Simply Summer Mix Vol. II

Ah, summer. Road trips, lemonade, stormy skies, and fireworks. S'mores and Sandals, lots of time by the water....

One of my favorite things to do with KC in the summer is take drives at night. I like to turn the music up, put the windows down, with my feet on the dash. Soaking up the summer night air.

Last year I posted this summer mix, and I still love it. So much so, that it expanded to make a volume II.

This mix is pretty eclectic and fueled by catchy indie pop. It has some broods, a little Vance Joy, glass animals... It's got a bohemian feel, like summer does, and it's perfect for a day at your desk when you really want to be outside. Or maybe a night drive of your own. :)

I have published this mix to Spotify, you can listen to/follow it here. 

Give the playlist a listen and let me know what you think!

What are your favorite tracks this summer?

What is your favorite thing to do in the summertime?

XO,

Alexandra

Summer Bucket List Review 2014

As of yesterday evening it is officially fall! Ironically enough the weather is going to be in the 80's all week... 

Since it is the first full day of fall... here you have my summer bucket list review! (and a lot of photos from my summer. :) ) 

I did pretty well! Many of them were too ($) lofty for a summer with a month between jobs and budgeting for a fall trip.. .but it's good to be ambitious. :) And either way we had a very nice summer!

Here you go!

1) Try Russian Food (part of a 2014 goal)

2) Travel (even if that just means in Kansas City)

3) Do lots of Yoga, Dancing etc. 

4) Organize Photos on My Computer (it's a mess...) - Started!

5) Watch Roman Holiday

6) Get some hot curlers

7) Get some plants for inside & on balcony

8) Try Tortas Jaliscos 

9) Organize Pinterest boards into sub groups -   started!
10) Try Caribbean food

11) Open & Put Items in my Etsy store

12) Read! Participate in summer reading program? - missed it.

13) Paint tiny canvasses (Also a 2014 goal) - painted a relatively small mat board... sketched a small canvas that's ready to be painted... 

14) Major organization and cleaning of bedroom & closet - halfway

15) Get furniture onto our balcony, make it a place we want to spend time!

16) Go to the Basil Leaf Cafe

17) Find a red lip color that I like - bought a few, haven't played with them much yet

18) Go to the original Arthur Bryant's in KC

19) Try Alchemy Coffee

20) Shampoo carpets (practically a party animal you guys..)

21) Watch the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

22) Go to Juice Stop

23) Go bowling

24) Go to free/cheap Buzz concerts - just the one before I made this list

25) Eat at Terrebonne

26) Watch Space Jam with Kyle

27) Get sno cones at Tad's Tropical Sno -Twice!

28) Try Limestone Pizza

29) Enjoy my birthday

30) Try out our complex's pool

31) Go thrifting (a lot) 

32) Try a new board game

33) Make two new pies - got ingredients to make one... 

34) Do something unexpected  -Guardians of the Galaxy

35) Plan trip for the fall - tickets are booked!

36) Make lots of Pimm's Cups! (already making good headway on this... ;) ) 

37) Use that darn sewing machine! (Finally!?) 

38) Go to one bigger flea market in Kansas (KC, Lawrence, Troy...) 

39) Work on Travel Scrapbook

40) Go to the drive in

41) Make & drink Sangria

42) Host a super-fab bachelorette party for my sister

43) Make & Eat S'mores! (as much as possible!)

44) Go to a Sporting KC game, or at least buy tickets for a fall game

45) Go to Westport Food Truck Festival - Missed it. :(

46) Finish Veronica Mars series & movie

47) Upcycle some of my thrifted finds that I have good intentions for.. :) 

48) write at least 15 blog posts! - yep!

49) Have people over (more than 3 people), at least twice (I)

50) Have fun.

Other Accomplishments/Things of Note:

Cooked at home more
Tried several new-to-us restaurants not on the list
Successfully got my sister married & on her honeymoon (and back)!
Went to the Renaissance Festival with my family
Attended three weddings
Had many successful thrifting hauls
Saw a few more classic/cult classic movies from my 2014 Goal list
Drank lots of homemade cold press (YUM)
Learned a lot of family stories from my dad
Borrowed a DSLR from my dad (need to start using it!!)
Caught up on and started watching some new shows on Netflix... :) 
Went to see a crazy (for us) amount of movies out. Could now definitively rank and give all necessary information on every theatre in the KC area.... 

