enJOY it

an archived personal and craft blog from Elise Blaha Cripe.

28things

It's birthday week! I wanted to continue my annual tradition of sharing the 28 things that have made the past year great.

Library

the library / I am embarrassed that it took me until my 29th trip around the sun to start enjoying and taking advantage of my local library. Every time I walk out with books for free I feel a little bit giddy. It's amazing.

House of Cards / we got totally hooked on this Netflix Original Series. It's too good and designed for healthy binge-watching. We just started season two (three episodes in) and !!!!!!!!!

robot vaccum / my parents bought us this as a housewarming gift. I am disgusted and amazed with how much dust and dirt this guy picks up on it's weekly trips around the house.

Ppbook2

Pinhole Press / I love the baby book and e&p pre-baby book (I'll be sharing it soon!) that I had printed through these guys. The design process is simple and seem-less and the quality is amazing.

Minnetonka moccasins / I wear these all day, every day and I adore them. Size down, let them stretch out and you will not regret it.

Ikea BESTA cabinets / my dad and I used these to build a media console and a long cabinet in my office

Abstract-art

abstract painting / this was the year that I played a lot with paint and giant canvases and started to not hate the abstracts that resulted.

Sherlock / we got totally hooked on this miniseries. So interesting and odd and well-done.

black coffee / 28 will be remembered as the age I became a mom and I learned to drink my coffee black. For some reason the latter makes me feel more grown-up than the former. The secret for me (and Paul) was switching to a medium roast and not over-extracting the coffee beans (meaning using enough beans for the amount of water).

nut granola / breakfast food of the year. I have gestational diabetes to thank for this one. (I am 99% sure no one has ever "thanked" gestational diabetes for anything.)

Diningrug

our World Market dining table / I looked long and hard for a table and I am so (so) thrilled that I ended up going with this one.

Maxi

red alternative apparel maxi skirt / technically I had this when I was 27, but I wore it out this year. I recommend sizing up for a better fit.

quinoa spinich salads / I was totally intimated by quinoa until this year. So great thrown in with a salad.

behance action book / ordered one of these notebooks after seeing it on Ali's instagram. My absolute favorite for making dreams into plans.

Chambray

chambray button downs / I have a light one and a dark one and I wear them (at least) four out of seven days a week.

Windmill Farms / I love our local grocery store. It's like a non-chain Trader Joe's or Sprouts. They carry all sorts of random things in bulk bins and the produce and deli is top-notch and insanely well priced. Best part is we can walk there, and Ellerie and I do…daily.

Larabar ALT bars / my go-to mid-morning snack.

Quilt2

Ellerie's quilt / so technically I made this while 27. But it wasn't fully enjoyed until this year and I love it so much.

hanging plants / this was the year of the plant, without a doubt. My house is full of them. I try not to play plant favorites but the original hanging plant in my bedroom wins for sure.

Rug

thrifting / I still don't know exactly what I am doing, but I get a rush when I enter a thrift store. The thrill of the hunt is no joke. Perfect activity and field-trip for Ellerie and me.

the ERGObaby carrier / hands-down my number one baby must-have from about 2 months on. Without this, my sweet sidekick and I would not go on nearly as many adventures. Fun fact, if you get the navy one I like did and your baby is bald like mine, everyone will assume your baby is a boy regardless of how pink her pants are.

Wreath7

my succulent wreath / probably my favorite 30 minute DIY of the year because it was one of those things I never thought I'd be able to make.

glo minerals sheer lipstick in bali / I received this as a free sample over two years ago and just rediscovered it in my drawer. The perfect shade AND chemical free.

Pancakes

pancakes / we had never made them from scratch until this year. And I know they will be a near weekend tradition from here on out.

#eliselovesmornings / obsessed with my daily photo project. Obviously, like a complete crazy person, I am already dreaming about the photobook that will result.

DIYplantstand

terra cotta pots / totally got hooked this year. Cheap, various sized and they match everything.

Ellerie's giggle / I wish I could bottle it up and fill rooms of my house with this giggle. Since I can't, I just video it excessively.

