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Friday Favorites - The Mich Edish!

Brian & I leave tomorrow for Michigan - so excited! In a way I consider it "going home" even though I've never lived in the state. Nearly all of my extended family does & now my parents do, you know what they say "Home is where your mom is"! In honor of the trip I decided to do a Michigan Edition of my Friday Favorites. I am on a one-woman campaign to bring attention to the beauty of Michigan, it is so much more than Detroit, Kid Rock & Eminem!

Favorite Coffee

AM Coffee for Tired People {Dippin' Donut Blend} by Paramount Coffe Co.
I actually discovered this Michigan favorite by accident. The cute pink chevron package caught my eye at TJ Maxx (at home in PA no less) and I decided to try it. I brewed a pot as soon as I got home and LOVED it. Imagine my surprise when I flipped the bag over and saw that it was made in Lansing, MI - in a building I've passed many times!

Favorite Shop

{Picture is from the Little Luxuries Facebook page!}
It's no secret that I LOVE going to Mackinac Island. On a visit last summer I discovered the most wonderful shop: Little Luxuries of Mackinac Island. They carry something for everyone and the displays are SO cute. The shop expanded over the winter and I can't wait to check it out! My mom & dad gave me a Jenna Kator purse from Little Luxuries for Christmas and it came with a handwritten thank you note as well and other little goodies, what a sweet touch!

Favorite View

After hiking through miles of sand mountains you crest the last hill and are treated to a breathtaking view of Lake Michigan. This hike is no joke though, 7 miles through mountains of blazing hot sand is not fun. You do get a chance to stick your feet into the freezing lake before making the trek back though! Next time I'm taking a drive to the scenic overlook. ;) One look at that view and you know why Lake Michigan real estate goes for big bucks.

Favorite Farm-Fresh Food

One of my favorite things about Michigan is the availability of farm fresh food. You can get it literally straight from the farm! Farmers set up road-side stands, many of which operate on the honor system (which restores my faith in humanity). There is nothing quite like sitting down with a bowl of fresh Traverse City cherries, apples from Uncle John's or organic corn picked from a Clarksville field hours before. And in other parts of the state you will find lots of grapes...and lots of wine! Michigan wineries are the leading producer of fruit wines, especially wine made with those Traverse City cherries.

Favorite Lake

Everyone knows that Michigan is surrounded by the Great Lakes but not everyone knows about all of the smaller, hidden gems throughout the state. This picture was snapped by my mom from her deck. That view of Morrison Lake never gets old!

My Summer Road Trip Essentials

Since we are preparing for an eleven hour road tip I wanted to share my SUMMER ROAD TRIP ESSENTIALS. I've been making long road trips since I was a few months old so I like to think I'm a bit of a pro. Here are my top 10 road trip essentials:

1. A Travel Pillow
Whether I'm traveling by plane, train or automobile I never leave home without mine! My personal favorite kind is the squishy microbead neckroll. Its not only for resting your head, I keep mine in my lap to prop up my book, lunch or whatever.

2. A Great Playlist
I always load my iPod with awesome road trip playlists but the radio works just as well. Plus it's fun to listen to the local station for whatever city you are passing through.

3. Reading Material
My Nook has been a road trip savior! In the past I always packed tons of books (God forbid you run out of books on vacation, the horror!) but now I can load my nook with several books & magazines and only have to carry one thing. Plus I can watch Netflix, surf the web or play games on it (provided I have Wi-Fi).

4. Caffeine
We travel at night a lot to avoid traffic so I always like to caffeinate. I'm not advocating that you main-line Red Bull, but coffee & Diet Coke work for me...especially when driving at 3 AM! I've made the drive from PA to Michigan so many times I can tell you which rest stops have Starbucks (2nd one across the PA/Ohio border!).

5. Snacks
Although I like to stop for meals to stretch my legs & give my eyes a break it's always good to have some quick snacks in the car. The hubs and I agree that we must have gummies, chips and Red Vines. I also like to have some Larabars for when I want something with a little more substance. They are also great for a quick breakfast if we're in a hotel.

6. Sunglasses, Flip Flops & Comfy Clothes
Sunglasses are always a must. I like to wear flip flops to travel since I can slip them off & on easily. Nobody wants to wear shoes for an eleven hour car ride! As for clothing, my favorite road trip outfit is made up of capri yoga tights, a cute but comfy tee and a lightweight hoodie (just in case!). I'm as comfy as I would be in pjs but I don't look crazy when we stop for a rest!

7. Hand Sanitizer or Wipes
This one doesn't even need an explanation...have you seen some of the rest stops out there?! The worst I've ever seen was a pair of overflowing porta-potties (that didn't lock) about 10 feet off the MassPike. Yuck, thanks but no.

