Update!



Oh hi! Since we talked last I had a baby. And then I started a new blog called Stand Up Silas! It's a little less thrifting with a lot more baby. I'm not giving up on this blog completely, but for now, this is where you can find me. And my super cute baby :)

twenty-three weeks


A few baby/life updates-
We're having a BOY!
We found out almost 4 weeks ago now. Crazy! 
Time is really starting to fly. 
I had a doctor's appointment today and the term third trimester came up. 
Eekk!!
The first 12-16 weeks seemed to go by so slowly (maybe because I was so sick). Now time is moving so quickly I feel like I can't keep up.
I want to document everything and I'm failing big time. 
I do try to snap a picture of my belly every week even if it's just with my phone. 
It seems my belly is growing bigger every second. I can't imagine what I'll look like by Thanksgiving. 
Overall I'm still exhausted all the time. My energy never came back. I do have a little bit better appetite, but I still feel like I'm not getting enough calories in a day. Or exercise. 
Everything seems fine with baby though. He's kicking like a ninja. 
As long as he's happy and healthy, nothing else matters.
I get more and more excited to meet him every day. 
<3

i wonder

if baby will grow up to be tall and thin like papa

will have freckles and crooked pinkies like mama

if baby will love music and animals and books

will favor sweet or salty, the sunshine or the rain

if baby will swim like a fish and grow like a weed

will know just how loved he is.

eighteen weeks

The bump hasn't grown too much over the past week, so I figure one photo should suffice.
(That is not to say we didn't take a million and one pictures though.)
I have been concentrating so hard this week on trying to feel the baby move.
Everyone, including my doctor, is curious about whether or not I've felt any movement yet, and I am honestly just not sure! 
It's so hard to identify a feeling you've never experienced before. 
Hopefully as the movements become more frequent I'll just know
The countdown continues with only ONE week left until we find out the baby's sex!
I am hoping for some major cooperation on baby's part as my mom is traveling all the way up here for the ultrasound. 
With the second half of pregnancy approaching, I am still wondering when my energy and appetite will return...
I have had no ravenous feelings nor any specific cravings to speak of, and dang it, I was looking forward to that part!
But I'm sure the best is yet to come, right? ;)

P.S. My clothes are starting to shrink.






seventeen weeks



Oh by the way, we're having a baby!!!
I know this is old news to family and friends, but I hadn't yet gotten around to posting the big announcement here. 
I've been anxiously awaiting my bump to grow so we could start taking pictures, and although it's still pretty small, it has arrived.
We have yet to master the bump picture taking skills (hence my heart looking more like a triangle), luckily we have another 5 months or so to practice.
This pregnancy has been rough on me, to say the least, but baby is healthy and growing which is all that matters. 
In a little less than two weeks we find out the sex, and I cannot wait. 
I've been busy scouring the internet for cribs, highchairs, strollers and the like. There are SO many products out there that it's easy to get caught up in the buy, buy, buy mindset, but I am trying to stay grounded and remember that it doesn't take much to make baby happy. 
Our friends and family continue to be great support and we are so thankful for them. 




I recently had a friend send me this journal.
It's only a plus that it matches my typewriter.
Although somedays certain memories may not seem worth capturing,
I think it's important to jot them down anyways.
Between this journal and my blog (if I can get back on track!) it's entirely possible I'll never have to forget a moment.

Just wanted to share a few photos from our day at the beach.
We had originally planned on spending the day at Grand Haven State Park. On a Saturday afternoon. In the middle of summer.
Horrible idea we soon found out.
Lines and lines of traffic. No parking anywhere remotely near the park. Thousands of people.
So we headed down the coast a few miles and found the paradise pictured above.
Rosy Mound Natural Area.
Beautiful beach. Not nearly as packed. And only a short semi-strenuous hike from the parking area.
I think that was the catch. No one wants to spend their time getting to the beach. They just want to be there. Also no lighthouses at this park. Which was perfectly fine by us.
I wish I would've taken a few more pictures, but you get the idea.


Over the past few months I thought about updating the blog a handful of times, but each time I got too focused on hating my layout. I then spent hours changing templates, tweaking things here and there, and reworking my banner, all of this ending in total frustration and thus, no blog posts. So now, this is it. Super simple and quite possibly pretty dull. But I like it. I'm sure I'll change up a few things eventually seeing as how my taste changes every other day, but for the time being, it works.

A few other life updates-

The mister and I saw Radiohead last month! It was amazing. We also took a little trip to the beach a few weekends ago, finally. Pictures to come. I'm rethinking graduate school. I took the summer off, and I'm not quite sure I'll be returning in the fall. My furry babies are lazier than ever. We rearranged the whole house. We've been grilling out every chance we get. And going on picnics. We bought a pool. It's just a blowup, but it's big enough for a few people to swim around. I thrifted a new record player (pictured above, half cleaned up). The mister built me a sweet garment rack for all of my vintage dresses. And well I suppose that's it for now.

