of birthdays, blueberry muffins, and trips to ikea

listen

my birthday came and went. I am now 29! this is my last year in my 20s and I want to make it a good one. I woke up to the perfect weather. it was sunny but the sky was freckled with big white clouds that kept it from being too hot. it ended up sprinkling in the evening and I loved it. I made blueberry muffins and had my favorite Aldea coffee with two muffins for breakfast. 

the best breakfast

then, my love took me to a floral shop to pick out my own birthday bouquet! I don't know much about flowers and I used to have no interest in them but more recently I have found it is very nice to have real plants in the house. it brings a healthy feeling into the home. 

we went to walk around a lake town that has many different types of shops that carry unique items and gifts and books. I got some lavender bubble bath and a new bag. it is from a company that is owned by a mother and daughter in Spain and they hand make all of the pretty bags. we got coffee from the local cafe and ended the night running through the sprinkling rain into the ice cream shop for milkshakes. I didn't get one; ice cream isn't my favorite I prefer frozen yogurt. but I sat with my love and my sisters as they enjoyed their shakes. 

on the way home we passed a wheat field. it was absolutely beautiful. I've never seen one before! where I live there are mostly only corn or soybean fields. it truly looked like a van gogh painting come to life. 

my hygge bear socks I haven't taken off since my birthday

my sisters got me wonderful gifts like fuzzy socks and a tonka bean cinnamon candle that smells amazinggg- even a gift card to get a massage. everyone got me cards and made me feel quite loved! people at work even decorated my cubicle for my day. this year, I was overwhelmed with the feeling of being spoiled. 

the girls in this puzzle look suspiciously
like me and my sister celena

a bike parked outside of the bakery in Grand
Haven

lavender vanilla, creme brûlée, key lime pie, 
nutella, rose, and strawberry cheesecake

a week before my actual birthday, my husband and I went on a trip to our favorite little beach town to celebrate both our 1st anniversary and my day. I didn't get many photos; I am so bad at taking pictures and always forget in the moment. we sat on the beach though it was too cold to get in the water. I watched people fly kites and soaked in the sun. we went to our favorite bakery and got a giant blueberry cinnamon roll. it looks like cartoon food to me. we walked around and enjoyed the peace and time with each other. on our way home we stopped at a small macaron shop. it was beautiful! the macarons were very very good. I had the creme brûlée, my husband had the key lime pie, and the rest I gifted to my sisters. 

posture score = -100

and yesterday, we had yet another adventure. we drove up to IKEA on the hunt for a nightstand for my love. I have had the same nightstand for years that I brought with me when I moved in. it was handmade by my grandpa and I love it! my sisters cat shredded the legs and I left a candle burning for 10+ hours that melted the stain on top, but we don't look at that. my husband has had to leave his bible and watch and notebook on the floor so I suggested we go and pick one out for him. I also picked up a few items for the house. 

I am slowly but surely transforming our home where I can and when I can and I love every moment of it. there is something about doing this little by little that I love. if I had all the money in the world and could snap my fingers and get everything at once, I don't think I'd enjoy it as much and I certainly wouldn't appreciate it as much. I also believe that what gives a home an authentic and signature feel is that it is crafted and created over time and it is allowed to change as your life changes in it. the fact that I can only get things in small batches when we can afford it means I carefully think about purchases before I make them and keeps me from buying a lot of things that suit the mood I'm currently in and flooding the house with a "cookie cutter" feeling. 

overall, June was a month filled with many blessings. I am trying to enjoy each day of summer and not skip ahead to fall. I want to soak in every day of the next year before I start the new adventure of being in my 30s! I hope, reader, your summer is also filled with blessings. 

- from Nie