N is for Nutella

My love affair with Nutella began in Spain after high school, when my best friend and I devoured jars of it on her grandmother's Mediterranean balcony. I was never a big fan of peanut butter, but my fam wasn't food adventurous - it was go Jif or go home. Studying abroad a few years later in Spain, most of the students from my university found that theur host families were also ardent fans, often providing it with cookies or bread for breakfast.

It's never tasted quite the same here in the States (like Fanta) - still good, but not quite Spain-good. I'm sure it's all psychosomatic. Perhaps if I start trying it in some brownie recipes like this one....

ta-ta, Lightroom free trial...

...and your fun, but hard to use, features. not worth the full price.

...and a belated ta-ta to cait and bre; wish you could've stayed longer....

sights of summer

fun summery images/ via krisatomic

.off to the beach!

M is for Michigan

From one week’s family vacation each year in the 80s, to summer camp for a month by myself in the 90s, to owning a home and renting it out, to my mom living here full time, and me, silly me, spending as much time here as possible, even as an adult.

Detroit is childhood, East Lansing college and really growing up, but northern Michigan, LAKE Michigan, is home.

Simple and sublime sunsets, long walks and talks with friends, just sitting and being, skinny dips after dark, vast infinity, yet close and comforting. I know I should travel more. Take advantage of my summers off. But there really isn't any place I'd rather be.

L is for Letters

All the technological advances in the world will never replace the simplicity and power of a letter. The bearer of news, greetings, desires....magically moving from one part of the world to another. Like these, which brought orders and adorn the walls of one of my favorite places in the world, Gwen Frostic Prints.

K is for Kickin' Back

3 days off = A few zines, comfy bed, non-work/heavy reading....with some long beach walks and swims thrown in. Happy weekend!

j is for julio

(reuters)

despite cooler Michigan summers, in July I always reminisce about my summers in Spain....especially the year I went to Pamplona.....closing day today. Sleeping in the park, night-long party, kalimoxto streaming in the streets, impromptu marching band parades and Basque pride....Viva San Fermin...una locura.

your strap is showing

I think my SLR could be improved a bit by a funky strap, yes?
Too many choices on Etsy.

shabby straps and phat straps

I is for Ice Cream

Peeps, this is my main food group in the summer. It's like, getting bad. I rarely eat ice cream during the year - I buy it, eat it once, and forget about the carton somewhere in the deep recesses of my freezer. But in the summer I feel like my day is not complete without some.

Living in a tourist town where there are ample ice cream options and plenty of friends always looking to get ice cream = not helpful. But delicious.

(flickr ice cream group)

from the vault

childhood sounds like creaky wooden stairs at grandma's and lots of laughs.

happy weekend!

Independence.

barbeques

too many desserts

windy hikes

small-town americana parade

beach walks

sunsets looking like sunrise

sunlight looking like moonlight

illegal fireworks along the shore

too many mosquitos

houseguests for 10 days

bodies sleeping on every available surface

Fourth 2010.

clickr for flickr

so all I do these days is post videos

One of my favorite All-American movies. With the best, most misty-eye inducing, 4th of July fireworks scene. Happy Fourth, all. Lots of fun summery pics forthcoming in days to come....

dark days are through

jam on.