Camden via @jfish28

I’ve just come back from a long weekend away where I didn’t take any photos.  Not one.  I just. wasn’t. interested.  I think I’m experiencing photo fatigue.  My desire to just experience things has outweighed my desire to capture them in snapshots.  It seems like too much effort lately. 

Don’t get me wrong, I still love looking at photos and have appreciated the images my friends took while we were all together.  I also expect this to be a temporary condition since not taking photos ever again would make for dull blog posts and I don’t have a good enough memory to remember all these things when I’m older without visual reminders.

However, there was something really relaxing about doing whatever I wanted on my long overdue and much-anticipated mini-vacation even if what I wanted was to not take any pictures of it.  Surprisingly, I’m going to go ahead and blame this all on the Facebook.  Their ridiculous IPO is all anyone at my office is talking about lately and with all the increased attention on social media, what it’s doing to our culture, and what the future impacts of branding and over-sharing will be on both individuals and our children, I’ve started to feel like if I’m taking pictures, I need to think about whether or not I’m going to share them online. 

If I share them online, will it annoy me that people I don’t even speak to anymore look at them?  Are they judging me?  Do I care?  If I don’t share them, what does that say about me and my online presence? Now that Facebook is under pressure from shareholders to generate more and more revenue, do I really want a mega-corporation to have access to my personal life?

Blah blah blah, the neurosis goes on and on.  Long story short, I had a great time this weekend and it’s ok that there aren’t that many photos to prove it.

Camden via @jfish28

In my own personal salute to summer, I wanted to share some lovely images that conjure thoughts of the salty/sunscreen smell, hammocks, just-cool-enough breezes, seafood from shacks, etc.

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Also, thanks to everyone who is playing along with the Instagram Challenge! This is the last week of the challenge, so be sure to tag your pics with #tlacnumbersandletters before Thursday, June 1 at 8pm EST!

Oliver on his first day home

First of all, you need to pick up all the little things on the floor that you don’t want your puppy to eat.  For me, that meant scraps of sand paper, paint brushes and rollers, paint cans, etc, etc, etc. Once you’ve got the floors cleaned, think about anything else that might be at puppy level.  That includes cleaning supplies, food, cords, and anything you don’t want your puppy to get his little teeth on, like shoes. Move things up out of puppy’s reach or behind closed doors.

This closet would not be puppy safe unless you remembered to keep the door closed!

Up next, move any rugs, pillows, furniture that you don’t want to get chewed and/or peed on.  We were in the lucky position of having very little furniture in our home to worry about at the moment. But the last thing you want is for your new dog to relieve himself all over your favorite/most expensive rug.  The only place Oliver has peed in the house so far is on the carpet. It must have something to do with the absorbant textrue and the dog’s sixth sense about what you least want destroyed.  Don’t take any chances! Roll up your favorite rug until your puppy is house trained!  Oliver also likes to try his hand at chewing almost everything in sight – especially things made of wood (tables, couch legs, baseboards).  Which leads me to my next point…

Untrained puppy + angela adams rug = very. bad. idea.

In fact, the best place to keep your puppy is in a puppy playpen.  Dan and I bought one for Oliver and while I feel extremely guilty when I put him in it, I realize it is making my life a lot easier and his, too, in the log run.  Putting puppies in confined spaces where they can’t get in trouble makes a lot of sense.  Just be sure to leave them with everything they need to be comfortable – a place to sleep, food and water, and plenty of toys to keep them busy. Now you don’t have to incessantly watch your dog and it is good training for when Fido eventually is left alone. It teaches him to play by himself, will ease any separation anxiety, and helps to house train him – your puppy doesn’t want to go to the bathroom in his own little space.  And some day, once he has learned appropriate house manners, he’ll be able to have free range of the house all day long!

It’s not glamorous, but it will make both of your lives better.

Finally, don’t forget the outside! Your puppy will love to spend time with you outside and if you have an outdoor area you plan to take her to, make sure it’s safe for her.  First of all, make sure you patch any holes in your fence/areas for easy escape – not that your dog will be necessarily be running away from you, but you never know what might catch its attention and cause it to wander off.  Also, make sure you don’t have any plants that are poisonous to puppies – rhododendrons are a common one – around.   Your curious little puppy is going to want to eat anything and everything in sight.

Oliver eating grass.

Disclaimer: this is just a quick list of some of the things I did and is by no means complete or comprehensive.  If you’re really thinking about getting a new puppy or dog, consult local veterinarians, pet stores, and books to make sure you are fully prepared.

