a thrifted throw and signs of fall.

last night I thrifted an amazing alpaca throw for $12! it seemed like the perfect find on a chilly fall evening and I smiled about it all night long. so much is changing right now and I am so excited for whats to come in these next few months. while I wait in anticipation for my future plans I'm noticing (and appreciating) daily changes all around me and I'm spotting signs of fall at every turn. cool weather shoes have rotated themselves in line, my down comforter made its way onto my bed this morning, and my green smoothies are looking extra bright these days. all very exciting...and noteworthy ;)

eleven.

today is my niece Kiara's eleventh birthday, which is incredibly hard to believe. I remember the day she was born like it was yesterday. I had just finished tennis practice at school and when I got in the car my Dad looked at me, smiled and said "you're an aunt". although technically I am her aunt I don't always feel comfortable being called one.

kiara and I don't have a normal aunt/niece relationship. she was born when I was just fifteen years old and we lived in the same house for most of her childhood. the same goes for my sister and brother. they also have a very fun, open, loving relationship with the type of closeness and camaraderie that you usually only share with siblings. we joke that we're sisters and respect each other and the relationship for what it is.

she was born during a very difficult time in all of our lives and really was a breath of fresh air. the amount of love and happiness she brought to our family was literally unimaginable. no one had any idea that this little baby would bring us all so much joy.

happy happy birthday to this creative old soul and one of the great loves of my life.

11 ♥

so happy.

fall is here and I truly could not be happier about it. today I was able to really enjoy the day and it was beautiful.

old friends.

last night I got together with an old friend of mine. she was the first friend I made after moving to a new city before entering second grade, and is someone I very much enjoy. there is something so special about people who knew you when you were just a kid. people who remember when you were late picking them up that you were always that way and it's just who you are. ;) I love that!

the end.

the end of summer is here and I am excited for what's ahead. I am definitely looking forward to trading hot and humid days for warm and cozy clothes. these past few months flew by and if that is any indication as to how the rest of the year is going to go it will be the new year before we know it. i'm working hard to appreciate and enjoy each and everyday no matter how crazy or busy it seems to be.

photos are from a few fun summer days that I very much enjoyed.

wings.

I've always been a bit envious of birds. I watch them and think to myself, how great it must be to be able to just soar. how exciting would life be if you had the freedom to go wherever you wanted. explore places you've never been. meet people you've never met. I've always had the feeling of being "trapped" or "tied down" even though I've never been either of the two. deep down inside I always knew that I was just as free as a bird, I think for whatever reason I've always been scared to take advantage of it. I'm working on building the confidence, strength, and desire to spread my wings and fly.

penny lane.

a few months ago I went on a road trip to visit my siblings at school and this coffee shop was one of the places I visited along the way. I have hundreds of pictures from my week on the road, but the ones I took at penny lane always jump out at me. it may have something to do with how I felt when I was there. immediately after arriving I felt "at home". this place was a source of inspiration for me. I left feeling energized, hopeful, and excited about life. to some people "eclectic, lived in, unfinished" spaces are undesirable or frowned upon. to me, they're perfect.

penny lane is a quintessential local coffee shop and I enjoyed every second of my time there.

wednesday, the fourth.

surprise! said all of the little black seeds when I cut this watermelon open :) I honestly can't remember the last time I ate a watermelon with seeds. they made eating it more of a task which in some weird way was fun for me :) anyway, happy Independence Day! I hope you all have the best day ever.