In Pictures: August 2014

P.S. You can follow me on Instagram: @elizabethpfink

Ten Things . . . That Made Me Love Today

Today was one of those really good regular days, so I just had to record it.

1. A latte & almond muffin from Sweetwaters to start my day.
2. Rain that reminded me of the Rain, Rain, Rain song from Winnie the Pooh. 
3. Taking the back roads out to visit my cousin and seeing all the beautiful farms out her way.
4. Snapping green beans while visiting with my cousin.
5. Natalie Merchent on the radio. 
6. Watching my nieces and nephew play pirate ship in laundry baskets. 
7. Picking bright green and dark purple tomatoes from my yard.
8. Chatting with my sister in-law Lauren while we worked on ironing and folding clothes at her house.
9. Playing a rousing game of peek-a-boo with Emmylou.
10. A new Joy the Baker Podcast.

What made you love today?

P.S. Slugs

In Pictures: July 2014

P.S. you can follow me on Instagram @elizabethpfink 

Ten Things . . . Totally True Facts About Me According To Online Quizzes

So I might have just justified spending an hour taking online quizzes by telling myself I would write a post about them. Yep that is all the thought I put into this. But you know what these quizzes were like totally 100% true so maybe they are on to something.

1. My life is just like the classic novel Charlotte's Web, I'm just trying to figure out if I'm more like Charlotte or Wilber?
2. I have a brand New Soul. Right.
3. I'm an Independent Woman. Need I say more?
4. I was meant to be a Writer.
5. Zac Efron is my celebrity boyfriend. #backoffgirlshesmine
6. Oh and went Zac and I finally tie the knot I'll be wearing an A-Line Dress.
7. You guys must think I'm really Artsy! 
8. This one says I should have been born in the 90s, but I think they mean I should have lived and loved in the 90s.
9. I look like Pocahontas. Actually when we were kids my brother Andrew thought I was Native American, true story!
10. And finally My 1990s Theme Song is . . . Spice Up Your Life!

P.S. An interview with Ryan Goslings from 1999. You are soooo welcome!

Ten Things . . . Making Me Happy

Way back in the olden days of blogging (2002-2006) I had a web log on Xanga, it was mostly filled with my moaning about homework and my fan-girling about music and books, so basically what I do now. I left the waters of Xanga for more "legitimate" blogging a long time ago, but I've decided to resurrect one of my favorite features from the old blog: "Ten Things". It will be a Sunday post with a list of ten items, maybe they will stick to a theme or they might just be random, that is all part of the fun.

To kick things of I'm making a list of the Ten Things Making Me Happy right now. Okay let's get started!

1. That I'm back to these lists, I forgot how much I loved making them. And it is sure making me happy to bring them back!
2. The video for Jenny Lewis' new song One of the Guys. I'm not sure why, but my sister and I can't get enough of it. The tune is so catchy and the video is so weirdly great! Watch it at least once just for the part when Anne Hathaway break dances.
3. Speaking of Anne Hathaway, this list of 10 Things That Girls Always Do In Movies And Never Do In Real Life cracked me up. #4 is my number one Rom-Com pet peeve.
4. All the Ticket to Ride game nights my family has been having lately, we all love this game and with all the expansions and variations I think it will be a long time before we tire of playing.
5. Season Two of Orphan Black, I love this twisty and dark Sci-Fi show from BBC America.
6. The Vintage Planter section of etsy. As a houseplant lover I like to think about what type of plant would look best in each one. For the record my taste swings more in the green pottery way than the orange and yellow mouse way, though there it a time and place for everything.
7. Sunday Family Dinners. Just a wonderful way to end the weekend and start the week. If you ever check out my Instagram @elizabethpfink you will see lots of Family Dinner Fun. 
8. I've been invited to a wedding with a Vintage Carnival theme and I've been having a great time try to figure out what to wear. Right now I'm thinking about either this Navy Star Print Dress or this Sassy Black Dress. Feel free to cast your votes!
9. The wonderful book I mentioned in my last post, still in love with Pursue The Intentional Life.
10. Tales of adventure from my friends and family traveling the worlds, right now I'm loving the updates from my friend Austin, who is photographing a trip to a hospital in Ethiopia and my bother Isaiah, who is in Thailand with the Army ROTC (Below is Ike meeting some of the local wildlife!).
    
    
    
    
    

P.S. This documentary about The Elephant Who Found A Mom.

Live: Summer 2014

I think I might be taking this slow blogging thing a little too far,a month and a half might be a little long. But I've been summering and it has been wonderful. So I thought I'd share my Summer 2014 Must List. I know the summer is already half over, but I think it is still worth putting pen to paper or type to screen and getting a little list going.

