Life Lately (Goats and Shows)

It's been far too long since I've posted! I just finished exam week in one of my summer classes and have been working during most of my free time. Gotta pay that rent! Being a broke college kid is so exhausting- I truly cannot wait for it to be over. Maybe then I'll have enough energy for more creative endeavors! Money might help...either that or nicer weather. I live about 45 minutes from the beach and can't afford to get there very often, so without a Great Lake to jump into, I'm stuck suffering in this West Michigan humidity! What can I say? I'm a Northern Michigan girl at heart. Anyway, my sister came to stay with me last week and ended up hanging out by herself half of the time because I had to work so much. Even though I was gone a lot, we made the most of our time and had a lot of fun before the week was up!

My sister, Jessie, making friends!

My favorite goat, #8, getting all up in my face.

I call this little sweetheart "baby," even though he could just be a tiny goat.

I took my sister to visit my goats! Well, they aren't my goats, technically, but I've been volunteering as a shepherd of sorts with Ottawa County Parks and I'm getting really attached to them. It was partially for a class project, but I'm going to continue doing it even now that the class is over because I've been having such a great time! It's part of a "prescribed browsing" project, which basically means that the goats are kept in a large enclosure on-site to munch on invasive species like poison ivy and the oriental bittersweet vine all day. These kind of invasive species are causing some serious damage to some of my favorite nearby parks, but already the goat project has been very successful! I'm excited to see the results in a few more months!

A blurry photo of Vampire Weekend.

A blurry photo of CAKE.

We got to go to a couple amazing concerts while my sister was here: Vampire Weekend and CAKE. It was definitely a great way for her to start her summer vacation! Vampire Weekend had been planned for a few months and it did not disappoint. They sounded even better live than in the studio, and singing along with Ezra to all of my favorite songs was one of the best feelings in the world! CAKE, on the other hand, was a surprise show. We were at Fredrick Meijer Gardens (I plan on doing a post about that soon) and they just happened to be in the outdoor amphitheater taping a pre-show before their concert later that evening. We slipped through the fence and got our very own private concert! That is, until I took out my phone camera and the security guys realized that we probably shouldn't be there. Still, it was a wonderful experience! Feel free to check out my article in the Awesome Mitten to read more about the Vampire Weekend show.

Oh lovely Lake Michigan.

We made it to the beach twice, but only went swimming the first time around when it was warm enough. The water is still freezing, but it's actually semi-bearable when the air is so sweltering. It was beautiful nevertheless, and I can't wait to go back for more!

Such deer little strawberries!

I love going to garage sales and I love going with people who get as excited as I do about them. Luckily, mysister is one of those people. I found these adorable little glass deer at a farmer's small sale and he ended up giving them to me for free just because he liked how excited I was about them. We bought these freshly picked strawberries from the same farmer and turned it into shortcake later that night. I wish I had a picture of the shortcake, but it was gone before I had a chance to snap one! 

Anyway, that's all for now! I'll get to that Fredrick Meijer Gardens post soon- I have some really great photos of the beautiful flora and sculptures scattered throughout the gardens. Hope you're able to beat the heat and have a wonderful week!

(Super Simple) Coffee Swirl Chocolate Cake

It's been so long since I've baked anything. I guess I've been pretty busy lately, but really my lack of kitchen time is mostly due to my impatience with my tiny kitchen. If I'm going to make something, I'd rather it be quick and easy. I absolutely cannot wait to move out of this apartment and finally have a kitchen that will inspire me to cook and bake, but for now, I'll just get by with things like this super simple coffee swirl chocolate cake!

I had a box cake mix and some frosting in my cupboard and I was in the mood to get a little more creative with it. I'm so happy with the results! And so was everyone else- it's only been a day and the cake was devoured. If you're looking to whip up something different and delicious, consider this "recipe"!

You will need:

• box of chocolate cake mix (preferably one that calls for at least a cup of water)
• ingredients for the cake mix (eggs, vegetable oil)
• container of white/vanilla frosting
• freshly brewed coffee
• instant coffee grounds

Steps:

1. Read the ingredients list for your cake mix and replace the water with freshly brewed coffee, then add whatever else it calls for.
2. Bake the cake!
3. Add a few drops of warm water to about a teaspoon of instant coffee to dissolve the grounds. Pour into the frosting and mix well. Add more to taste.
4. Set about a tablespoon of the coffee frosting aside and add more instant coffee to it for an even stronger flavor. 
5. Frost the cake with the majority of your frosting, then use a butter knife to swirl in the stronger flavored bit and create a marbled design. 
6. Garnish with loose instant coffee grounds on the top of the cake if you're a coffee lover. (I added extra to my slice!) 

Buzzing and Blooming

These photos are from a recent walk in the arboretum and ravines near my apartment. Summer is really here and it just makes me so happy. Everything outdoors seems to be either buzzing, singing, or blossoming! Does it get any better than this? I don't think so.

I'm getting ready to go out for another round of pub trivia. Hmmmm...what to wear?! I really need to go thrifting for some summer clothes soon. I have no shortage of oversized sweaters, but that just won't do in this daily 80 degree humidity. I struggle with putting together good outfits in the heat!

Anyway, off I go. It's almost the weekend, and I hope your week is going swimmingly!

<3

Say No To Cabin Fever

I love comfy couches and Netflix as much as the next person, but I can only handle sitting still like that for short lengths of time. I get cabin fever if I'm cooped up for longer than a day. (More like apartment fever, I suppose- I wish I lived in a cabin!)

