Inspire: August 2013

Every month I pull together a list of some of my favorite things from around the web. Here is what I'm diggin' this month!

Live: I love this video about the Proudy family and their very big adventure.

Share: This is my favorite Pinerest board ever!

Listen: I can't get enough of this song lately (like I listen to it 7 times in a row), perfect mix of happy and sad and love and lost and well, a little bit of everything.

Find: Do you want to go thrifting today? Start here.

Read: My, my introverts are so popular right now, read about a few introvert myths here. 

August 2013

Oh Hi, is it already August 9th, er 10th? I don't know what it has been like for you, but this summer as really been flying by for me. I'm trying to make the most of summer's end, hitting up festivals and parades, baseball games and cookouts and spending sunny afternoons reading in the yard. So for the rest of the month let's talk about picnic foods, projects for lazy afternoons and summer time only activities. Yeah that sounds good to me, because before you know it we will be knocking on Autumn's door.

Celebrate: Hey Andrew, Happy Birthday!

Can we talk about brothers for a minute? It seems to me that when it comes to sib relationships the ones between sisters get all the press and I totally agree having a sister is great, but let me tell you having a brother is pretty great too!

Today I'm wishing my first brother a very happy birthday! Andrew is loving, caring and thoughtful every girl should be so lucky as to have a brother like him. Happy 28th Drewski, I can't remember life before you and I can't imagine life without you!

In Pictures: July 2013

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

Live: What To Do On Your Long Commute

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A few months ago I started a new job and along with it I started a new, much longer, commute (all the way to Detroit, but that is another story). At first I was really down on the drive, it takes me any where from 40 to 70 minutes to get there and 50 to 70 minutes to get home, but then I decided to try and make the time useful in any way I could and really try and enjoy it. So I came up with a few ways to fill my time and I thought today I'd share a few of those ways with you.

• Listen to books on CD. I think I've have listened to five or six in the last month alone (expect recommendations later this summer). I find for me and my drive a book with about 10 disks works best.
• Call your Grandma. My Grandma loves to talk on the phone, but it can be hard to find the time to chat for 30 or 40 minutes. If I call her right after I hop on the expressway it gives me the prefect time to talk to her. 
• Dig out a some old music and  jam. I pulled out a few mixed cds I made while in college, they are the perfect pick me up at the end of a long day.
• Eat Breakfast or Dinner. That most likely means popcorn and apple slices. And please don't tell my dad I eat in the car, he always hated when we would do that.
• Pray. Why not open up your soul and lay your burdens on the Lord while you drive? Or simply praise Him for sunshine and clear skies!

Do you have any tricks for beating the commuter daze?

Inspire: July

This month I'm diggin':

Eat: Watermelon Slush - Yum!

Read: Dear Friend's, great round up of summer reads - I'm on the library wait list for Where'd You Go, Bernadette.

Listen: The Evolution of Pitch Perfect's "When I'm Gone" - can't stop listening to this song, so good!

Make: Flower crown - very summery.

Give: Gold letter necklaces - great birthday gift. 

Eat: Farmers Market Bruschetta

Here in Michigan Farmers Market season is in full swing and I am loving it! This recipe is my attempt to recreate the meal that Julie and Eric eat at the beginning of Julie and Julia (tell me I'm not the only one that becomes fixated on clothes, home decor or food that movie and tv characters wear, have or eat). Anyway this is an easy and quick recipe and would be great as a starter or as a light meal for a warm summer night.

What you need:
Tomatoes (I had yellow and cherry, but you can use whatever you can find)
Greens (I used arugula, but spinach or swiss chard would work)
Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
Basil
Baguette (I use a multi gran)
Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

What you do:
Slice baguette, toast (I toasted mine in a pan with some olive oil)
Cut cheese and tomatoes into equal sized chunks
Chop the greens and basil
Mix cheese, tomatoes, greens and basil in with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. Top toast with mixture and drizzle with vinager.

Enjoy!

Celebrate: Happy Birthday Fred Baby

My little nephew Freddy turns 2 today, he is a joy to know and cute as can be! 

Live: Craft Cabin

Two weekends ago a group of my girlfriends (cousins/sisters/childhood friends) gathered together for our second Craft Cabin adventure. The rules of Craft Cabin are simple, someone has to turn 30 (this time it was me!), there must be a lake, you have to watch a movie (or three), you must eat lots of snacks, there has to be yarn, you must do a lot of laughing and babies are encouraged to come. This year  my cousin Hannah's in-laws let us use their lake house and we were almost out numbered by babies, I think it is safe to say that a great time was had by all.

P.S. we basically took over the hashtag #craftcabin on instagram.

P.P.S. Craft Cabin 2011

July 2013

My goodness July where did you come from? To say that May and June kinda got away from me would be an understatement. So I don't know what to say about July, I'm just going to try and make each day better than the one before and hope that I will end the month a little happier than when I started.  

In Pictures: June 2013

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

Inspire: June

Oh I am just going to squeak a few post in here at the end of the month, so here you have a short list of what I found inspiring this month.

Live: Get ready to be jealous of these amazing Detroit digs.

Watch: Now and Then practically drips summer and check out this fun living in over on Design*Sponge.

Find: I love these little houses by 2 of 2.

Read: I can't recommend (in)Courage enough, I signed up for there emails and am blessed by them everyday.

Live: 30

Well it happened, I turned 30. I've always thought of my birthday as a time to make resolutions, set goals and make plans for the coming year. This year I've put together a list of 30 Things I'd like to do while I'm 30, some are big and some are small, some a fun and some are just because it is time to live a little bit more like a grown  up. Of course I'll let you know what I actually do (look for it in that blog everyday month, you know I'll need help there!).

1.  Read/Listen to 30 Books
2. Visit all the Great Lakes
3. Get rid of 1000 things (!)
4. Write in a paper journal
5. Blog everyday for a month
6. Do a complete closet overhaul
7. Visit Chicago
8. Take 100 walks
9. Finish 30 projects
10. Have a yard sale
11. Host a party
12. Do one "fun" activity a week
13. Write one letter a month
14. Read Proverbs
15. Completely pay off one loan
16. Soak in the water once a week (a lake, a pool, a tub whatever)
17. Set up a little etsy pop up shop
18. Make a new friend
19. Finish at least three things from my "life list"
20. Take a class
21. Make and stick with a budget
22. Finally work on the fruit of the Spirit bible study I've been thinking about for years
23. Finish the bed spread I started two years ago
24. Eat an avocado
25. Get a certain sister project up and running
26. Visit Canada
27. Go fruit picking (strawberries, blue berries, apples, whatever)
28. Spend time with my Grandma
29. Do something I've never done before
30. Be Happy!

Quote: Friends

Today I'm off with a group of my friends for a weekend on a lake, all because I turned 30. Life truly is better because they are there.

Live: Before I Turn 30

I will be 30 (30, you guys!) on Monday, so I'm making myself a little to do list for my last weekend as a twenty something.

• Get a hair cut (my hair is too long and scraggly for a woman of 30)
• Watch the latest episode of Pretty Little Liars (I don't have an excuse, it is not good TV)
• Clean my house top to bottom (unlikely, but a good goal none the less)
• Paint my finger and toe nails (crazy I know)
• Throw out 100 Things (more on this here)
• Sleep in (maybe all the way to 9:00)
• Mow the lawn and weed (or it could just rain all weekend so I don't feel as guilty about it)

Okay there you have it how I plan to end my twenties, with shorter hair and a clean house!

In Pictures: May

P.S. you can find me on instagram: @elizabethpfink