Did you guys set summer goals? How did you do?

Are you making goals for fall? What is on yours?

Fall Bucket List coming soon!

XO,

Alexandra

Oh yeah... did you happen to check out my 101 in 1,001 post? Long term goals are fun! :) 

12 Sweet Pie Recipes for Summertime!

I love pie. Don't you guys love pie?

Our city recently got a diner (a real one!), and they serve... you guessed it!... pie! :) We had dinner there, and the pie (which we got to go) was divine!

Which reminded me, that my Summer Bucket List mentioned making two new pies... I need to get on that! While looking for ideas, I made this list of 12 pie recipes that I found on Pinterest! While great at any time of year, they would be especially fantastic for summer!

1) Apricot Raspberry Galette - Gluten free!
2) Patriotic Pie - While a bit late this year, this pie would be lovely for the 4th!
3) Peach Pie - Peach is my favorite!
4) Strawberry Peach Tart - I have yet to eat or make a strawberry pie! Maybe it's time?
5) Cherry Hand Pies - Cherry is KC's favorite!
6) Blueberry Peach -  or try this one from Becca @ Ladyface - It's gluten free & vegan too!
7) Old Fashioned Banana Cream Pie - This is legit, no pudding involved!
8) Scarlett O'Hara Raspberry Pie - adorable name, may just make me try it!
9) Four Berry Pie -Mmmm...
10) Blackberry Crumb Pie - Crumble topping is hard to resist.... and super low maintenance!
11) Berry Apple Rhubarb Pie - Rhubarb is also a pie flavor I have never eaten or made!
12) Meyer Lemon Chess Pie - I have never had a chess pie.. but this looks delicious!

Is your mouth watering?

Perhaps you are feeling like pie is more effort than you have time for... try this no-fail fruit crisp recipe. My favorite combination so far is raspberry peach! I love how easy it is: put fruit in pan, top fruit with crumble, bake, eat... Top it with ice cream if you are feeling really crazy. And then eat the leftovers for breakfast... ;)

What is your favorite summer pie or dessert?

Pretty darn soon it's going to be time to start thinking about fall!

Exciting!!

XO,

Alexandra

*all images from the original source*

Simply Summer Mix

There are still nineteen days left of summer.

Throughout the summer I've been crafting this little mix on Spotify, and I wanted to share it with you all. Listen to it here.

It's a mix of indie, alternative, pop and folksy songs that I've really been loving this season. Some older ones, some new ones, a bunch that I can't stop listening to... :)

For once I'm really wanting to savor the bit of summer that's left and these songs keep me feeling happy and content, especially during days at the office.

What are your favorite tracks this summer?

Let me know what you think of these songs. :) 

How gorgeous is the video for Hothouse?!?!

XO,

Alexandra

Hey There, July

How are you all doing?

Time flies when you are having fun. (and sometimes you're having too much fun to blog about it).

KC and I had June off in between our old jobs ending and our new ones starting, so we spent the month organizing our apartment, working on projects, cooking together, playing board games and watching lots of television from the '90's. It has been really nice to have so much time to de-stress and spend time together!

Now we have both started our new jobs, and are getting into the swing of a new schedule, which means I'll have a time to catch up on summer blogging!

So, happy July everyone!

Coming up soon: 

Dinner on the Murder Mystery Train

4th of July / Birthday Post

Summer Recipes

Summer Outfits 

A few DIYs

Woohoo! 

XOXO,

Alexandra 

23: Birthday Festivities!

Another year has passed. I can't believe how quickly it went! But I have to say that my 22nd year was a very good one. If the beginning of 23 is any indication, it will be an even better year! 

Here's what we did!

The night before my birthday Kyle took me out to get Panda Express and see a movie at the Legends in KC. We saw The Heat and it was pretty funny. Much less raunchy and profane than the last few movies we thought would be funny. Still had a TON of profanity, but at least there was more of my kind of humor to balance it out. Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock are great together! :)

Kyle made me this whale card, because I love whales more than pretty much everything in the world. How cute is it?!?!

