lately

Tap, tap, tap...is this thing on? It's been ages since I last posted, so I thought I'd share some pictures of how spring is shaping up here in Western Mass. Blooms everywhere. Sweet smells. Gentles breezes. Of course, then it snowed and went back to winter. But for now, let's just enjoy daydreams of flowers and sunshine.

All of the right spring things. 

xo

grey days

For those of us living in the northeast, or otherwise frosty places, the grey days of winter have begun. The fog and drizzle have been constant and thick for the past few days in Western Mass. As a Florida girl who's used to abundant sunshine, these type of days make me feel sluggish, and by 4p.m. I'm ready to curl up in bed and call it a day. To make the days a little more cozy and a little less dreary, I've developed a few strategies.

1. Curling up under my covers with a pager-turner at the end of a long day. I'm currently reading this and loving it.

2. Drinking a warm cup of tea.

3. Exercise of any kind, for even just 20 minutes to give me a boost of energy. Bonus points if I take a jog or a long walk outside for some fresh air.

5. Getting out of the house, even just to run an errand or grab a tea at a nearby cafe.

4. Baking cookies to brighten my mood and satisfy my sugar cravings. Baking is just about the coziest thing you can do this time of year, besides cuddling up with a blanket and eating said baked goods, of course.

What about you? What do you do to stay cheerful on the greyest of days?

xo,
A

(image)

love letters

For the past few weeks I've been working on a project for my art class that I'm excited to share with you today. The world's been feeling a bit heavy lately what with recent global and national events, and in light of this, I wanted to spread a little love and cheer. To do this, I decided to write simple love letters to hide around campus. I loved the idea of passersby finding a little note to remind them that they're loved and that we're in this together.

I made handmade, sun-printed cards using a collection of flowers and foliage I found at a local flower market. I then stamped a friendly little message on each card and envelope. You can find the stamps I used here. After the cards were ready to go, I meandered around campus, tucking them in unexpected and not-so-unexpected places. Keep scrolling, if you'd like see more...

Lots of loooove.

Carefully tucking away the prints.

Perched on a windowsill outside a classroom. 

Can you spot the note below?

On a bench with a view of the pond. 

I've been checking the spots where I left these little guys to see if anyone has found them yet. So far, a few of them have been picked up! I hope they made each person's day a little brighter.

Have a great weekend, friends.

xo,
A

just a little note

Stumbling upon hearts in unexpected places is always a nice reminder to spread a little love. 

Hope your week is going great!

evenings, lately

Evenings in the fall are especially lovely, aren't they?

My evenings lately have taken me on long car rides through the mountains,

sunset walks around campus,

trips to local cafe for hot apple cider and rugelach (holiday music required),

and a quick weekend trip to brooklyn. 

There's nothing like fall.

Hope you're staying cozy and warm,

A

the first snow

Today is october 18 and it's snowing. As excited as I was for the first snow, I was hoping it would hold off until December, maybe November. I was looking forward to a magical Lorelei Gilmore moment of experiencing the first snow of the season. Smelling the snow and running outside in the middle of the night to see the fluffy stuff blanketing everything in shimmering white snow. I had, after all, never experienced a first snow until today.

Here's hoping for a few more weeks of fall and a few more warm days until the cold settles in.

daydreaming: a weekend in nyc

Lately, I've been dreaming of a little weekend getaway to New York City. There's something magical about being in the city during the changing of the seasons. The window displays, the colorful leaves in central park, the chill in the air. ah...

This is what I've been dreaming about doing for a weekend away:

Staying here. Because, how cute?

Eating here. My city friends rave about it.

Shopping here. Because I've only been dreaming about it for last year.

Visiting this museum. Have you been? It looks incredible.

Going to an aerial yoga class here. Because it is so much fun, and I miss my regular practice.

And, of course, a little stop at this favorite spot for a delicious dinner and chai.

What about you? What are your favorite things to do in the city?

[photo cred: here]