Happy Summer!

It's Hard to Be a Junker When You Rent (and other ramblings)


So this morning I woke up with this thought ^^^ and the more I've thought about it, the more it rings true (and bothers me). When the mister and I were first married we rented a house, and a pretty large house at that. For two newlyweds with one small dog we didn't really need three bedrooms. Nevertheless, we (and by we, I mean me) quickly filled up the house. I can't even count all the furniture that came in and went out of that house. Little did I know, that was just the beginning. For a short time after living in that house, we were in transition. We lived in an apartment for about three months before moving to where we are now. While we lived in said apartment I was unemployed, and that's where the real trouble began. It's not like my addiction came out of nowhere, there were signs previously, I just didn't know how bad it would/could get. I started spending my days hunting for treasures. Lucky for me, my new surroundings supported this habit. There were flea markets, thrift stores and garage sales galore. In the short three months we lived there my collection had grown (and it's only continued to grow from there). When we moved to Michigan I thought I had to have a house. What else would I do with all my stuff?! I had already become very close with all my treasures. Anyhoo, jump forward almost two years to the present. Yes, I'm still "collecting," although some may call it hoarding. But the real problem is that I love all my treasures. Really love. I think we have an unhealthy relationship. I did have grand plans of opening up shop online and selling some of my goods, but that never happened. The idea was greater than the motivation. Now faced with the dilemma of possibly having to move in August, I'm getting a little overwhelmed. Actually a lot overwhelmed. I have SO MUCH STUFF. But what do I get rid of? "Not that! I loooove it so much!" That's how the conversation goes (in my head). Okay, all of this is backstory leading up to today.

Today is my day off. Typically on my days off I sleep in, wake up super hungry, stuff my face, look around at how messy the house is, then decide to spend the day online instead of cleaning or organizing. This day is no different. So far it's gone according to plan, err habit. I'll probably straighten up a bit before the mister gets home from work so it doesn't look like I'm a complete lazy mess, but other than that, meh. That's generally my answer to things- meh. Wow I sound like a complete piece of work. Anyhoo, back to the point, if there is such a thing here. I was perusing Pinterest, the mother of all procrastination tools, and one click led to another which eventually led me to the Minimalist Mom site. Then, after a little oiling, the wheels started turning. "I can do it! I can get rid! I can simplify! But what about all my treasuuuures?!" The voice is still there, don't think it went away so quickly. I'm still trying to get motivated to get out of this computer chair. Maybe I thought if I wrote this all out it would help. Not that that's ever worked before, but hey, maybe 18th time is a charm? Disclaimer: I think the wheels actually started turning a week ago or so. When our taxes were due. Yeah, due. This is the first year instead of being issued a refund, we issued the government a big check. It stung a little. A lot. I complained at work, to my family, all the time. I mean our checking account was depleted. How were we supposed to live?!! Hmm, maybe like we used to live when we were students, which is not that far in the past. Duh. How quickly we forget. Well, it's been a week of living *frugally, and we are still alive. I think we are going to make it. This gives me hope. It also makes me believe I can change. Things can change. I'm typically the furthest thing from Positive Polly, but I'm trying (with the help of my meds, of course). Don't worry I'll be back with more thoughts on this matter soon.

*My definition of frugal and yours are likely much different. Mine involves fewer trips to the thrift store, fewer meals out, no weekend getaways, etc.

When Your Bank Account is Empty, Cache Out.

As my first semester of grad school winds down, the second is only one step behind.
I have about a two week break before summer school starts, and I intend to use this time to catch up on life.
I'm going to read as many books as possible, spend as much time outdoors as Mother Nature will allow, mail my friends letters and treasures, eat lots of ice cream, get this blog back up and running and whatever else I can cram into this short window of time.
Happy Earth Day, by the way!
The mister and I celebrated yesterday with our new hobby...
Geocaching!
I guess you could describe it as treasure hunting for adults, although I'm sure kids enjoy it as well.
While not all caches contain treasure, it's more fun to think of it this way (at least for me), and our first cache did have a few little treasures!
It's a great adventure that gets you up and out of the house, and I highly recommend giving it a try.
I know we're hooked.
To learn more, check here or here.

P.S. I must give props to the movie that sparked my interest in geocaching- Splinterheads. It's on Netflix in case you're interested.