We’re taking a break from regular posting today to enjoy the long weekend.  So, whether you’re by the sea, the lake, the mountains, or some other locale, I hope you’re enjoying the holiday with family and friends while taking a moment to reflect on all of the sacrifices that have been made by the brave members of our armed forces.  Happy Memorial Day!

via Ellie Niemeyer

The winner is @annamcusker1234 for her beautiful lantern photo! We loved all of the contrast and texture created by the light in this picture. Congratulations, Anna, you’re in entered into the Championships now!

The Editor’s Picks are as follows:

I (@jfish28) loved @kimmi_3‘s snapshot of the church at dusk. You can actually see the heat in this photo. (my second week in a row choosing her photo, I know!)

Kate (@kateamcusker)picked @joeyunny‘s photo with the bike and tree silhouettes and the city skyline. Another sucker for the dusk.

I think I just picked out my new band name – “Suckers for Dusk”. Keep an ear out for our first single.

Finally, Kristen (@goodkp) liked how @missmykelle just screams “sweet summertime wedding!”

We’re so impressed with the submissions you’ve entered so far and this is so much fun! I hope you’re playing along and taking the time to look at all of the entries by clicking on the #tlaclight hashtag.

Next week’s challenge is #tlacnumbersandletters – long name, I know, but you only have to type it once. This is going to be a fun one! We’re all bombarded by words, signs, (signs, everywhere there’s signs) prices and graphics every day, so there’s plenty of material out there. We can’t wait to see what you come up with – please spread the word and invite your friends to play so we can get our pool a little deeper!

Here are a few ideas to get you going:

In my last post I listed the top 5 cereals i’ve been reaching for. I told you what to look for (high fiber!) and what to avoid (high sugar!) and over at CEC I told you that granola is one of those foods that everyone thinks is healthy, but is often more of a nutritional nightmare thanks to the high fat and sugar and very little fiber that is delivered in each delicious bite.

But here’s the thing: While I’ve shared with you my favorite cereals, and what to watch out for in cereals and granola’s that we are inundated with at the grocery store, I haven’t shared with you the fact that I try and make a conscious effort to go through each day eating as little processed foods as possible. And as amazing as the nutritional stats say, I often believe that the closer the food is to single, unprocessed ingredients, the better. You do the combining – making the perfect concoction of protein, fiber, sugar and carbohydrate from a handful of foods – to nourish you at each meal.

That said, I’m just as busy as the rest of us, and I know that sometimes we don’t always have the time (or energy) to give our meals the attention they need. And when that’s the case I like to be prepared. I like to have pre-calculated smart-breakfast choices in my head so the thought is minimal and the nutrition delivered is optimal. While reaching for a purchased box of ‘clean’ cereal, like Kashi Go Lean, is a great option, why not spend a little time over the weekend mixing up a giant batch of oats, nuts and dried fruit that you can top on your Fage, or use as a base for your fresh berries (which are amazing right now) and milk.

This granola won’t disappoint.

It’s has the perfect combination of fat, sweetness and crunch

After starting with the base of rolled oats, the add-in options are endless.

And my favorite aspect: It has an ingredient list you can understand from start to finish

Make a huge batch, which will last in your pantry for up to 6 weeks or your freezer for months (though with a husband who likes it maybe more than I do, my batch somehow rarely makes it 2 weeks)

Devine Granola (Yield: “a lot” of ¼ cup servings)

3c rolled oats

1T ground Flax

1/3c coconut flakes

2T sunflower seeds

2T sesame seeds

1c chopped nuts – such as almonds, walnuts and pecans

1/2c dried fruit

1/4c canola oil (or blend canola and coconut oil, which is delicious)

1T honey

1T Pure Maple Syrup

2t water

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Combine dry ingredients, except for dried fruit.

Combine oil and sweeteners.

Pour over granola making sure all is coated.

Pour into a deep baking pan.

Bake ~1.5 hours, stirring every 20-30 minutes.

Remove once granola is golden brown and add dried fruit.

Let Cool.

Devour.

The other thing that always makes me happy regardless of the temperature outside is great package design and fun typography. Are you doing the math? Have you come up with the solution to Beer + Great Package Design yet?

A: Oh Beautiful Beer.

Oh Beautiful Beer is a blog dedicated to showcasing “remarkable graphic design from the world of beer.” I don’t know how I am seeing this for the first time, but many thanks to BeerME , part of one of my favorite companies LiveME (talk about great design!) for bringing this to my attention! I honestly judge beers and wines by their covers as it is, so this is really validating for me.

