in which i become a terrible blogger

This weekend one of my best girls Molly was in town for two days....we went to Forest Park and paddleboated around, satisfied our craving for cheap tacos, watched and awed over Oprah's last 2 episodes, and re-watched and analyzed all the Will & Kate stuff I had DVRed. We also drank these amazing smoothies (I left out the ice, so they were a little richer). I'm spending the rest of this weekend doing report cards....I have 2 half days of school left, then my whole family will be in town for my little brother's high school graduation from Thursday to Sunday. Blogging, while so fun at the beginning of summer, will be an afterthought for the beginning of June. Happy Memorial Day and happy summer!

oooh oooh

whyyyy

I always run out of non-food grocery items at the same time. Foil, detergent, toothpaste, lotion.....it's enough to blow through the whole week's budget. Grr....I need to become one of those crazy extreme couponers and have a stockpile of supplies in my pantry.

you can take the girl out of jersey...

Fun Fact: My mother's family came to New Jersey in the 1670s. My mother is a ninth-generation Jersey Girl, and my siblings and I would have been 10th generation had my parents started out there. My mom spent her summers at the Jersey Shore, and we cringe whenever she mentions that to others. Their summers were quaint refreshing seaside times, rather than....yeah. While she was here I forced her to watch Real Housewives of New Jersey with me, so she could "see what's being put out there" (aka: I could get my guilty pleasure fix). The hair terrified her.

re-cap.

Spring is the eternally busy season....my mom just left after a 5 day visit, coming down for a business meeting, my little brother's 18th birthday, and his senior class banquet. I spent the last week and half frantically organzing a guest list of 20 seniors via facebook messages..although I don't love facebook, it was super useful for contacting people. I love when my mom comes because she does things like revive 3 dead plants I have (I really don't like caring for plants...I have a total black thumb), fill my fridge with groceries, and remove stuborn stains from the bathtub.

Of course for the party decor we had to go to Party City, one of my kitschiest happy places. My brother is now in Hawaii for a week studying Pearl Harbor for his senior project, hence the cheesy but amazing Hawaiian theme.

I am larger,

better than

I thought. I did

not know I held so

much goodness.

-Walt Whitman

I got the strongest urge today for summer to come.

(via)

Wahooo!!!

St. Louis is featured today with a City Guide on Design*Sponge!!

I've lived in St. Louis for almost 3 years now. I was super hesitant to leave my home state and only came for a fantastic job offer that wasn't available in a struggling economy in Michigan. It took a little while, as it does with any new place, but I was just thinking the other day how I feel like I can call St. Louis home. So glad to see this amazing city guide today - some of these places I've explored, but many I haven't - this should keep me busy for awhile!

Pretty Mama

Happy Mother's Day.

sweet pup in late afternoon light