Sweet Sweet Summer

Woah. It's been a long time. School has really taken over my time, but don't worry because one final stands between me and summertime. Not counting in the fact I have may minimester beginning on friday, but technically I'm moved home and as far as I'm concerned, it's summertime!

On the note of summertime, me and boyfriend headed over to our annual "summers coming" event, Mayfest. It's basically a festival in ft.worth accompanied with all things carnival like such as duck races, fried food, and frightening yet exciting looking rides. Texas is really heating up, so it was a little hot outside, but none the less I left stuffed, happy, and with some goodies you could only buy at festivals (like giant sour punch straws filled with yummy goo). It was a good weekend & I am ready for summatime. How about you?

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Sweet sweet summertime, I am so thankful for you arrival. 

Dad Weekend.

I have grown so accustomed to weekend loving the past 4 months that when this weekend arrived, I expected nothing short of perfect. My weekend was missing something the entire time. The company of my boy and my mom. My heart ached for my mom to be in the kitchen studying when I arrived down stairs, and by 5:30 pm( maybe at 6 or 7, I never really know) I anticipated a heavy knock on the door from my boy who was excited for a good evening out, but mostly to just be together. Yet, come friday morning, I was getting cute pictures from my mom who is having the time of her life in New York, and a phone call from my boy saying he was missing me terribly, but having fun in Austin. Peoples lives always are moving, whether we are present or not. I am so glad they had a wonderful weekend, and although my weekend lacked that excitement of the normal, it definitely compensated with some time to reflect and relax, that I apparently needed more than ever.

My sister called Sunday afternoon wishing she was at home on "dad weekends". And I was quickly reminded that I missed my mom a lot, but I really love "dad weekends" because our sunday morning was spent under one dim lamp as the morning sunshine seeped through the blinds as me and my dad both read ourselves to an awaken state of mind. We then searched around for a new sunday brunch place, and wound up a popular place called Luciles, where we enjoyed New Orleans style beignets and some good old Eggs Benedict (blackstone style with bacon and grilled tomatoes). What a better weekend to end a weekend than with a pile of fried popovers covered in powdered sugar? It was truly the cherry on top to a weekend I have truly been craving.

Cheers to the weekends keeping me sane.

Like Crazy.

Just watched Like Crazy for the first time. Really it's the saddest movie and if you only like fairytales and happy endings, this is not the movie for you. Despite the fact that when it ends, you contemplate watching it again hoping for a different ending, this one part is truly beautiful.

“I thought I understood it, that I could grasp it, but I didn’t, not really. Only the smudgeness of it; the pink-slippered, all-containered, semi-precious eagerness of it. I didn’t realise it would sometimes be more than whole, that the wholeness was a rather luxurious idea. Because it’s the halves that halve you in half. I didn’t know, don’t know, about the in-between bits; the gory bits of you, and the gory bits of me”






Happy Weekend. 

Friendship

I find myself sitting and thinking about brides and how they choose their bridesmaids, they often have so many that are best friends and they've known forever. Maybe, it comes with time, but I get paranoid thinking about who will mine be? I'm ending my second year in college, and going onto my 3rd with very few friends made in college. Don't get me wrong, I have friends, but as embarrassing as it sounds out loud to admit, I have few friends. This is not a social issue and by no means does it depress me. However, most of the people who really know me are far off in college, and I constantly ache wishing my friend circle didn't have to change just because of college. I'm not an outgoing person by any means, and have had the same group of friend since kindergarten it seems. So the college transition was not easy to say the least. I found 2 wonderful girls that I really love with my heart, but still find we don't spend too much time together due to differing schedules. When we do though, it is always pure bliss.


Tonight my friend Anna and I were able to pick the exact day for us to have dinner, it fit both of our weeks better than perfect. We cozied up at a table at 5:00 pm and finished our food way before 6:00. Yet words just flowed from my mouth when I sit with her. I feel as though their are no judgments, no blocks, and no worries. I have no restraints on what I am going to say, and the time is never spent awkward. A smile always arrives as she appears, and as I drive away, I feel as though I've found a friend. At 9:00 pm, we decided it was time to close conversation, and found ourselves lingering for 10 more minutes in the parking lot. Even though our time together is few and far between. I can't help but wonder if this is the friend that I've been praying for. That she will be there when I'm getting married on my wedding day. I don't really care, but even though I don't have a giant group of friends, I am more than content with the few that mean the world to me.


