Summer To-Do

Happy Friday! It's actually hard to believe that it's only Friday... I've been living it up this week on a mini summer vacation since the fourth. This means sleeping in, lots of reading and getting a ton of work done around the house. I've also had some time to finish up some freelance work and a few personal projects. I just completed one of my projects for the summer... an illustrated summer to-do list:

1. Stargaze. When Christopher and I first started dating, we did a lot of stargazing. There was this empty field across from his apartment in college, and we would trek out there with a blanket and some Arizona teas. We talked about everything and looked for shooting starts, and I tried to calm the butterflies in my stomach. I think I will always love stargazing because of this.
2. Go canoeing. There is nothing more peaceful than a summer canoe ride down a river. The way the golden sunlight filters through the overhanging tree branches is my favorite. I didn't get a chance to canoe last summer, so I really hope we can fit it in this year.
3. Eat lots of ice cream. I think this is one pretty self-explanatory. 
4. Read ten books. I haven't finished formulating my summer reading list, but at the top of it is the Hunger Games trilogy and Just My Type by Simon Garfield. I'll probably thrown in a Jane Austen novel for old times sake, too. Does you have any other suggestions?
5. Take a road trip around Michigan. I'm not sure when this will actually happen (August maybe?) but I'm really looking forward to visiting some great Michigan cities that I've never been to: Grand Rapids, Traverse City, Mackinac and Detroit, to name a few.
6. Spend a weekend camping. You know, I've never actually been camping. Growing up, my family was always more museumsy than outdoorsy. Chris and I have a trip planned with a few friends for the end of this month that I'm really looking forward too. We'll see how I feel about it once I have to pee in the woods, though...
7. Fly a kite. The last time the mister and I flew a kite, it involved running through sprinklers, an angry janitor, and three policemen. Hopefully history won't repeat itself this time around. 
8. Swim once a week. So far, we've actually kept up with this goal. Living on a lake, having in-laws that live on a river, and having a sister-in-law with a pool makes it pretty easy. 
9. Campfires. Lots of them. Which of course includes lots of hotdogs and s'mores.
10. Treasure hunt at garage sales. I went to a couple this morning but they were pretty disappointing. I think it has something to do with the heat, but hopefully I'll find some great stuff this season. I tend to gravitate towards vintage linens and nicknacks. I am my mother's daughter.

And there you have it, my summer to-dos. I'm going to print out this little illustration and hang it on the bulletin board above our desk to help remind me to live it up this summer. I really enjoyed working on this design. Who knows, maybe I'll make one for each season. Do you have any summer to-dos? I'd love to hear them!

Unfortunately, I don't think we'll be crossing anything off the list this weekend (aside from swimming and ice cream) because of this crazy 100+ degree heatwave in the midwest. We've taken to hiding out indoors... tonight we're are off to see Moonrise Kingdom (which has finally arrived in southern Michigan!) and eat some wings. SUMMER!!! Have a great weekend, friends.