One of those days

I am not sure why, I think it might be the persistent rain and gray skies, but today feels like the perfect day for big hugs. They can't be just any hugs... they need to be the really tight kind that seems to be filled with affection.

Consistency Is Not My Forte

So, I made a promise, but I broke it. So sue me!

I promised that I would do better, that I would be more consistent, but I have failed... miserable! Again, so sue me!

In my defense though, I have been busy.

You may ask, "What have you been up to, that you have been too busy to keep your promises?" Well, okay then nosey, let me just say...

I traveled to California (for the first time!),
I ran a half marathon (and survived),
I became addicted to rock climbing (not an exaggeration),
I moved,
and most importantly I flipped my life upside down (no big deal... I am just working on completely redefining who I am).

On top of all of that, and the inspiration for this post, I also recently turned 25. While at lunch today with my dear friend A, we discussed this monumental occasion in a persons life. For some unknown reason, for me, 25 seems to feel really significant. I am not sure if this is related to all of the things that have recently been going on in my personal life or whether I am beginning to feel time catching up with me.

Whatever the cause, this latest birthday has left me with a profound sense of urgency. Urgency to make sure that I am actually living my life. I feel, and I am sure that others would agree, that life can very easily slip right past us. Before we know it years of our lives have passed by before we even notice and we end up having so little to show for all of those days... hours... minutes... seconds!

With all of this in mind, A and I discused the idea of an annual list of things that you hope to accomplish before your next birthday rolls around (and once again catches you off guard).

I have to be honest. I really like this idea, and immediately after discussing it, I began drafting my own "To do before I turn 26" list.

For accountability and record keeping's sake, I thought I would formulate and post my list. Of course, this is still open for revision, but as of today this is what I have on my mind to do with this upcoming year:

1) Travel: Be on a plane three times (1- Singapore, 2- Grand Canyon, 3- Still up for discussion)
2) Run a 2nd 1/2 marathon (Honestly, the first one wasn't that bad, so the second one should be a breeze.)
3) Go to Washington D.C. (25, and I still have seen my country's capital... PATHETIC!)
4) Finish croqueting that blank that I started back in 1972 (No exaggeration, I really started it that long ago!)


I feel this next year open wide in front of me. It is teeming with possibilities and excitement. And my sincere hope is that instead of living a life full of moments, that I begin living moments full of life!

I promise to try and do better...

I admit that I have been a total slacker lately! Step one is to admit that you have a problem, so now that that is out there I can start on my path toward improvement, right? Let's go with yes!

Recently I have really been committed to spending as little money as possible and saving every penny. This has not been going so well, but I am not to blame, so what's a girl gonna do? Because of my attempt to not spend money I have been trying to do as little online shopping as possible. Now not to make excuses, but I really think that that is related to my severe lack of posts.

However, without doing any online shopping whatsoever, I have been inspired! Yesterday while driving our new car to get an estimate for repairs (which is a long, sad story that I will skip) this song by Matt Nathanson "Come on Get Higher" came on the radio and I have not been able to get it out of my head ever since! This song is from his album "Some Mad Hope" and I can't speak for the rest of the album yet but this song makes me want to hear more of his music (iTunes here I come). I just love the tone of the song, it feels just right for this time of the year. It makes me feel like shaking off winter and jumping into spring with the car windows down, sunroof open, and music blarring! Maybe I would even throw in some scream singing just for kicks! I am not kidding the song makes me feel that good!

I remember so many spring days, when I was in highschool, that my friends and I would be riding along doing that exact same thing. Except I am pretty sure that we were totally jamming to John Meyer then. Well, let me just say, John you have been replaced! No hard feelings though, you still have a very special place in my memories.

"Everything works, everything works in your arms..."

Personalization anyone?

I often ask myself what life was like before (insert lovable item here)... For instance, what was life like before cell phones? the internet? or more importantly, the google?

Lately, more and more, I have been wondering - what was life like before etsy? It is hard to remember exactly, but I remember it being dark... and there was a lot of sadness. Yes, dark sadness.

Personally, I love etsy for the simple reason that it gives loads of normal people an awesome chance to sell their completely original pieces. Before etsy it would have taken a really motivated person to find as many adorable handmade pieces in one hour as I can on etsy. But then again, I am no normal internet shopper.

My latest brilliant find is SilhouetteBlue's shop. I am not sure that everyone shares in my love of having things personalized or monogramed, but I think that even if it is not your personal style you would still appreciate this lovely shop.



This print is definitely a favorite of mine... Since we are currently renting an apartment and do not have trees of our own, I just love the idea of buying our very own tree and having our initials carved in it. I also love the other personalized cards and already have some occasions in mind when some personalized cards would be the perfect gift! I can't wait!

Weekend + Family = Something to really love

This weekend, my husband and I were able to spend some time with my side of the family. Living relatively close to my brother and sister-in-law, we get to see them pretty regularly. However, my parents live pretty far away at this point, so we do not get to see them as often as I would like. With that said, it was really lovely being able to spend the weekend all together! Six people plus three dogs may sound like craziness to some people... but it felt like just what I needed.

Besides family wonderfulness - the weather was unbelievable this weekend. You know what is easy to love? A ~60 degree day in the middle of February! Oh yes indeed and thank goodness. I think today might just have been the thing that I needed to ensure that I will survive until May!

Thank you family and thank you mother nature for a fabulous weekend! Let's do it again soon, okay?

Let's try this again...

It has been brought to my attention that that last post was a bit "stiff" for lack of a better term. So, let's try this again. Hopefully this post will sound a little less like an info-mercial, and more like you and I having a convo over a starbucks coffee about some great stuff that I have come across lately.

I have recently fallen hard for Brandi Carlile's music. If you haven't yet been formally introduced - you do not know what you are missing. The song Turpentine is definitely my favorite on her newest cd, The Story. I think most people probably know her best from the song The Story, (even if you didn't know who sang it). I think that song was even featured on an episode of Grey's Anatomy (I did not double check that, but I never claimed that my blog would include accurate information - so we are all set).

I am not sure what the best way to describe her music would be. I think soulful definitely fits, but basically she has this beautiful voice that is just so easy to listen to. I think the best thing to do would be to try her out, and maybe you will find that her music is the perfect soundtrack for your Thursday (or every) afternoon, like I did. I just love to find music that perfectly suits my personality - there is nothing better than finding something that you continually love to listen to!

I can't help myself...

I can't help but love this adorable jewelry stand from urban outfitters. Say goodbye to your traditional jewelry box and say hello to a new stylish way to organize your favorite accessories! And who knows... for less than $25, maybe a new way to store your jewelry will inspire you to find some new pieces to add to your arsenal of accessories. How exciting!