Then I gave myself a birthday mani. I wanted dark shimmery polish so I used a burgundy and a golden/silvery polish as well (all random, sorry you won't be able to find it in the stores!) I used Lauren Conrad's book Beauty, to learn the half moon technique. I think it turned out ok. I would like to try with some lighter colors sometime soon as well!

On my birthday Kyle and I both took off work and started the day with breakfast at Milton's which is now open again! :) I missed their veggie hash so much! A perfect way to start the day!

After that Kyle and I played games and spent time together before he sent me off with Juliet. We went to Kansas City and stopped in to Birdies for a little shopping! I love these boxes!

When we'd finished shopping we headed to Glace, Christopher Elbow's ice cream shop! The ladies in Birdies said that we could use some celebration ice cream. I had been wanting to go to his ice cream shop for a while, but never really knew where it was, so this was perfect!

I sampled several flavors, but I ended up getting cherry almond and Broadway Roasting Co. Coffee. I will note that the Blackberry Chocolate Flake was also amazing! It was really hard to decide! Both flavors that I got were so tasty! It put our favorite local ice cream shop to shame. Run don't walk to Glace. You will be in heaven! 

That night Kyle surprised me by inviting over a bunch of people for a game night. He made s'mores pie and a seven layer dip and I got to see so many faces that I didn't expect to! I don't have any pictures, but it's worth mentioning! Thank you to everyone who made my birthday special! And thank you to Kyle, who planned it all and kept it a secret! You are the best husband ever!

On the 4th we went to my family's house for our annual b-day/independence day celebration! My mom, sisters and Kalor surprised me with a sign that they hung on the wall saying "Happy Birthday Alex!" It was so fun! 

We also had a yummy cookout dinner. Olivia helped Kyle and I make fruit kebabs which was fun. After that my extended family joined us for dinner and fireworks. We had some pretty good ones this year, but a few tipped over for the first time ever! Scary! We had cake and everyone surprised me by popping those streamer poppers when I blew out the candles!

I got a lot of fun little presents from friends and family. I'm excited to move them into our new apartment, NEXT WEEK!

The next day Kyle and I hit the mall for a little bit. I found some cute t-shirts at Aerie and a fun infinity scarf. 

How did you spend the 4th?

All for now,

Alexandra

Summer Reading List 2013 // 2 Ways

Ah summer, time to read!

I've made 2 rough summer reading lists: the ambitious list and the lite list.

The Ambitious Summer Reading List

1) This Side of Paradise By F. Scott Fitzgerald

Started this once, and really loved it. Then I got busy and didn't have time to finish. I hope to get back into it this summer.

2) Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, & Lore  By: Skye Alexander

A (so far) awesome book filled with history and legends about mermaids. It gives you a look at where the mythology came from, all of the details recorded about mermaids, legends and tales from around the world by continent. I have always loved mythology and folktales and especially mermaids, so I am having a lot of fun with this book. I am learning a lot about the history and cultures of the places featured as well.

3) Frommer's Nova Scotia, New Brunswick & Prince Edward Island 

BECAUSE WE BOOKED A CRUISE TO THE MARITIME PROVINCES! (I'm not really excited or anything.)

4) Grayson By: Lynne Cox 

Just got this one. It's about a woman who is swimming in the ocean when she realizes she is swimming with a baby whale. She knows that if she swims to the beach the whale will beach and die. So she helps it search for it's mother. Supposedly a true story. The only thing that I love more than mermaids, is whales. 

5) Rebecca By: Daphne DuMaurier 

Look familiar from my 2010 summer book list?? ;) A gothic romance from the 1930's. Very creepy for the time. About 100 pages left and so far it's really depressing but simultaneously intriguing and I really want to check it off my list, so hopefully I can finish it!

6) Curly Girl: The Handbook (second addition) By: Lorraine Massey

A handbook on curly hair that helps you identify the type of curly hair that you have and gives you specific tips on how to fight frizz, wash it, etc plus which products to use and how you make your own. I hope that this helps my hair, because it's been kinda angry recently :S.

7)Who Are You? 101 Ways of Seeing Yourself By: Malcom Godwin

This was a book that I saw at the Discovery Store and wanted as a kid. There was also a similar one and I could only afford one of the two. I thought I would never find it again, but I did! :) It is a book of exercises and quizzes that theoretically give you insight into your personality. I find it interesting even though it's more fun than accurate.

