Wanted on Wednesday: A Potager Garden

{top L-R: Herb Companion, How Stuff Works. bottom images: Southern Living}

With the practicality of an English kitchen garden and the style of a French jardin ornamental, I dream of having a beautiful back garden full of both edibles and cutting flowers, perhaps with pebbled pathways betwixt tidy, raised beds.

{via Peter Piper Picked}

While I'm at it,  I wouldn't mind having a dreamy, dirty potting space like this one from the movie It's Complicated. This is the stuff of which my dreams are made.

List ten: 10 things I would love to do.

{source}

This list is a hodge-podge of lots of things I'd like to do. Consider it a bucket list-in-training. See anything you'd like to do, too? Maybe we could accomplish it together!

1. Learn to fluently speak another language. I'm leaning toward Spanish because it's most practical, though I have a good start on French already. Czech would be cool, as would Japanese. I'm up for the challenge!

2. Visit Ireland. There's a part of my soul that longs to see Ireland. It's a place of magic and spirituality.

3. Reduce clutter and learn to live with less. My sister is almost gypsy-like in this sense. The girl does not have the same strange emotional attachment to objects the way I do. I'm a pack rat, but I'm not proud. My house is full of stuff I don't really need. I'd like to start with one room and really de-clutter. I think I'd be able to breathe with less stuff surrounding me.

4. Lose 20 lbs. I think I could if I could just commit to a fitness routine. I loathe working out, but then again, I went to the gym all the time when I had a membership. Perhaps I'm not cut out for at home fitness on the cheap..?

5. Eat local and in season. I really stand behind locally-grown and harvested farms, goods and food, but I'm guilty of not eating it as often as I should. I want to relearn how to eat local, minimize my contribution to outside-Ohio foods and maximize my support for healthier food choices and local farmers.

6. Finish projects I start. I'm notorious for starting something, getting bored before it's finished and walking away, only to never finish it. My work space is chock full o' unfinished projects. I'd like to go back, finish those projects and commit to not starting another one until the current one is completed. Easier said than done to someone like me, but it's worth trying.

7. Grow my own victory garden without the urban warfare squirrels eating everything, the buggers.

8. Learn to can and preserve said vegetables to eat all winter.

9. Learn to screen print. Just one more craft to add to my artistic arsenal.

*10. Learn to make my own sewing patterns. I am a pretty good seamstress, but my pattern skills are lacking. I'd love to not only learn to master sewing patterns and how to adjust them, I'd love to learn to make my own patterns from scratch and share them with everyone. Pattern sharing just makes me smile. I'd love to give back to everyone else who has contributed to my sewing happiness over the years.

(*edit: yep. I forgot #10 on my list of ten. oops! Here it is!)

Freebie Friday: Natural Easter Egg Dyes

{inhabitots}

It's about that time, folks. I've found myself poking around Martha Stewart's website looking for cheery spring-related craft inspiration. More often than not, perusing Martha Stewart's projects nearly always leaves me feeling a little inadequate and, admittedly, pretty overwhelmed. Talk about a team of crafting superheros! Is there anything they can't do, seriously?

You can imagine my elation when I came across these great recipes for all-natural Easter egg dyes, courtesy the wonder that is Martha. I love me some Easter egg dying. Sorry, Paas. My Easter eggs are going au naturel this year.

I think I'll tackle the red cabbage (blue), coffee (brown) and beets (pink) this year. What about you? Will you give these natural dyes a try this year, too?

(P.S. The ingredients are safe for composting AND eating. That ultraviolet purple Paas egg? Not so much.)

Click here for all the different dye recipes, tips and video walk-through.

Good Morning Ohio: Buckeye Brittle

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Good morning to Columbus's own Buckeye Brittle!

{images courtesy Nancy Monti Barcalow & Business First Columbus}

I'm particularly excited about this Good Morning Ohio post because this connection was born of a previous GMO post, it features delectable sweets and shows some love for women-owned, local, small business entrepreneurs. A trifecta!

