Week 9

1) This gorgeous dress from A Beautiful Mess. Makes me so happy.

2) Baha! I used to do this with my dog. Love it!

3) New tattoos! 

"you're only as tall as your heart will let you be"
Photo taken by the one and only hippie

4) Friends that I adore more than Buzz Lightyear, bubbles, and a Fruit Loop in a bowl of Cheerios combined! 

Road trip soon lovlies!

Aren't they perfection!

5) Don't judge a link by it's name! Cause it's pretty much my new favorite thing ever. 

Bookshelf Porn

I'll tell you a secret...I could never buy a Kindle for the pure reason that I adore looking at books. Yup...just lookin. They are so very pretty. 

30 day music challenge: 

Day 25: a song that makes you laugh

This was difficult...but when in doubt, return to your true love.

Demetri Martin. Yes Please!

Sames and Opposites - Demetri Martin

Bookstores, twins, Neverland, Africa, Disney, and love

After watching Alice in Wonderland tonight I have decided to adopt her practice.

"I daresay you haven't had much practice,' said the Queen. 'When I was your age, I always did it for half-an-hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast." - Lewis Carroll

1) I shall own a lovely used bookstore on the beach one day with the hippie.

here

2) I will adopt twins from Africa.

3) I will continue to dream about Neverland until the night I die in my sleep as a very old woman at which point I will actually take a trip there.

4) I will travel to Africa regularly, always stopping to say "I love you" to every beautiful person I meet. 

5) I will take my children to Disney Land every 2 years while they are growing up, and it will always be a surprise. 

here

6) I will always live in a place that I love.

30 day music challenge:

Day 24: a song you want to play at your funeral

I used this before, but I just adore it so much. It makes me feel understood by the world. 

Dream - Priscilla Ahn

Memory 5

Except Saturday. 

Please forgive me blog loverlies. I have had one of those weeks. 

But please come down this lovely trip down memory lane with me as we remember this toy castle.

My boss didn't believe me when I told her I played with this castle as a little kid. 

It's the most envied toy in our daycare. Complete with dragons and knights to explore the skies and the seas and the grounds with. There's a dungeon, a cannon ball (which we don't let the kids use, I know...cruel), a draw bridge, and trap doors. I know right!

It's also all in one unit, so it's easy to move around and super light. I loved this thing as a kid, and walking into the daycare to see that it was still in use was fantastic. 

Did anyone else play with this castle or was it just me? 

Probably just me, but please pretend you're nostalgic with me mk?

Oh...P.S.

30 day music challenge:

Day 23: a song you want to play at your wedding:

I've wanted this to play as I walk down the aisle for awhile now, but I'm not a huge fan of Faith Hill, so I think I want a friend to do a cover with just a guitar. 

Cover of 

Fireflies - Faith Hill

Let me live again

When the windows fog up, and rain drips down the panes, and I don't want to blow bubbles or release balloons to be lost in a bright blue sky. 

When my hours and days and weeks blur together into one mess and I wonder at irretrievable people.

I draw hearts in fogged up windows, breathe out, and step forward into the puddles around my heart, knowing that sunny days will follow. 

30 day music challenge:

Day 22: a song you listen to when you're sad

Thanks to my roommate for this one

The Longer I Run - Peter Bradley

Week 9

1) Finding old photos of my mom that look like me.

2) Pumpkin! Crochet pumpkin! What!? 

By the fantastic Denise Melson. Please tell her she should have an Etsy shop. 

3) My Grandpa and Grandma Knowlton. Weren't they a fantastic looking pair! 

Fun fact #16 - I love old photos. There is something so beautiful in the fragility of them. 

4) I know I already showed you a picture of my mom, but I couldn't resist another cause she's just so darn pretty!

(all the photos are from arranging my grandma's funeral)

5) Sibling time! I know, we're kinda weird. 

30 day music challenge:

Day 21 - a song you listen to when you're happy:

I drive fast to this song. I'll admit it.

Anytime - Eve 6

Memory 4

Grandmas. 

They're like your mom, but with whiter hair and more cookies right?

I had a different relationship with my grandma. 

But she died yesterday and I'm trying to come to grips with the reality that I don't get more time to repair some of the ties that were severed in our later years. 

But I do get to make peace by remembering. 

So...

...getting up at 9 am to go get biscuits and gravy at McDs cause they were the only ones that competed with my moms

...playing Monopoly but stopping halfway through cause I got bored.

...beating her at 1500 rummy and her not talking to me for 15 minutes.

...wearing her old silk nightgown and pretending I was Cinderella. 

...watching Wheel of Fortune and eating TV dinners

...playing bank. 

...getting Wendy's Frosties

...taking the recycling up to the lot every Saturday. 

And just so it goes on record. I loved my grandma. 

30 day music challenge:

Day 20: a song you listen to when you're angry

I'll admit it. I'm a closet Avril lover. 