Hang On To Each Other


Obviously things haven't settled down too much around here, and that's why it's been so quiet. I'm attempting to stay positive with this post though, so here goes. This past weekend the mister and I got away for a bit. It was much needed. I had a ton of unfinished homework when we left Friday afternoon, homework I knew was due Sunday by midnight, but I managed to get in that car anyhow. I'm so glad I did too. A change of scenery and a little spontaneity did the trick. We went to Chicago to see Tanner & Amanda (& Stella!). We ate so much delicious food, consumed too many drinks, public transited all over, shopped, explored and just so happened to catch a Thee Silver Mt. Zion show! Umm, have you heard of this band? I really hope so, but if not, immediately commence your google, youtube or whatnot search. I can probably hook you up with some links, too :) Not only was the show beyond amazing, but the fact that us seeing this show so last minute came to pass, well that was pretty amazing as well. Literally just two weeks ago I remembered how much I love this band, and I'd been listening to them nonstop ever since. And then it just so happened that they were playing a show the same exact weekend we were in Chicago?! We bought our tickets 30 minutes before sales ended, just hours before the show. I'd call that fate, and I was ecstatic, to say the least. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't imagine seeing this band with anyone but Aaron, Tanner & Amanda. It was perfect. Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that they played my favorite song as the encore? And it lasted like 12 minutes. Yeah, perfection. The whole weekend was pretty great really. We got Sprinkles and Magnolia Bakery while we were there, too. T & A definitely know how to entertain. Thanks again, <3 you guys, come visit us soon!

Here's a little taste...
God Bless Our Dead Marines by A Silver Mt Zion on Grooveshark
Teddy Roosevelts Guns by A Silver Mt Zion on Grooveshark

Scatterbrain

Disclaimer: This post is more than likely going to turn into an incoherent, rambling mess. Wine has been consumed, and you've been warned.

Blogging friends! I miss you. I miss my blog. Graduate school started last week, and I am officially going crazy! I have too much on my plate and the semester has just begun. I don't know how people do it. Juggling all these things at once. Especially those with kids, multiple jobs, any sort of social life. I guess it's a matter of being organized, efficient, and motivated? Yes, that is a question, not a statement. I'm generally perplexed as to how people do it. Here's the deal- I've only been out of school for a little over 3 years, I have no children, I work part-time, I don't have many friends (Wow, I sound like a loser, hah). Seems like a pretty ideal situation for someone starting back to school, right? Not too many attachments or engagements. But I'm still going crazy! What is wrong with me? Here's how I'm justifying this ridiculousness- for the past three years I've been a free bird, so to speak. I've had no significant obligations or attachments, just simple part-time jobs that didn't require too much extra of me. That's it. The problem with this is that I've gotten lazy. I do what I want, when I want. I thrift every day of the week if I feel like it. I drink wine every night if I feel like it. I blog when I feel like it. I read when I feel like it. But things are changing, and I think it's going to be good for me. Things are required of me now. In order to succeed, I'm going to have to exert some effort. Turns out group work is a huge component of this program, so I'm not only held accountable for myself, but also for my group. This is quite different than what I'm used to. I'm excited. Anxious, not eager. And nervous. I guess it makes sense that I'm freaking out about all of this because of my lack of obligation at this time. Maybe that's the key to juggling a busy life successfully...you simply don't have enough time to think about the craziness, you just do it. Phew. I've talked myself in circles to the point of thinking I've actually figured everything out. I guess it's time to call it a night, huh. Thanks for listening to my ramblings. I hope to be back to normal posting of thrift finds, outfits and whatnot soon. <3

Down By the Water

While I was home over the holidays I had the pleasure of hanging with a family friend who also happens to be an amazing photographer.
(He took our engagement pictures way back when)
Turns out he had just recently purchased a new camera and wanted to take it out for a test run.
Can you believe these pictures were taken in the middle of December?! No snow. No coat. Perfection.
I am pretty thrilled with how the pictures turned out. Other than my doofy expressions and slightly awkward poses, they look fantastic. I'd say that camera's a keeper ;)
Now if only I could get him to take all the pictures for my blog. A girl can dream, right?
You can check out more of this work here and here.
Thanks again Niall!

P.S. Back in high school when the mister and I were first dating we used to take pictures down by this river. It's a special place always near and dear to my heart.
<3

P.P.S. It was tough picking my favorite shots, so I'm sure I'll be sharing a few more soon.

Welcoming 2012

It’s interesting waking up on New Year’s Day in a non-hungover state.
Instead of moaning and groaning things like “oh lord my head hurts” and “please don’t let me vomit all over myself” I had time to think about what this new year means, or better yet, what the new year brings.
I know what you’re thinking…this girl must be an alcoholic if that’s what she woke up thinking, but no, I’m not. I may have had one too many glasses of wine this past year, but that no longer matters and you’ll soon learn why.

With the passing of 2011, I am releasing myself from caring about all the things that I didn't accomplish this past year as opposed to listing my resolutions for the new year. I've decided to take a different approach this time around as it seems the second I say I’m going to do something, it never gets done. So here goes.