I had the pleasure of meeting Nancy at the Hills Market local food event a couple of weeks ago. Not only is her peanut brittle to-die-for, Nancy's as sweet as punch and one of those folks you want to be around and chat with all day. Her story is like many others', but strikingly different too. Having gone through a big corporate "reorganization", Nancy didn't fret. She took her marketing expertise and got to work on Buckeye Brittle, an old-fashioned, homemade, natural peanut brittle based from her family's recipe. (Seriously, how cool is that?) Let me tell you what. Words simply do not do it justice!

“When I tell people I sell peanut brittle, 

you can hear it in their voices, they feel sorry for you.

I’m not doing this as a bake sale

I’m doing what I want to do.”

- Nancy Monti Barcalow, Business First of Columbus article by Dan Eaton

Because of Nancy's determination, know-how, and guidance from amazing local business development organizations like the ECDI's Growing Entrepreneurs Initiative and Walker Food Group, Nancy has landed her Buckeye Brittle in, literally, dozens of stores all over Ohio. She is anticipating even more growth as the year progresses and looks forward to Buckeye Brittle's premier at the Kroger Marketplace in Lewis Center, Ohio this April. Online ordering is also being considered. For more info, check out the Buckeye Brittle website here.

Want to meet Nancy (and lots of other Ohio food talent)...and maybe sneak a piece or three of her Buckeye Brittle? Mark your calendars!

A Taste of Ohio Sampling

Lewis Center Kroger Marketplace

April 17, from 11am - 6pm

Wanted on Wednesday: Illuminated Carnival Letter Lamp

My current obsession (oh how I want this big 'E'!): the Illuminated Carnival Letter lamp, as offered by Columbus's own Collier West, found in our beloved Short North district.

It would live in my home office and make me smile every day. For $185, I really do love lamp.

Make Do & Mend: Patching Holes

 {farouche etsy}

For quite awhile now, I've been thinking about my spending patterns, what they mean, the impact they have on my household and the global picture, what it means to truly "make do and mend" and, to go one step further, how to apply those philosophies to my every day life.

In the past, I have been guilty of replacing items with brand-new because I was tired of the old one (*guilty of following flash-in-the-pan trends and not investing  in classic foundation pieces). I've also donated clothing that was ill-fitting before ever trying to alter it to fit me properly (*guilty of not seeing the value in already-owned pieces and getting creative with my seamstress abilities) and, lastly, I recognize that, in the past, I've put way too much value on the 'new' instead of saving my money and making do with what I already own. Well, I'm proud to say that, for me, those wasteful days are over. From now on, I'm going to apply the philosophies of generations past and make do and mend. It's not going to be any walk in the park, but I hope that checking in with my progress will inspire you to tackle some projects of your own and share tips as we discover them. I hope you'll join me in "using it up, wearing it out, making it do and doing without"!

Here's what I did last week:

1. Sewed up a tear and patched two holes in a vintage pillowcase liner.



2. Sewed up two tiny holes in a $2 thrift store sweater I recently bought.

3. Finished an elastic skirt made from a new cotton sheet and white grosgrain ribbon. Added some pockets using Susan at Freshly Picked's tutorial here. (Not the greatest pic, but I had to share it. I love the pockets!)

4. Made a notebook tote for my best friend's son's 2nd birthday (I'll post pics after I give it to him!)

What's up next on the Make Do & Mend list (and this isn't just limited to clothing, folks!):

- Hem about 6 pairs of pants
- Make some kind of window covering for spare bedroom window
- Pick up & strip wood benches from my grandma's old house (hopefully pick up over Easter weekend...)
- Reinforce a seam on a pair of suede flats (holes already awled and ready for stitching)

What's on your Make Do & Mend list?

List nine: I bet you didn't know...

