cookie party.

There is no such thing as too many sprinkles. I found this cookie recipe on Pinterest, of course, and couldn't resist. Zero effort yet delicious. The rich primary colors of sprinkles always catch my eye. I love the way they look melted in cookies or cake. I also love the way they taste. Yum. Cake batter is hands down my favorite flavor. It's basically a party in a cookie. Someone come quick. Help me eat these. 

camera hunt.

Isn't my friend, Rachel, adorable? I've been preoccupied with school lately and haven't had much time to blog. I know, always an excuse. One of my class projects has been curating the basics for beginning photographers. With the help of Flipboard, I've pieced together a sweet magazine and will keep a summary updated on the blog. See it here. Enjoy!

xx Amelia

thank you.

These past few days, I've been feeling so incredibly blessed for everything around me. Even in this new, exciting but unfamiliar place, I am filled with peace. A few major blessings have come my way, including the chance to write for my school's publications. And the life of this writer continues. This afternoon, I wandered around downtown again and happened across a vivid mural. Then, feeling free-spirited, checked out the lake in the middle of campus. Though full of lily pads and algae, the setting is serene. I wish everyone a beautiful weekend. And when you're feeling overwhelmed, take a minute to admire the sky and say thank you.

xx Amelia

fire.

Please keep my hometown in your prayers. A fire broke out on the exact mountain I could see every time I looked out my bedroom window. Over 3,000 acres have burned and the air is incredibly smoky. My family is still in the area, along with all the other people I love in the valley.

xx Amelia

coffee + cake.

 What a busy weekend. Managed to find time to curl my hair for the first time in months though. Celebrated my roommates birthday at Signs of Life, the cutest bookstore slash coffee shop slash gallery of all time. I'm having so much fun finding all the cute little places downtown. A friend I haven't seen in three years visited from Wichita. We grabbed grub at Free State Brewing and then she gave me the grand tour of downtown. To-do list coming soon. Enjoy the pictures. Stay cool {but really, it was over 100 here yesterday}. xx Amelia

{tried the Vanilla Mango cold press. mmmm}

warehouse upholstery.

I've been waiting for the right time to post about this. Now that I'm in Kansas, it seems so silly to write about California like this. But to all my Cali readers! Check this place out. Upholstery seemed to me like a lot of work. I never thought of it as a DIY project that I wanted to tackle but when I had the opportunity to attend a beginning upholstery class, I looked forward to learning the new skill and building a little muscle. Home Décor Learning Center in Concord offers an array of classes to meet all interests that require a staple gun and furniture at their warehouse location. I never thought I'd re-upholster anything but the outcome of my updated bench makes me eager to fill my home with other projects. The steps were pretty straightforward and I'm loving my new bench. Read my full article in the June issue of Diablo Magazine here.

strolling downtown.

For the first time, I had the chance to explore downtown Lawrence through a creative lens. Finally, the heat subsided and walking a block only worked up a healthy glow. I was already sold that Lawrence has charm but this time I kept in mind that this is my new home. Neighborhoods are completely different from the suburbs I'm used to in California. Houses are aged but have cute little porches with wicker furniture and delicately potted plants. Crickets buzz in the trees that hang low, shading the sidewalks. It was a lovely day to explore a park along the way, where a summer wedding was just beginning. Inessa (my roommate from Germany) and I couldn't pass up a few scoops of homemade ice cream from Sylas & Maddy's, a townie favorite. This is just the first of many more adventures! xx Amelia