Say Yes to Michigan.

Today's post is a three part story, and kinda long-ish, but it's a story I'm fond of, so, yeah. Hereitgoes!

So, about a million years ago, (meaning 4 years), I randomly purchased these postcards from etsy because they were cheap and pretty and I thought they were funny. 

Thus concludes part two of the story. (I never promised they'd be in chronological order.)

A few weeks ago, my husband and I went on vacation. We had meant for it to be the Vacation of all Vacations, and we spent, like, 9 months "planning" it. Why the quotation marks, you might wonder? Well. Our planning process is highly theoretical; we are EXCELLENT at browsing and discussing and obsessive-compulsive-googling, and we are HORRENDOUS at decision-making. Just awful.

See, we have commitment issues when it comes to vacations. I had never really analyzed why all our previous vacations had been meandering road-trips; I thought that we could just book a cruise and buy plane tickets and chill until the day arrived, like normal people. Yeah, no. So after months, long, LONG months of constant deliberation, we were three weeks out from the Official Vacation Week, and we had nothing. No passports, no plane tickets, no hotel rooms, no ideas.

And then I saw photos on someone's instagram, (I can't remember whose, unfortunately!) of Holland, MI. My ideal vacation had included a beach, an Brian's had included sub-90's temperatures... Could it be? Michigan? Fast forward through another sleepless night of airbnb browsing, and the next day at work I met a woman from MI, and while we were speaking, another woman came in, and also started raving about Fabulous Michigan, and the switch in my brain, the broken decision-making switch, dusty from neglect, was flipped. I went home, texted Brian, booked a condo, and basked in the glow of decision-made-ness, as the gloomy cloud of planning-anxiety and exhaustion and uncertainty and googleoversaturation drifted away. Happy sigh!

So we went to Michigan. It. Was. Amazing. I think it was only our second day there, in Holland, (so Dutch!) that I found my new favorite t-shirt. "Just like the postcards!" I thought. "How funny!"

By sheer dumb luck, we ended up being there in the brief time between the summer tourist season and the fall foliage vacationers. We had entire beaches to ourselves (so what if it was a bit chilly!), and we never had to wait to get a table at any of the H'AWESOME restaurants we ate at. (Thanks, Yelp!)

Go to Michigan, people. Or don't, whatever-- it leaves more Michigan for me. I could go on for DAYS; it really truly is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Photodump!

At some point during our trip, Brian mentioned something about "the last time we were in Michigan." "Whaa??" my brain's atrophied geography skills said; "We've never been to Michigan, have we?!?"

End part three of the story.

So here's part one:

There are two pieces that make up the Michigan pie, one on each side of the lake of the same name. Once upon a time, I took a train with my boyfriend to that "other" Michigan, to visit his sister and go to an apple orchard, and it was lovely.

And seven years ago today, that same boyfriend asked me to marry him. It was one of the easiest and best decisions I've ever made.

So I said yes. (In Michigan.)

Some Days.

All my drawings stink today.
And 75% of the clothes we own are on the floor of the sewing room, which is soon to be merged with the office, from which two bookcases (AND ALL THEIR BOOKS) and a couch need to be removed.
And before that happens, a piano needs to be moved, but only after a set of 3 lockers have been relocated, but only after everything has been taken out of them and has new places to live.
And there are other things, but I can't even remember what they are; but they add up to Dumb But Overwhelming.

I wish that every day was all sunshine and bluebirds singing and I am eternally super-productive and that every doodle is golden-sauce, but, UGH. Life ain't no ponyfarm. And with you, I am sharing my whine.

It's ok, though. If everything were always awesome, then awesome wouldn't be awesome... Lame days are just prep for sunshine/bluebird/farts-come-out-as-rainbows days. Actually, lame days are SECRET rainbow-fart days that I'm just too dumb to notice.

You can quote me there, friends. Make an inspirational poster, perhaps.

I philosophize deeply!

Whatcha doing' tomorrow?

I'm going to be at Katz Midtown Market, with loads of paper goodies that aren't even for sale on etsy yet... New cards, prints, and 13"x19" poster prints, my lovely printbox has been busy this week, earning it's keep.

Aaaaaand, they will all be at discounted local market prices, so, yeah, cheep stuff! There will also be a bunch of other awesome vendors, everything from local produce to baked goods to crafties to new and used books, all inside the historic Katz Pharmacy building, which is currently being transformed into artists' studios and gallery space. It's going to be kinda awesome, methinks?

Anyway, do stop by if you're so inclined, and I can talk your ear off abou Michigan, which may very well be the most beautiful place in the world. I'll be forcing vacation photos on you at some point, as soon as I find the old slide projector...

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