FOR A MAGICAL NIGHT....JUST ADD LIGHTS

Few things make summertime parties as magical as simply adding a string of lights.  They add a soft glow to the night sky that seems to illuminate the laughter and clinking of glasses.

Wade is the supreme party thrower.  When we thought it was going to rain before a little backyard get together, he just popped up a tent and added the lights inside.  This way we'd be ok even if we did have a sprinkle or two.

We ate indoors and then moved the party outside.

Upon further reflection, you may need a few other things to have a magical night.  In addition to the lights, also add really good friends, delicious food, unlimited margaritas, and hula hoops (see further down).

Psychedelic hula hooping at its finest.

What do you think are the key ingredients to a magical summer night?  Are you on the string light bandwagon?

MEET MAISY MAE

If you follow me on Instagram, then you know that last week we brought home this little bundle of joy (and that we've already changed her name slightly from Maisy Roo to Maisy Mae:)  She was so little, but even in just a short week we've already seen that she's grown so much. 

 

I shared a few weeks ago about the fake bird Wade got me for Christmas and how we weren't sure if we were ready for a real pet.  Then we went to my niece's 2nd birthday party and met their pet bunny, Hop Hop, and knew that we needed a little friend hopping around our house. 

 

I hadn't ever really considered a pet bunny.  I always thought they bit a lot and weren't friendly.  Apparently the Dutch breed, though, is super friendly and loves being petted.  Maisy does like being held, just not like a baby like Hop Hop does.  We'll see if she grows into it, though, as she gets more used to us:)

 

 

 



After we happened upon a bunny cage at a garage sale, we took it as a divine sign and went the next day to find Ms. Maisy.  And I've got to say that I never thought I'd fall so hard and fast in love with her.  I was worried about making time for her, but all we do now is race home to watch her hop all around the room.  We've officially become those people that sit and stare at their pet and photograph every little new move. 

 

I've really been making a concerted effort to not post all the pictures of her I want on Instagram.  I'm sure I'd soon become the crazy bunny lady.  That may just be inevitable, though.

 

 

Is making a banner for your bunny going a little overboard?  Maybe.  But that corner of the room above her cage did need a little something extra.  I'll probably end up taking it down, but it does add a nice pop of color.

 

 

I never thought I could share my sun room, my special hideaway, with anyone else, but now I want Maisy to have lots of room to hop and play.  She makes the room complete.  We even got her a special tiki hideaway hut that fits the theme of the room and that she can chew on to her heart's content.

 

 

Ahh..look at that little fluffball.

 

 



 

 

WEEKLY INSPIRATION: JUST BREATHE

Do you ever lie in bed and find that you can't shut off your brain and just keep worrying about things?  I am a worrier by nature, so have found that I need to watch mindless TV to drift off to sleep.  Last night, though, no amount of 30 Rock repeats could quiet my thoughts down.

It's strange how sometimes we are able to compartmentalize things so that we do not obsess or become consumed by fear or anxiousness, while other times we aren't able to be rationale and let things go.

When I'm nervous about something, I just want it to be figured out now, at this very instant.  The act of waiting to see if things are a big deal or not is not my strong suit.

So I'm going to tell myself to "just breathe" and think about this beautiful landscape.  The world is so awe inspiring and big to be consumed by worries.

So tonight, turn off your thoughts and let yourself just breathe.  That's what I'm going to try to do, at least.


How about you?  Do you ever feel this way?  How do you quiet your worrisome thoughts?

MY FAVORITE APPS: HIPSTAMATIC

Hands down, my favorite app is Hipstamatic.  I love Instagram for its sharing ability, but nothing produces such dreamy pictures as Hipstamatic.  If you're looking for a way to give your photos a vintage vibe, then I highly recommend paying the $1.99 price tag.  It's worth it.

App Name: Hipstamatic
Cost: $1.99
Description:  Digital photography never looked so analog. Make and share beautiful photography with Hipstamatic.
Available: iPhone only (sorry Androiders)

Review:  I've taken pictures of the same thing, once with my phone's regular camera and then with Hipstamatic.  The app just applies a beautiful hue over everything and makes even pictures of trees seem more interesting. 

The app comes with a stock of different lenses and film types that each offer a unique quality.  For the pictures taken with the app below, I used the camera lens "Jane "and the film " Ina's 1969".  Sometimes I don't want to go through the effort of picking which filter I want to apply to my photo, so this app is nice since it does it for you. 

Once you take the picture, it goes to "processing", which does take a little bit longer than it should, and then you instantly have a cool, vintage looking photo with a worn border.

Which ones do you like better?  (even though my niece looks adorable in any kind of photo:)  The ones on the right were taken with Hipstamatic and have a nice warm glow and depth to them that I feel is lacking in the regular camera photos.

What do you think?  Have you tried Hipstamatic before or have any other favorite camera apps you use for applying filters?

Click here for last week's review of YouCam Perfect. 

WEEKLY WEARS + THOUGHTS ON ROUTINES

I think I've mentioned before on the blog how I'm a creature of habit, a lover of my routine.  I eat the same thing for lunch every day and really enjoy our Friday night Chipotle dates.

Sometimes it's necessary to break out of the mold, though, and spice things up a bit.  Last Friday after work, I fought my urge to throw on my pjs after walking in the door and instead grabbed Wade and headed down to the First Fridays festivities in the Crossroads district of Kansas City.  If you're ever in Kansas City the first Friday of a month, I definitely suggest checking out this event.  Over the past 10 years, it's really grown and now has food trucks, pop up shops, and live music taking over the whole area.

I ended up running into some blogger friends, and the night turned into a fun, spontaneous, little reunion.  It made me wonder why I don't always push myself to do things that are out of the norm. 

I like to have a good balance of downtime and fun time, but there is a whole big world out there with so many interesting things going on that it's good to go exploring once in a while. 

Outfit Details: Shirt: Old Navy (old) // Shorts, Sandals: Target // Necklace: My Shop

One of the big draws to the event was to see Hello Cheeseburger's and Happy Habitat's pop up shops.  I've been a big fan of Hello Cheeseburger's jewelry for a while now and loved perusing them in person.  Same goes for Happy Habitat's blankets.  I can never decide on a color, though.

The lovely  and sweet Jennifer from Hello Cheeseburger

And what is a fun night out without a photo booth?  I feel like I'm constantly stalking the Photobus, but there are few things cooler to me than a photo booth in the back of a VW bus.  Plus, you get a print out of your photos right away, which is a bonus.  It's that instant gratification that has me sold. 

blogger pals Jana and Jess (not pictured Alissa)

To cap off the night, I had my first Moscow Mule at The Cashew.  I wouldn't say it's my new favorite drink, but it was cool that it came in a copper mug.

What about you?  Do you find it hard to break out of your routine or are you always up for a new adventure?