5.01.2014

this month - may

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EATING - a Whole30 diet because bandwagons & I-need-a-support-group & stuff
DRINKING - no caffeine! I'm 4 days in. Ignore my desperate pleas for coffee.
PRACTICING -self restraint - See above
MASTERING -beach-less beach hair
LEARNING -how to cook the perfect poached egg
PLAYING -with my co-worker's new australian shepherd, who lives in the office with us during the day #bliss
FINISHING - off a bottle of aloe after last week's episode of sunburn
READING - up on how to keep plants alive becauuuuse...
WATCHING - season 2 of House of Cards
WALKING - with a scarf over my face, as Virginia's pollen is NO joke
WEARING - my Cardinals hat when we watch the game. BASEBALL SEASON, BABY.
COOKING -less, salad-ing more.
WORKING -on my baby sister's graduation announcements. HOW.
TRAVELING - around Virginia for client meetings & weddings - Must be May!
WANTING - more pink in my hair
 Whatcha doin' this month?

4.29.2014

minus & plus

-
Jared called me this morning to let me know that he had made it safely to the streets of Manhattan, where he's staying for work for a bit. The safe part is not a minus. It's the "Jared gone" & "me not in Manhattan with him" parts that get me.
+
I'm having a really hard time coming up for a plus for this that doesn't sound sarcastic, but I do have plans to stay busy & productive & watch lots of stupid Once Upon A Time & Grey's Anatomy. (I love but I hate but I love.)

-
SUNBURN. I made it all the way to the end of the beach vacation & on the laaaast day out on the beach (which, honestly, only 3 days were swimsuit weather), my back was TOASTED. Like, sunburn pain woke me up on Monday morning. Tragic, because I didn't really even want to get tan this summer, much less sun burned. I am so, so sorry, skin.
+
Coconut oil is doing wonders in the soothing department, & the burn should become the hint of color that I needed to look slightly more alive for the rest of the summer. This being the first summer that I'm not working outdoors at events all year, I feel especially protective of my skin. Now, please remember that my resident back scratcher/aloe applier is not in the same state/apartment as me, so if you imagining me slapping coconut oil across my back one hand at a time in a sad attempt to soothe my sunburn really takes this home as a plus for you, then go right ahead. I am sure it is quite the sight.

-
Returning to a regular hair routine after a week of beach hair love. My mane loves the salty air, that's for sure. (Bonus fact: the beach air also does wonders for golden doodle hair)
+
I've been working on some new updos for those (many) (... many) days that I don't want to wake up early enough to style it. It's keeping my interest in having long hair peaked, which is always good, since the other option is shorter hair aka looking like a 13 year old.

-
After a month of trying to cut meat & dairy out of my diet & feeling like I just compensated with carbs, I'm more annoyed than ever with my stomach issues & general lack of motivation to care about food. I so wish I could be that person that loves exercise & vitamins & healthy foods, buuuuuuut... It's real REAL difficult for me.
+
I'm hopping aboard the Whole30 train, which isn't too far off from the dietary restrictions I followed last year when I was getting ready for bridesmaid season. I'd love for this to be the beginning of a lifelong romance with whole foods but I'm not going to plan the wedding before the first date, NAH MEAN?

-
Knowing far too much about our upstairs neighbor's night life to be able to face him in the stairwell, making mornings awkward since we both leave the apartment at the exact same time.
+
I have perfected the art of waiting for him to walk across the family room, forget something in the kitchen, then finally walk to the front door to leave. Does this make me the most socially awkward person ever? I don't care. Neighbor, if you're reading this, I'm sure you're a very nice person but you need a new bed.

-
Parallel parking. OR RATHER, living on a street where we & our neighbors all know how to parallel park, but then there's the YMCA & restaurant patrons that take up three spaces with one foul swoop of their giant SUV parked 3 ft. away from the curb.
+
After nearly two years of living on this street, we have both developed our parallel parking skills to elite levels. I suppose it helps that we have small cars but... If parallel parking were an Olympic sport, we'd take... Well, bronze, probably. & maybe only if it were on a local level, BUT STILL.

-
Not knowing how to make coffee when the resident coffee maker is out of town.
+
Testing my caffeine addiction by abstaining & actually living to tell the tale. I've had a couple of mild headaches in the afternoons, but it's also been raining for two days straight, which could also be the culprit. Tomorrow marks Day 3, so if you see me & I try to bite you, please know that it's not you, it's coffee.

4.23.2014

wearing - 15/50

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sweater - Forever 21 // chambray - Kohl's // shorts - J. Crew // flats - Old Navy

Hullo from the Outer Banks! I'd LOVE to stay & chat, but there is hot tub outside calling my name, & who am I to resist its advances? xo

4.21.2014

easter sunday

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Some family photos from this year's very short Easter Sunday - Jared & I met up with my family after church for the annual family photo op (2013 & 2012), scarfed a delicious lunch & then packed up the car to head down to the Outer Banks for the week. Jared, very sadly, is home until tomorrow night, so I'm counting down minutes until my sweetheart joins me in this little slice of North Carolina paradise.

Although it rained the whole way down & into this morning... & although it's still quite chilly/windy out, I'm grateful for some relaxation (read: answering emails from as far back as two weeks ago), some serious cuddles with the golden doode, & the promise of a 76 degree day tomorrow that ends with Jared & I in the same state. Hallelujah x 2!

4.18.2014

four good things

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LAVENDER - I made lavender simple syrup for the first time last year when I hosted my friend Dani's lavender & lemon themed bridal shower. It's a springtime must & I cannot wait to try Eden's lavender mojitos at Easter brunch.
SPRING HAIRS - You can barely tell, but I added some orchid to my blonde last month, & I cannot WAIT to go back to Wynter & add more. It's actually a dream come true to have some pink in my hairs. LOVE.
EASTER EGGS - My sisters & I (with assistance, or supervision? from the menfolk) have begun taking Easter egg dyeing very seriously over the past couple of years. Then, we make some very seriously tasty deviled eggs.
LINEN SHEETS - Must. Have. Since pink hair has gone from to-do to to-done, owning linen sheets has moved up the list. I daydream about pulling those straight out of the dryer & straight onto the bed but oh yeah. Need a dryer.

[p.s. see some more good things on my pinterest]