Hi everyone, I am FINALLY back after my small hiatus! It was so incredibly weird not posting, but I absolutely loved having some time to really enjoy my vacation and surroundings without technology! It was a short “digital detox” if you will! Since it’s been over a week since I’ve posted, I decided to break this post down day by day and share my story with you all! Each day was filled with adventure, and I made the most incredible memories while discovering so many new things!
TUESDAY 06/28
Work, work, and more work!! I feel like that’s all I’m ever doing nowadays! However this day was special because my grandma returned from her trip to the United Kingdom! She brought back a ton of postcards, artwork, menus, and so many other incredible things that transported me to a foreign land that is absolutely beautiful! She had the most wonderful time, and actually met up with my cousin who was also traveling oversees! This was my favorite postcard of the bunch, and she sent another one that should arrive shortly! I can’t wait to see it!! You all know my obsession with travel, so hearing about her trip was incredible!
WEDNESDAY 06/29
Today was amazing because I was finally able to see my best friend, Ally! We spent the afternoon at our favorite place Le Bon Macaron, and grabbed some sushi while talking about her trip across Italy! If you follow her blog A Touch of Tulle, you already know about all of her adventures and her incredible style! I lived vicariously through her while she was away, so it was incredible hearing her talk about her adventures! Ally was generous enough to bring me back some authentic Italian chocolate, and a beautiful authentic Italian leather cross body handbag that is stunning! She is amazing, and the greatest friend I could ever ask for! Also, our move in date is coming up next month, so definitely stay in touch for more of our adventures!
Later that evening I had a photoshoot with the amazing company BeCause of a Case, which is an incredible brand to represent! This company uses a portion of proceeds from each phone case sold to improve mental health, which is absolutely amazing! I was lucky enough to model with two other women for the website, and show off their amazing message and products! I actually received the “Lattes” case, which is perfect for my coffee addiction and goes towards a great cause! Not to mention, it’s absolutely adorable! Check out their website to see a familiar face on the home page, and to purchase your very own case!
After the photoshoot, my mom and I visited Tallulah which is a gorgeous wine bar & bistro! Since the shoot was located in the beautiful city of Birmingham, it was only necessary that we enjoyed some wine/dessert outside! The city was full of live music and incredible views, and I will definitely be dropping by more often!
THURSDAY 06/30 & FRIDAY 07/01
I decided to combine these two days, because both days were filled with work! However on Friday, Doug and I packed up the car and headed to my beautiful hometown, Manistee! My love for Manistee is unreal, and it was the first time I’d been there in years! We met up with our best family friends for dinner, and spent the evening dining and catching up! Doug and I actually spent the entire weekend on my parent’s 4600 Maxum SCB, so it was absolutely perfect and we had the best views of the lake!
SATURDAY 07/02
Rise and shine!! This morning my friend and running buddy Levi and I ran the Firecracker 5K! We had so much fun running together, and it was the perfect start to the morning! We ran on multiple roads (and hills, ugh), and actually ran a huge loop right next to Lake Michigan! It was a beautiful, sunny day, and I actually took runner up for my age group!! Okay granted, there were only two people in my age group, but runner up sounds MUCH better than “last” in my opinion! Out of 300+ people, Levi and I took around 180th so I was incredibly proud of us! Especially since it was his very first 5K!
After the race, we grabbed breakfast and I headed over to the local Craft Show with my mom and her friend, Melissa! The boys all spent the day at the car show, golfing, and doing other man-things, while we enjoyed shopping and grabbed lunch! I picked up some amazing, handmade items from the Craft Show, and of course some goodies from the local boutiques downtown! We had the most delicious lunch at my new favorite place, The Fillmore Coffee & Brews, and I actually ended up stopping by with Doug for lunch on Sunday! The Fillmore makes every single food item fresh as soon as you order, and you can 100% tell the difference! We ordered fresh-made salads, homemade hummus and pita chips, and I couldn’t resist getting a soy vanilla latte!
That evening Doug and I spent time with my parents and our friends, where we had a huge BBQ, watched the Olympic trials, and played Texas Hold’em while snacking on homemade kettle corn! The perfect day!
SUNDAY 07/03
Doug and I started the morning/afternoon at The Fillmore, and packed up the car and headed for a day trip to Traverse City for the Cherry Festival! We attended the Cherry Festival last year as well, and this year there was even more excitement! We arrived just in time for the incredible air show, and spent the afternoon on our friend’s boat! We also watched the beach volleyball tournament, and walked around the beautiful city with our good friends!
That evening Doug and I, my parents, as well as our family friends, loaded onto our 4600 Maxum and we set out to Lake Michigan to watch the Fireworks! We grilled, had drinks, and enjoyed each other’s company on the beautiful lake while watching the incredible sunset before the fireworks began! The firework show was spectacular, and the perfect finale to our vacation!
MONDAY 07/04 & TUESDAY 07/05
Happy 4th of July!! We spent the morning watching the local parade, which was absolutely incredible! The Scottville Clown Band made a special appearance, and the entire town put on the most fantastic parade I’ve ever seen! Afterwards Doug and I grabbed some lunch at the local pub, packed our bags, and headed back! It was more than upsetting leaving Manistee, but I’ll be heading back later this year for another 5K, and for the Christmas parade! I cannot even wait!!
After a long car ride, we made it back and spent the evening relaxing and watching HGTV and Joe Kenda Homicide Hunter! I made multiple mugs of tea, and actually began writing this blog post!
On Tuesday, Doug and I watched Finding Dory and enjoyed some delicious salads!! Tuesday was a lazy day for me, so I enjoyed a bit of rest and relaxation before heading back to work today! I also started working out again after taking 3 days off, and my body definitely felt it!!
I hope you all enjoyed this recap of my past week! Again, I apologize for not blogging, but sometimes a digital detox is necessary in order to really enjoy yourself! I hope you all have a wonderful Wednesday, and it’s filled with lots of love and good vibes!
xo, Tessa
Today’s Inspiration