There are so many ways to get out and about, and I truly never tire of discovering new ones. It seems like most people have their own unique "go-to" ideas that are made possible by warm weather and the summer's sunshine. What are your favorite things to do to get out of the house?

Here are just a few things I've done to cure my restless soul syndrome these past few days:   

Holland State Park is one of my favorite places in West Michigan. Although this park is just a simple Lake Michigan beach (I usually prefer my beaches to be accompanied by trails), I love the river that runs alongside it and watching sailboats drift in and out of the marina. Plus there are tons of options for ice cream on the drive in- an absolute necessity for any beach day!

The lilacs are blooming behind our apartment! I was so excited when I noticed them that I grabbed a pair of scissors and ran outside to go on a wildflower hunt. Even just a small walk during the day can really brighten my mood and make me feel more connected to the world around me.

My favorite apartment fever cure is simple: look up events happening nearby, fill up the gas tank, and go! That's what got us to the Fruitport "Old Fashioned Days" celebration last night. There was a small zoo, a carnival, live music, and fireworks show at dusk! We had so much fun eating corn dogs, petting exotic animals, and sitting by the lake watching the fireworks (which are possibly my favorite thing in the world). 

You've probably noticed by now, but I really love beaches. I never feel more complete than I do when I'm by the water, specifically near the truly Great Lakes. This photo was taken on Friday at the Grand Haven State Park, another one of my favorite places in West Michigan. Sadly, the water was too cold for swimming just yet, but summer is finally here and I'm sure it will warm up soon!

Illustrations That Tickled My Fancy This Week

My parents are both artists and thanks to them I've grown up with an intense appreciation for all art forms. Over the years, I've developed a love for illustration. I like to play around with it myself sometimes (I'm sure I'll post something of mine at some point), but I am constantly baffled by the amazing talents of others. Here are just a few illustrations that I've stumbled across and fell in love with this week:

This collection by Rebecca Mock has been floating around the web as of late, and if you haven't seen it yet, you should definitely check it out. It's so clever and beautifully done! Each piece is equally mesmerizing and serene- I just think it's such a wonderful concept!

I found this illustration on Pinterest and it took me awhile to track down it's origin. It's by the artist Adrian Tomine, who you may recognize from familiar New Yorker covers (click the link for examples). Something about his style just makes me want to stare for awhile- it's as vivid as actually going people-watching.

I cannot get over Emma Dibben's delicate style. It was hard to choose just one piece to show you, but as a fan of baking and desserts, I think I can safely say that this is my favorite. I wish all of my kitchen ingredients could look like something from her illustrations!

I love this illustration so much, but I'm still struggling to track down it's origins. I believe it's from a book called Chii Sakobee, but I can't find much information on it through the American web, aside from the foreign site I linked to. I'll put a reward on it- all my love and something special (to be determined) if you can tell me more about this book!

A Blogger's Dozen on Hello, Scarlett

I'm so excited to announce that my recipe for strawberry tarts has been featured over on Hello, Scarlett! I'm a huge fan of Emory's lovely blog and I was so happy when she asked me to participate in her A Blogger's Dozen series. Head on over to Hello, Scarlett to read more, then stick around awhile and take a look at Emory's inspiring lifestyle-
I just know you'll love it!

Happy Friday! 

<3

Freshwater and Forests

I hadn't originally planned on posting so many nature photos here in my little corner of the web, but it's become clear to me that there is really no other way to have this blog reflect my true self. Nature is such an important part of my life and is probably involved in over half of what I'd consider to be my happy murmurs. I know that living in Michigan has played an incredible role in my development as a person, and I couldn't have asked for a better playground growing up. Sand, rock, freshwater, and forests- these are the things that make me feel like a carefree child again. I continue to connect with the philosophies of naturalists like John Muir and Henry David Thoreau, and knowing that I've yet to the mountains and forests they loved so dearly gives me a deep fervor for my future. 

The simple adventures that can be had in nature are infinite, whether it be spotting a rare bird, uncovering a hidden trail, or finding a fossil along the beach, and each brings me the purest kind of happiness. Although I will eventually get around to crafting more exciting posts for the blog (I plan to have a DIY section in the near future!), I'm loving having a place to share my daily adventures and reflect on the beautiful places that I'm so lucky to have encountered. If even just one other person stops to admire the natural beauty that I've struggled (and probably failed) to capture in a photo, I feel like I've done something important. I'm going to save up for a real camera and hopefully that will increase the quality of my photos and make them easier to style and take, so that's something to look forward to! Here are a few pictures I've snapped haphazardly in the last couple days:

I went home for a few days to spend time with my family for Mother's Day (I'm heading back downstate tomorrow morning). We spent most of Sunday by Lake Huron with a lovely picnic at Cheboygan State Park and saw this ghostly ship in the distance.

I love foraging for wild edibles, so I was delighted to see these fresh wintergreen berries peeking out of the dried leaves that covered the forest floor! Now, if only I could find some morel mushrooms...

Sophie loves playing in the water and fetching sticks. She's great at fetching but not so great at bringing anything back- she loves to make you chase her while awkwardly carrying a giant stick in her mouth.

I get so excited whenever I encounter any form of wildlife. Words cannot express how much I love animals, and I do mean all animals- even snakes! Spiders give me the willies sometimes, but that's about it.

Anyway, that's all I've got for now- I hope you're having a wonderful week!

<3