{a ride in the sky}

the ferris wheel at navy pier ... love this photo

{the bean}

{blogshop chicago}

As I mentioned before, this last weekend I headed to Chicago for Blogshop, a photoshop/blogging workshop led by the fabulous Bri from DESIGNLOVEFEST and Angela from ANGELA + ITHYLE. I had heard so many great things about this two-day class, and the actual experience turned out to be nothing but the best! These two women have SO MUCH knowledge, and teach the material in a way that is fun, interesting, and easy to understand. I learned such a wide variety of tricks and tools that i know i will be using not only for this blog, but for so many other applications as well. One of my favorite little tricks? Making little animations just like this:



So fun, right?

You better believe that you will see this blog kicked up a notch in the coming weeks! I've got a lot of inspiration + ideas after this weekend!

Oh, and if it couldn't be any better, just check out what was in our super-awesome gift bags:

(clock-wise from upper left) : Baggu reusable bags, 17th Street BBQ seasoning, blogshop notepad by pinhole press, Paddywax candle, scarf from vintage charm, max wanger postcards, hold shift mousepad, Bequet caramels, photoshop cs5 (i won that!), and Just Cook herbed coffee rub.

Thank You ladies for such a fun-filled learning experience and for such a generous bundle of goodies! You're both awesome! And to all the fabulously creative ladies I met in Chicago - I can't wait to see your blogs + work!

{chicago-bound}

heading to chicago today ... can't wait!

{source}

{chicago}

In a week and a half I'm heading to Chicago for this awesome class. I'm always on the hunt for good places to eat/things to see ... do any of you have recommendations? I would love to hear your ideas!

{source}

{peaceful}

this is peaceful.

(panama city beach, florida)

{blogshop}

no. 20 on my 100 list is to learn photoshop, and when i found out that bri and angela were bringing their blogshop class to the midwest, i knew i had to sign myself up! what a fun, exciting way to learn some photoshop + blogging tips and tricks from two fabulous ladies! only a few more weeks away! oh and you know i will be sharing all about it when i get back!

{image source}

{waves}

a little video from my recent california trip. even though it's not the real thing, i think i could watch this for days ...

{my friend}

Another favorite from the trip. California is so gorgeous, especially at sunset - I couldn't get enough of it! Caleb was so nice to let me drop in on him and show me around his life. He truly is one of my favorite people in the whole wide world. He is a creative genius, and I am so eager to see what amazingness is in store for him. Just wait and see!

{ladies}

Just got back from CA today and I had an absolute blast! Bachelorette party in San Francisco, followed by a few days in Orange County to visit my friend Caleb. Here's one of my favorite photos from SF ... more to come soon!

{chevron artwork source}

{san francisco}

i'm headed to san francisco this weekend for jylly's bachelorette party (woop woop!). any suggestions of must-sees, must-eats, and must-dos??

{4.5 days!}

So soon! Just a few more days Seattle ...

{source}

{nice ride}

I'm headed to Seattle this weekend (woop woop!). I will be flying, but how awesome would it be to head there in this? Such a tiny space but the over-abundance of white makes it feel so open and spacious. Totally awesome.

{source}

{my new toy}

For Christmas I asked for this little gem, and (thanks to dad) got it. And yes, I got the bright pink one ... why not stand out, right? Anyways, I just got the first roll developed the other day, and was so excited about the photos that I had to share! The awesome thing about this camera is that you have no idea how the photos will turn out. Because it's such a low-quality camera you have random lines/lights leaks which is what makes the pictures look more vintage. Cool huh? Well enough babble, check out a few of the pictures, all of which were taken in January on my trip to Hong Kong ...

{shell island}

{oh what a day}

{key lime pie on a stick - oh my}

dark chocolate, graham cracker crumbs, frozen key lime ... the perfect treat on a hot + sunny afternoon!

{orange you glad you're in florida}

I am! Woke up this morning to sunshine and views of the water ... who wouldn't wish they were here??

{greetings from alabama}

{in search of sunshine}

It's ironic that I just posted about snowy Minnesota, when in less than a week I will be laying on the beach in Florida! Yes, that's right: my mom, brother, grandpa, and I are packing up the car and driving south in search of warm weather and sunshine. I cannot wait!