My first must do this summer is take advantage of all the great things happening in my own back yard this time of year. I've already made it to German Park and the Botanical Gardens and have my mind set on returning to both later in the summer. I also have plans to stroll around The Ann Arbor Art Fair and the Ypsilanti Heritage Festival, maybe catch a free concert, defiantly tour historic homes and I'm pretty sure my nephew is going to need a trip to the petting zoo. Basically find the fun right here.

For whatever reason I haven't being reading much these days. So I'm setting a five book goal for this summer. I'm already 1/2 way through two books so I think this is going to be totally manageable and I hope that it will get me back into the reading groove.

This one is self explanatory. And just a plea to get you to invite me out to your lake house!

Like reading I haven't been flexing my creative muscles as much. So I'm setting a goal here too, one crochet project, one sewing project, one painting project, one diy furniture revamp and one house project!

I've already taken a trip to the zoo and I spent a day traipsing around Boston with my sister in-law Kelsey. It was a great inspiration to fill the rest of the summer with Day Trips to a few Cute Towns and the Great Lakes.

Finally I'm really working on being more intentional in everything I do and this summer is a great time to work on it. To that end, I've been reading a wonderful book, Pursue The Intentional Life, with my sisters and have been really enjoying listening to The Lively Show podcast. I highly recommend both.

There you have it, just a few of they ways that I plan on getting the most out of my summer! And now it is fun ahoy!

Live: Back At It

Soooo, I took a little (long) break from blogging. At first it was unintentional and then it was because I wasn't really sure I wanted to write in this space anymore. But here's the thing, I kinda missed it here. I missed having a way to share what I'm interested, the books I'm loving, the things I'm making and the food I'm baking. However I want to come back with things a little different. I'm going to be getting a little more personal and little less linky. Expect less stuff and more life, fewer posts about things I saw on the internet and more about things I actually did, there will still be projects and recipes, but they will be projects I've done and food I've cooked. Basically the blog is evolving from a blog about anything to a blog about everything! I hope you enjoy my new purpose, I know I for one am really looking forward to the new Building Something Good.

Change: The Living Room Is Almost Done (finally)

I picked up this painting from a yard sale that benefits the local historical society.

I'm even into the chipping.

It has finally happened. After being in my house for 4 years the living room has been painted. And all I can say is: why did I wait so long? I can't believe that I lived with that horrid light and color sucking purple for so long. Over the last 4 years I've painted swatches of light green, grays and buttery creams on the walls, but in the end I settled on a slightly warm white, Sherwin Williams Marshmallow. It is amazing how much better my living room looks now, it makes me happy every time I walk in the room. And because this room is the center of my home, I feel like it has made the rest of the house look better too.

The mood board I made a while ago finally coming to life. 

Of course there are still a few changes left to be made. The trim still needs to be painted, I want to redo the club chairs in a navy velvet (so they look a little more like the one above from West Elm) and I think that the wall with the Hi-Fi needs some art. But over all things are really looking good over here. Don't cha think?!?

P.S. The big before post if you want to know what the house looked like the day I bought it.

P.P.S. A whole lot more house-y stuff.

Eat: Donut Shop Cake

Happy Galentine's Day Friends! I made you a cake (well okay, I made myself a cake, but I'm going to tell you about it)! This is what I like to call a cheater cake, in other words a dressed up box cake. And it tastes just like dipping a glazed cake donut into a cup of coffee, so if that is your thing you are going to really love my Donut Shop Cake. But first we should talk about how wonderful it is to have friends you love so much you wish there was a day to celebrate your friend-love. I have been blessed with some really fantastic friends, but today I'm thinking about my Girls Night friends. Every Wednesday after the sun goes down a group of my friends get together for a night of chatting, bonding and snack eating. Over the years the group has ebbed and flowed, but at the heart there has always been my cousin Lydia, our BFF Mel and me these days Lydia's sister in-law Amanda, my sister in-law Kelsey and our cousin Naomi join us too. We have spent close to ten years laughing and sometimes crying, snuggling new babies and listen to one another's problems, its a place to share good news and process frustration, we care for, challenge and encourage one another. So today on this day that is all about celebrating Ladyfriends, the girls I'm thinking of are my sweet Girls Night crew. Happy Galentine's Day Lyd, Mel, Amanda, Kelsey and Naomi - I love you all bunches!

Now for some cake!

What you need:
Box White Cake Mix
1 cup of room temp coffee
4 tablespoons of half & half
1/4 cup powdered sugar

What you'll do:
1. Bake your cake - I just used a large round pan (you can make some cup cakes with the left over batter)
2. Mix your cream and coffee
3. Divide your coffee and cream in half, slowly mix in half with your powdered sugar to create a glaze
4. Once cake is somewhat cool pour the other half of your coffee mix over the cake (I popped the cake back into to pan so that the coffee could really soak in
5. Wait about 10 minutes, then put your cake on your plate and pour your glaze over the top
6. Top with heart shaped sprinkles, because you know Galentine's day is all about love!

Now invite a few of your closest gal-pals over, brew a pot of coffee and spread the love!!!