 

{image}

 1. Reality shows are my secret indulgence. Jersey Shore? Oh yes, I watched every fist-pumping minute. Hoarders? Celebrity Rehab? 16 and Pregnant? Check. Check. Check. Strangely, I'm less embarrassed to admit this than I thought. I like to believe watching Antiques Roadshow, National Geographic and BBC America balances things out somehow.

2. I loathe guacamole, the smell of bananas, pinto and black beans. Everything else is fair game.

3. OK this one is embarrassing...but I'll divulge for the sake of an interesting read: I sleep with a blue stuffed bunny at night. It makes a good neck bolster pillow. My chiropractor would be sorely disappointed.

4. Remember those coloring book contest pages in the 80s? (Do they still have them? I'm not sure...) Well, when I was nine, I won one of those coloring contests. It wasn't the college tuition-level prize, of course. It was a neon yellow nylon backpack. One of my crowning artistic achievements to date.

5. I would eat breakfast for dinner every day if my husband would let me.

6. I've never broken a bone.

7. I've never been stung by a bee, wasp or any other hurty-type insect. Just skeeters, but they're worse, I think.

8. I volunteered at local no-kill cat shelter while in college.

9. I spent my 18th birthday hiking the Bridger Mountains in Montana.

10. I was in a Gap Kids fashion show with my little sister on my 8th birthday.

11. Always the overachiever, I never got below a B until college.

12. I learned to crochet when I was 10 by my cousin's grandmother. I taught myself to knit at 30.

13. I like old man food like smoked cheese, sardines and liver pâté.

14. When I was in kindergarten, I wanted to be a school bus driver.

That's enough from me. What's a weird little-known fact about you?

Freebie Friday: 2 Super Cute Japanese Bag Tutes

I came across these two tutorials and loved them so much, I had to share. The illustrations are almost cuter than the bags, don't you think? The little lumpy cat-dog-bear animal with the apple on its head? C'mon, that's just adorable! Sure wish I could read the instructions, but I think that anyone with intermediate sewing skills can follow along. Can't wait to give it a try myself!

tutorial 1: one-handle loop satchel (top)

tutorial 2: two-handled bag (bottom)

Happy weekend!

Good Morning Ohio: The Hills Market

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Good Morning to Columbus's  The Hills Market!

This past weekend, despite the drizzly rain, Bubs and I ventured up to The Hills Market for one of their awesome local food events. What a great time! Not only did we get completely stuffed on fresh cheeses, produce, potato chips, fresh pie, delicious chicken, gelato, chocolates, and the best vegan burger I've ever eaten, we fed our souls with the comradery of Ohio farmers, entrepreneurs, business owners and supporters of the local food movement.

The Hills Market always satisfies. They sell a fabulous list of beers and wines, delectable sweets, bountiful breads, artisan cheeses, crispy produce and hearty meats. If you ever find yourself in the Mt. Air/Worthington Hills area of town, The Hills Market is a worthy stop. Just be sure to give yourself enough time to go aisle-by-aisle and remember your reusable shopping totes because you're going to want to buy everything! If you're into some great crab boils, roasts and foodie-friendly events, The Hills Market events are worth the drive.

Wanted on Wednesday: The Guinness Menu

{images 1, 2, 3: Guinness Storehouse. image 4: BBC Good Food}

I come from what you might call a "mostly" Irish-American family, though there's a healthy dose of English blood and a Frenchman in there, too. But with names like Ferguson, O'Mahony, Carmay, and Ward floating around in my family tree, my family tends to feel our Irish heritage is something to be celebrated all year long.

So whether you're Irish or are pretending for the day (and who can blame you?), today's a day to celebrate all things Ireland and one of my very favorite products of Ireland is Guinness (shocker, right?) What would be better on a St. Patrick's Day Wednesday than an entire menu made with Guinness? If you're anything like me, this menu will be right up your alley.

Slainte!

