Lavender Kay

Good morning!  Today I have created a October calendar desktop background for you.  I know it isn’t quite October yet but I wanted to get a head start to make sure you had the calendar on time.  Enjoy!

To download, click on the picture and then when the image shows up in a new window, right click and choose Desktop background.

Hi friends!  I have another things that make me happy post today.  I am really excited about all this stuff but I am extra excited about this kitchen aid ice cream maker attachment!  Amazing!!  Just thinking about it is reminding me of my Nana’s homemade ice cream, SO yummy.  Do any of you have this attachment?  If so, does it work well?

1. J. Crew sweater 2. Love this Ruche bag 3. William Sonoma Ice Cream Maker 4. Polaroid by Photo Jojo

I thought I would give a quick update on my first couple days of school.  I loved them!  I feel so lucky to be going to school for something I love.  In my first quarter I will be focusing on Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign and Drawing!  Wahoo!  All wonderful things.

Being back at school makes it feel like fall even more than ever.  Fall always feels like a new beginning but this one is particularly special to me.  I am so excited for this new chapter in my life and all that is to come.

This year has been a year of so many new beginnings but I am thankful for each and every one.  And I know there are many more of them to come, many still to come this year, but I think they are very important to my journey.  And for that I am grateful.  Heres to new beginnings!

How do you feel about change?  Do you discourage or welcome it?

Photo source here

I was going through old photographs last night and found this beautiful picture of my mother in 1981.  Sometimes I still miss her terribly.  And although this picture made me miss her, it also made me really happy.  My mom had the most amazing laugh and when I look at the picture I can almost hear it.  I love you Mom!  Ps. Aren’t those party hats fabulous!

Happy Friday!

Jonathan and I are starting to settle back into Corvallis and it feels a little weird.  I have spent the last month (practically the last summer) visiting friends all around country and it has been wonderful.  But, now I am back in our home in Corvallis and it reminds me that we don’t know a single person in this town.  It is such a weird feeling knowing I can’t call anyone up to meet me for coffee or go for a walk.

Today I miss all of my friends and family.  I miss seeing people in the grocery store and I miss spending time with our friends.  I know we are right where we are supposed to be, and where we are supposed to be is pretty great, but for some reason today I am missing our other home.  I just think today is one of those days where the move is finally catching up with me. I mean, we REALLY moved to Corvallis.  Can you believe it?!

On a lighter note, the above picture is of my friend Sally and I.  I went up to Seattle last weekend to visit some of my oldest and dearest friends and it was really good.  We spent most of our time in Madison Park area and it was fabulous.  We laughed really hard and talked deep into the night.  I am thankful for those moments.

Even though I don’t know anyone right now, I have confidence that I will meet people and make friends.  It is a little harder while we are in Corvallis because our time here is so short but I know however it all pans out, it will be good.  And, not knowing anyone where I live makes me that much more thankful for all my friends and family we have scattered all over the country.

Happy Thursday friends!

You’ve Got Mail with Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks is my very favorite movie.  I literally watch it every other week and it seems impossible for me to get tired of it.

The reason I bring up this move is because I have had this quote from Tom Hanks in my head all week.  It is fall!  Can you believe it?!  Even though I am always really excited for fall, it seems to creep up on me an then just happen over night!  But don’t worry, I’m not complaining, I love fall.

Another reason this quote has been in my head is because I have been literally gathering my school supplies and ‘newly sharpened pencils.’ This year I decided to go back to school for Graphic Design (you can read my other post on this subject here) and I am so excited about it!  I am a little nervous too.  I haven’t been in school for awhile so I think it will be an adjustment for me.  And even more than that, I am taking a drawing class – so intimidating!  It is scary but I know it is good for me too.  Everyone needs a good challenge here and there – right?

As I have been gathering my school supplies and thinking about school, it has reminded me of my childhood.  I used to love back to school shopping.  Did you?  It was so fun to receive your supply list from your teacher and pick out new treasures like a beautiful box of crayons or a pencil pouch. (Do kids still call it that and do they even get them anymore?)  Tom Hank’s reference to school supplies seems to mean more to me now than all the millions of other times I have heard it in the past.  Thank you Tom!

Well, here is to fall and change and school supplies!  Cheers!

Today I decided to post a few pictures of my life the past few weeks.  I have spent the last few weeks on the road visiting people and eating and drinking lots of yummy things.  Here are just a few of those yummy things.

Can you believe it is Friday already?!  Time is just flying by!  What are your plans for the weekend?  Some of my fabulous college friends are going to be in Eugene, OR for a wedding so I get to see them for a little bit – and I am so excited!  It is always fun to see friends who live far away and you don’t get the privilege of seeing them very often.

The above picture is of my two sisters and me at my cousin’s wedding in Washington last weekend.  I deeply love and cherish my sisters and it was so wonderful being able to spend some time with them over the weekend.  My sister, Joanna, was my dance party at the wedding since Jonathan was still in Portland for work.  And what a fabulous dance partner she was!   I already can’t wait for the next cousin wedding (in 4 weeks!) to get back out on the dance floor again.  Sometimes it is just so therapeutic to dance.

I am so thankful for my sisters and don’t know what I would do without them.  Their friendship means the world to me and I am so grateful for their presence in my life.  Thank you Holly and Joanna for being amazing!  I love you guys!  Cheers to sisters!

Happy Friday!

Hello again friends.  I am so sorry for my unexpected blogging break.  I wasn’t planning on taking a few days off but some unexpected circumstances came up and I haven’t even had access to my computers for awhile.  What I planned to be a five day vacation from Corvallis turned into a two week vacation.

This vacation was a good vacation for me.  I think it was necessary.  Isn’t it funny how sometimes the most necessary things are the unexpected ones?  Over the past two weeks I have been in Austin TX, Portland, Kennewick and back to Portland again – and all of it was fabulous for different reasons.

But I am excited to get back to blogging and I have some fun posts in store for you.  And I am also looking forward to updating you on all my travels.  I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

* The above picture I took while I was in Kennewick, Washington visiting family and attending my cousin’s wedding.  It was my sister’s birthday while we were there and her husband planned a surprise hike up Badger Mountain at sunrise for her.  He asked me to come and it ended up being a wonderful surprise and such a beautiful view!  He also had coffee and pastries for us when we got to the top.  She loved the surprise too!

Happy Friday friends! I am sorry I didn’t have a post for you yesterday! When I got back from Austin I ended up staying in Portland to visit my sister and now I am in Washington for my cousin’s wedding.

I can’t wait to share all my Austin adventures with you. I had a fabulous time!

I hope you have a great weekend!

Ps. The above picture is in Portland at this amazing ice cream shop called Salt and Straw. Try it!