Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Turkey Day readers!

Yesterday, my family and I started our Thanksgiving break the way we do every year. I drive home from school for break, we all pack ourselves into the Tahoe like clowns jumping in a clown car and we travel to the mall.

My mom and I walked the mall for hours window shopping. I picked out some things that I wanted for Christmas while attempting to figure out what I wanted to get others.

We watched my baby cousin, Caroline, sit on Santa's lap and tell him everything she wanted for Christmas. She was such a good girl this year because usually she can't even look at him without being terrified. But this year she went running full speed towards him with her list of toys in hand. It was so cute!

This is my first holiday season as a 21 years old, so I was able to attend my mom's Thanksgiving party. Her friend Mark invites all of his friends, co-workers and family to a party in downtown Annapolis at Ram's Head Tavern to drink in celebration of the holidays. It was interesting to say the least but in a good way. They were all so friendly and funny (mostly because they were all shwasted lol) but all I can really say is my mom's co-workers know how to get down!

But about today...

I hope you spend your day enjoying time with your loved ones, watching or playing football, and stuffing your faces with good food!

I know I will!

My morning started by waking up to the smell of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven and the sound of the Macy's Thanksgivings Day parade blasting in the living room.

I am a huge fan of the animated movie How to Train your Dragon. So of course when I found out a new float of Toothless the dragon was flying in the sky at the parade, I was the happiest girl ever for that split second it crossed the tv screen!

Yes, I am a 5 year old at heart.

I am traveling to my aunt and uncles house today in Virginia to feast with my whole family. It always is a nice time being able to see my cousins and catch up with everyone I don't get to see that often.

Since I don't have any photos of my Thanksgiving day yet and yesterday was so busy, I will post again later tonight including my photos. 

I will leave you with some things I am thankful for. Some are the basics that everyone should be grateful for while some are a little silly/random to spice it up.

I am thankful for...

-My temper pedic pillow for never leaving me unsatisfied after a snooze.
-The creation of leggings and yoga pants. I bow down to you.
-The best group of friends I could ever ask for. Thank you for coming into my life and making unforgettable memories with me.
-Being able to spend time with my entire family on Thanksgiving day.

-Finally receiving my Starbucks gold card!
-My best friend and boyfriend Karl. Without you there to keep me sane I don't know what I would do. I love you.
-My family of course. Yes you are a little crazy sometimes but know I love you very much.
-My mother. I know you mean well so thank you for all of the sacrifices you've made for me over the years.
-Wine. No explanation needed.
-My rambunctious kitten Mo. You are adorable to look at but you need to learn how to snuggle with me.
-Netflix existing. What else would I do with my time if you weren't there for me.
-Getting the chance to join the blogging world. I'm excited to see where this takes me in the future.
-My education and being able to go to college.
-Starbucks gingerbread lattes and Strawberries and Creame Fraps.

-The little things. I need to appreciate you more.
-My life right now. I am really happy and I can feel myself becoming a better person that I like everyday. 

There's so much more that I am thankful for but writing them all out would take too much time. Just know that I am grateful for everything.

Do you have any Thanksgiving traditions? What are some things that you are thankful for?

I hope everyone has a blessed and happy day. Be safe if your traveling!

If I were

Not much is going on in my life today besides cleaning, homework and applying for a new job. I'm trying to get as much as I can done before heading home in the morning for Thanksgiving break.

I thought I would do something short and sweet today!

I found this neat little survey on one of my new favorite blogs to read The Samantha Daily. It's so cute and I feel like I can relate to basically anything she talks about. So make sure you check out her blog for me!

Comment below if you decide to use this fun little list on your site! 

