Summer 2013 Bucket List

Summer is just on the horizon these days and the flowers are out in full bloom! This week I am in training everyday for the greater portion and I find myself dreaming up all of the things I want to do this summer!

During my siesta today {yes, my boss schedules siesta into our daily agenda... she knows me so well!} I thought I would share my summer bucket list with all of my lovely blog friends! :)

1. Go swimming in Lake Michigan.
2. Barbecue with friends.
3. Go tubing.
4. Visit my Aunt & Uncle's cottage.
5. Go boating!
6. Visit my best friend, Wynnie, for her birthday!
7. Plant some flowers!
8. Do LOTS of reading at my favorite park.
9. Get pedicures with my roommate for happy summer toes!
10. Make a summer scrap book.
11. Do more {art} journaling!
12. Paint.
13. Go camping!
14. Volunteer at the animal shelter more often!
15. Do some stargazing.
16. Run a 5K.
17. Work on my photography.
18. Learn how to longboard!
19. Go to the zoo.
20. Have a bonfire!
21. Catch fireflies.

I decided to stop at 21 because I could go on forever! Summer is by far my favorite season and every year my goal is to enjoy is as much as I can! This year is no different!

Do any of you have bucket lists for the summer ready?

Wishing you all a lovely little day!

Terrarium Project & Plant Names

For the past couple of summers I have wanted to make a terrarium but hadn't gotten around to it until NOW! My sweet Mom got me a fish bowl so my new succulents could have a cute new home!

The supply list is pretty simple: glass bowls or jars, rocks (for water drainage), soil (I like to use cactus soil!), and plants - I use succulents because they can do well in this environment and all have similar watering patterns! Also, I adore succulents. :)

Ron (awkward purple one), Fred (fuzzy one), Charlie (the cactus), and Bill

Potting the terrarium is really no different than any other plant. First I poured some rocks of varying size in the bowl and then covered it with a layer of soil. Next I positioned my succulents where I liked them best and filled in the area around them with more soil!

The trick is to be careful not to overfill the bowl with rocks because the plants need soil, but you still want them to be inside the bowl, unless you are going for the look of them poking out like I did with my little Baby Toes plant!

Bill is growing so tall!

After a day or two in their new home my plants were looking extremely happy, reaching for the sun! :)

The bowl sits on one of the shelves in my room now and I think it looks so cute! My favorite parts are the fuzzy plant, which is called a "Panda Plant" {so cute, right?!} and of course my Baby Toes, which got its own bowl! They are appropriately named Fred & George.

Baby Toes are my favorite succulent, I just think they are so adorable! Last year I had a little one named Porthos, but he died in the Wichita heat. :(

Do you think it is okay that I name my plants? I am not allowed to have pets where I live right now and therefore I always name my plants because it tricks me into thinking I have something to take care of! This year they are named after the Weasley boys! (Note: last years batch was Athos, Aramis, and Porthos - also known as the The Musketeers, and my Jade plant is named Benedick - after the character in William Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing.)

George!

So there you have it! Fred, George, Ron, Bill, & Charlie are all doing very well (notice that Percy was not invited)! I love plants a little too much I think haha...

Anyone else starting any projects as far as their gardens or potted plants go?

Wishing you all a lovely little day!

Weekend Hike

Last week I got to go home for a long weekend because it was both my Mom's birthday and Mother's Day. In case you didn't know, I am from West Michigan. We have forests, rivers, parks, and tons of beautiful green expanses to enjoy on this side of the State... not to mention Lake Michigan, which is just gorgeous all of the time.

I remember when I little and I found out that not everyone grew up by the beach, I was shocked! I was also shocked to find out that not all lakes are as big as Lake Michigan..

"You mean, you can seen the other side? Doesn't that mean it is a pond?"

Turns out no, even if you can see the other side, it can still be considered a lake. Sometimes they don't even have undertows! I know, it surprised me too when I found out.. haha

While I was home my parents and I took our pups for a little hike to enjoy the beautiful weather! I snapped a few shots for you to enjoy!

This is what I was missing while I was in Wichita. People would ask what was so great about Michigan? And I would always say the water and the trees. :)

The brothers enjoyed their walk!

Parker - Sometimes I call him Richard Parker, or Peter Parker

Tucker - And sometimes I call him Tuck Everlasting... literary junkie.

Lake Michigan

Mom & Dad with their favorite twins!

It was such a beautiful day and I loved every second of it! It's hard to think of anything better than spring and summer in Michigan! Not to mention quality time with my loving family!

I think I am heading out to a friends cottage this weekend too, so I can enjoy even more of the great outdoors! :)

What about you guys? What have you been up to lately? Anything special to enjoy this gorgeous season?

Wishing you all a lovely little day!

1 Year of This Lovely Little Day

Can you believe it? This Lovely Little Day has now been up and running for a full year! The anniversary took place on the 10th of May actually, but I had no access to my camera or computer at the time!

When I first started this little gem I really only focused on craft projects at first, then I started posting a few recipes, a few exercise tips, a few weekend updates, and later I even got brave enough to do some outfit posts! It is so exciting looking back on the past year and seeing how things have developed in just one year! I can't wait to see what the future has in store for This Lovely Little Day!