The Best Damn Thing - Avril Lavigne

Snails see the beauty in every inch

I have a new little love that has been peaking it's head out from behind the bushes and waving at my heart, trying to get it's attention for some time now. 

It's snails. 

It started with this. 

Snails - The Format

Then I found myself doodling them all over my school notes. 

Then the hippie and I hid one on our website. 

Now it's taken over into a full love obsession. Oh how I love love obsessions.

Why? I'm not sure. Perhaps because of the lyrics of the song. 

Perhaps because I admire their boldness to spread slime all over the world. 

Perhaps because they can live in pretty much any environment (depending on the snail you're talkin' about) including land, sea, desert. 

Perhaps it's that they carry their home with them, something I hope to do one day.

But whatever the case may be, for your enjoyment:

Snail Love - By Hannah Elizabeth

here

do want!

here

bursting with excitement over this!

here

an illustration on a dictionary page from 1896!? Old books and snails unite! 

here

a new friend for Cunningham? Maybe! Stay tunned!

So maybe I'm a little obsessed. But they make my heart skip a beat like nothing has for a long time. 

Also, while I'm here...

30 day music challenge: 

Day 19: a song from your favorite album

It's hard to choose a favorite album, but this one has been in my CD player almost non-stop for 4 months. 

This is Just So Beautiful - jenny&tyler

Week 8

Happy Valentines Day! How appropriate that I get to tell you about the things I ♥ this week!

1) This amazing photographer, Boy Wonder. He makes me heart beat faster. 

2) What!? Crazy no? For those of you that don't know, dance makes me kinda, sorta, amazingly happy. 

3) Friends...and of course moustaches. 

thank you mom, dad, and brother David!

4) Amani Bags! Two! I know! As the hippie would say, I am almost exploding with excitement. 

5) 1935 Thesaurus from M! It's kinda unsound, mad, crazy, silly, bereft of reason, unhinged, and befooled how much of an English Major I am. 

30 day music challenge: 

Day 18: a song you wished you heard on the radio

This is my valentines day anthem. 

"A nameless face to think I see, to sit and watch the waves with me till they're gone. A heart I'd swear I'd recognize is made out of my own devices. Could I be wrong?...Ready and waiting for a heart worth the breaking. But I'd settle for an honest mistake in the name of one sweet love." 

One Sweet Love - Sara Bareilles

Memory 3

Do you remember birthdays when you were little? 

One year all of my friends came over and we had a massive tea party. Or the year we went to the giant indoor tunnel town. Or the Beauty and the Beast themed year. 

Remember themed birthday parties? They were pretty  much the best. The cake, plates, napkins, everything had what you loved on them.

And goodies bags? You would come home from a party with presents!? We should reinstate this into all birthdays, not just when you are five.

What was your favorite birthday party you had as a kid?

photo props here

P.S - Since this blog is all about me and the things I love (and so it won't seem too horrible egotistical if I tell you this), It's my birthday today :-)

From my work for your enjoyment

photo props here

"I love gym. Gym gets and A+. Miss. Hannah, do you know what an A+ is?" - Joel, Age 3

"It's a binactibinator" - Jackson, Age 5

"I don't know what to do with you. - Parker (Jackson's sister), Age 4

"I have water in my tummy...and goldfish...and alligators!" - Chloe, Age 4

"Jackson is looking at meeeee" - Parker, Age 4

*while holding up an empty toilet paper roll to his eyes with his pants and underwear down around his ankles*

 "Arg! I'm a pirate!" - Ethan, Age 2 

Week 7

1) This beautiful new music video by jenny&tyler. Check out minute 2:33 for a surprise :-)

2) These adorable mugs from Etsy. Reminds me of the party Maci found for my birthday! 

3) This incredible secondhand bookstore in Dorset, England. 

photo props here

Can I tell you a secret? I've always wanted to own a secondhand bookstore.

4) The Book Thief. Such an incredible book. One of the best I've read lately

photo props here

5) Tee hee

photo props here

30 day music challenge: 

Day 17 - A song that you hear often on the radio

(note: I. am. so. sick. of. this. song)

I didn't even like it in the first place. 

Firework - Katy Perry

Memory 2

As many of you read, we had the Snowpocalypse this week at The Fremont House. Thankfully all are well, and have a few extra books read, crafts completed, or sleep caught up on. 

But because of these three snow days, I remembered being home on snow days when I was little. Think of it:

hot chocolate

fires in the fireplace

your mom let you sit in her giant bed and watch cartoons all morning

and then there were waffles cause your dad was home too

and don't forget building a snowman with your big brother

I loved snow days when I was little. They really are the best thing about this dreadful season. 

What is your favorite part of snowdays?

30 day music challenge:

Day 16 – A song that you used to love but now hate

Ok, so secretly I actually kinda still love this song (but I won't admit it except here) so...