Well, we are back from the annual trip to Hilton Head. It was a great trip, as usual! Plenty of surf, sun, and laughs with great friends. I only wish that it could have lasted a little longer.

. . . back to reality, starting with a massive pile of laundry. . .

Tomorrow we’re leaving for our annual vacation to the paradise that is Hilton Head Island, SC. I pledge to wear flip flops everyday, wave at the dolphins while at the beach, and drink too many frozen drinks at the Salty Dog Cafe.

See you later, gator!

All this great weather has been giving me Spring fever. I want to pack some bags, throw the hubby and dog in the car, and hit the road. Seeing these fantastic travel posters on Design*Sponge also makes me feel like being a travelin’ gal. Check out these beautiful new travel posters from artist Dustin Summers of The Heads of State. His brand new series of limited edition 14×24 screen prints are dedicated to eight american cities. while I’m loyal to my Chi, i’ll have to say that Phoenix, Seattle, and New York are my favorite designs in the bunch. Each serigraph is only $30! (100 limited-edition prints) maybe I should just purchase a few of them, they’d be much cheaper than gas.

Image by Dustin Summers

I am so excited! Yesterday I booked my flight to go visit Kaci and Dawn in Columbus. I have been dying to go out and see them. They both had new babies in Oct/Nov and I need to get in some serious snuggle time with them both. I have been working on some cute little knitted gifts for them both and I also plan on bringing out my camera to take a ton of pictures.

I have been missing them both terribly recently. I think part of it is the weather. The three of us would hibernate for most of the winter – playing Tetris, watching movies, and tons of laughter. Just what I need to get through this dreary time of year.

I am also excited to report that we have booked our condo for the annual Hilton Head, SC trip! We have been going with our dear friends, Dave & Christi, for the past few years and it is always such a good time. June can come soon enough!

Well, we are going to be off on our annual Holiday Tour tomorrow morning. Looking forward to seeing all of our loved ones. Hope you all have safe travels and a wonderful time.

This past weekend my sister and nephew made the trip up from Chicago to join us in celebrating all things apple at the Gays Mills Apple Festival. It was a beautiful day and the drive showcased Wisconsin’s autumnal splendor. We strolled around the little town of Gays Mills and took in the sites . . . and tastes. I had the best apple fritter of my life. Wow. We were chased by some bees that seemed to agree with me, but no stings. Watched my nephew climb a rock wall like the little monkey he is. We stopped at a local orchard and picked up a big sack of honeycrisp apples to bring home. While there, we had some yummy apple cider and apple donuts, but the best was yet to come. An apple cider slushie. Words cannot describe the ecstasy . . . truly nectar of the gods. All in all a fabulous day. I am already looking forward to next year.

Came home from my Girly Weekend in Columbus yesterday. I am missing Dawn and Kaci already. It was so good to spend some quality girl time together. It makes me realize how much I miss that female camaraderie. We’ve decided that from now on I am going to make the trip back whenever Shawn has his golf tournament. That way I can guarantee that we’ll be able to get together at least once a year. The great thing is that I will see them again in a couple of weeks for Kaci’s baby shower. That made leaving not quite as hard as it otherwise would have been.

Side Note: I must mention that Shawn came in second place in the Palmreuter Invitational this year. He was sorely disappointed that he lost by one stroke, but I am still proud of how well he did.

I am so excited! This weekend I am flying to Columbus to spend the weekend with my two best friends, Kaci and Dawn. Each time we’ve been in Columbus, it has been a whirlwind tour, so the most I get is a few hours at brunch or something. So an entire weekend of uninterrupted girly time is a real treat.

These girls were my sisters and a source of family while I lived in CMH. We have been through many ups and downs together, from surviving college, boyfriends, and financial crisis to weddings, buying homes, and now having babies- they are both pregnant. Not me! I have shared more laughter and tears with them than anyone else I know, including my husband. (They have about twelve years on him, but he’s catching up.) I really am at a loss for words to describe how much they mean to me. I truly consider them as my two additional sisters, more so than friends.

I will be sure to post some highlights of my weekend, I am sure that there will be some good stories to tell. We always have a knack for some hilarious high jinx!

Brief update from the paradise that is Hilton Head Island, SC. I have never coming home. Decided to open up a frozen drink stand on the beach and Shawn will run a t-shirt shop. . . no more cold Wisconsin winters for us! Well, at least I can dream.

Hope that you all had a good Memorial Weekend. Our was a lot of fun, tons of things – and miles- packed into it.

Shawn and I packed up the car and headed down to my parents house on Thursday night, so that we could get a good start for our drive to Indiana to meet our friends from Columbus for our camping trip. Loading all of our camping gear and Walter in to the back of the Rover was an exercise in spatial relationships. All those hours spent playing Tetris came in handy. Off we went on Friday morning, arriving to the campsite around 3 PM (EST) it was about a 5 hour drive, including 2 stops. Not too bad. Camping was a good time, hanging out with good friends, watching the dogs play (another couple brought their yellow lab, Hoover) cooking out and making s’mores, not to mention a few frosty beverages. Very fun and entertaining. We stayed for two nights and then packed up and headed back to my parents on Sunday.

We hung out there and relaxed with the family, returning on Monday afternoon. All in all, a great weekend. . . but I sure was happy to sleep in our own bed last night!