"I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try, one more start, with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." – Joseph Priestly / my favorite quote from the past year.

ps. my 26 favorite things and 27 favorite things.

various inks throughout are affiliate.

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37 responses to “28 favorite things.”

  1. Denise Avatar

    Happy 28th Birthday Week!!!

    Like

  2. stephanie Avatar

    Happy birthday! I’m a terrible commenter but I do enjoy your blog and have been reading it for some time now. Hope your week is wonderful!

    Like

  3. Casey @ The Maine Mrs. Avatar

    Happy birthday! Minnetonka moccasins are amazing-like slippers, but not. 😉
    http://www.themainemrs.blogspot.com

    Like

  4. Janell (Nell's Vintage House) Avatar

    Shucks, it’s my birthday week too. 🙂 Happy birthday to us!
    I found a few items on your list that I might just gift to myself, so thanks for that! Also, totally agree about chambray shirts. I have declared this past year, the year of the button up!

    Like

  5. yours truly, melissa Avatar

    Wonderful list! And I love the terracotta planters…they really are the perfect neutral.

    Like

  6. Melanie Avatar

    We had the navy blue ergo and even our curly girl got mistaken for a boy all the time! Best baby accessory hands down, always, for sure. We have such good Ergo walk memories. We’ve heard people say they put their kids in it until they were three and while we rarely use it anymore, we’ll probably leave it hanging by the front door until Elsie turns three. You know, just in case 😉

    Like

  7. caitlin frost Avatar

    i love your plant posts.
    happy birthday week!
    http://www.caitlinmfrost.wordpress.com

    Like

  8. Paula Avatar
    Paula

    I love your blog. Just signed up last week. I wanted to comment that I have a husband and a daughter that have always haunted libraries. I read voraciously, but used to only buy books. After I retired I couldn’t afford to buy books & “found” the library (online). I am seriously hooked. And I’m 67. I also laughed about the moccasins. I’ve worn Minnetonka moccs (without the sole) for at least 47 years. Love, love them.

    Like

  9. Michelle Avatar

    OMG I love Sherlock. LOVE. My mom is a Sherlock Holmes fanatic and she got me hooked on it.
    Then when I went to see The Hobbit #1 and saw Benedict Cumberbatch listed in the credits (as the Necromancer) I was SOOOO excited! OMG Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman are in The Hobbit together!!!
    Then Hobbit #2 came out and Benedict was Smaug and had an incredible sequence with Martin and I thought I was going to die of happiness (and terror – that dragon IS SCARY) right there.
    Then Sherlock finally came back after the hiatus they took to do the movies… and it was even better!

    Like

  10. Cynthia H Avatar

    My word of the year is fresh so I am loving that quote too! It is in the start of my album. Thanks for the link for the Action book, so cool! Would you do a blog post of how you use it?

    Like

  11. Judi Avatar
    Judi

    Happy Birthday
    I enjoy coming here every day to see what’s new
    Would love to make birthday list but coming up on 63 – I don’t think I could think of that many things lol

    Like

  12. Tina C. Avatar
    Tina C.

    Happy Birthday week!
    I forgot how much I love going to Windmill Farms. I can’t even remember when i stopped making it part of my normal grocery routine…I think I substituted it for Vine Ripe for a while…I should go again. I still go to princess park somewhat often, it’s a nice park for when E. gets to the riding-a-bike/tricycle stage because it has a sidewalk & fence around 3/4 of it. I even looked in to Temple Emanu-El for preschool because of the location. (Even though we’re not jewish.) 🙂

    Like

  13. Brianna Avatar
    Brianna

    Happy birthday week! This is such an inspiring list. I’m definitely going to do this for my next birthday.

    Like

  14. Vanessa Avatar

    This blog post makes me happy. I just finished episode 3 of House of Cards s2 too! And yes..”!!!!” is right. OMG. Won’t put any spoilers here but such a good season so far. It certainly got my attention. Libraries are awesome. I’m going about once a week now with my little one.

    Like

  15. Elise Avatar
    Elise

    Good idea! I’ll add that to my list.