Love nights like this.


Happy middle of the week!

Today

after my one class, I needed to go get some groceries. Only this time, for some odd reason, Kroger was calling my name. I am broke college student who has little amounts of money and in desperate need of some food. You would think I would head on over to walmart like normal, but nope. I drove about 5 minutes up the road and found myself roaming through Kroger. If I was at home, I would have found myself in Central Market & that could have been a very expensive trip. Our Kroger is set up as a much tinier mini version of Central Market including fresh produce, smell of flowers when you walk in, and lots of freshly cooked food ready to be taken home. I stumbled around looking for some things I don't normally buy like flat pita bread, Odwalla protein drinks, Kashi mocha cherry chocolate bars, and veggie burgers. Although, the few items purchased cost more than normal, I enjoyed a little time feeling like a grown up (only I was paying attention to every "with card" price).  Still have no explanation for why I went to kroger walked right up to the customer service counter got a Kroger plus card, and spent way more than usual on very few groceries. But hey, somedays all you need is a little change of pace.

Sleepy Body.

I've reached a lovely level of what I'm going to call exhaustion, but it could also could be classified as just plain done with school ready for summer laziness. 

Either way, I am feeling it more than ever. I've had a pretty busy last two weeks, which included me commuting at least 4-5 days, meaning I've been waking up at 6:00 to drive back to school in time for my morning classes. I've also had my schools registration which starts at 7:00 am and TCC's registration for summer that began at 6:00 am and I woke up at 5:30. Throw in those early mornings with some late nights with no naps, and you've got me who wants to do absolutely nothing. Luckily, these next two weeks are pretty light in the school area and I'll be able to relax and enjoy a little netflix and napping. On another note, during the summer, my body likes to think it is invincible (can stay up way too late and wake up way too early). I can already feel it beginning to think that it's usual 10:00 pm bedtime is now 1:00 and will soon enough be 3:00-4:00 in the morning. Anyone else feeling the same way? 

Happy Monday to you all, hope your getting in some relaxation time as well. 

Thursday Things.

This Thursday is going to be a little different, only because I feel it relevant to do a post pertaining to my boys birthday yesterday.

So here it is:

Things I've learned from my boy.

-To always finish a race stronger than when you begin it. He always encourages me in a run to push myself especially within that last stretch when I'm feeling like I’ve been hit by a truck. With him by side, I'm encouraged to run faster, stronger, and longer. Not only in a race but also in life. 

-To find a source of motivation, whatever it may be. Find the motivation for whatever you want to do and go after it. Don't look back. 


-Don’t worry about what other people think. Bottom line. Their opinion should not affect your actions, no one should be standing in your way.

-In a relationship, you need to be a team. If your in it together, it will work.  Just be a team. 

-No sense in crying over spilled milk. If something happens, crying, worrying, or stressing will not fix it. So let it be, because it's already been done. 

-Open your mind. You can't live life freely, if your constantly closing everything off. You have to open your mind, widen horizons to really be able to see. 

-Honesty is the best policy. Especially with the person you love. If you can be open with them, then things are easier all around. 

He's pretty special, and I am unbelievably blessed. 

Happy Birthday

to this handsome man of mine, and my best friend. This man who has taught me show much, and loved me through all my faults, and truly makes me smile. 

Cheers to the big 2-0! 

Happy Birthday T. 

Love you with all my heart. 

Happy Hump Day, I'll be back tomorrow with some things boyfran has taught me, but 

for now I am going to spending the day celebrating him! 

Summertime come quick.

I think I've mentioned this before, but Texas really loves to skip right over spring. In fact the only true differences I can pinpoint between spring and summer are:

1.The bluebonnets, they only lasts about a few weeks because it gets way too hot for them to stand.
2. Instead of everyday being 90-105 degrees, it's only about 80-85.
3. It rains a lot, bringing out all the stops with tornadoes, hail, and flooding of roads.