1. Triple Threat Guinness Cheese Spread (found here}
2. Irish Stew with Lamb and Guinness (found here}
3. Guinness Chocolate Truffles {found here}
4. Guinness Black Velvet Cocktail {found here}
5. Guinness Oatmeal Bread {found here}
6. Unbeatable Guinness Cake {found here}

El Cheapo Chic: My $1 Burlap Wreath

You remember my sharing this great project on how to make a burlap wreath? Well, I decided to finally make my own. At first, I followed the tutorial more closely, using 6 strips of burlap roughly 3-4" in width and 36" in length, but it didn't look as dense as I had hoped once it was "scrunched" onto the wire. Instead, I took all the burlap off the wire, halved the width of the strips and skewered it back onto the wire. The result was much better for my tastes. For now, I'll hang it on the back door in the kitchen. I think the burlap looks nice against the white walls.

I have a fun and busy week ahead of me...get to visit with Sissy (it's been too long!), getting my hair done, St. Patrick's Day, a lunch with my ladies on Friday, and more work on Hello Magpie (I found some super cutie vintage additions and worked out some great handmade products this past week. Yahoo!)

So how's your week looking? Anything fun on your agenda?

Oh...BTW. Have you tried TeuxDeux yet? I'm slowly saying good-bye to my gazillion Post-it notes, it's THAT GOOD! Making my life more organized, one day at a time :)

List eight: Favorite movie quotes

 "Where are the white women at?" [Blazing Saddles, 1974]

{image by Effingboring via craftster}

Bubs and I are crazy movie quoters...like, not a single day goes by without one of us quoting a movie in our everyday conversation. It happens so often I have to think about what was said to remember it was a movie quote! It makes us laugh. We're big movie nerds, what can I say? Here are a few of my favorites. Most of them are classics...I was feeling a little movie quote-y today. So, without further ado, a little insight into my ridiculously juvenile sense of humor. Enjoy :)

1. "And if it wouldn't be too much, I'd like to get something for you Clark. Something really nice." [National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation, 1989.]

2. "Watch out for the horse crap, Ted." [Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, 1989]

3. "Well, um, actually a pretty nice little Saturday, we're going to go to Home Depot. Yeah, buy some wallpaper, maybe get some flooring, stuff like that. Maybe Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I don't know, I don't know if we'll have enough time." [Old School, 2003]

4.  "What do you mean brought it bowling, Dude? I didn't rent it shoes. I'm not buying it a f*cking beer. He's not taking your f*cking turn, Dude." [The Big Lebowski, 1998]

5. "The chinaman is not the issue here, Dude. I'm talking about drawing a line in the sand, Dude. Across this line, you DO NOT... Also, Dude, chinaman is not the preferred nomenclature. Asian-American, please" [The Big Lebowski, 1998]

6. "Some men are islands. I'm a bloody island! I'm bloody Ibiza!" [About a Boy, 2002]

7. "I'll have some of the yellow. And don't get cheap on me." [Vegas Vacation, 1997]

8. "I got it, I got it. Last words - I dig music....I'm on drugs!" [Almost Famous, 2002]

9. "Purple! Your aura is purple!" [Almost Famous, 2002]

10. "Look at that subtle off-white coloring. The tasteful thickness of it. Oh, my God. It even has a watermark." [American Psycho, 2000]

11. "When life gives you lemons, just say 'F*ck the lemons,' and bail." [Forgetting Sarah Marshall, 2008]

12. "It's just a flesh wound." [Monty Python and  the Holy Grail, 1975]

13. Jack Byrnes: "If I set you up, do you think you can spike it, Focker?
Greg Focker: "Well, I would have to get pretty high."
Jack Byrnes: "I bet you would Panama Red." [Meet the Parents, 2000]

14. "I can't hear you, you're trailing off and did I catch a niner in there? Were you calling from a walkie-talkie?" [Tommy Boy, 1995]

15."I guess you can dere-lick my balls cap-E-tan." [Zoolander, 2001]