8. Multi-plug Car Charger
I have a car charger that fits my phone, the hubs' phone, iPod, nook & GPS. Perfection.

9. License Plate Bingo
This is an absolute must! There are lots of printable game boards if you do a google search but I am so excited to use my new License Plate Game app for this trip. I love to play this game with a carload of people. Everyone can't help but join the fun of calling out plates! Even my dad likes to play. ;)

10. A Buddy!
The most important essential! Good company makes the trip that much more fun.

Two other essentials that just missed the cut (because everyone has them anyway): maps and/or GPS and your cell phone!
What are your road trip essentials? Happy & safe travels this summer!

Thrifted Buffet into TV Stand

You may remember that a few months ago I mentioned we were finally moving into the current century with a flat screen TV. The new TV necessitated a new TV stand but have you seen the options out there? They are either quite ugly or quite expensive. No offense if they are you're thing, they just aren't mine!

Enter this thrifted buffet. Confession: I call it "thrifted" but it was actually FREE. A client from my old salon gave me this piece and the matching server. You can't beat that. Since I don't have a "before" picture of the buffet, you'll have to imagine it. It looked just like the sister piece that currently lives in the kitchen (awaiting a makeover of it's own!).



I used my favorite paint - tinted primer! I love it because you don't have to prime (obviously) and it gives a nice "chalk paint" finish without having to seal / wax it with anything. This primer is tinted to match Valspar's Antique White. I kept things simple by painting everything, even that hardware! Then I removed the top middle drawer and was left with the perfect sized opening for our cable box, router & Wii.



I love how much storage this piece has! I put in everything from our previous cabinet and still have empty drawers! The large, deep drawers are perfect for DVD storage.



Then I added some of my favorite items to soften the sharp outline of the TV. I thought about using fresh flowers in the mercury glass vase but quickly realized that water + fancy new TV = no good. So silk it is!



I'm linking up with: Power of Paint @ Domestically Speaking, Project Inspire{d} at Setting for Four, Tutorials & Tips @ Home Stories A to Z, Give Me The Goods Monday @ Rain on a Tin Roof, Liz Marie Blog, Glamorous, Affordable Life

Friday Favs

Happy Friday all, I am celebrating the fact that I am now officially on vacation until July 7th!! Next weekend we have the wedding of some great friends, it should be quite the party! Then Brian & I are hopping in the car and heading to visit my parents in Michigan. Just 7 days until we are relaxing lakeside and recharging our batteries in my favorite place! Here are a few of my favorite finds from the past week.

Favorite Hair

I've been watching old episodes of Giuliana & Bill on Netflix and I am just loving G's hair circa 2010.

Favorite Casual Outfit

I got my monogrammed tee from Senn-sational Creations and LOVE it! My selfie doesn't do it justice. It is so cute and comfy, and I just love me some monograms. I plan to order more in different colors when we get back from vacay. Check out the shop, you will want to buy everything!!

Favorite Chuckle

Or my personal favorite way to end the day, margaritas.

Favorite Bargain Décor

Sunburst mirrors have been going strong for awhile now but some of them can be SO expensive. I've seen some great DIY versions, but this one from The Home Depot is just $35! I'd hate to drop big $$ on something so trendy, but at that price you can't lose.

Favorite Flip Flops

What would a Friday Favorites post be without shoes?! I love Tory Burch flip flops, they are the best I've ever owned. These lobster printed ones are so cute.

What are your favorite finds? I'd love to see them! Enjoy the weekend. :)

Best laid plans...

A gorgeous, sunny Saturday over the Ben Franklin

We started this weekend with the big plans! Brian and I took an always exciting trip to Ikea to pick up a few things to spruce up our bedroom. We planned to paint & I had a few DIY projects I wanted to tackle. BUT fate had other plans for us and we ended up spending several nerve wracking hours at the doggie ER Saturday night and again Sunday morning. We owe a huge thanks to the overnight crew at VSEC for taking such good care of our pup (and us)! Wrigley is back to his normal, happy self.



With the pup on the mend I am working on a fun project. I got this laptop table on our Ikea trip and I'm remaking it into a makeup table / accessories station. You might not recognize it when I'm finished! :)

Friday Favorites

Happy Friday! :) It is very rainy here in PA today thanks to Tropical Storm Andrea, hopefully it will brighten up this weekend. Here are some of my favorite finds from the past week.

Favorite Sandals

Source
I found these beauties at DSW and had to treat myself. I told Brian he will have to pry them off my feet come winter. You can never go wrong with Michael Kors. :)

Favorite New Hobby

Golf...I'm not very good but I am having fun learning!

Favorite DIY

Source
I love this. Because who doesn't need a golden gumball machine??

Favorite Quote

Exactly.

Favorite Vacation Idea

We are planning a vacation to celebrate our 5th Anniversary(5th?! How did that happen?)... We have a sunny, tropical vacation in mind!

Favorite Book

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
I am completely sucked in to the world of Le Cirque des Reves!

Favorite Guilty Pleasure

Zoes Kitchen - I literally can not stop eating there. I especially love the Pimento Cheese Sammie :)

Favorite Smile-Maker

My pink computer with Hello Kitty bow, it always makes me smile. :)

All Time Favorite

Sleepy Wrigley

What are your favorites at the moment? Have a wonderful weekend - and stay safe until this storm passes! :)