Regardless, by the end of April, summer will be here in full force. Even though I am pretty positive the calendar places the first day of summer in mid June.  In other words, I am about done with school, and it's beginning to feel like summertime is within reach. I only have 4 weeks exactly left from tomorrow. To make it better that includes finals week. So 3 more weeks of class, 1 of which is only spent reviewing. We can go ahead and cancel out dead week and finals week. So thats 2 more weeks of class, 1 week of review, and 1 week of no class and just tests. In other words, spring 2012 is coming to a close faster than I'm prepared for. To add a cherry on top, I only have 3 finals ( 1 online, 1 like any normal test in that class, and 1 real final). I finish all my major due dates on April 26 and I am strongly trying to hold out until then before I shut down. Life is moving quickly, but I am excited for the things to come.


This summer is holding some exciting things in store, and I find out more fun stuff with each coming week, so I'm more ready than ever.

4 more mondays, lets go, lets go.

Easter measter.

I don't know what that means but I liked the rhyming sound of it, so I went with it.

How was your weekend? Mine was truly perfection.

I found myself wanting to spend endless amounts of time with my mom. We got pedicures, saw the hunger games (finally, I know), worked a little bit, shopped, went on a walk ( I ran, she walked), and ate lots of yummy meals that included fro-yo for dessert. Maybe it's the fact I know she is leaving for New York in a week, but either way I was craving some mamma me time, and I got the best of time in return. It was a great weekend. Then yesterday, I spent the morning at church, ate a tiny lunch with my fam, and another tiny lunch with T's fam. He has 3 younger siblings, and since my niece and nephews are far away, it was fun to be able to watch some young ones go for an Easter egg hunt. I just feel like it's not Easter without it. Still getting over the fact that I am not little anymore, which means no egg/candy/money hunting for me. It was a perfect day and I pretended like I was out of school until my 6 am alarm clock went off this morning.

I had quite the monday morning drive back to school this morning. Just imagine a lot of fog, some sprinkles of rain, and too much traffic. It was real exciting, and I've yet to finish a cup of coffee so I'm to bury myself in my books and hopefully get some coffee in the system.


Happy Monday!

Unexpected Change

It seems we all go through times of change in our lives, and occasionally it feels as though we are watching ourselves from the outside shape into a person. It's like I can feel myself growing into myself, into who I'm really supposed to be and the person on the outside is who I currently am. It's like a file on a computer, I would be the file labeled as pending, or in progress. As days progress, I try to hold onto everything, capture every memory, and feel the sunshine against my face. But I find myself in another place, getting so lost in the ability to take everything in that I lose the moment as a whole. Then there is these pockets of time I remember so distinctively, every tiny detail, and their the moments I wasn't even paying attention to at the time. Moments where someone pushed me out of my comfort zone to complete. Like this one time at night before my boyfriend was heading off to a different state, we climbed over a fence, and found ourselves in the middle of an empty soccer field under a blanket of stars, gripping each others hand, but breathing out laughter into the empty sky. Or this other time I found myself on the balcony of a back porch smoking my first cigar, that was grape. I don't even like grape flavored things, I hate them. But why do I remember the moments that I don't even mean to capture.  Well, I sat down to read a book tonight, a book I've been long anticipating to get into my hands. A story of someone's story, that all started with her wanting to write her own story because she read an inspiring one herself. It was all about finding beauty in the unexpected. I cozied up into the bathtub with candles, hot tea, and some good music. I automatically felt content, but as I read about how one's life can change in a matter of seconds, I realized people change in a matter of time because of those unexpected circumstances that occur. A concept, I've hated to grasp. That the people in my life who mean so much to me, who I've known one way for so long can all the sudden become something else, someone else. Hopefully, always for the better whether I am able to see that or not. But regardless, were in all the process of change. I suppose continuously. As we grow, we are exposed more and more to the world around us every day. To the heat against our face as sweat drips into our eyes and down the back of our necks, to the simple friendly encounters we have with strangers, or the the familiar smells we find that quickly take us right back. We become vulnerable, and I think thats when we truly are able to capture those moments of time. When were in a state with no walls and we feel it all, no restraints, no constrictions. We feel every bit of the moment, and we become more and more ourselves. Each of those vulnerable moments is shaping us into who were supposed to be. I guess, the unexpected is where true beauty lies. 

