City & Colour @ The Intersection

This was my third time seeing Dallas Green. It was his last night of the If I Go Before You tour. And it was in my home town. This night was WAS EVERYTHING! I know this has been something I’ve now posted on three times, so I’m sure the pictures are getting old (not to mention they are grainy), but to me, seeing my favorite band perform live, will never get old. I can’t get enough of the music, the atmosphere... and the pictures!

One of my girlfriends came up from Kazoo and we made an evening of it. We had dinner at Stella’s, pre drinks at Tin Can and an after party at a dive bar seeing a friends cover band to cap off the night. It was a great day and one that was greatly needed. I love weekends like this and hope they are not few and far between J

Instagram Life – January 2016

{follow along @__stitesme__)

January was not what I expected… but there were still some shining moments…

** #Friday’s

** Date night at The Twisted Rooster

** Paid a visit to our favorite beer supplier

** Chopped off the hairs

** Date night at the Old Goat

** Bowling with Mom & Dad Saturday

** Date night at Jose Babushka’s

** #joy

** City and Colour in Grand Rapids

Let's do this February!

Friday Five!

{shopping new specs… which will I choose??}

________________________________________________________________________

The frigid temps this week put a negative taste in my mouth… many people’s I feel. The winter blues have set it hard and I could not be more ready for a weekend spent cozy and inside with very few plans to speak of. 

Friday Forte: 

{copper mug display to brighten up a dull counter-top (without the clutter!)}

{bowling date with the rents (my arm is sore too, Dad!)}

{v-day vibes in the offices courtesy of our Intern (playing around with the new A Beautiful Mess app, A Color Story.... my favorite photo editing app to date!}



{evenings watching True Blood, under the heated blanket}

What’s In My Bag - 2016 Edition

Since I haven’t done one of these for 3 years (almost exactly!), I thought it was about time I posted another installment of “What’s In My Bag?” I’m older now. A little more grown up. More mature perhaps? And definitely lead a more minimalistic life when it comes to my bag(s). I got sick of so much “stuff”. Not to mention my purse choices are shifting to smaller sizes, meaning I really need to be picky on the things I consider essentials and “have “to be with me at all times. Many of the things you see have been featured at one point or another in my Friday Five series, I guess that’s why they are in my purse on the reg… cause these few items are my favorite, most needed things to have with me wherever I go.

I no longer carry a planner! I KNOW crazy since I was planner OBSESSED for years and spent a good amount of money on one for 2016… but alas, the purse I bought in Paris didn’t leave much room after that planner was inside (I now use a planner from ban.do as a to-do list guide that I keep in my laptop bag for work). So for my personal to-do lists, I use a combination of Seize the Day and Wunderlist apps on my iPhone. They have been working wonders on getting stuff done (especially since that stupid red bubble stays there until everything on your list is done).

I also don’t currently waste any space with sunglasses, cause let’s be honest... it’s Winter in Michigan… but that space is now used for gloves! Gloves that were given to me by one of my most favorite retirees at work. They hold a special place in my heart...

What else is in my bag?!?!?

•  Favorite FAVORITE portable charger. This thing charges long and fast. The best. Plus for under $10 I can have new covers created and sent to me in case I get bored of my black and white Europe photo’s (PSHHH like that’ll ever happen
• Lucas Pawpaw Ointment. A friend brought this back from Australia a couple of years ago and I’ve been hooked ever since! I mostly use it on my lips, but you can use it on elbows, hands, etc. It’s a winter time god send!
• Happy Pill bottle. This is an old bottle (that I’ve covered with stickers to make more appealing), but basically it’s my one-stop-shop drug store. I have everything I could ever need on the go in this little guy… extra strength Tylenol, ibuprofen, Midol, allergy meds, advil cold and sinus. All of it.
• Granny’s gold change purse. I’ve been using this as my wallet 9 months or so and can’t seem to stop. Not only does it have sentimental value, but it’s so fun to the touch. It’s soft in a weird way and perfectly fits all I would need in my wallet. Even though it can get a little annoying trying to find my insurance card or something else that’s buried, I can’t bring myself to swap it out. 
• Random things I always keep in my wallet: Metro card from NYC, gold coin that I had made when we toured Sagrada Familia, and guitar pick that was thrown into the crowd from my most recent City and Colour concert in Chicago. 
• Key chains of Europe. I’m not normally a keychain person, but I decided to buy a fun keychain from each place visited in Europe (and also on my New York trip this past Fall) and it’s just a fun reminder of many many great memories
• Grapefruit Oil. A while back I read that grapefruit essential oil can be used as massage oil when you have joint or muscle pains and can also relieve menstrual cramp pains and headaches. I was having a particularly rough day and decided I would give it a try. I’m not sure if it actually works or if I just wanted it to work so bad that I believed it did, but for reason whenever I have a headache now I simply rub this oil on my temples and it makes me feel better… plus it’s super refreshing to smell
• Misc things – purple pen, spare keys, headphones and Burt’s Bee’s Soothing chapstick. 

