A Very Wisco Weekend

This weekend we headed to our neighboring cheese state to see Rob's brother, his wife & their baby {our Godson}. We also took a day trip to Rob's parents' place and hit up an anniversary party. It was sunny, breezy & beautiful.

The party was held in the couples' gorgeous barn & outside on the farm which had a barn roof slide, an awesome balcony, large spools tipped on their side, stocked with snacks & a nearby root beer keg.

I wore lots of thin garments, piled into layers, thick socks and boots & had a jacket handy.

It kept me perfectly toasty.

dress: H&M, long sleeved tee + cardigan: Merona, boots, leggings + shades: Target, earrings: Forever21 {gift from mom}, bag: Miche.

My sweet 'sconie boy.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals:The Hague

If Amsterdam is a quarter-life musician in chuck taylors & a breton stripe sweater, The Hague is it's rule-following lawyer cousin -- with a quirky sense of humor.

Our buttoned-up 2nd stop was quite a diverse one; with the cool, architectural artwork @ the MC Escher Haus & the surreal Lewis Carroll whimsy of Madurodam {a 1:25 scale model of a Dutch town; complete with all the famous landmarks}.

Here are a few shots from the royal courtyard.

jeans: tulle, blouse:Bit by Bit, cardigan & boots: Amsterdam, bag: Duluth Pack, rain jacket: Amazon {FREE with credit}, earrings: Forever 21 {gift from my mom}.

Another wise decision I made in packing for this holiday was to represent our home by carrying my Duluth Pack cross-shoulder bag. I recommend Duluth Packs for anyone, anywhere. They are beautifully crafted, rustic•chic backpacks, purses, totes, & more. The fine folks who make these satchels value their Midwest|Nordic integrity by guaranteeing all purchases for life with free repairs.

Learn about it.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals:amsterdam trippin

Amsterdam was a wonderful part of our trip. We got to stop back at the end before we flew out, too - so it was my starting & ending point of the trip. We loved it there. We had amazing food and enjoyed the beautiful city for about 3 days before heading on to The Hague.

trans•atlantic petals:amsterdam fine style

The cool daytime temps in beautiful Amsterdam continue to dip with the sun.

This means that my tricky afternoon turned into an emergency evening.

It was time to bundle a bit. I stopped into the H&M: Dam Square and purchased a pair of sturdy brown boots, a couple of cardigans + some knee-highs.

This combination of staples actually sustained me through most of our trip ~ it certainly made a lot more of my items feasible via layering.

This new striped cardigan of I picked up flaunted it's camel colored elbow patches and it was a no brainer.

These boots literally saved our trip. There's no better way to say it.

I made a pretty blatant rookie mistake that I was well aware of & I know better than, and I ended up taking a risk and getting a wonderful pair of boots by the magic of fate.

So I'm not sorry that I made this decision.

dress: Forever21, cardigan, boots & knee highs: H&M, leggings: Target.

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals: i amsterdam packing mistakes

•Wise decisions I made on this trip;

1. Deciding to try to see things even if they might be closed.

2. Carrying this rain jacket with me at all times.

•Poor decisions I made on this trip:

1. Not checking to see if things might be closed...

2. ...while walking long distances to them in flip-flops.

Probably the two most important things to have with you on a trip to Europe are a positive attitude & a sturdy pair of walking shoes. I overlooked the latter. I checked the weather in Amsterdam & London every day/3 months leading up to our trip. It turns out that the 2 cities have very similar climates as each other as well as to Duluth.

So I packed a bunch of stuff that I would wear in my location during the current season. What I did not anticipate was that the weather {in all 3 cities} would shift and become very cool & rainy for days on end.

I did pack my new wonderful rain jacket that I got for FREE with Amazon credit - suckahs.

But I did not pack (or dress) warm enough on my first afternoon. Amsterdam has many broken, cobblestone sidewalks with sharp curbs, tram tracks & puddles.

My feet were cracked, swollen, muddy & freezing by 4:00pm {and I nearly snapped my ankle about a dozen times}.

It was time to {cautiously} march myself into a solution.

{A little over exposure and some red toenail polish really gives the illusion that my toes weren't actually bright purple & quaking.}

dress, earrings & headband: Forever21, cardigan, scarf & leggings: Target, flip flops: Old Navy

photos by Peanut.

trans•atlantic petals: i amsterdam

First of the 4 amazing stops we made on our summer adventure was to amsterdam. I had to seriously rearrange my idea of day {and night} wear when I met Rob at our inaugural destination. Further detail to follow.

Here I am, enjoy a generously proportioned Italian coffee in The Dam Square. In my experience, European coffee seems to have a sort of robust flavor, accompanied by a cloud-like texture.

It's foamtastic.

