Weekly Gratitude

{via Pinterest}

I love that this quote bends either way to apply to the kind things you say/do and the mean things you say/do. The words fade, the actions fade, but the feelings remain. So true.

These last few weeks have been filled with some really fun events. I'm particularly thankful for:

• Opportunities to meet fellow bloggers in Chicago thanks to the Chicago Blogger Network


• Fun with friends: playing games {I won my first game of Clue - ever!} and last-minute dinner dates


• Amping up my runs to finish training for the 5K that I will run at the end of the month


• Telephone calls with my girlfriends


• Chicken nuggets {random, I know}


• My Hubby that sees the good, the bad, & the ugly AND loves me anyway


• Burt's Bees 'Hibiscus' tinted lip balm & Weleda 'Everon' lip balm have been my latest obsessions for protecting my kisser from the temperature drop this week

This weekend I'm headed to Grand Rapids to visit my Middle Sister. Momma and Little Sister are coming along, too, for a little road trip/girls weekend. Wee!

xoxo,

PJ

Eastown Antiques

{I love this couch}

{Cool coffee table}

{Love this dresser}

{Me with our fan find}

One of my favorite places to stop when we're in Grand Rapids is Eastown Antiques. It's an adorable antique shop across the street from one of my favorite places to eat, so it works out perfectly when we need to wait for a table!

Eastown Antiques has an excellent selection of furniture, decor, books, etc. And the prices ... I'm always amazed to see how much cheaper the prices are in Michigan. I love to play the "How much do you think this would cost in Chicago?" game with Hubby. Our find of the day was this vintage fan (one that we've loved for a long time). The owners are really cool, and we talked to them for a while about how much we love their shop.

Do you have a favorite antique shop? What are your favorite things to look for?

Sisterhood

{photos 1&2 taken during our summer in panama, photo 3 at my wedding, photo 4 during a visit in chicago, photo 5 last summer in santa cruz}

One of my oldest and dearest friends has set out on an adventure of a lifetime. She has been living in Santa Cruz, CA for the last few years {Hubby and I visited her out there last summer} and has recently accepted a position on the other side of the country on the coast in Georgia. Being the true adventurer that she is, she decided to Vespa her way cross-country mapping out a 6 week route from coast to coast {literally}. I'm so excited for her, to hear about her adventures, and keep her in my prayers for safe travels. She is going to be updating her blog An Ocean of Trees, if you want to follow along in her adventure. Betsy and I first met in Chicago when I was a Freshman in high school. We've lived near each other on and off over the years, when we lived various places throughout the Midwest. She's celebrated with me, cried with me, and has been a consistent source of encouragement in my life.

In 2004, we traveled to Panama together and spent two months living/volunteering at a children's home for the summer. If any of you have traveled out of the country with a friend, you know that there are memories made that last forever. Silly {and very strange} things that make you laugh or cry when remembered. It truly was an adventure, and I'm so thankful for that summer. Fast forward 7 years later, and I can still picture us on a beach somewhere in Panama: me terribly sunburnt, Betsy terribly tan, feeling so terribly blessed to call her my friend.

xoxo,

PJ

Chloe Getting Married

{Candy Bar ... Swedish Fish? Yum! }

{Me, Chloe}

{Cousins: Cyndi, Me, Jill, Chloe, Carolyn, Sophie}

{They had a Bubble Tea Station at the reception!}

{Jasmine leaves instead of birdseed/rice/confetti ... they smelled amazing!}

{Don, Chloe}

This past weekend I road-tripped with my younger sister and parents to Minnesota to celebrate my cousin & her new husband. Car trips are hilarious when you're twenty-eight years old and traveling with your parents. Example: Dad asking if I had enough money to buy myself a Subway sandwich and requesting a 15-minute notice for potty stops. Some of my favorite memories with family were our summer road trips to various places {Corn Palace in South Dakota, anyone?}.

Since my family lives all over the place, it's rare that most of us are together other than for weddings and funerals {unfortunate, but true}. The weekend was spent catching up with family, sharing hilarious stories about our mothers {because there are five sisters}, and making sweet memories.

I was appointed to the Instax guest book photo station, where I had a blast asking people to take photos and attempting to get babies to smile {unsuccessfully}. The last photo is the snapshot of my sister and I.