16. "Listen, not a year goes by, not a year, that I don't hear about some escalator accident involving some b*stard kid which could have easily been avoided had some parent - I don't care which one - but some parent conditioned him to fear and respect that escalator." [Mallrats, 1995]

17. "Good stuff. This is the good stuff. Snakes and sparklers." [Joe Dirt, 2001]

18. "Don't tell me my business, Devil Woman. Call the fire department, this one's outta control." [Billy Madison, 1995]

19. "Well-well look. I already told you: I deal with the god d@mn customers so the engineers don't have to. I have people skills; I am good at dealing with people. Can't you understand that? What the hell is wrong with you people?" [Office Space, 1999]

20. "There is no Dana, only Zuul." [Ghost Busters, 1984]

21. "But I do love the taste of a good burger. Mm-mm-mm. You know what they call a Quarter Pounder with cheese in France? Tell 'em Vincent...A Royale with cheese!...You mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down?" [Pulp Fiction, 1994]

22. "Oh, wicked pic in the PennySaver, by the way. Super classy - not like those people with the fake woods in the background. Honestly who do they think they're fooling" [Juno, 2007]

23. "We thought you was a toad." [Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?,  2000]

24. "The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing." [Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, 1989]


Ok...now I know I've missed about a billion quotes, but this is all I could think of right now.  How about you? What are some of your fave movie quotes?

Let's Revisit...Drying For Freedom

My friend Chantale (who has a superfantastic blog called The Adventures of Skinny Mini Kiki) left a comment on Friday's post that reminded me of a post I did last August. discussing a great film on the freedom of line drying clothes. I thought I'd dig in the crates and (re)share it with you.

Happiest of Sundays to you and I hope you embrace everything it entails, for our freedom is worth celebrating.


Drying For Freedom, circa Aug 2009.

Freebie Friday: Crochet Clothespin Bag Pattern

{courtesy sukigirl}

Is this not the cutest clothespin bag you've ever seen? Those miniature crocheted clothes (which Sukigirl also offers a pattern/tute for here) really are adorable. I especially love this crochet clothespin bag pattern because it is a great beginner crochet pattern (because, really. Who wants to crochet a gazillion scarves because you don't know what else to make?) Trust me, I've been there. This is a way more practical and easy pattern for newbies! (Special thanks to sukigirl for the great pattern. Love it!)

So, what could make this handy bag that much better? Why not whip up some plarn and crochet a more weather-proof version, perfectly suited for living outside on your clothes line? (FYI: "plarn" is yarn made from plastic grocery store bags...pure genius and super easy to make. Give it a try here.)

This is definitely on my top list of projects for myself. Now that the weather is warming and spring is officially just a couple weeks away, I'm itching to get a clothesline up. This clothespin bag will be a great addition, don't you think? 

Happy weekend, everybody :)

Good Morning Ohio: Cranky Pressman

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Good morning to Salem, Ohio's Cranky Pressman!

{images courtesy Cranky Pressman + flickr}

I love everything about the Cranky Pressman, but I especially love this quote: "This is not some cute boutique. We offer full letterpress production for creative professionals." I'm as guilty as the next girl for fawning over pretty shops and the tactile nature of letterpress in general (hello, wedding invitations), but as a design pro, I gravitate towards  the no-nonsense approach when it comes to getting my work printed because, ultimately, I want to know...are you spending time making your shop look pretty or are you busting your rear to produce the best damn product possible? Something tells me Cranky Pressman falls into the latter category. With ink under their nails, this shop is run by "Cranky Bros." Keith and Jamie Berger in small-town Salem. So...crazy-mad letterpress skills? Check. Ohio small town? Check. Family-run business? Check. What's not to love?

Wanted on Wednesday: Organic Cotton Jeans

{Good Society Denim via Rare Device}

For serious. What's not to love about fair-trade, sustainable organic cotton denim? Did I mention they have a little Lycra for a comfy fit? Oh. And did I also forget to mention that they're on sale at Rare Device right now? Loving this vintage wash, but if you want to check out the latest from the house of Good Society, check out their website here.