Don't Call it a Comeback

There are various reasons which have lead me to this nearly-one-month long absence from this here blog. Some are big {Rob in Europe/no photag, deeper consideration of my philosophies re:this blogging endeavor...}. Some are small {being gone myself to join Rob for 10 days, thinking breaks are good in any case...}.

I really liked blogging when I first started. It felt like a fun stress release, a creative focus & an exciting way to reimagine my personal style & the styles of others. It helped me understand style more as a fabulous art-communication hybrid. Then it became something that I felt tethered to & guilty when I neglected. Then it became something I began to over-think myself out of even wanting to do. But then...

I went on an incredible trip {a couple of weeks ago}, and snapping the sites & moments on our big adventure made me remember something that I always loved about blogging nomatterwhat; I love the avenue that it provides for me to experience 'moments' {outfits, evenings, adventures, et al} that much more, to revel in it that much longer, to remember it that much clearer.

I don't want to give that gift up yet.

I've had some moments lately. I'm excited to share them with you.

blouse & tights: Gap {outlet}, cardigan: Merona, skirt: Uncommon Items {Milwaukee}, belt: Charlotte Russe, earrings: Urban Outfitters, hobo bag: Miche, scarf & oxfords: Amersterdam, nail polish: Sally Hansen Salon Series ~ Summer Plum.

photos by Peanut.

pretty nice little saturday

•••

On this day three years ago, it was a Saturday. It was a date that was a palindrome. It was warm.

•••

On this day three years ago, the whole entire world existed in one small Minnesota town.

Happy Anniversary.

To being in the same country for the next one.

To another 1,095 days of love.

•••

Mama Bear + Baby Bear

My 2nd weekend as a bachelorette, my mom came to visit. She is such a calming, comforting influence to have around. We also did a lot of eating. Does everyone else eat a lot when they are with their families?

I love my mom. We had a great time.

The drink we named Let Them Drink Cake; cake flavored vodka, orange soda + alcohol infused whip cream. Tastes a lot like orange dreamsicle. I preferred it without the whip {more fruity}.

Our lupper {lunch + supper} feast. We watched movies, did our nails, drank our fancy new invention & grazed on all of this fresh, yummy grub. I can't believe I didn't get a picture of our red velvet cake!

Any weekend with my family ends with a proper Sunday morning breakfast; scrambled eggs {2 whites/1 yoke}, whole wheat toast, steamed asparagus, pineapple orange juice + coffee.

photos by Me.

I Smile {it's Wednesday!}

I Smile {it's Wednesday!}

You should smile too. Wanna? Go here.

With my favorite person out of the country, it has been a bit more challenging for me to find those smiley moments. But sure enough, they are always waiting behind the everyday beauty of my life.

This week I smile at...

...our garden that has gone a-wild and is a constant explosion of surprise blooms...

...tiger lilies. among my top favs...

...my gorgeous lake view apartment...

...the sweet indulgence of a mocha coconut frappuccino...

photos by Me.

When Dad Comes to Town

Rob's 1st weekend away was especially tough on me back at the ranch. My dad just so happened to be alone for an extended period as well so he came up and kept me company. We mostly chilled. He brought his grill and made us a delicious lunch on Saturday afternoon. He blogged his recipe you can see it here.

Besides lugging his grill all this way, Dad also gifted us with a portable air conditioner/dehumidifier. It's awesome. The animals are especially grateful. We also did lots of talking, some movie-watching & some more eating. It was great.

Heavenly...

the cutest car I have ever seen; Midget.

strawberry ice cream + chocolate sauce. yes.

apple+ walnut quinoa cakes at Pizza Luce.

Daddy-o.

photos by Me.

Oh, Blogger, Where Art Thou?

I've been basking in every moment of alone time I've been able to steal with my dear husband who is venturing out for a big adventure and very soon. The blog has taken on some inevitable neglect in the wake of this. Naturally.

I wore this dress recently when we attended my stepsister's wedding at a vineyard & winery {photos to follow}. It was $20 at a little vendor stand during Sidewalk Days. Her tent had no name. She was just a quiet woman with lovely, affordable dresses. Magical.

The wedding color was purple, so it was fun to have something breezy to match. I did do quite a bit of surveying about the questionable tact of wearing white to a wedding. It's a a largely outdated notion, according to my sources. So, I wore it happily. What do you all think about dress rules for wedding attendees? Is this a polarizing issue?

I got to have him with me on this pretty day.

ps: I colored my hair red{ish-goldish}.

dress: the mysterious vendor, cardigan: Merona, belt: Charlotte Russe, earrings: Forever21, sandal wedges: Attention, nail polish: Sally Hansen Salon Series ~ Thinking of Blue.

photos by Peanut.