July Fourth Weekend

Vacation has been a wonderful combination of relaxation and fun. Matt and I spent four days in Ludington with my family. We saw fireworks on the beach, ate grilled food, rode bikes, and enjoyed the sun on the beach and in a pool.

 Here are a few vacation photos I uploaded to my Instagram:

Home away from home.

Morning birdsong.

 

 

Waiting for dusk.

Sargent Sands.

Clear waters.

And a couple from my sister Jeannine's Instagram:

Champagne on the beach!

I have a knack for not looking at the camera.

The best part is I don't return to work until Thursday so I have a few more days to relax.

How was your July Fourth?

Infinite

A Day in Saugatuck

Angie (of Strawbrry Passion) and I were going to go strawberry picking yesterday, but when we saw that Sunday's forecast was 90 degrees (and in Michigan, you can bet it will be humid as well) we decided to go to the beach weather instead. So Saugatuck became our destination instead.

I got up EARLY (6 am) on Sunday morning so that I could meet Angie in Okemos by 8 am. We stopped by Biggby Coffee before we went to a 9:15 church service. By 11:00 am we were on the road to Saugatuck!

We were hungry when made it to Saugatuck so we stopped at Phil's. Afterward we wandered through the various shops.

We made it to the Lake around 4 pm. The beach was packed, but we found the perfect spot not too far down the beach.

The water was warmer than I thought it would be (when I went to Ludington over the Memorial day weekend it was freezing!). We spent some time looking for interesting stones, beach glass, and driftwood. The driftwood I collected is curing for beach-themed crafts.

The wind was the perfect temperature to blow the heat off our bodies. Angie fell asleep when we finally laid in the sun. It was after 7 pm when we left the beach!

We were reluctant to leave Saugatuck. We went back to the town for Kilwin's ice cream. Angie bought some sun-changing nail polish from Del Sol.

On our way back to my car we saw the Supermoon (a Strawberry Moon as well!). I didn't get home until 11:30 pm.

It was a wonderful summer's day, and I feel relaxed as I get ready to start my week.

What did you do this weekend?

Summer Bucket List

Summer is my favorite time of the year. I love the long, lazy days and warm nights. Because today is the summer solstice it feels like summer has finally arrived. The whole season stretches ahead of us. 
  
This summer I plan to :

1.   Do summer crafts: Friendship bracelets and tie-dyed tees.

2.   Pick berries: Berries mean crisp, crumbles, pies, and freezer jam! Angie (of StrawbrryPassion) and I are going strawberry picking on Sunday. I hope to go pick blueberries as well the blackberries and raspberries in our backyard!

3.   Take a road trip: My goal is to visit family in Ludington once a month over the summer. My next trip coincides with July 4th!

4.   Visit the BEACH: Ludington and Saugatuck for certain.

4.   Buy food at the farmer's market: There's nothing like fresh food!

5.   See a movie at the drive-in: Capri Drive-in Theatre in Coldwater.

Other summer festivities to enjoy: Sandals. Gardening. Storms. Fireworks. Barbeques. Sundresses. Fireflies. Garage sales. Cutoff Jeans. Swinging in a hammock. Sun tea. Ice cream. Bonfires.

The season holds endless possibilities.  

What are you looking forward to this summer?

To the Lighthouse

Summer's Approach

DesignLoveFest Watercolor Desktop Background

Hannah and Kelty, co-columnists of Dress Your Tech on DesignLoveFest, created two wonderful watercolor desktop backgrounds free to download.

via

The vibrant teal and pink watercolors feel like the moment spring hints at summer. The blue reminds me of the summertime sky at the Lake (Lake Michigan for non-Michiganders).

Screenshot of my desktop.

I love the teal watercolor as my desktop background. Thank you ladies for creating such lovely backgrounds!


Originally found on Pinterest; I pinned (teal | pink) them in my tech downloads board.

West Wind

Summer Solstice

The best way to celebrate summer's official start is to go to the beach. Yesterday, my friends Angie, Katie, and I drove to Saugatuck to absorb the sun, relax, and shop.

After the beach, we had a great meal at Phil's Bar and Grille, explored an art gallery, had ice cream at Kilwin's, and bought fun UV sensitive nail polish at Del Sol.

Because it was the summer solstice (the longest "day" of the year), the day seemed to last forever.

 

I love Michigan summers!