"Design is art that makes itself useful."

Die Neue Sammlung poster.  Mendell & Oberer, 1984. + "Morse Alphabet". Konst & Teknik, 2006.

{images via Konst & Teknik}

List seven: my biggest fears

 

{image}

I read an amazing article by Lara Casey the other day and it really got me thinking of my fears, where they come from and how I can control them to make super-amazing things happen in my life. Here's my list. It's not a fear of heights or spiders or the like. It's about the shadowy parts of my personality that I feel hold me back from being the best version of myself. It was pretty liberating to write it all down. It's clear that I have a lot to learn about my fears, but writing them down is a good start. Take that, fear.

I AM FEARFUL...

1. Of never being viewed as successful, despite my hard work.

2. Of disappointing the people closest to me, whose opinions I value almost too much. (That's hard to admit.)

3. Of feeling alone and unpopular.

4. Of never having enough money.

5. Of being too old to have kids by the time we're ready.

6. Of never being "ready".

7. Of missing out on stuff, big and small,  because of being too tired, too broke or too lazy.

8. Of my not saving enough money now for later in life.

9. Of failing as a friend and...

10. Of losing friendships when I don't nurture them as well as I should.

11. Of admitting that I can't do it all.

12. Of never being able to get fit and what it could do to my health.

13. Of hurting my marriage because I'm quicker to blame others than take responsibility.

14. Of being wrong...and when I know I am,

15. Of admitting it and apologizing.

Freebie Friday: nani IRO 2010 Patterns

There is such a lovely, inspiring simplicity to nani IRO patterns and fabric, isn't there? Textile designer Naomi Ito makes me love the idea of sewing every day. A perfect, breezy summer tunic here or a  mommy-and-me apron set? I can't lie. I long for the day when I can whip up darling little frocks for my own wee brood. Until then, I have to live vicariously through all you hot craft mamas out there!

To take the legwork out of tracking down some seriously adorable patterns yourself, here are a few of my  favorite Nani Iro patterns, all courtesy of Kokka Japan.

note: patterns are in Japanese and metric, but it shouldn't stop you! 








Just click on an image below to open the corresponding pattern in another window. Enjoy!

Good Morning Ohio: Wholly Craft!

Did you know that to say "good morning" in Japanese is "Ohayou gozaimasu"? Yep, 'Ohayou' is a homonym for 'Ohio' and, because I think it's a super cool coincidence, it's now the name of my newest feature. Welcome to Good Morning Ohio!

I love Ohio and especially love Columbus. More often than not, when traveling and telling people I live in Columbus, Ohio, I get one of two responses 1. they've never heard of my great state or 2. they think Columbus is a cow town. That makes me sad! So from now on, every Thursday I'm going to be sharing with you a little bit of my home state! It is dedicated to all those folks who haven't yet had the pleasure of visiting Columbus (or Ohio, for that matter). It will be your quick and dirty education on all the awesomeness that is Ohio.

Hey -- if you live, work, blog or have something fantastic to share with my readers about Ohio, please let me know. Good Morning Ohio is all about supporting and loving our local yokels! Got a product? A business? A story, vacation spot, photo, event or idea? Email me!

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Good morning to Columbus/Clintonville's handmade hotspot Wholly Craft!

This is definitely one brick-and-mortar establishment you want to support, as they offer consigned goods from over 100 local indie artists, designers, and crafters. You'll find everything from purses to plushies and everything in between at Wholly Craft! Plus, it has an awesome name.

"Wholly Craft! opened its doors in 2005. Our purpose in being is to provide Columbus, Ohio with a comfortable place to shop for handmade goods, a fun and fabulous alternative to mass-produced madness. You’re sure to find unique little gifts for yourself and your loved ones."

