8 Photos of Happiness

I was so happy to see Hannah from The Swirl tag me in 8 Photos of Happiness! I loved looking though old pictures, because they always bring up old memories that I know I'll always remember. Of course, there are so many more that I wish I could've included, and I'm so blessed to be able to say that. I'll be tagging a couple of people below, bur anyone is free to do so! Here are the rules persay ---

• Thank your nominator and link them in the post!
• Link to the creator (Ariel’s Little Corner of the Internet)
• Post your 8 photos of happiness (the photos can be anything that represents a moment, object, place, or feeling that makes you happy)
• Either choose to write a description of the photos + why they make you happy, or you can let the photos do the talking!
• Spread the happiness by tagging up to 10 other bloggers!

1// Senior spring break in Alabama - the beach is too beautiful.

2// Ice cream and friends!

3// The parentals at prom.

4// Senior year tennis state champs.

5// Halloween with the roommate.

6// Fall retreat with Cru!

7// Always love how close I've stayed with these two.

8// Free painting and a beautiful day out.

I tag...
Brooke - Brookewrote
Carrie - Carrie On Blogs
Jamie - The Fashion Newcomer
Cathleen - Classy Cathleen
Blaze Ann - p31Beauty
May - The Mayden 
Charlotte - Charlotte Harris 

Something Blue // Lee and Birch

(ps. I forgot to wear my bandeau) Dress, Bag, + Accessories: c/o Lee and Birch // Shoes: Franco Sarto  

I'm so excited for today's post, mainly because it's always an accomplishment finding a dress that fits, and I'll be talking about a local business that's too adorable for words. This dress is super comfortable with adjustable straps, which is perfect for someone as short as me! Paired with an arm party (the blue stone bracelet is hand made), neutral bag, and my favorite wedges,  I loved wearing this for the vintage flea market on Sunday looking at old knick knacks and denim jackets. 
Last week, I was over at Lee and Birch playing a little dress-up, and the girls there picked this out for me (I think they have magical powers, because it fit perfectly). As part of their one year anniversary in Grand Rapids, Michigan, they're having a party on Thursday, June 18th. from 6-9pm where I'll wear this same outfit! With ice cream, boho braids, live music, and 20% off in store, I can't wait.  Let me know if you're going by commenting down below, or RSVPing on facebook.  Hope to see you there! Love always,

The Perfect Pastel Polish : "Kip"

This picture was taken 4 days AFTER painting my nails!

You guys. I finally understand why Butter London nail polish costs an arm and a leg. After I had a coupon code for beautykind.com (a great and charitable organization btw), I decided to finally try one of their polishes out. And oh my, it's become my new favorite color! Since I'm currently working, I know it's frowned upon to wear the bright, summer polishes we all love. To be more professional, I've been wearing this light blue/gray color, and I can't get enough!
It has really sleek and sturdy packaging, and it applies oh so smoothly. I put on three thin coats (along with a base and top coat), and it hasn't chipped in days! I'd say it's prettttty much a lazy girl's dream polish. Ive found plenty of drugstore nail polishes that go on smoothly and are beautiful, but this stands out to me because it lasts such a long time. Even though I won't be buying $18 nail polish all the time, I would honestly say this is worth the splurge with something like birthday money! Treat yo self. Overall rating: 4.5/5 Price: $$$
What's you favorite pastel polish?

Simple Mini Almond Muffins

Some topping ideas! Medjool date cinnamon glaze, melted chocolate, and coconut flakes. 

I'm pretty sure everyone can agree that miniature food is 1000x cuter than anything normal sized. This resulted in me making these cute muffins that baked in FIVE minutes! I was surprised at how easy it was, and it's fun to play around with different toppings. Since we didn't have any all purpose flour, I used the Ninja blender to grind whole almonds into flour, which I then sifted. Here's the recipe from a cute blog, The Road to the Farm (I looked everywhere for the easiest one haha). 

Ingredients: 

1 1/4 cups almond flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

3 eggs

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup 

1/4 cup coconut oil, butter, (or oil of your choice) melted

Optional additions: vanilla or vanilla bean, 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, zest of one lime, lemon or orange. 

Directions: 

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease pan.

-Separately mix the wet and dry ingredients, and then combine. Pour in oil/butter, and pour into mini muffin pan, donut pan, etc.! 

-Bake for 5 minutes, and keep a close eye on them.

-Let cool for 10 minutes before adding any toppings.

I brought these to a friend's house, and no one even noticed that they were gluten free :) 

Local Loves: The Downtown Market

It's been ages since I did my last Local Loves post, and in my last post I talked about how much absolutely LOVE The Downtown Market. They always have different events each week such as yoga, cooking classes, teen summer camps, and more! Also, every Saturday morning during season is the farmer's market which has the cutest things. Seriously. From homemade popcorn to fresh picked peaches (my fave) I fall in love all over again every time I go. But the best part in my opinion, is the indoor market which is year round. It's so great during the frigid winter to still have a piece of the market open. After opening awhile ago, it has been in a great addition to Grand Rapids, mainly because it thrives on local products and businesses. 

All local ingredients at Taco El Cunado! It's SO GOOD.

Field and Fire baked goods. Oh yeah.

Sweetie-licious bakery! Too cute. 

If you're within a 45 minute drive of Grand Rapids, I highly highly recommend checking out the market on a busy day. Perfect for families, couples (there's a wine and cheese bar), and good old teens like me, there much to explore. Oh and once a month in the summer there is a Vintage Flea Market that is seriously so fun. Last year I bought an adorable vintage necklace for only $4 (what?!) If you don't live in Michigan, I would explore your own local area for gems like this. There are so many hidden spots left to find, and it's fun to go with friends and support your community. My next adventure: to find the perfect hiking trail in West Michigan!
 Thank you to Eventbrite for inspiring me to share one of my favorite spots in my city. They're a great organization to make your own, customized events and even sell tickets online through their site. It's a great way to spread the word online, for things like charity events, a 5K, or party! I know organizations like Smart Girls Group and The Bloom Workshop use their service, two things I adore. I've always wanted to host an event where everyone gets dressed up for my favorite charity, Kids' Food Basket...maybe that'll be my next project? Let me know YOUR favorite local places/companies, and leave links too so I can check them out too! :) *This post is NOT sponsored. Thanks for reading!

Bright Floral Nails

The sun is finally shining, and that's my cue to breakout the brighter nail polish! It's been so nice to see everyone outside, and it literally looks like the picturesque college brochure I imagined when i was applying. It can be hard for me to find the perfect peachy polish that isn't too bright, since it can clash with my skin tone sometimes. I bought all three of these China Glaze colors for 2.50 each! (I talk about it in my discounted beauty post). Yay for flowers blooming and bright colors! I just feel happier - one can only take the cold weather for so long. 

I'm no pro when it comes to nail art, but I finally tried using a bobby pin to make some simple flowers! I absolutely loved how it turned out, and that they don't all look the same. I cannot wait to mix and match different colors with these same flowers this summer!