time for a weekend

 

It's been a bit of a marathon around here 

lately, so I'm looking forward to some

much deserved rest this weekend.

 

And because the sun is supposed to 

be shining all weekend long, I'm planning

to be outside soaking it up! 

 

Happy weekend, my friends. 

*image

ah, the good life

The hubs and I have spent as many waking hours 

outside as possible over the last few days...soaking up

 sunshine and basking in the summer-like heat!

It's been wonderful to eat most of our meals 

on our tiny little deck and sit for hours

 reading together. Life is pretty darn good :)

*image

spring dreaming

I'm looking forward to balmy, spring days

so I can sunbathe like these handsome pups.

 (And yes, that is pretty much how I act

on a warm day.  Very lady-like, no?)

 What are you looking forward to this spring?

 

*image

morning joy

These are the days when I don't mind having a

different work schedule...one that allows me to 

linger on the couch and take joy in the little

pleasures of a perfect spring morning.

Lately our apartment has been flooded with 

bright morning sunshine and what sounds like the 

noisy banter of every bird in the neighborhood.  

It's impossible to be anything but cheerful 

listening to their chirps & trills!

Even though there is still a bit of crispness 

to the fresh morning air, I can't resist letting it in.  

I've been throwing every window and door open, 

then cozying up in a soft alpaca blanket and 

drinking giant mugs of steaming coffee to 

keep from getting goosebumps.

This morning I deviated from my usual blog 

reads, and slowly poured through the new issue 

of  Maine Magazine. (gorgeous, as usual.) 

And as I unfolded myself from the couch to

refill my coffee and make toast, I realized again 

just how good my little morning time is! 

hello, fake summertime

We've been having the most incredible warm 

weather around here, so the hubs suggested 

an impromptu trip out to the ocean on Sunday.

It was marvelous to walk around drinking 

iced chai and soaking up the sunshine.  

Life is so good!  :)

happy list

1. Sunshine.
 There's nothing like a bright,
sunny skies to lift my spirits! 

2.  Interesting art.
Loving this clever and beautiful
take on postage stamps.

3.  Morning gym dates.
Good conversation and company
makes for a good start to the day.
(Oh, and the actual working
out part isn't bad either...)

4.  Good music.
I switched out cds in my car
this morning, and re-discovered
this gem of a song.  Wonderful.

5.  Vacation countdown.
We leave for warmer places in about
two weeks, and we're currently
obsessing about packing and
other fun things.  :)


*cuteness

a happy list

 1.  Breakfast in bed.

It's official, people.  The hubs is super

handsome AND the sweetest!

2.  Sunshine.

I've been loving these magical

late summer days - the crispness of

fall plus the bright cheer of summer

is the best mixture!

3.  Weekend trip.

We're heading north to see my

parentals this weekend.  Hurray

for happy family visits!

4.  Birthday love.

Nothing like a million texts,

calls and fb messages to make

a girl feel totally loved.  Thanks,

guys...you're sweet!

Hope you find some happy things 

in your day today too!

*image

happy things

 1. Gorgeous day.

It's one of those clear, sunshiney

summer days that slyly hints of

the crisp fall to come.  Glorious!

2. Breakfast chats.

I got to start off my day by hanging

out with one of my lovelies.  I adore

our time together, and always come away

encouraged by her heart & friendship.

3. The hubs.

Doing life with my best friend is so 

fun.  We've been enjoying our summer

evenings with lots of grilling, walking, 

swimming...and ice cream, of course!

4. Cake stand cuteness.

Another of my lovelies just gave

us the most adorable cake stand as

a wedding present...and I'm so

excited to go home and frost a cake

tonight just so I can use it!

5. Worship music.

Thanks to the magic of Pandora, 

I've been enjoying a great mix of tunes 

at my desk.  On stressful or super 

busy days, it makes all the difference

in my perspective and attitude!

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a tuesday happy list

Hi friends!  In honor of Tuesday, I'd like

to share a few small things that are 

making me smile today...

  1.  Sunshine.

I saw some today.  It was brief, 

but altogether beautiful.