Mateo & Bernabe – La Rioja, Spain 

Port Stephens Whale Ale – Murray’s Craft Brewing, Bobs Farm, Australia 

Tank 7 – Boulevard Brewing, Kansas City, MO

Student Design for Backhouse Brewery

Bogotá Beer Company – Bogotá, Colombia 

The OBB blog also introduced me to a social network I was unaware of – Untapped. You post what you’re drinking and where you’re drinking it and earn various badges for doing so. I definitely don’t drink enough interesting beers to warrant signing up just yet, but I know a good amount of people (ahem, hellllooo Colorado!) who would geek out over this!

Thirsty yet?

Whether you plan to keep it simple or go over the top, we’ve got you covered this Memorial Day.  Obviously the porch pictured above is the ultimate in Memorial Day decor – red, white, and blue with a summery, nautical feel.  Even the dog matches!  Congratulations to you if you already own this much themed holiday decor.  But if you’re like me and you don’t have an overflowing closet of patriotic accessories, don’t worry, I’ve got a few ideas.   From quick and easy DIY ideas to timeless pieces that are a bit more of an investment, we’ll have you wishing every weekend was a 3 day weekend.

Weather permitting, there is no better place to spend Memorial Day than outside.  Parades, barbeques, and picnics are what we’re going for here.  I’ve gathered a few key essentials that you can use this weekend and again, and again, and again this summer when you host parties.  From drink dispensers (1) to carafes (4) with gorgeous woven stripes, guests will love the serving vessels as much as the beverages in them.  Whether you call it bocce or petanque (6), this classic yard game is always a fave.  Change up the predictable color scheme with a fun orange chair (5).  Or put an industrial twist on string lights (2) and brighten up any outdoor space.  Finally, don’t be afraid to combine nautical napkins  (7) with a Moroccan patterned tray (3).

There are a million great sites for crafts out there, but when I have a theme in mind and want something classic and not too, well, crafty, I always hit up Martha Stewart first.  The three ideas above are the perfect example of fun, easy to do, and topically relevant DIYs.  You could easily knock any of these DIY projects out in an afternoon – the perfect pre-Memorial Day activity.  For many great decorating ideas, including the 3 above, click here to go to Martha’s site.

While these crafts and decorations are fun, we’ve got to remember the reason we even celebrate Memorial Day in the first place – to honor Americans who have died in wars. Many of us take this day of recognition one step farther and choose to honor all the loved ones we’ve lost.  Make the holiday extra special this year by setting up a photo display showcasing favorite pics of loved ones.  The long weekend is a wonderful excuse to celebrate – both a day off of work and our friends and families.  No matter how you choose to spend your Memorial Day – I hope this post has inspired you to make it a great one!

The biggest change comes with how our posts are laid out on the home page.  It gives you access to a lot more of our content all at once in a more interactive format.  When you hover over each image with your mouse, they will sharpen up and list the posting date and current number of comments.  Also, in response to some great reader feedback, the authors of each post are now featured more prominently so it’s easier to tell who wrote what.  It always bugged me that it wasn’t easy to scroll back through our earlier posts.  You can do that now with the numbered pages at the bottom.

The new layout still has our categories listed along the top and you’ll find the search bar, archives, etc. in the right sidebar after you click on a post.

We hope you guys like it and welcome any suggestions or comments you might have!

xoxo
Kate

A quick review of the rules:

- take Instagram photos that represent (personally or universally) our weekly challenge theme

- tag them with #tlac plus the tag we announce as the theme for the week

- submit as many photos as you’d like

- one winner and 2 3 honorable mentions will be announced per challenge for each week of May

- at the end of the game (June 2) we will ask YOU, the readers, to cast your vote for the overall winner!

- the winner will receive a handmade papercut of the state (or country) of your choice and color combo

The winner of the #tlacpatterns challenge is…

@lisaeinme with her beautiful leaf!

The honorable mentions are:

@thiaraborges was Kristen’s favorite runner-up with her graphic setting sun

@kimmi_3 was Jessie’s pick this week for her seaside netting

@tjlfield’s contrasting chairs were my fave

This was not an easy decision so congratulations to this week’s stars and everyone who played along! The theme for Week Three of The Instagram Challenge is #tlaclight. It’s never too late to join in so if you’re new to the blog, jump right in and spread the word to your friends!

Take the theme and run with it.  We’re hoping that the Spring weather will continue to shine on (as it were) and you all can capture light, or lack there of, in all different ways.  Here are a few from the archives for inspiration:

via @goodkp

via @jfish28

via @kateamccusker