Motivation Wednesday

I am feeling the brunt of the middle of the week. Mostly because I skipped on back home yesterday afternoon and got on a weekend high until 6am  this morning it came to my realization that I had to go back to school for 2 more days of hard work. I am furiously working hard to get ahead in anticipation for some more middle of the week events happening. I usually let everything pile up until the weekday where I just sit and conquer my huge to do list. But lately, I've been spending the weekends working on some stuff to free up my week days for studying. Really I am ready for summer, which is crazy to say because I am going to be busy beyond belief if everything goes according to plan. I am planning to take a 2 week may minimester course for English, will be painfully quick. Can you believe they are capable of shoving 1 semester into 2 weeks (4 hours, 10 school days). I am nervous. However, It will be nice to be free of school before the end of May. I am also going to be nannying/babysitting, either one for a close family about 40 hours a week. So, to say I am excited is strange, but I am so ready to settle into a routine at home. Ready to get a day mapped out with consistent plans including work, school, workout.

In the meantime, here is your wednesday motivation to get you through, you can do it!

Happy Hump Day! 

New Hobby?

Maybe it's the fact I don't have an oven of school, which means I am incapable of cooking any amount of sweet and gooy goodness. Which in turns requires me to take all that restricted cooking energy and put it into full force come the weekend at home. Whatever it is, I have had major urges to bake over the weekend. I usually only get around to one thing that we have the ingredients for, but it always makes for relaxing afternoon spent baking. I used to be a terrible baker and cook, always forgetting an ingredient or substituting what I thought would work (and is never even close). But ever since pinterest came about, I find lots of easy, straightforward recipes, and I am on my way to becoming quite the little baker. Watch out world, just kidding, but really.  So I woke up friday morning, cleaned up the kitchen, did the dishes, and of course decided to bake after everything was clean. Couldn't find all the ingredients for 2 things I was wanting to make, so went ahead and stood in the pantry for a good 10 minutes, before I saw a box of yellow cake mix screaming out to me. I decided to make some cake batter cookies with chocolate chips, which let me tell you smells like a mix between an ice cream and cupcake shop.

Happy Monday!

Thursday Things

As the summer weather is approaching quickly here in Texas, I am day dreaming about shoes. We kind of like to skip spring over here, but go ahead and pretend the 85 degree days are spring and anything over 90 degrees is summer. Regardless, that means that it is wedges and sandals season! It is my absolute favorite. I always find wearing wedges and sandals so easy. I don't feel the need to dress up with them on, but I can always do so if I choose too. Do you feel the same way? They just make everything cuter.

Loving this neutral wedge to go with everything.
Jessica Simpson Casie T-strap wedge.

         

GB Gianni Bini Wrap-It up platform wedges.
They also come in sandals if you like a flatter surface. 

These are a cheap alternative from target, but
still are cute and I love the nautical look.



Happy Shopping!
Got any favorite wedges ? 

Motivation

I'm thinking about turning wednesdays into motivation/encouragement days.

Wednesdays are mid-week for pretty much almost everybody, and it appears as the giant hill that seems impossible to get over.

My Wednesday challenge is this,


I've been trying to run, well really just workout pretty consistent. It is a daily struggle to get out the front door, but never regretted. However, that doesn't make it easy. So here is my motivation telling me to get my butt into gear because it will feel better afterwards.

Happy Wednesday. 

Spring Cleaning

As I mentioned in the previous post, I did a little bit (more a lot) of spring cleaning. I emptied out my entire closet, which let me just tell you was not a pretty site and left two beds and one floor completely covered. My mom is super crafty in that she is capable of pretty much any handy work she puts her mind too. 