2.  Eating well.  

They say you do a lot of eating

when you're newly married and happy,

and guess what - the mysterious "they" are 

right again.  Whether it's summer food on the 

grill, or this sinful yumminess last night, we're 

sure having fun cooking and eating together!

3.  Inspiration.

I'm gradually starting to read blogs

again.  Between not having internet access

at home and having other things to focus on, 

I've been so happy to disconnect for a

while.  But it's been a pleasure to start 

reintroducing some familiar voices.

(Like his, hers, hers, and hers.)

4.  High heels.

I sprained my ankle badly a few weeks

before the wedding, and have been

babying the darn thing for over two months

now.  I'm pleased to finally be prancing

around in style - and all of my babies are

glad to finally be out of the closet!

laziness

 This spot it looking particularly enticing 

to me today.  Sometimes I think Fridays

were meant for naps in the sunshine!

*image

sunshine = hope

 It's been delightfully sunny & warm 

for the last couple of days, and 

while it's not quite green here yet, 

I have such hope for spring!  

 

Yesterday the handsome man 

& I stole a few minutes to lay 

in the sun, and it reminded me all 

over again why I'm such a summer

girl. Life is just happier with

some sunshine! 

*image

contentment

It's totally gloomy outside today,

and if we're being honest, I'm pretty

tired from a super long day yesterday.

My inclination is to pour another

 big cup of coffee and crawl

back into my warm and cozy bed.

Maybe we're different, you and I, 

but I can always find things to be

gloomy about.  It's so easy 

to pick out things in my life that

are frustrating, bum me out, or 

plain old just annoy me.  

Especially on a rainy day.

"But godliness with contentment 

is great gain."  (I Timothy 6:6)

I often have to remind myself

that contentment is a choice.

I have absolutely no control over

the events of the day or the people

around me, but I do have the

choice to respond with grace

and contentment.

And I think it's pretty cool that

we have a promise of "grain gain"

when we chase godliness and 

contentment.  I don't know 

exactly what that means, but 

I like how good it sounds!

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reading.

I have a few books
vying for my attention

(some new, some that I've just
been ignoring for a while)

and this picture makes me
long to go sit under a tree and
start devouring one of them!

What are you reading
these days?


*image via tumblr

yep.

This basically sums up how I look at the world most mornings...

As long as the sun is shining and the sky is blue, I figure we're all going to be okay!


*via tumblr

spring is my favorite.

Today is another day with big promises of sunshine and warm temps - and I'm not stuck in the office! I'm on the road all day for one of my clients (totally my favorite, but don't tell the others, ok?) which means lots of time with the windows down, the music up, and maybe even an iced coffee.

This time of year makes my heart so happy. Every time I discover another tree with baby green leaves, or find another flower about to bud I get positively giddy with excitement. Plus this morning the birds were singing when I woke up - best thing ever!

What about you - what do you love about spring?

Hope your day is full of good things, friends!


*via tumblr

sunshine.

Today it's supposed to be uncharacteristically warm and sunny - and I can't wait to get outside and soak up as much of it as possible!

Other things on the docket? Prayer with my peeps, cleaning out my car, buying a ham, and getting ready to host a little Easter celebration at our place tomorrow!

Happy weekend, friends!


*image via shutter sisters

random.

I think this is such a pretty braid...so simple and lovely!

Happy Friday, my friends!

(if you're around these parts, I hope you get to enjoy some sunshine and warmer temps!)


*image via Cup of Jo

walks.

Sir H came to stay last night, so in addition to having delightfully warm toes all night, this morning we had the most wonderful walk. The sun was bright and took the chill out of the air, plus the birds were all singing their loud morning songs. It was amazing!

Happy Thursday, friends. Hope you find something lovely along the way!


*image via Shutter Sisters

sunshine

It's day three of sunshine and positively spring-like weather around these parts - and I love it! It gives me hope for warmth and bare feet and naps in the sun after all these months of cold and dark...

Hope your Monday is full of some sunshine and happiness, wherever you are!


*image via tumblr

a little note.

Dear Summer,

Please come back soon. I miss you dreadfully, and anxiously await your glorious arrival.

Love,
Amanda

ps - Could you please make sure the sun comes along too? I miss him too!


*image via tumblr