    Like

  16. Hannah B. Avatar
    Hannah B.

    Oh man, now my online shopping carts have chambray shirts and mocs, sitting and waiting for me to make a decision 😉
    Happy Birthday Week! Also, this is a belated thanks-so-much for the Drop Stop Pour Disk recommendation – I bought them for my mother as part of her Christmas gift, and we’ve all fallen in love, and ordered sets for the extended family as well. Pouring wine without one feels positively barbaric now!

    Like

  17. Laura Avatar

    Happy birthday! Feel the same way about Minnetonka mocs – so good!

    Like

  18. belinda Avatar
    belinda

    Happy Birthday week. Thank you for being so honest with us and sharing projects that seem doable.

    Like

  19. Rachel W Avatar

    Great list and great way to start out your birthday week. I love your blog, Elise!
    Also, I am with you on the Ergo! My girl is 15 months and we still use that thing all the time. If I could only keep one baby item (in addition to the car seat and the crib which are sort of necessities), it would be my Ergo! I LOVE that thing!

    Like

  20. Julie Avatar

    Love so many things on this list! Have you watched Season 3 of Sherlock yet? We caught up this weekend, and AHHHH. I have so many thoughts and feelings about it!

    Like

  21. Brooke Avatar

    Happy birthday week! Love this list – the perfect yearly round up. My fave “I don’t like to play plant favorites ..”

    Like

  22. michelle t Avatar
    michelle t

    Cool list. I wear denim shirts All the time too. Want to check out the post about your succulent wreath when I get a chance. Love the look and I need super easy right now. So I can feel I accomplish something but taking into account various limitations of the day. Definitely want to check out the action book link too. Have a great bd week. Cheers. Michelle t

    Like

  23. Meg Avatar
  24. Traci Avatar

    Sounds like you had a year filled with lovely things, and I like your idea of gratitude lists each year. Also, I’m jealous of your robot vacuum! So fun!

    Like

  25. jillt Avatar
    jillt

    Fun fact: pink + med. length hair = boy assumptions also. Happy Happy! Thanks for another year of creativity, positivity, and great ideas. And big thanks for P+E+E posts. Love stalking your sweet fam.

    Like

  26. jillt Avatar
    jillt

    Fun fact: pink + med. length hair = boy assumptions also. Happy Happy! Thanks for another year of creativity, positivity, and great ideas. And big thanks for P+E+E posts. Love stalking your sweet fam.

    Like

  27. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    that is so awesome! happy to hear it!

    Like

  28. elise blaha cripe Avatar

    not yet!! waiting for it on netflix…

    Like

  29. Amanda Avatar

    your favourite things and favourite moments are two of my fave posts all year!

    Like

  30. Coty and Mariah@quirksandtwists Avatar

    Happy Birthday! What a fun list! Also, I’m beyond addicted to Sherlock, such a brilliant show!

    Like

  31. Eliza Avatar
    Eliza

    Happy Birthday Elise! Have you ever tried GORP bars?
    http://www.gorpworld.com/home

    Like

  32. Daphna Avatar
    Daphna

    Happy birthday – week!
    I LOVE your birthday posts and projects.
    Thank you for it.
    Regarding the activities notebook – do you use OneNote for planning and activities? I highly recommend it, at least for a desktop/laptop (I’m not familiar with the mobile version).
    What kind of task-app do you use on your mobile?
    Thanks for this great list! and I can Sooo relate to wanting to bottle up that giggle. It just makes me smile, and fill up with warmth when I think about those first baby giggles 🙂

    Like

  33. Susan Avatar

    Happy 28th birthday week. Enjoy your next trip around the sun. (this is my 45th birthday week..shh!)

    Like

  34. J3SS1C4 Avatar

    What an awesome list! Happy birthday week, as well! I hope you have an amazing year ahead to follow the amazing year you’ve had this one 🙂

    Like

  35. Lisa Goren Avatar

    Your one liners are hilarious- Particularly love the one about no one ever thanking gestational diabetes for anything- HAHA!!!

    Like

  36. Fran Avatar

    Happy birthday!
    OMG Sherlock! I LOVE that show, I hope they don’t make us wait forever until Series 4!

    Like

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