Best of all: This is the kind of place to drag your suburban, (literally) outside-the-loop friends. They will love it, find at least one thing to buy and thank you for showing them this very cool store. Way to support your local indie industry, Columbusonians! Win!

Wanted on Wednesday: Indie Rock Coloring Book

Welcome to my newest feature Wanted on Wednesday, where I will showcase all those glorious little treasures I find all over the place and cannot resist the urge to share with you. Sure, it's been done a bajillion times, but I never tire of reading other folks' lists or sharing mine. There's just too much cool stuff out there to share, wouldn't you agree? Enjoy!

The Indie Rock Coloring Book. Yellow Bird Project.

Put the Needle on the Record

So, the other day, I found myself in Best Buy with Bubs. He was looking for something ('something' is code for total geekfest EQII expansion, not that I would know anything about MMORPGs or anything...ahem.)

Anyway, back to my moment of duh.

We're casually cruising down the aisles on the way back to the front of the store and I see in my periphery two young 20somethings. I blurt out to Bubs (not very quietly, I may add),"Wow. Seriously? Who comes all the way to Best Buy for a calendar?"

{image}

Only to have my darling husband then point out,"Those aren't calendars. They're records."

Fail.

P.S. Am I the only one who didn't know that Best Buy is selling vinyl? Sure, it's ridiculously overpriced, but still. They're records. At Best Buy. And that I was not expecting. I'll turn in my cool kid card at the door, thanks.

List six: what I love about summer.

 {sarah mccoy photography}

The miserable blahs of winter are taking their toll on me, so I thought I'd inject some sunshine into today's post, with all that I love most about summer. Happy March!

1. Lake Erie. Sure, it's not the most beautiful water in the world and, in July, you get that really awesome dead fish smell with every slight breeze, but it was better than anything to a kid in the middle of summer. Oh, Memorial Day weekend. Nothing says "Bring it on, Summertime!" like the Walleye Festival. And whoever was the first to brave the waters was always looked upon with awe. I mean, seriously. Do you know how cold Lake Erie water is at the beginning of the summer? Really cold. We didn't care. It was summer. And summer meant fun. Watching storms come in off the lake with my grandma. Fishing with grandpa. Swimming with my family. Climbing the cliffs (and jumping off) with my friends. Bonfires. Water snakes. Inner tube rafts. Catching crayfish. I nearly drowned once. Hell, I even got engaged right there on the beach. To this day, nothing beats the first trip up to the lake, rolling down the windows over the Sandusky Bay bridge and smelling that wonderful Lake Erie smell. It is now, and forever will be, home.

2. Festivals. Dan and I love festivals and try to hit as many as we can as soon as the weather warms up. Mt. Gilead Sweet Corn Festival? Absolutely, never you mind that there's only about 5 booths and one hot dog vendor and nothing made of corn. Reynoldsburg Tomato Festival. Yep, we were there. Ohio State Fair? Check. Dublin Irish Fest? Always. We dig festing. If you're a small town within driving distance and have a festival for produce, fruit or music, we'll do our best to be there, map and sunblock in hand. This summer, I'd like to include Amish country and a bluegrass festival to the schedule. What can I say? I have a thing for apple butter and banjos.

3. BBQ and beer. I'm fairly certain that nothing beats a cold Heineken and fresh BBQ on our deck in the middle of summer. The hubsie is a meat magician and can turn anything into smoked or grilled little bites of heaven. Last summer, I once rode my bike home from the grocery with a backpack full of meat for him, that's how much I love his BBQ. It's glorious. Ask anybody. Maybe if you ask nicely, I'll even share some of his secrets with you.

4. Driving with the windows down. I'm always armed with a hair tie because, as soon as the sun is shining, those windows are coming down, the music gets cranked up and the driving gets a little quicker. Fresh air + good tunes + warm sunshine = happiness. Add in a fun destination (see #2) and I'm one, happy camper. (Which brings me to...