8) Evangeline By: Ben Farmer

A book based on an epic poem based on Canadian Maritime Province history. Did that make sense? It's about the extreme deportation of Acadians (Canadian citizens who immigrated from specific parts of France) from the Maritime Provinces (see book #3 on my list) back to France, to Georgia and later to Louisiana. I started to learn some history of the area when we decided on our trip, only to find that I already had a novel based on the topic! Crazy.

9) Soul Sisters: The Five Sacred Qualities of a Woman's Soul By: Pythia Peay

This is a new-agey sort of book that is based on culture, spirituality and mythology of heroines around the world. Not my typical sort of book, but it sounds really interesting. I always enjoy learning about new topics and ideaology  so I am sure this will be really fun for me.

Summer Reading List Lite

The same list minus the F. Scott Fitzgerald (#1) and the Who Are you book (#7). 

Either way, we'll see how far I get! I will probably end up reading a bunch of other things and only half of these, but it's good to have goals. Goals and books. 

What is on your summer reading list? 

Have you read any of the ones on mine? What did you think?

Have you ever been to Canada's Maritime Provinces?

All for now,

Alexandra

Summer Is Over. Bucketlist Review.

Summer is over.

That is sad, but I am really pleased with everything I/we accomplished this summer. 

Because of the extreme Kansas heat, we decided to postpone some of these for the fall (marked with a *). Others just didn't get finished... and that's ok.

1) go camping*

2) watch brother bear

3) have s'mores

4) find a dance workout DVD that i like

5) have a garage sale/organize & consolidate belongings

6) go on at least 1 trip (somewhere new)

7) see fireworks

8) go to La Bodega 

9) stargaze 

10) watch beauty & the beast

11) go antiquing

12) take Kyle to an art museum

13) get an iphone

14) treat loved ones to a french toast breakfast

15) sew something

16) get into a workout routine with Kyle

17) have a LOTR marathon

18) go to Birdies

19) turn 22 and get a birthday cake shot at Henry's

20) have a picnic*

21) join the Merc

22) go swimming

23) consolidate banks

24) make a berry pie

25) garden (in the plot)- gave ours away - no time

26) work on my Miller scrapbook

27) read at least 2 classic novels (just finished 1)

28) make pop sickles

29) get wedding pictures done (at least partially)

30) clean Molly (the car)

31) watch Star Wars (all of them)

32) find a new board game or card game that I like

33) update insurance stuff

34) try a new margarita recipe

35) host a gathering

36) watch treasure planet

37) have at least 1 outdoor adventure

38) go to the farm*

39) go antiquing

40) go to Dave & Buster's

41) watch Poseidon

42) make something for our home

43) read at least 5 books

44) go to a drive in movie

45) try at least 3 new restaurants

46) begin travel scrapbook

47) try a new sangria recipe

48) go on a road trip (even a day trip)

49) watch Anastasia

50) get a coloring book

51) finish one creative project 

Additional Summer(early fall) Achievements:

- Got a new doctor

-purchased a "professional" wardrobe for my internship

-watched all 3 seasons of the vampire diaries

-finished watching Gilmore Girls all the way through with Kyle

-thrifted like there was no tomorrow

How did you guys do this summer?

What are your goals for the fall/winter? I have started thinking about mine. List Coming Soon! :) 

All for now,

Alexandra 

My Summer in Photos // 2012

Hi everyone! I hope that you are soaking up the last bits of summer! I'm sure trying to. 

We just got back from an AMAZING(!) weekend trip in Minneapolis/St. Paul. (Post here!) But in the meantime I thought I would leave you with some pictures of my summer :)

Summer Toes and Summer Shoes

Iced Mochas

 Summer Trees

 OE with her sno cone at the zoo!

The best chocolate cake I've ever had (More info in Minnesota post, here!)

I did a phone interview with Daily Feats, and they sent me this in the mail! :)

One of my favorite healthy snacks!

 Bowling :)

Chicken Bruchetta Pasta, recipe here! 

Jess enjoying her new campus!

 Ticket to Ride, my current favorite board game.

 mmm french toast breakfast!

I hope you are all having a great summer! What have you been up to?

More Soon,

Alexandra