Friday Five!

{life bucket list! check}

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This week was a short one. And I loved it. I haven’t had a short week in a long long while (not unless you count when I had the flu, but I definitely don’t count that). It felt nice. Max and I celebrated Memorial Day with outdoor work. You know you’re a homeowner when you weed on your day off. Oh well. It’s all worth it in the end (yay landscaping). This week I also did as much yoga and lunchtime workouts as I could fit in, in preparation for this weekend’s trip (gotta look good!) and finally got around to reading the book first mentioned here. My work days were just as jam packed. On top of amazing progress in my current project, I was one of three asked to participate in a Q&A panel for our entire summer internship program. I was oddly nervous leading up to it, but it turned out to be a lot of fun. Oh you know me, just molding young minds (wink). 

All in all it’s been a good week. Mostly I’ve been anticipating this weekend! As you read this, I am in route to New York City! Jenny and I have all of our hours and minutes accounted for during the short 36 hour visit to the Big Apple. We have everything from tourist-ing, to exploring and sightseeing, and shopping planned, but most of all the celebration of one of our best ladies tying to the knot to her Yale sweetheart. We’re looking forward to this unforgettable weekend!

Keep up with our travels on Instagram!

Friday Forte:

{a beautiful plant and Minus the Bear tix from my love!}

{birthday love in the Grand Haven & Rapids}

{I just love mail… can’t stop wearing this amazing necklace from Courtney that has been on my wish list for months (and months)!}

{i had almost forgotten how good it felt to read in the sunshine…}

A Manhattan Road Trip Soundtrack

Thursday night Jenny and I start our road trip to New York City! Clearly, many more songs are needed to fill this road trip then listed below, but here’s a little taste of our vibe. Some of these have been Friday Forte’s (hey, it’s always nice to have a reminder!) and some of the songs listed below have appeared on many of my playlists, but what can I say… when you have a winner you have a winner!

Enjoy! 
I know we will.

image via

Summer Bucket List 2014

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!

I thought the holiday would be the perfect time to announce my 2014 summer bucket list (you can find 2013 here). Since I don’t want to repeat myself from year to year I used this list from Hello Giggles to inspire my list:

1. Take an outdoor yoga class
2. Spend an entire day at the beach with a picnic
3. Take a road trip (NYC this weekend!)
4. Perfect a sangria recipe
5. Go to the zoo
6. Go blueberry picking
7. Become a farmers market regular
8. Fly a kite
9. Go early morning hiking
10. Binge watch a show on a rainy day (Breaking Bad? 24? Game of Thrones?)

28 reasons my sister is better than yours...

If you were at Meg & Max's wedding, you heard my painfully long maid of honor speech, so much of this may be a review for you...

As for the rest of the world, I need you all to know what makes my younger sister number one in my book.

Hell, if you have even read one of my posts on this blog--the one I share with the fabulous sister in question--you'll have an idea as to how much I love and admire (and, let's be honest, worship) my little sister, who JUST TURNED 28 TODAY!! 

If you're still not convinced that my sister is the BEST sister, the coolest person, consider that Meggie has...

1. A tiny little button nose. I think my parents may have stolen it from a China doll.

2. Made room in her heart for so many friends... and she makes each one feel like the most important one. 

3. Great fashion sense. She'd love to have some of it rub off on me...though most of her work is in vain. 

4. Handwriting like a 4th grader. Something adorable to go w/ that cute little nose.

5. The ability to give tough love through brutal--yet thoughtful-- advise.

6. Confidence in her looks, as well she should, and many women honestly do not. 

7. Made fun of me almost as much as my husband has, and for some reason I enjoy it. 

8. Every line from the show Friends memorized. 

9. Gotten me to LOVE yoga. 

10. Let me make her LOVE running (you know you love it, Meggie).

11. A pretty high alcohol tolerance for someone so small. 

12. So much love for Granny & Grandpa.

13. So much love for Mom & Dad.

14. Found an amazing man to be her husband. It's so fun to see which one of us loves their husband more. Not a bad problem to have.

15. A really, really great laugh. It changes depending on who she's laughing at. The best one is when she's laughing at herself. 

16. The ability to be absolutely lazy if she needs to. Lazy in a good way. I envy that. And admire it.

17. Managed to live 28 years without learning to cook.

18. Managed to live 28 years in the state of Michigan. Take that one however you want. Michigan is a great state, but my sister is particularly loyal.

19. The exact right thing to say when I need cheering up. 

20. Admirably tried vegetarianism and, thank god, has now returned to the land of the living--and breathing.

21. Supported me through all of my weird life changes and choices..and still loved me (un-judging) through each one. She even has been a key lever in helping me recover from a few.

22.  Given me more song recommendations than I know what to do with. This is a big one for us. Music is our air.

23. Champagne waiting upon demand. 

24. Tavern cheese & Ritz waiting upon demand. 

25. A cute purse or bag to use upon demand. 

26. Spent so many nights "camping out" on my floor when she was little, I feel like I should pay the medical bills when her back finally gives out at age 30. She did it so we could be together.

