st. louis - grand rapids - chicago

It has been a long while since my last post.  It's been a busy month: moving from arizona to missouri, settling into my in-laws home, job searching in a new city, family visit in michigan, family reunion in chicago, job interviews and my quarter of a century birthday!

I have shown pictures from our move and now it's time for the many pictures from my last few weeks. Some of the pictures are out of the order that the challenge requires, but oh well!

day 17: technology
my oma's (grandma) sweet setup at my aunty's house. she loves her netflix (dvd's and computer)
day 18: your shoes
locals. can't do any better - thank you mom!
day 19: something orange
my headband i made for a 70's party and the toy story sheets i slept on during my visit in michigan
day 20: bokeh
(say what? i had to look this one up)
focused on my beautiful cousin playing guitar and singing 
everything else blurred out.
sorry aunty!

What I did in Michigan:

-I went blueberry picking with my aunty and had some delicious berries for the rest of my time in Michigan.  Yummy!!!  

-I also noticed a rite aid that had a closing sale! 50% off EVERYTHING! 

I was so ridiculously excited!  

-Found my mom's banana bread recipe from the old church cook book.

-Did I mention I took the bus for the first time EVER to get to these cities?...what an adventure!

-I also tried a chewing gum that my cousin brought back from his trip to Thailand. It was tasty!

day 21: faceless portrait

thanks to my phone and a foggy mirror

Our trip to Grand Haven, MI

day 23: sunflare

hmmm...forgot this one. but this tank top was so awesome i had to take a picture of it.

we also stopped for some ice cream on our way out!

day 24: animal

Grand Haven was a cute waterfront town.  on almost every corner, there were these dogs, each decorated differently than the last.  

we had a lot of fun driving and walking around looking at all of them.

Family Reunion in Chicago

day 22: hands

me and husband - we missed each other while i was in michigan

day 25: something pink

my sister (in-law) and her man in their pink metallic 70's costumes for the theme party

day 26: close-up

the bottom of a sting ray at the Shedd Aquarium

we had tickets to get in free! - thank you family!!!!

it was a beautiful aquarium.

day 27: from a distance

the chicago skyline from our bus tour with the big 'ol family

I have had a wonderful couple of weeks, but now it's back to the real world.  Looking forward to landing a job in the near future.  

praying for the knowledge to pick the right path,

lulewbelle

transitioning takes forever

We moved in recently with my husband's parents until we can get our own place.  It has been hard to get back in the groove of putting up blogs,
not to mention getting used to living in a tiny house with four grown adults.
But, I have been keeping up with my photo challenge.
So here is the challenge and the past days in pictures.  Plus some extras of my life!

Day 9: someone you love

well, a few someones i love...ichat is bomb

mama, lovey niece and lil sis

Day 10: childhood memory

i have been craving goldfish out of nowhere.

i remember eating goldfish in my mom's classroom while waiting impatiently 

for her to finish her work so we could go home.  i love my mom!

Day 11: something blue

this was the first thing my husband wanted when we moved back to his hometown.

he went to the store and brought back 8 bottles of this juice...yummy!

Day 12: sunset

i was way too lazy to go and find a good spot to see it, 

but this was the view from our front yard through the beautiful trees. :)

Day 13: yourself with 13 things

it's kinda like a "what's in my bag" tag

i used my id for "me" and 13 things from my bag

yes, that is mace along with my favorite lip products!

Day 14: eyes

i realize it is a plural word, but i only did one of mine...oops!

Day 15: silhouette

...of my shaka...in our basement while doing laundry.

Day 16: long exposure

ummm....

i know nothing about long or short exposure so i used a photo 

from the 4th. my husband and i went to the river to watch the fireworks

 in the back of our truck. i love him!

I hope to post a DIY or other funzie soon!

I have enjoyed this challenge, but I need to get back to some other fun stuff to share.

poor photography skills and a big smile

lulewbelle

moving takes WAY too long

The past week or so has been cray-cray!!!

I didn't post a thing and I apologize, but I did keep up with the photography challenge.

Day 4: something green

the movers contract...best decision ever!

Day 5 : from a high angle

looking back from the top of a hill in the ridiculous bumper-to-bumper new mexico traffic

a long hour of bumpin' music and sunflower seeds with the SIL.

Day 6 : from a low angle

my cup of coffee after a long nap/night's sleep in the car

watered down and powdered creamer

Day 7 : fruit

yummy greek yogurt and blueberries for breakfast

Day 8 : a bad habit

i always pick/bite at my nail polish. i don't even know why i still paint them.

Here is my checklist of important things to bring 

when making a long road trip like our 24hr drive:

-loads of water to stay hydrated. bathroom breaks needed

-one-handed snacks to eat and drive

-handy/disinfectant wipes for dirty hands and toilets when needed

-tons of music (we have xm radio which was great, but i still needed my playlist)

-comfy sitting clothes (something stretchy and breathable - comfy bra for sure!)

-sunglasses...i love the big ones

-comfy shoes/shoes you can take off

-gum and toothbrush

-pillows and blankets no matter the season

-coffee!!!

-ibuprofen or tylenol

-chocolate

-fruit to keep you energized, awake and regular :)

-a fun driving mate for conversations 

happy to be done with this long, long trip

lulewbelle

lame clouds lame day

In the valley where I live, there are rarely nice cloudy days.  You know, super fluffy white clouds in a bright blue sky.  Clouds here mostly consist of pollution so all the pictures I took were not cute.  Here is a photo from the news that another person took and it is way cooler than any of mine. 

day 3: clouds
kinda a boring challenge
look at the temperature here at night! yuck!!!

We are still in the process of moving and I need to finish cleaning this apartment.

vacuums and lysol wipes

lulewbelle

packing for a move

Day 2: what i wore today
packing day messy bun

This has been packing week at our place.  We have been loading all our stuff into boxes for our BIG move.  It has been stressful, crazy, sweaty hot, annoying and ridiculously unorganized.  I did not wear anything cute today. No makeup or cuteness here, but I got this picture of my hair for the challenge.  I have been loving the messy bun for this hot, HOT weather.

Here are my TOP 5 TIPS for moving:

1. do NOT wait until two days before moving to rent a truck during the MOST busy moving time of year. trust.

2. drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and do NOT eat doughnuts they will make you sleepy.

3. go through all your things and give away everything you haven't used in at least the past year.

4. remember to show your love to your husband or wife...they are stressed out enough as is.

5. be excited for the changes ahead!  

packing tape and lots of coffee,

lulewbelle

30 day challenge

Yaaaaaay!

I am so excited to say that I am going to take on the 30 day photography challenge.  I noticed another blogger, such life in the tropics, who is also doing this challenge and I thought I'd get in on the action!

Day 1: Self-Portrait
the EXACT way i feel today

I am most definitely not a photographer, but this looks too fun to pass on.  So if you want to get in on the party, please do this with me and comment so I can see your photos too!!!

gettin' in touch with my artsy fartsy side

lulewbelle

blast from the past

   

I was cleaning out my closet the other day, preparing to move and found this card I got from a high school friend.  She gave it to me before I left for college.  We had a great relationship and we always joked around about our big butts and my lack of boobage. So finding this made me laugh all over again  and I thought I'd share my giggles with you!

 almost boobs to can't complain

lulewbelle