Simply in Love

Tonight, there is a storm. I love storms!

Click on picture to go to flickr

I also love....

Home-made Hot Chocolate and....

...watching Sleepless in Seattle....

....doing dishes....TOMORROW!

And, if you are somewhere that does not have a storm...or at the least, rain...you can listen to it right here. :) Just close your eyes, and think about how beautiful it all is!

Yup. Have a wonderful night! :)

Love,
Miranda

*all but the top photo are taken from Google Images

Mulberry Fall Collection

Such beauty! I think I am in love! These photos are from Mulberry's fall collection.

I'm going to have to acquire some thick, warm scarves before fall. I found these photos while reading one of the blogs I follow, Le Blog De Sushi. She's worth checking out! :)

Here's to hoping that fall comes sooner than planned....

Love,
Miranda

American Holiday

Happy Fourth of July! (Two days later!)

Ian and I had a wonderful holiday with Keeley, Phil, and Lauren. We invited them over for homemade hamburgers and other delightful fixings (homemade strawberry lemonade, quinoa salad, potato salad, jalepeno corn dip...and beans)....all eaten and grilled on the roof. Props to Ian and Phil who stood out in the sun (with previous sunburns) to slave over the grill! We also were able to watch fireworks from the roof - it was a beautiful view! We saw three or four different fireworks shows going off all at once - a 360 view.

Ian said it the best though - "It is magical. Everyone is celebrating at the same time!" It truly was a memorable experience!

Beautiful, isn't it? (Keeley took the photos....so pretty!)

Also - the shorts I am wearing are from American Apparel (perfect for 4th of July!). I love them! I have been looking for the perfect pair of versatile, high waisted shorts for this summer, and these ones are perfect. They are sturdy and made well - and they go with everything! I also think they flatter quite nicely. :)

Another side note - I took Vala to the vet today. Today was the first day that she has been out of the apartment for more than five minutes. She sat in my purse the whole trip, on her leash, while we rode the two buses, encountered two dogs, three BIG cats, and a turtle. She was such a good baby! She is so tired now that she has been sleeping ever since we got home. If I had that big of an adventure, I would be tired too!

Love,
Miranda

Trip Number Two to Lake Calhoun

We are on our way to accomplishing the first number on our bucket list for this summer! (Beach Bum at Lake Calhoun ten times!) This was our second trip. And, it was so fun.

We laid out in the sun (and didn't get sun burned!), people watched, almost killed a poor lady bug, listened to the Beach Boys, visited the Tea Garden, and rode the bus with a few people who had a little (ok a lot) too much to drink. The trip was eventful and filled to the brim with laughter.

Truly, a wonderful day.

Love,
Miranda

Night Out on the Town

Keeley, Ian, and I dressed ourselves up and headed out of the air conditioned apartment into the 90 degree Minnesota weather - and here is the proof!

We were going to venture to a food festival in St. Paul, but it was canceled due to budgeting issues - so we ate at The Old Spaghetti Factory and took a stroll to the stone arch bridge. It was a delightful evening!

I do hope your evening is delightful as well. :)

Love,
Miranda

Puppet Cat

I am laughing so hard....I am having a very hard time typing. Haha.

Usually I like to post flattering pictures of whoever I am writing about - but this was just too funny!

Oh, Vala. How I love you!

Love,
Miranda

New Curtains and Sleeping Boys

I finished the curtains for the living room a day later than I expected to. Unfortunatly, I ran out of the right color thread half way through the project. Don't you hate it when that happens? So a project that could have taken two hours (at the max) turned into a two day deal. Despite the set back, I think they turned out nice! (They do need to be ironed, though). Here are the pictures, as promised!

I think they are the most beautiful shade of mustard yellow - to match the rug that we purchased at IKEA. The hooks are the same gray color as the walls, so they blend in nicely. They were such an easy sew!

The other morning, Ian woke up early to go on a bike ride with Phil, Lauren's husband. They rode 31.6 miles...all over Minneapolis and St. Paul. Apparently they wore themselves out, because Keeley and I came home to them out cold on the chairs, with the air conditioning blasting. Oh, boys. :)

Ah yes. Those curtains do look nice, don't they! Haha.

Love,
Miranda