I don't really have pictures from before but if you can imagine I had a regular white walls and blue carpet and things stacked under each rack of clothes, and not to mention the top of my closet was filled with 3 of my older sisters and my own dolls from childhood. So this new closet has been wonderful to walk into. 

Never seen my closet this empty. 

Finally have enough room for my dresses to fit
all on one side. 

It is so nice to be able to see all my shoes finally.



Have you done any spring cleaning yet? It is not a fun job, but always worth it. 

Spring break 2012.

I am always so sad to see spring break fly by as fast it does, but It is always a welcomed nice break and little tease for summertime.

My spring break was nothing short of relaxing, but the farthest from a normal crazy spring break. 

How I spent my spring break:

 

Kiddos at the Great Wolf Lodge 

Late night cruisin with the top down 

Fro yo with my favorite topping, mango pearls 

Finished product of the closet. 

Sleepy baby. 

Baby Madi. 

Morning Run.

Afternoon grocery trip. front half  is boyfriends and everything
else is mine. Can you tell what is important for a boy's appetite .

-Lots and lots of shopping with mama. Damage done.
-Emptied and re-organized my closet completely, mom redid it with cedar, wood floor, and provided a much more organized space for my clothes, shoes, and purses.
-Had a girls night that included junk food burger eating, hot tubbing, wii black eye peas' dance, and good talks.
-enjoyed some quality time in grapevine with my favorite kiddos
-went for an amazing morning run on pavement. My feet against the pavement always has a way of making me feel twice as accomplished.
-Enjoyed saturday with a breakfast day with my boy, and ended the day at my new favorite restaurant on the river, went to a movie, and ended it with a late night cruise to yogolait for some a cup of my favorite fro-yo with the parents.
-Sunday was spent catching one last lunch with sister and her kids before they head back to Odessa, and then an afternoon grocery trip with T, which always feels like a lot more like an adventure than a grocery trip.


How did you spend your spring break if you had one? Relaxing or busy?


Happy Monday!

Wednesday Encouragement.

I ran across this great quote when watching the t.v. series friday night lights. Something about the desires that this person wants so bad, are things a lot of us have yet take for granted. I just wanted to share this little quote to inspire you and hopefully encourage you. Hope it gets you through to the rest of the week. 




Two years ago, I was afraid of wanting anything.

I figured wanting would lead to trying and trying would lead to failure.

But now I find I can't stop wanting.

I want to fly somewhere on first class.

I want to travel to Europe on a business trip.

I want to get invited to the White House.

I want to learn about the world.

I want to surprise myself.

I want to be important.

I want to be the best person I can be.

I want to define myself instead of having others define me.

I want to win and have people be happy for me.

I want to lose and get over it.

I want to not be afraid of the unknown.

I want to grow up and be generous and big-hearted, the way people have been with me.

I want an interesting and surprising life.

It's not that I think I'm going to get all these things.

I just want the possibility of getting them. 

eat your greens!

I always have some intense cravings for delicious food. T always says that my cravings know whats good! I usually can't clear the craving until it's in consumption. However, right now I have been craving veggies and ranch like crazy. I guess it's better that it's veggies than brownies and ice cream but still it really is weird for me. In the meantime bring on the mushrooms, tomatoes, and snap peas!

I'm on spring break so I'm spending the evening with a couple of girls. Excited for some hot tubbing and girl talk. 

Hope everyone else's tuesday is wonderful! 

Weekend in Instagram

1. Stayed at hotel in frisco with mama and we shopped for the weekend. Sported

my new stars and elevators tank. My friend designs a clothing line, check it out at www.starsandelevators.com 

2. We also dipped into a few quaint coffee shops to try some specialty treats and coffee. That

cupcake was a Tres Leches. It was amazing! 

3. Teavana. My favorite cup of youthberry tea. 

4. Spring is calling my name, so I threw on a colored dress, boots, and showed my bare white legs. 

5. Hung out with my boy. Always asking for as much time as possible with him. 

6. Baked a puff pancake for breakfast and caught up on my blog reading from the weekend. 

7. Ending my evening winding down, watching t.v. with those two furballs since it is storming outside.

Happy Monday!