27. Often stepped in as the big sister when it was really necessary. 

28. Given me a best friend for life.

HAPPY 28th BIRTHDAY, MY SWEET, FUNNY, TOUGH, 

BEAUTIFUL SISTER!! 

Friday Five!

{kicking off the weekend right with live music & my fav beverage combo (after champagne of course)}

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Happy Birthday Eve to meeeeeee!!

I’m such a sucker for birthdays. Not just my own, but EVERYONE’S. I just love them. More often than not, I feel like I want to celebrate someone’s birthday more than they do. But hey, there is NADA wrong with a reason to celebrate. Celebration is good for the soul and an essential part of life. Although, unfortunately, as long as Kim and Kanye’s marriage lasts, I’ll have to share my birthday with their wedding anniversary (gag). Oh well. I guess I can’t judge seeing as how I will most def be tuned in to their wedding on E when it airs on KUWTK (yeah, that just happened). 

Anywho, so the plans are to live free. Celebrate! Do whatever we want! Grand Haven breweries? Yes please. A bonfire? Abso-fricken-lutely! OUTSIDE in general is the name of the game. And eating bacon. I’m on a bacon kick. Maybe on the grill? It is a long holiday weekend after all, so why not celebrate for 3 days straight?! Nah, I’m too old for that (28 GASP!), not since the debacle that was Memorial weekend 2008!

But we’ll put up a good fight… 

Friday Forte: 

{preparing for next weeks trip!}

{a little pinot grigio & House of Cards to unwind}

{i just have to have these coasters}

{taco dip for dayyyysssssss}

Things to be happy about part II

First off, Happy Birthday to the Co-Editor and Chief of Chat+Clink+Repeat... Courtney Ann. I love you and hope you had/have the best day!! xoxox

Now, on to our 401st post... 



Here’s another list from yours truly (you can find Part 1 of things to be happy about here). But I tell ya, the list below are not of things that make you smile, make you love, or make you grateful to be alive. No. The list below details those things that happen and simply make you say “HELL YEAH!” Those things that can really make your day because you’re just that DAMN lucky. Enjoy! 

(I decided to get on the GIF train...). 

That EUREKA moment when you realize your favorite shirt wasn't lost, it was just in the dry cleaning hamper for 4 months

Your sister texting you and saying she’s drinking Founders beer (in NOLA)

That moment on a Sunday afternoon when you realize you in fact have back stock of champagne

Boiling noodles and not overflowing the water! #winning!! Or is that just me…?

Waking up in the morning and realizing you have NOT ruined your just-before-bed manicure

The feeling you get when another show you've been dying to watch from start to finish is released on Netflix.

Approaching your car downtown and realizing you DID NOT get a parking ticket!

Returning from lunch after 1:00pm and snagging the closest spot to the building (while it’s raining cats and dogs)

Waking up at 5am, turning on the shower, nearly stepping inside, and realizing it is SATURDAY!

P.S. All of these things have happened to me in 2014.

Riverbank Run 2014

{i just spotted the finish line... VICTORY!}

Last weekend was the Riverbank Run. It was my first time participating in a big time race. My first 10k. My first time participating in a race without my sister (aka knowing what to do, where to park, when to pick up my bib). First time running anything more than 4.5 miles at a time (more like 4 miles since my phone is a liar). 

Guess what, it was my PERSONAL BEST. Ha. It was the first time I have ever run 6.2 miles (6.8 according to my phone), so it was my PERSONAL BEST. Yahtzee. Who knows if I’ll ever run one again. So it could be my all-time personal best. But I must say that my goal was to complete the race in under an hour. Which I did… even with walking two and a half times (one of the hills I was going up so slow I might as well have been walking).

I had a blast participating and a blast at the after party. Because I mean people just go there for the beer tent, right? Thought so…

Also, per Court’s request, here is the playlist I carefully curated for the event. Some oldies, some newies, all goodies! I started with Macklemore for the race then just let the playlist shuffle. I know there is way more than an hour here, but ya never know. I wanted to be prepared in case I was on the struggle bus and took an hour and a half! I must say, some of these songs came on at the perfect time. Running up a ramp for some reason P.O.D.'s Youth of the Nation just spoke to me. Enjoy!

Last year 5k, this year 10k… next year 25k??? NO THANKS! Perhaps the 5k/10k combo?

P.S. If you want to see more of my not-so-awesome running pics, click here. 

{THANK GOD! i don't know if i could have run if this was anything but green}

{patiently waiting for my wave to work it's way to the start}

{here we go...}

{my sole motivation for getting through mile 6 was chanting "beer tent BEER TENT" in my head}

{rewards!}

{co-workers!}

{this was literally the only place to sit besides the port-a-potties}

{we did it!}

{quite possibly the best thing EVER after a workout}