5. Camping. I'm camping. I camp. I'm a camper. (Bonus points if you guess the movie reference.) I've been a camper forever. I remember the days of digging out the huge canvas family tent, hosing it down and patching leaks with my dad (all I did, really, was roll around on the floor because I liked the crunch of the grass underneath. What can I say? I was five.) Camping evolved and so did the tent. One of the funniest stories in my arsenal involved Mom, Sissy and I, camping, a bottle of Skye vodka and lip-syncing to Garth Brooks. (You really had to be there. Not one of my finer moments, actually.) It was sis and I who took Bubs on his first camping trip. We didn't come close to "roughing it." It was a campground with electricity, for goodness sakes. He admitted to liking "tenting" -- that was about 10 years ago and we still tease him about it. I've even camped from Ohio to Montana, in South Dakota's Bandlands and Wyoming's Devils Tower*.

6. Riding bikes with Bubs. I like to ride my bicycle. Bubs found it on craigslist and I loved it from the minute we picked it up (we even stopped at a playground on the way home, just so I could give it a spin.) I have a bell that reads "I (heart) My Bike" and, thanks to my most-awesome husband, a detachable metal basket. It's glorious! Bike trips that end up at Jeni's Ice Cream are the best kind, but I love all of our trips together.

7. Flip flops. Oh, how I miss you flip flops! I generally dislike wearing shoes, despite my owning absurd amounts of them. If it's not bare feet, it's flip flops and perfectly-pedicured tootsies. If I lived in a more temperate climate, I would have to find a job that allowed me to wear flip flops because I'm not sure I'd ever want to wear regular shoes again. Unless their white lace-up Keds with no socks. Or TOMS. But that's it.

8. Sun-kissed skin. Winter washes out my complexion so much that no amount of sunless tanner can bring any life back into it. Of course, in the summer months, I take my mom's advice and wear sunblock, but my skin always turns to a lovely sun-kissed hue. It just perks me right up.

9. Color-. I absolutely love all the colors of summer. Bright blue skies, dark green lawns and all the bright colors of flower gardens make me so happy I can hardly stand it. Throw in fresh lemonade, sun-bleached sidewalks, candy-colored patio furniture and chubby tiny-bathing-suit-clad toddlers in baby pools and you have a pretty perfect picture of summertime happiness.

10. July 4th. We're lucky enough to live within walking viewing-distance of one of the midwest's largest Independence Day fireworks shows -- Red White and Boom. I'm one of those people with an inner-child who still 'Oohs' and 'Aahs' and claps at her "favorites". Life is too short not to clap at your favorites, people. Last year, ten of us also went in on a table at the City of Dublin's fireworks show. We totally saw The Four Tops AND Boyz II Men, ate a ton of food and had the BEST seat for the fireworks. I wonder who's performing this year...

11. The ice cream man. Any semblance to self-respect flies out the window when I hear the ice cream truck. Also, I have superhuman-type hearing and a Pavlovian response, complete with cocked head, slight pause to make sure I heard the happy jingle of Do Your Ears Hang Low. Upon certain confirmation, I start yelling, "ICE CREAM MAN" at the top of my lungs and tear like a bat out of hell through the door. This is usually followed by a more civilized adult, like my mom and/or husband, laughing at me, holding a $5 to pay the man. Because I ran so fast I didn't have time to grab money. I wish I were even remotely exaggerating. It's a sight to behold. Oh, p.s. I especially love the huge, original Bomb Pops and any sherbet-type pop that comes in the form of a cartoon character with gumball eyes. If the ice cream man offered Dole Whip, Bubs would be screaming right along with me, running at full sprint after the ice cream man. It's his favorite food obsession.

12. I nearly forgot to include my birthday! Perhaps it's a little self-serving, but I can't lie. I love my birthday. After all, I am a Leo. It's going to be a challenge to beat last year's party, that's for sure.

*Updated: List four: States I've never visited. Oops. Poor Wyoming.