Coolest girl EVAH!

Need I say more?

Midwest Magic!

Tonight, I was feeling magic in the air. There were thunderstorms in the forecast and everything smelled amazing. So much so that I actually wandered outside to just be for a little while. I wanted to walk around Old Sac and just take everything in during that awesome pre-storm energy, but night had already fallen and I didn't want to go alone. Nor did I want to take away a lead from Sweet n' Hot by grabbing one of the guys upstairs. So out front I sat for a little while.

When I got home, I couldn't ignore the magic outside my window, but I had no one to take a walk with me, and it was almost midnight, so I just had to settle for an open window and blinds.

As I sat down to read more of Wicked (oddly enough the scene describing the tornado) the lightning really got under way. As I was putting down my book and thinking Screw it! I'm going out to get me some of this magic! my phone rang, my darling brother who had just turned me down for a walk in the pre-storm magic was being called outside as well.

As soon as we were outside, the sky just seemed to open up and pour on us. I couldn't have asked for much better. Only one thing that I can think of right now would have topped it, but playing in the rain with my brother while my soul was reenergized by nature is a damn close second!

Sadly, I got no good pictures of the actual lightning, but my friend Davis got the one above!

Jeff and I got some other awesome pictures. There are a select few here, and more on Facebook. I'm pretty sure that 97% of the people who read this will be able to find them on Facebook. If you can't see them because I don't know you and you would like to, let me know!



My hair is totally going to be tangled and smelling of rain tomorrow. I can't wait for the reminder of the magic!

I definitely felt like I was back in Iowa for a little bit, for all of the reasons that I loved it there. (I didn't completely hate it!) Specifically, I'm recalling a trip Mallory and I took to Maid-Rite, during which we got caught in what seemed to be a 15-second downpour the moment we got out of the car and ran inside. If I remember correctly, it wasn't even raining when we left her house, just a couple miles away.

Now back to Wicked! You don't really think I could sleep after such fuel for the soul, do you?

Blown away!

Remember these invitations that inspire me to make more time for creativity? I didn't even think about what sort of party would actually result from those invitations, but whoa does it look amazing!

Caroline totally blew me away with what she came up with. Look at me saying that as though I know her and actually got to be there! I'm seeing as much of these as you are. While the level of awesome reached here totally intimidates me, I'm determined to continue to use that for motivation.



This woman is extremely talented. I hope that once my time is less saturated with end of semester things I will be able to focus my energy to create something half as amazing. Check out her full blog for the other things that she does like her awesome jewelry and great taste in kitchen decor!

More time for creativity please!

I've recently gathered quite a few blogs that I'm really enjoying reading for the creativity represented in them alone. One of the best parts of these blogs is that I often find new ones simply by reading the ones that I already follow. I found the following today, and while under some circumstances I think that things like this could be a little over the top for a 2-year-old's birthday party, if one has the time to do this sort of stuff, I say go for it. I can't even imagine the amazing parties that z man (Zach?) will have as he grows up. That's one creative mother. Way to go!

I found that great post through A Little Sussy. A great blog by a great photographer who takes pictures like the one below, which she happens to have made the subjects of! (Sorry for not showing that I'm an English major with that last sentence.)



That would also be the blog through which I found this awesome little book I've already told you about.

There are far too many awesome blogs for me to show you something from each of them, but in the next few days I hope to start compiling a list of them in the side bar, so you can check them out there! At one point I would have been extremely envious of these women for not only their creativity, but also the time in which to pursue it, but today I have decided instead to turn it into fuel! I'm not sure how, but I am determined to find the time to make my own projects when I would like. Maybe my sister-in-law and I can start with stuff for my brother's birthday! He wants a cookie cake, I think she and I can manage that without turning to Mrs. Field's!