-year-olds

using the treadmill in my parents' basement

racing to get ready for bed & wait for the nightly call from grant

falling asleep with my cell smashed between ear & pillow

filling up my red wedding-stuff-only portfolio

sharing a bathroom with 3 other girls

eating less sugar

using excel to line up & time out the ceremony

reading books about understanding my future husband

attending lovely showers thrown by lovely people

feeling overwhelmed by the generosity of my fam & friends

dreaming of not always having something to do

one bedroom away from my sisters

praying. a lot.

close to being done with all the red tape.

wanting to be a wife.

after teasing us with only one warm week in the middle,

march went out like a lion. and left us with snow. 

rather rude of it, if you ask me.

it almost ruined perfectly laid plans for no more snow days.

but never mind that. april is here. yay.

sweet april. so promising. so full of easter candy.

today the sun is trying to burn through the clouds. 

come on, mr. golden sun. 

please shine down on me.

please make the car nice & toasty when it sits outside.

please make me wear sunglasses & flip flops.

please make me.. dare i say it.. sweat. ugh.

please make our house warm enough to finally turn the heat off.

please melt the snow.

please make me give up my slippers.

please make blankets a thing of the past.

please make picnics a possibility.

please make the flowers grow instead of freeze.

and please, if you have a chance, put some color in my cheeks.

your devoted admirer who misses you dearly,

summer

let's list up.

i just want to think about happy, aprilish things right now.

and it's time for another teensy snippet.

the list | number six

615. lemon drops in glass dishes

196. not being cold

614. funfetti cake mix

519. seven brides for seven brothers

427. window seats

610. waking up with rosy cheeks

110. a breeze, rather than wind

241. french braided pigtails

363. watching the previews at the movie theatre

294. white tulips

647. walking into a dining room & seeing the table set

217. chicken salad on croissants

263. evian water bottles

618. remaking the bed with clean sheets

651. wearing shorts for the 1st time of the season