I'm not sure if you guys caught on yet or not, but Rob and I kind of love Minneapolis, especially in the summer. Lately, we've been spending a lot of time at the Stone Arch Bridge, one of my favorite spots in the city, mostly because of the fantastic view it offers.

The other day, we met up with Brooke of Brooke Alexandra Photography (who is one of the sweetest people ever) to snap a few photos, because I know you guys aren't sick of seeing pictures of me and Rob together yet, are you? (That was a joke...kind of. But just in case, I made sure to leave the white dress at home.)

While the city itself is fantastic as always, we've also been spending a lot of time at home, in the park across the street, on our patio, or upstairs on the roof to watch the sunset with a couple glasses of wine. It's quickly becoming one of my favorite ways to unwind after a long week.

How do you like to spend your summer evenings? Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

This post is sponsored by La Crema. Thank you for your support as I continue to work with brands. For a few tips for packing a great summer picnic, take a look at my post here, on The La Crema blog.

I moved into this apartment almost a year ago, and because it was summer and we took it for granted, Rob and I never really took advantage of some of the awesome things our apartment has to offer, like the rooftop grill or the pool on the ground floor or our awesome little covered patio. We bought a table and some chairs because we figured that's what you do, and then we sat out there a few times, but other than that, we just didn't.

And then winter came, and it never ended, and it was -20 degrees and snowed all the time. We said, "When spring comes, we will sit by the pool and read on the patio and grill everything." Spring never came (sorry Minnesotans, there's no such thing here), but now summer is here and we are doing just that.

We even went so far as to buy plants and string lights! It is seriously the coziest little porch. We have two pots with flowers, a hibiscus plant, and two herb pots with cilantro, basil, and mint.

I bought some red pillows to match the pots and kind of tie everything together--I didn't love any of the outdoor pillows at Target, so I bought a couple of regular indoor ones and waterproofed them with Rust-Oleum® NeverWet™ Outdoor Fabric Water Repelling Treatment.

Rust-Oleum® NeverWet™ contains breakthrough technology that protects virtually any surfaces with a superhydrophic treatment that dramatically repels water, mud, ice, and other liquids.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Rust-Oleum® via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions f Rust-Oleum®.

I remember graduating from Longwood University like it was yesterday. Those last papers, senior week, and packing up that college apartment that had truly become my home. It was a whirlwind of meaningful moments and books with dog-eared pages. Underneath my cap and gown, I wore a dress borrowed from my best friend Emma; and my parents brought me a bouquet of flowers.

It doesn't feel like four years have passed, but then again, sometimes it does. Two offices and a coffee shop. One master's degree. Three cities, two states. Three apartments, fifteen months at my parents' house, and a year of long distance with one boyfriend who turned into a fiancé and is now my husband. Ten months of self-employment.

Four years later, I am finding roots and settling down a bit more every day. But in 2010, I thought I already had it figured out. I didn't know who I was or what I was going to do, but I had an idea of who I wanted to be; what I wanted to do. I moved into an apartment in Roanoke and bought dishes and a bed and a couch and felt very sure of myself. I didn't like living alone, but the place was beautiful and my parents were nearby, and my friend Andy would sometimes come over and sleep on my couch.

Rob still had a year of undergrad to complete, and I had started working at a job I didn't love before very quickly applying to graduate school at Hollins University. I never really knew what one might do with a master's in Children's Literature, but I loved it and I wasn't ready to be done with school, so I started a two-year journey toward my M.A. I kept working full-time and going to class, and life felt very transitional for the next few years.

When I was almost done with my thesis, I panicked. I visited Longwood and sat in one of my favorite professor's office with a cup of coffee and told him I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do anymore. I was working for a software company and had this blog but I didn't feel like I was doing anything with my degree. He told me not to worry, to just keep going. He said one day I would wake up and some random thing would happen and it would make sense, maybe even suddenly and all at once.

I kept doing what I was doing and in August of 2013, I found myself setting out to join Rob in Minneapolis and blog "full-time." Living halfway across the country from everyone I knew and loved was never a thing I thought I would want to do, but it seemed worth a try. A few months later, once again in a panic, I frantically began applying for jobs. I worked a few little part-time gigs for a temp agency in between blogging and wedding planning and traveling, and then last week, I got a call asking if I was interested in working at a children's book publishing company for a few weeks. It felt a whole lot like the moment I had been waiting for.

As amazing as it is to go in and finally see what happens in an office where everyone has shelves upon shelves of children's books above their desks, I started to realize that entering data into an Excel spreadsheet is the same no matter where you work. At first I felt disappointed, but I recalled my college professor's words that comforted me so much two years ago. I am learning a bit more, every day, to be grateful for my experiences, and to trust what's next.

Some things just take time. And sometimes--most times--you're doing the right thing. Keep going. We all have to start somewhere. Where did you start out?

Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by State Farm via Mode Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of State Farm.