Thursday, July 29, 2010

Summer in the Mitten


Lake Michigan from the pier @ Holland State Park, Holland, MI
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Michigan (The Mitten State) in the summer is a wonderful place to be.  We Michiganders wait patiently all winter for the glorious days of summer.
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Summer in The Mitten means:  Days spent enjoying the beauty of Lake Michigan.  I feel blessed to live only 30 minutes from the Big Lake.  The beauty of the Great Lakes never ceases to amaze me.
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Grand Haven State Park, Grand Haven, MI
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The pier @ Grand Haven
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Taking a dip: World's Cutest Brother, Me, Baby Sister
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Summer in The Mitten means:  Beautiful flowers all around.  I have three huge hydrangea bushes and I love cutting the massive blooms to bring inside.
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I'm also loving my zinnias which just started to bloom this week.  These are from the Seeds from Italy that I started indoors this spring.
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Summer in The Mitten means:  Golf.  Lots and lots of golf.  We love golf in my family.  I've played pretty much my whole life and usually play 2-3 times a week in the summer.
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World's Cutest Brother taking a shot.
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My brother is a lefty (like me, but I play golf right handed) and he has a great swing.  He hits the ball much further than I ever could at 9!  This summer he said to me:  "I wish Dad had taught you how to play golf left handed so that we could share clubs!"  Me too, E, me too.
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My Dad watching my brother tee off.
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Summer in The Mitten means:  Fresh produce making its way into every meal.  What could be better?
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First harvest of my tomatoes.
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caprese + spinach salad
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Fresh Michigan blueberries
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Summer in The Mitten means:  Riding bikes. . .
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. . .on the bike trail. . .
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Blurry picture because I was riding my bike while taking pictures - not something I would recommend!
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. . .to the ice cream shop for Hudsonville Ice Cream - made in Michigan!
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I hope you are enjoying summer as much as I am!
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TheSweetLife

36 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by the author.

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  2. Wow, That sidebar badge is the coolest shout out ever. Thanks Alissa! That is worth at least four entries on its own!

    The Agronomist spent the last week in Michigan, in Traverse City for work. We will be visiting my sister in Toronto and she too lives by the beaches, so we will get our turn to enjoy the Big, not sure which lake exactly. Anyway, we are looking so forward to it. Thanks for sharing my giveaway. Wishing you luck. They have so many great things. I spent way to much time browsing and ended up in bed far too late.
    Wish I knew how to golf. Never too late. Right?
    Dana

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  3. So beautiful! I've been to the Upper Peninsula, but never to the big lake. It's gorgeous.Thanks for sharing.

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  4. that looks heavenly, good to know there is a warmer side of Michigan :)

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  5. Wow! Those photographs are BEAUTIFUL!!! Stopping by from NFF. And yes- I am enjoying summer just like you are!

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  6. i've never been to michigan! thanks for sharing those pictures and i have to say your captures are beautiful! here from NFF! i love your blog header! now following...happy to meet you!

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  7. As a fellow Michigander I also love summers here, but your pictures made me appreciate where I'm from even more! Beautiful beach shots!

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  8. All of your pictures are gorgeous! It looks like you are thoroughly enjoying this wonderful season.

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  9. Love th epics!!! You have some talent!! I am following you thanks to New Friend Fridays! It would be nice if you could share back the love on my blog! Also we have a brand new blog-hop... no rules just fun and would love you to join in:) Oh and if you need any blog help or easy HTML tips, you know where to come!Happy Friday!

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  10. Holland is my hometown! The pictures make me miss the lakes so much! The Iowans here get kind of upset when you call their lakes "mudpuddles." :)

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  11. We visited Grand Rapids a year ago for a wedding. It was really lovely and made us want to see more of the state.

    That hydrangea capture is stunning!

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  12. Alissa, you make Michigan a "must visit"! Gorgeous!
    xoxo Pattie

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  13. That sounds like a WONDERFUL summer and your brother is just the cutest.

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  14. Those are great photos! One of the best trips ever that we took with our kids was to Michigan. The lighthouses and rocky shores were beautiful, and other places where there was a beautiful sandy shore. So much to see!