People ask me all of the time why I blog. The answer changes just as I do, at first I wanted a place to keep track of craft projects and recipes, which later evolved into me staying connected with my friends who were far away after I moved to Wichita, and now my blog is such a big part of me that I couldn't imagine NOT blogging. This is my creative outlet where I can be totally myself. I write about the things that spark my ever changing interest and I absolutely love this amazing community that I get to be a part of!

Why do I blog? It is quite simple really... Because I love it. :)

Wishing you a lovely little day!

A Month Without Shampoo: The Final Installment

For those of you who have just started following along, I decided that for the entire month of April I would not use any shampoo (or conditioner) and give the "No Poo" method a try. I was very skeptical in the beginning but I had some friends that were curious and a little nervous to take the plunge. So I decided to take one for the team and try for a month to see how it went.

This is the recipe that I have been following. After a while I didn't really need to measure anymore because I was used to the proportions and I knew whether I liked it better with a little extra or a little less water.

How did it go? I can happily report that this experiment went surprisingly well! My hair looks and feels so much better in my opinion, much less dry! Also my scalp feels healthier! No more dry irritation from all of the chemicals I was pouring on it every day!

What now? I have actually decided to continue cleaning my hair this way, at least for the time being. The only time I can see myself possibly straying from this method a bit would be when I travel. The convenience of travel-sized shampoo and conditioner is hard to beat! Although, since these ingredients are so inexpensive, it would be easy to stop at a local store when you get to your destination and pick them up, the cost would be under $2!

And the smell? Well, you know that this was my biggest concern throughout the entire endeavor. And although I haven't found a perfect solution yet, lately I have just been running a drop or two of Jasmine essential oil through my hair and it makes for a pretty spring time scent. I have also had fun mixing a few different essential oils in attempts to make a nice scent... perfumery is not one of my hidden talents apparently haha, but it still has been fun!

Bonus! Turns out that when your hair has a bit more body it is MUCH easier to tease! I have had some pretty phenomenal poufs going since April 1st which required much less work and hair spray than before!

Results? And finally I am adding a Before & After picture so you can decide whether there is a real difference or not! 

I took both of these pictures after my hair was done air drying and before styling it or adding any type of hair product. The first picture was taken the day before I started the project and the second picture was taken during the last week of April! 

I think the most exciting part is how much healthier the ends look and feel! Growing out my hair for the last year or so has really done a number on it but after trying this the ends almost feel like they have been repaired! {Note: All the vinegar in the world cannot replace the value of a good trim though!}

So there you have it! My little adventure has now come to a close, but since the results have been so noticeable {at least for me!} I am continuing to explore all that the Shampoo Free Way has to offer! :)

Wishing you all a lovely little day!

Photo Recap: Final Exam Week

Friends! I survived!

Now I am sitting here eating a perfectly ripe grapefruit with the windows open, breeze flowing, and listening to those lovely birds singing. Oh Spring how I have missed you all year long! And I am so excited for another Michigan summer, they are truly the best and after mine got cut short last year there are many beach days, state park hikes, and river rides that I need to catch up on! :)

Here is an update on what I have been up to between study sessions!

Finally dedicated my bulletin board to all of the nice notes given to me by my volunteer group! So many happy memories! I can't help but smiles when I see these!

My beautiful friend, sister, and fellow volunteer Ashley and I made matching sweatshirts after our second service trip together! I am so happy that we went on another trip together because we really got a chance to reconnect! Also this little lady just turned the big 21 so that has definitely been an adventure. :)

Got to do a little dog-sitting last week, this is Mickey! She is the cutest, fluffiest, little Pomeranian, and she is surprisingly cuddly! I miss my dogs when I am up at school so this was a nice little treat. We had a great day together!

Obligatory study picture... I went home for a few days to get work done so I wouldn't be distracted by all of the beautiful-weather fun that was happening in my college town!

S'mores! I have been a monster lately! I probably average about 1 s'more a day... which is 7 s'mores a week... That is a LOT of sugar lol, but it is soooo good and tastes like childhood summertime! Yum! :)

Have you guys met Jäger yet? How can you not love that smiling face? He loves the sunshine, it makes him so happy! He is my friend Aurielle's dog, and she is rightfully obsessed. He is half german-shepard, half pug, also known as a Shug. I like to call him The Miracle Dog. He steals my heart.. even when he surprises me and jumps up on my lap while I am wearing shorts and scratches my leg. He is just SO lovable!

Went down to the river for some last minute studying a couple of days ago and saw that the leaves are finally starting to sprout up in the trees! Oh I love it! SPRING! :)

And that is about it for me the last 2 weeks, not the most eventful time of my life, but still filled with lots of love and appreciation! This sunshine just makes me so happy!

Wishing you all a lovely little day!

Semester Final Paper

Alright friends, I am stuck indoors writing a paper on High Art vs. Low Art and whether the reproduction of it lessens the value in contemporary society. After weeks of procrastination I am rather fired up about it today actually... But as you all know, my heart belongs to the blogosphere.

With that in mind, I will be away from my blog until this paper is finished! If anyone see's me commenting, posting, tweeting, pinning, etc. YELL AT ME!

Ear buds in.
Passion Pit, Imagine Dragons, Owl City, & Postal Service playing.
Ready to get down to business

And afterward my reward will be to enjoy the sunshine {and a cocktail or two} now that spring is finally here in Michigan!!! Hooray!

Wishing you all a lovely little day! :)