Domestic Daydreaming IV

I hope this stuff never gets old, because it really doesn't to me… I really love our home, but Pinterest continues to make me want to redecorate and think more outside of the box. Slowly but surely the house is coming along, and I have Pinterest to thank for the constant inspiration!

All images can be found on my Pinterest board “c h a t e a u”.

Enjoy!

Friday Five!

(it’s all about Spring shoes in my book… regardless of our smorgasbord of weather this week!)

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Woke up to 62 degrees on Monday. Woke up to snow accumulation on Tuesday (you were right, Mom). Woke up to 23 degrees on Wednesday.Woke up to birds chirping on Thursday. I’m so confused…

Thank god for the weekend. That’s all I gotta say about that J 

Tonight, Jenny and I are happy hour'ing it before seeing Divergent. So EXCITED to see that movie. Then tomorrow, Max and I head to Kalamazoo to spend the day/evening with my parents for Easter weekend. Hopefully the weather is nice so we can comfortably meander downtown visiting some new breweries. Sunday we are having brunch with his family before heading back to Grand Rapids. I look forward to spending as much time with Max as possible before he leaves on Monday L

(EGG-citing lunchtime 5k at GFS!)

(delish iced coffee break at Rowster after an early morning yoga session)

(date night to break up the week at Jaden James Brewery)

(say hello to Amadeus… my new best friend from Parliament the Boutique)

Eastown Loves - Rebel Reclaimed

So, I was reading through the Funky Buddha newsletter and stumbled across their Featured Local Business piece for the month of April, Rebel Reclaimed. They are defined as a “local Grand Rapids boutique that specializes in home, reclaimed, and unique homemade gifts”. Based on that description, I knew I had to check them out!

While I was there I got a chance to speak with one of the owners, a fellow Funky Buddha obsessed practicer, and it was the highlight of my day. It is a one minute walk from the yoga studio so I expect to be a frequent visitor to check out their constant turnover of inventory.   

{one future little child may have to have this :)}

{purchased a FEW things from the store that day... one made it to the gallery wall}

Monday Motivators!

Is it weird that WORK & COFFEE are my sole motivators this Monday morning? The thought of these two things is really doing it for me today. 

Let me explain...

This year my work life has changed drastically. It's my second year out of the classroom (which is a whole second set of emotions in itself) but it's the first year where I am not school-bound, the first year where my schedule and daily tasks feel more like what I call a "normal job".

I could very easily do 85% of my job on the computer, in an office, and that work never seems to stop piling up. I'm not complaining one bit because I love the work that I do. I feel I am learning so much as an educator and my understanding an appreciation of academics and child development grows exponentially by the day. I wish granny and grandpa were around to talk to about this. I think they'd be so proud of where I am in my career today and of the possibilities this particular job is opening up for me.

Anyway, today kicks off what our network calls Spring Intersession. Different than spring break bc some kids are actually continuing to come to school. Students who are behind have this chance to come in for half days of remedial instruction by their very dedicated teachers. This will continue until May 5. For the rest of the kids, they are on break, but their instructional time is more than made up in the year round academic calendar.

I, on the other hand, do not need to be in the building, and so will be spending my days for the next few weeks working from home and coffee shops (more NOLA Cafes in your near future!). I went so far as to send Google calendar invites to my husband for each morning this week, arranging for us to hit a different neighborhood coffee shop each day.

So, this Monday morning, I am looking forward to spending time on my lovely, sunny balcony, my ever-expanding back patio/garden, and new neighborhood treasures, finally catching up on work projects, reading, relaxing, enjoying...NOT stressing.  Working in different spaces, especially with fresh, beautiful surroundings, motivates me to no end.

Part of this week's cafe lineup...

Coffee is really motivating me this morning as well...

This girl is filled to the brim today!! 

Happy Monday, everyone! Make it great! 

Links… Lately

** 10 habits of a highly organized person

** Look Court… you made the list of America’s Coziest Cities

** Watch puppies falling asleep... so precious. 

** Grand Rapids City Guide! Straight from the authors of one of my favorite coffee table books J

** Creative uses for pot holes. This past Winter REALLLY made this a relevant topic... 

** YAY JOEY TRIBBIANI

 ** Amazing pictures of famous places from up above. This is a must see…

** 8 million petals placed in a volcano in Costa Rica. Breathtaking. 

image via

Friday Five!

{had fun exploring another local Grand Rapids shop and was very tempted to get the "Boring is Best" sweatshirt... more to come on Have Company}

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The week flew! Partly because Max and I were home on the couch the first two days… being all fever like and shaky is NO fun! But once I did get to work, it was crazy busy with the new acquisition! I tell ya it feels really good to be digging into a new project. Fresh start!

In other news, Fred Meijer Gardens released their summer concert line-up. Ummm can I get a hell yes! I can name 5 concerts I would love to see!! We’ll see who I get to go with me… Also, I’m finally doing that thing where I don’t wash my hair every day. Totally random I know, but hear me out… I've heard from EVERYONE (bloggers, sister, friends, hairstylists, etc) that it’s not good to shampoo on a daily basis. So I decided to give it a try. Before you go and stick your nose up at me, don’t worry, I am still showering, just only shampooing my hair 3-4 times per week to “train” my hair. We’ll see how long it lasts!  

Since the hubs and I have both recovered we’re ready for another weekend. He’s off to do boy things and I’ll be spending some quality time with a friend who needs refuge from her paint fume filled home. We plan on flea marketing, shopping and relaxing. I also envision a pit stop at Founders to enjoy a beverage and sunshine in the Beer Garden. 

Friday Forte: 

(this song reminds me of my beloved Desert Noises… totally ready for concert season!)

{true statement from Funky Buddha}

{bridal shower loves with girls last weekend!}

{decided to embrace warm weather and walk the two miles to our usual mimosa Sunday spot and back. Max and I both decided this will be an often occurrence in the future}

{shenanigans with cousins downtown} 

Spring Wish List!

This year, I am particularly excited about Spring. It has been a long cruel Winter and all the blog reading and pinteresting and instagramming and daydreaming about warmer weather did not make it come any sooner. But, the long season of being cooped up inside did give me time to do some serious internet browsing. And with that, I give you another wishlist J Enjoy!

** This would be perfect with so many things

** I just want this… for fun J

** In love with this iPhone case

** This maxi skirt just screams warm weather. I want it...

** I’m clearly obsessed with little dainty rings recently. These would be a perfect addition to    the collection

** Would really love this coffee table books for lazy Sunday mornings

** This would be so cozy paired with white shorts or some boyfriend jeans

** I know I own way too many skirts already but something about pairing this with a flowy     blouse just screams Spring! 

** I don’t know why this sweater just screams comfy and cozy lounging around the house        with some floral pajama shorts.