I'm so happy for my cousin and her new hubby.

xoxo,

PJ

california, let's have a party!

i thought it would be fun to share our itinerary for california. it's our first time visiting cali, and there are billions of things that we want to do... it's a beautiful state with heaps of places to view, eat, and explore!

1) we are flying into san jose. the third largest city in california, 45 miles SE of san fransisco. cool things about san jose include: a state of the art light-rail transportation system, a substantial arts scene, and the former agricultural mecca is now known as one of the safest and sunniest cities in the nation. a falafel drive-in? yes, please! pinkberry? yes, please!

(san jose)

2) we will be spending a bulk of our time at a beach house in santa cruz. 72 miles south of san francisco, this laid-back beach town has a famous beach boardwalk, whale-watching, hiking, biking, farmers markets, oh, and hippies. here, we will be taking a canopy tour of the redwoods via mount hermon, and spending time relaxing at the beach.

(santa cruz)

3) heading north to san fransisco, home of the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, fisherman's wharf...need i continue? here we will be biking the golden gate bridge into sausalito, visiting the california academy of sciences, touring alcatraz island, and taking some cable car adventures. another thing i will be insisting we see: the 'full house' house! ahh!

(golden gate bridge)

4) next we are headed to sonoma/napa valley. staying at the el dorado hotel, dining at the el dorado kitchen, and touring a local winery that was reviewed by the NYT and the Wine Spectator as being their "favorite winery visit".

(sonoma vines)

i have already warned my husband that at the end of this trip i will certainly consider moving to california.

i will post photos of the trip & reviews of the places that we traveled when we return!

california, let's have a party!

i thought it would be fun to share our itinerary for california. it's our first time visiting cali, and there are billions of things that we want to do... it's a beautiful state with heaps of places to view, eat, and explore!

1) we are flying into san jose. the third largest city in california, 45 miles SE of san fransisco. cool things about san jose include: a state of the art light-rail transportation system, a substantial arts scene, and the former agricultural mecca is now known as one of the safest and sunniest cities in the nation. a falafel drive-in? yes, please! pinkberry? yes, please!

(san jose)

2) we will be spending a bulk of our time at a beach house in santa cruz. 72 miles south of san francisco, this laid-back beach town has a famous beach boardwalk, whale-watching, hiking, biking, farmers markets, oh, and hippies. here, we will be taking a canopy tour of the redwoods via mount hermon, and spending time relaxing at the beach.

(santa cruz)

3) heading north to san fransisco, home of the golden gate bridge, golden gate park, fisherman's wharf...need i continue? here we will be biking the golden gate bridge into sausalito, visiting the california academy of sciences, touring alcatraz island, and taking some cable caradventures. another thing i will be insisting we see: the 'full house' house! ahh!

(golden gate bridge)

4) next we are headed to sonoma/napa valley. staying at the el dorado hotel, dining at the el dorado kitchen, and touring a local winerythat was reviewed by the NYT and the Wine Spectator as being their "favorite winery visit".

(sonoma vines)

i have already warned my husband that at the end of this trip i will certainly consider moving to california.

i will post photos of the trip & reviews of the places that we traveled when we return!

journey

each year growing up, my parents took us on a "family vacation". mostly visiting family & friends in various places across the united states. there was generally a theme. the "east coast" vacation to cape cod via pennsylvania's amish country; the "capital" vacation to washington d.c. and new york city, ellis island, statue of liberty; the "southern" vacation to arkansas via kentucky, tennessee, missouri; the "western" trip to estes park, denver, and then north to the dakotas to see the corn palace. a "florida" vacation to relax during spring break, and the ultimate finale while i was in college: a christmas cruise that included touring the mayan ruins in mexico, rafting a river in jamaica, and swimming with stingrays. if anything, my parents wanted to show us that the world is so much bigger than it feels.

even though i complained about everything..."we're not flying, we're going to drive?!?!", "i don't want to eat lobster in maine, i hate lobster", "if i have to listen to garrison keiller one more time...", there was this excitement about visiting a new place, seeing different parts of the country, wondering if i'd want to live there someday. it was thrilling. it sparked a desire in me to want to experience life in different places.

during college i visited australia: swam in the great barrier reef, froze in the outback, and discovered the slower pace of life. in africa: saw poverty and the unequal distribution of wealth. in central america: tried to surf for the first (and only) time in my life, ate mangoes, and toured the panama canal.

the smells & sounds & sights are further away now. sometimes i forget to remember them.