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  15. All of it is simply gorgeous!!!!

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  16. Wow, those are some wonderful pictures! Love it!

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  17. I'm a new follower from New Friend Friday!

    I have to tell you, that your pictures took me back to when I was a kid- I was probably 8-10 years old and my parents took us to Lake Huron. It was one of the best vacations I've ever had, and I still remember it like it was yesterday- even though it was about 25 years ago! Thanks for posting these pictures!

    Lucy's Human
    http://lucyshuman.blogspot.com

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  18. I'm going to have to say ditto to everyone's comments. These are gorgeous shots. They truly capture what it means for a good old-fashioned vacation duing the summer (no TV, no cell phones, no video games.) I just love the design and the name for your blog. What a great design. Oh, and so far I like the recipes too. I'm definitely a new follower.

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  19. oh, I love these photos. looks like you're having an awesome summer

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  20. LOVE all the photos and how you wrote the post Beege. Can't wait to get back home to the great lakes state and hit up Grand Haven!! Pronto Pups Please!!! In fact I could see a post just dedicated to pronto pups...

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  21. Thanks for sharing these great photo's. 1st time for me sight seeing Michigan..great blog!

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  22. What beautiful photos....I have never been to the Mitten in the summer but now you have me wanting to start planning a trip. That salad looks delicious!

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  23. have a happy saturday! enjoy your day! Im your newest follower - www.justcherishtoday.com - come follow me back and let's stay in touch!

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  24. Your photos are gorgeous! The lake looks heavenly. And it's amazing how your climate differs from ours. My hydrangeas are now fried to a crisp and my garden is past its prime. I miss my hydrangeas. :(

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  25. love the ocean views,
    the fruits and ice cream are sweet and yummy,
    what a enlightening post.

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  26. Wow! I LOVE this blog!! Your photos are amazing!!

    I'm glad to have found you thru NFF & I'm now your newest follower! :) Pleased to meet you!

    Hope you had a great weekend, and I look forward to stopping by again soon...

    Annette
    www.mammakerr.com

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  27. It was so nice to see a little bit more of your life. The mitten seems like a wonderful place to spend the summer. I have only been to Lake Michigan and I was amazed how much it was just like a beach. Your zinnias look like they have finally made their appearance :)

    -Rene

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  28. Alissa I LOVE these photos! What camera and lens do you shoot with? Love you blog :)

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  29. As a fellow Michigander, I will say that those are all some of my favorite things about living in Michigan. My family and I spent the day on Lake Michigan just over a week ago. The lake is breathtaking and always rejuvenates my spirit. Thank you for sharing!

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  30. Grand Haven pier looks just like South Haven. My husband is from that area. Neat to see your pics.

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  31. Thanks for your recent visits and comments over at News From Italy. With all our visitors now departed I am catching up on my Blog reading.

    Summer is something we all wait for! Love the Zinnia's, they look like mine :)

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  32. Love that golf (and mint chocolate chip ice cream)!

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  33. Hi there, newbie here! I can't remember how I found your blog, but I am so glad that I did - I'm loving your photos and your crafty projects! (Oh, and all of your recipes and food pictures are making me very hungry)

    I have relatives in Grand Rapids and Grand Haven...small world! :)

    Anyway, just wanted to say hello...nice to 'meet' you!

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  34. Ok, this is so crazy!! I stumbled on your blog from "Making the World Cuter". I checked out previous posts, and came to the summer in the Mitten. Well, I am from Michigan so had to check that out. My home town is Holland!! I didn't realize you lived in G.R. I still live very near Holland, in the city of Zeeland. Great pics!! Love see all the pics of your house too. I am about to print the "Get Excited and Make Things". Trying to decide between clementine and chartruese. I will probably just print them both and see which one I like better hanging up. Thanks!!

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  35. I'm so glad you stopped by 4kids! It's always nice to meet a fellow West Michigander!

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  36. I totally agree!
    Michigan is sooo beautiful. In the Summer.
    :)

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