midwest summer

i am home in michigan visiting my family and loving every minute of it! i finally got to meet my niece sophia for the first time and she is a cherub. just see for yourself...

photo: Tracy Myers

tomorrow i head off to skydive chicago for the annual summerfest boogie. i am so excited to have so many of my friends assembled at one of my favorite places in the world. i will stay at sdc for about a week before heading back to michigan for a few more days... and then home to california.

i'm soaking it all in while i can, as there really is nothing quite like the midwest in the summertime...

stenciling

inspired by my lotta prints book, i have ventured into the realm of stencil making... so much fun! as i was packing for my upcoming trip to the midwest (i leave tomorrow), i decided my over-the-shoulder tote needed some personalizing. i'm quite pleased with how it turned out, especially considering that this was my first attempt at cutting and printing with my own stencils.

lover, you should've come over

listening to and loving this song... something about this song just tears at my heart.

baggu

baggu has just come out with some new colors and design options and i'm considering investing in a few more... i think their reusable shopping bags are just great. and i always feel so good walking out of the store with my own bags.
and imagine how many plastic bags would be saved if people invested in a few of these totes and had the foresight to do a little planning and bring them along when shopping... we're talking a huge impact on oil consumption.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things - air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky - all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” - Cesare Pavese

i just came across this quote on Apartment Therapy and it struck a chord with me. i think this is why travel is so important... by removing one from their comfortable surroundings and stripping away the familiar and routine, it allows for profound realizations and growth.

a thousand bees by sara lov

thanks to black eiffel for always posting such great music, particularly this little number by sarah lov.

dreaming of a michigan summer

1. Start the day At Bezra's, 2. Untitled, 3. Untitled, 4. so lang wie es geht..., 5. Untitled,
6. yourhouse, 7. More line pictures..., 8. two for the price of one, 9. Summer, please return

just got home from our vacation (we went to japan!) and i'm already thinking of my next trip...