If I were a month, I’d be June.
If I were a day of the week, I’d be Friday.
If I were a time of day, I’d be 8:00pm.
If I were a planet, I’d be Venus.
If I were a sea animal, I’d be an Otter. 
If I were a direction, I’d be West.
If I were a piece of furniture, I’d be an Office Roley chair. 
If I were a liquid, I’d be Wine.
If I were a gemstone, I’d be a Pearl.
If I were a tree, I’d be a Palm tree.
If I were a tool, I’d be a Saw.
If I were a flower, I’d be a Lily.
If I were a kind of weather, I’d be a Sunny summer day. 
If I were a musical instrument, I’d be a Drum.
If I were a color, I’d be Teal.
If I were an emotion, I’d be Blissful.
If I were a fruit, I’d be a Mango.
If I were a sound, I’d be Ocean waves.
If I were an element, I’d be Air.
If I were a car, I’d be a Jeep Wrangler.
If I were a food, I’d be Sushi.
If I were a place, I’d be a Coffee house.
If I were a material, I’d be Fur.
If I were a taste, I’d taste like Chocolate.
If I were a scent, I’d be the Salty air by the ocean.
If I were an animal, I’d be a a Peacock.
If I were an object, I’d be a a Super cozy blanket.
If I were a body part, I’d be Lips.
If I were a facial expression, I’d be a Duck face.
If I were a song, I’d be Roar-Katy Perry.
If I were a pair of shoes, I’d be a Pair of vans.
If I were an item of clothing, I'd be an Oversize sweatshirt.

Happy Tuesday! Wishing everyone safe travels over the holidays! 

Weekend Recap

So many wonderful things occurred this weekend that I wasn't able to share with you! Sorry about the couple days off but it was so busy, I couldn't find the time to write (haven't exactly figured out the whole balancing blogging and living life yet) So here's my weekends recap to get you all caught up!

Sunset from my balcony on Saturday

 
The phenomenal Stephanie Hitchcock once again took beautiful photos of Karl and I on Friday.

I decided last week after having my first photo shoot done that I wanted some nice photos of me and my boy. This little photo shoot was just for fun and had no significance other than me wanting them taken.

It's always nice to have decent photos of yourself that you can treasure for awhile, other than a selfie here and there and quick snapshots from your phone.

I had so much fun with it and was shocked when Karl said he wouldn't mind taking them with me.

He's definitely a keeper!

I am love with Pemberton Park in Salisbury. It is such a beautiful woodsy area. It consists of a bunch of trails that wonder off into who knows where, a giant lake to look off at, and some old rustic barns. My favorite in particular is a little island we found that has a bridge leading on to it. The island only has a giant tree in the middle and a picnic table underneath.

It's so cute and was perfect for a fall photo shoot! I also was able to cross #12 off of my 101 in 1001 list. Thanks again Steph!


Saturday I had my fall crush party, which is the same as a formal, for my sorority.

Crush party is like a fall formal. It was so much fun be able to dress up, dance and have an amazing time with some of my favorite people. All of my sisters looked so beautiful all dolled up.

We all were given superlatives that night and of course mine was "Most likely to be the first girl to join a fraternity" 

Most of you don't know this yet, but I'm not anything close to a girly girl. For the most part all of my friends are guys, except for a select few ladies. I was also elected the fraternity Sigma Tau Gamma's White Rose, which basically gets me an in for a year (dream come true!) So of course I was proud to receive this superlative.


And last but not least Sunday.

I was able to meet my boyfriend Karl's entire family, like grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, the whole group! It was pretty nerve wracking, and it doesn't help that I'm shy at first, meeting twenty new people who are so important in his life. I put on my friendliest smile, best attitude and did the best I could to make a good impression.

They made a beautiful Thanksgiving dinner. It was so delicious that I stuffed myself silly! I wanted to go into a food coma after eating that much food, but it was absolutely worth it. His grandma's sweet potato casserole with marshmallows was to die for!

Sadly I have no pictures for this day.

But I can't wait for my own Thanksgiving dinner and being able to see my family. Only a couple days left!

What did you end up doing with your weekend? I hope you had a fun time like me!

Set yourself free

I've been thinking about changes, and who I was this time last year.

I know I was a lot more afraid and I know that I am not the same person anymore.

This time last year I was waiting on a call that I knew was never going to come, and now I'm making the call.

I don't know exactly when I changed, or how, but I know at some point, between cutting my strings, escaping my cage, and building my wings

I set myself free.

I set myself free from judging, expectations, seeking approval, planning ahead, fearing the future, jumping to conclusions, negativity and days spent at war with myself.

And this has freed me to simply live my life.

Your journey has molded you for your greater good, and it was exactly what it needed to be. Don't think that you've lost time. It took each and every situation you have encountered to bring you to the now. And now is right on time.




Happy Friday.