Date Night – the Old Goat

(image via)

Max and I have fallen into a bit of a funk lately, between the holidays and the winter blues, and decided that we wanted to get back to exploring our city (yes, more me than him but it’s the actions that count!). So, with that being said, Max and I decided that we’re going to try (TRY being the operative word) to have one date night per week where we head out to a new place we’ve never been in Grand Rapids.

Last week we tried the Old Goat in Alger Heights (same owners as Electric Cheetah). This restaurant has been open since the summer and we’ve heard mixed reviews on it. Some say they love it and others say it was overpriced and left a little something to be desired. Max and I would agree that it was a tad overpriced, but also think the food was delicious. He got the Reuben (typical) and I decided to go for broke and get the grits with Andouille and fried rock shrimp. YUMMMMMM. The drinks were tasty and the biscuits were a nice little touch.

We’ll be back…

Friday Five!

{stay humble… stay hopeful… my lokai}

_____________________________________

Gross. This week was not fun. Work troubles, battling crappy driving conditions, debit card getting hacked, feeling under the weather again… just gross! I never like to be negative but ya know, once in a while it’s just not your week. This was not my week.

BUT… when has that stopped me?! Even so I tried keeping a positive attitude and decided it was even more important to cheer myself up! Max and I had a date night, I tried new styles with my new do and spent one night on the couch coloring to unwind… there is always light at the end of the tunnel. Sometimes you just have to wait out the storm…

Friday Forte:

{chop chop… still processing as this is the shortest my hair has been in 5^th grade… but I’m getting used to it! Such a fun change!!}

{takeout sushi!!}

{adult coloring book! Now that the 52 Hand Lettered project is over I have to challenge my artistic side in other ways}

{felt pretty blah this week… new pants were the only thing that motivated me to get my sweat on!}

Good Mooed Saturday

About a month ago, Max and I attended a 1-year anniversary party for a local brewery, Railtown. This brewery has become one of our favorites as we often frequent it after a long day to talk about the highs and lows of the week. We’re also becoming quite chummy with the wait staff and look forward to friendly conversation on that side of the bar as well! It’s only 5 minutes from our house and is on Max’s way home from work. Pretty convenient location… 

There was live entertainment, a BBQ food truck, new awesome brews, and a cow mascot to boot! It was the coldest day we had experienced in Grand Rapids (up until that day… definitely not the case anymore!) but we still made the most of it with fun food, beer and conversation. I love that place and can’t wait to see what they come up with next. 

52 Hand Lettered – December Edition

WRAPPING IT UP!

49/52

“One thing to do next year” = think BIGGER

My New Year’s resolutions kind of explain what I mean by think bigger, but in a nutshell… just go for everything! Career… love… life… go for it all J

50/52

“The highlight of 2015” = the European adventure

Europe was hands down highlight of my year. I don’t know how it won’t be one of the highlights of my life…

51/52

“2015 in a nutshell” = live, love, learn

I know this word has come up in my #52handlettered this year a couple of times before, but that’s exactly why I am using it to sum up 2016. It was a year of travel for me. I traveled the world. I traveled with family and friends. And loved every second of it. I want this year to set the tone for the rest of my life. 

52/52

“Hopes/values/intentions for 2016” = grow

Similar thing to think BIGGER. Just grow. Grow in life. Grow in love. Continue to grow into the person I was put on this earth to be. 

Friday Five!

{circle place mats to spice up the kitchen}

____________________________________________

Well it’s over... The first week of 2016, and to my pleasant surprise it went by faster than I expected (that work from home Wednesday is a real life saver!). New Year’s resolutions have been set and everyone is back in the groove of life. I was bumming hard on Monday and Tuesday but by Wednesday felt my spirits pick up and life slowly return to normal. 

This weekend I look forward to some sushi and some quality time. 

Friday Forte:

{pretty local art at Kitten Flower Boutique}

{slowly building a throw blanket collection that I’m obsessed with}

{prettiest of winter sunrises (from inside the offices)}



{love presents.... especially when they are for a job well done!}