It no longer matters that I went to bed grumpy last night and didn’t bother staying up until midnight to ring in the new year as the majority of my generation traditionally does.
It also no longer matters that I didn’t file my 2010 taxes until October of 2011.
It no longer matters that I forgot to send birthday cards and well wishes to way too many people this past year.
It no longer matters that I only went to the gym a handful of times, yet paid for a yearlong membership.
It no longer matters that I may have had one too many glasses bottles of wine and passed out only to wake up in a state of utter agony the next day having forgotten everything.
It no longer matters that I thrifted a shit ton of vintage goods for a shop that I never ended up opening.
It no longer matters that I missed a doctor’s appointment, never called or rescheduled, and never went back.
It no longer matters that I never found the perfect shade of lipstick for my coloring despite the many tubes purchased.
It no longer matters that I didn’t make it home for important matters such as birthdays, high school graduations and funerals.
It no longer matters that I didn't respond to thousands of texts, messages or emails in a timely manner by any standards.
And it no longer matters that I apparently spent all year long worrying about these things, rather than getting them done.

These things no longer matter because it’s a new year.

Contrary to what it may seem, this isn’t about focusing on the negative, it’s about recognizing, letting go and moving forward.

Like I said, I’m taking a new approach this year, so I didn’t particularly set any resolutions because of the fear that setting them would ultimately crush them. However, looking back on my list, it is clear the ways in which I can improve. I am hoping that by working on all these little things, it will accumulate to a better me in 2012.

Here's to a happy and healthy new year! <3

P.S. It’s interesting that after almost a month of not blogging, not feeling like I had anything to say, yet feeling like something was missing, this all comes pouring out the morning of new year’s day. It's just what I needed. I'm ready for a new year of blogging.
P.P.S. Props to anyone who actually read this all the way through :)

Once in a While



I've been a terrible blogger once again.
It's not that I haven't had time to blog, I guess I've just been distracted and bored and grumpy lately.
(just missing my mister while he's in England most likely)
And with it being the holidays, well you may as well call me Scrooge.
I've done very little decorating or gift shopping. I'm just not into 'it' this year I suppose.
Not into 'it' really meaning the consumerist nonsense.
I know that there is more to Christmas than presents, but it's really bothering me this year.
It's not that I don't enjoy giving gifts. I do. I don't know what it is exactly.
I'm still fumbling trying to figure it out.
All I know is that this year I am focusing all my holiday spirit on spending time with family, eating good food, celebrating my mom's graduation, and relaxing before I start back to school.
Sound good? :)

Moving on...
The pictures above are a few funny things I came across while thrifting today.
I originally went thrifting in hopes of finding cheap craft supplies.
(I'm making the decorations for my mom's graduation party)
Didn't have much luck on that front, but did find a few things that made me smirk.
I actually bought the little "This is my house and I do as I darn please" sign.
It reminds me of something my dad would say.
I did not, however, buy the "boob job fund" jar ;)

Well I'm off to listen to the Bright Eyes Christmas album for a little holiday pick-me-up.
Night loves.

An Instagram Thanksgiving


Here's a quick little peek at our weekend Thanksgiving festivities.
We were so excited to host the holiday at our place this year, and so grateful for those that could make it.
(everyone had quite a ways to travel, so thanks again guys!)
There ended up being 11 of us total (plus 2 dogs & 2 cats), and thanks to everyone's help, it was a great success.
We cooked, ate, and napped all day Thursday.
Friday we celebrated my dad's 61st birthday, thrifted, and went to a hockey game.
Saturday we said many goodbyes, thrifted more and went bowling.
And today we rest, as it's back to the daily grind tomorrow.

Hope everyone had a lovely holiday weekend!

Why I Thrift

Can we all pause for a moment of silence in honor of the person that gave this beauty up so that I might find it.
Just last night I started making a list of 'ultimate thrift finds'...
basically things I would lovvvve to find and that I would be willing to pay a bit more for.
A chair just like this was on that list, I kid you not!
Well hey howdy, today was the day.
And for eight dollars nonetheless.
Yes, you read that right. I paid a measly EIGHT effing dollars for this amazing chair.
This is why I love thrifting.

Any other amazing finds out there lately?
If so, please share!

Thrifts & Gifts

Let's just say lately I have been a very lucky lady.
Last week I finally got a chance to go home and see family after what seemed like months.
Oh wait, it was months...three to be exact ;)
Anywho, my parents (dad, really) and my aunt had been busy the past few weeks going to auctions and picking up treasures, many of which are now mine, and a few of which are pictured above.
It's always fun, and quite often interesting, to see what they've found.
This time around I had the pleasure of finding a boob mug hidden within my box of owl items.
Of course my dad thought that was just hilarious.
Yes, I have pictures. No, I won't be posting them.
But really, they do always find the greatest stuff at auctions.
Thanks to mom, pops & aunt sis, I always end up hauling home a car full of amazing loot.
<3

Have you been gifted or thrifted anything awesome lately?