Throwback Thursday

Since I had joined the blogging world late in the year, I thought it'd be nice to dedicate this post to a Throw Back Thursday!

A lot of great things have happened this semester that I'm sad I didn't get to share them with you!

The older we get, time seems to fly by faster than we'd ever imagine. Thanksgiving break is next week, winter break is in 3 weeks and I don't know where the time has gone.

This semester has been a big one for me because in my opinion I have really stepped it up and became a woman I am proud of. I could have never accomplished anything this semester if I didn't have the ones I hold dear in my heart by my side.

I was able to experience a great weekend with my boyfriends family, handing out pink ribbons at a Redskins game for Breast Cancer Education and Awareness, playing flag football for the first time, Halloween and Punkin Chunkin in the same weekend (shocked I survived!), bonding with my sorority sisters, walking in two fashion shows, hosting Sig Tau's butler auction, volunteering at Making Strides in Ocean City, MD, seeing a Rebelution concert and much more!

So many wonderful things and I've loved every second. I am thankful for all of the smiles, laughter, good memories, and friends that this semester has brought me. 

Here are some of my favorite moments from the past couple of months. They might not seem like much but they are special to me because of the memories they hold.


Start taking as many photos as you can because I guarantee you will regret not doing so. You'll be happy you did when you look back at photos 20 years from now and remember all of the good times you had. I know I will.

Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever. It remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.

I can't wait to find out and share with you what the rest of this year has in store for me!

101 things in 1001 days

While going through other blogs, I stumbled across a challenge called the 101 things in 1001 days.

This got me thinking about my life. I wondered, how many things have I always wanted to see, experience, do or feel? 

How many things have I not yet accomplished? 

It always seems impossible until it's done so I am starting this challenge now while I'm still young. I am at a point in my life where a lot can happen so I want to try and make the most of it. I am starting this list at 21 and by the time this should be completed I will be 24 years old. 

Having a bucket list seemed too broad. I wanted a more time constricted list so that I can get the most out of my days.

Life is too short to miss out on the beautiful things.

Key
Not Started
In Progress
Complete
[0 complete-101 to go] 

I will link and cross off each number when I accomplish it. See below for my new adventure!

1. Graduate college
2. Receive a promise ring
3. Get engaged
4. Get married
5. Get my own place outside of school
6. Move to a new place
7. Have a relationship that last successfully for a year
8. Get an internship
9. Adopt a puppy
10. Get a job in college
11. Get a job outside of college
12. Have a couples photo shoot
13. Celebrate Mardi Gras in New Orleans
14. Go ice skating
15. Take a road trip down the east coast
16. Take a road trip down the west coast
17. Visit Ben&Jerry's ice cream factory
18. Visit a vineyard
19. Go to a wine tasting event
20. Tour a brewery 
21. Go to a beer tasting event
22. Go to an amusement park
23. Take a trip back to San Diego, CA
24. Visit Disney World/Land
25. Visit ten places in which i've never been [0/10]
26. Go to a foreign country
27. Make a quilt out of my sorority shirts
28. Make a scrapbook
29. Take a photo everyday for a year [0/365]
30. Buy a pair of white shoes and doodle on them
31. Make a  dream catcher
32. Enter a photo contest
33. Create an online portfolio
34. Increase my photography portfolio by 200 images [0/200]
35. Increase my art portfolio by 50 [0/50]
36. Have a photo published in literature
37. Upgrade my adobe products
38. Get a job in event planning
39. Have my own room/studio
40. Own a mac computer
41. Spend a week without makeup on [0/7]
42. Find a true best friend
43. Read 50 new books [0/50]
44. Volunteer at an animal shelter
45. Take a cooking class
46. Make an Etsy account
47. Sell a piece of my artwork
48. Don't eat fast food for two weeks [0/14]
49. Create 10 meals off of Pinterest [0/10]
50. Create 10 desserts off of Pinterest [0/10]
51. Go on a picnic
52. Try 20 new restaurants [0/20]
53. Carve a pumpkin
54. Visit a pumpkin patch
55. Make a gingerbread house
56. Receive a kiss under mistletoe
57. See the ball drop in Times Square
58. Attend a friends wedding
59. Participate in a color run
60. Participate in a polar bear plunge
61. Run 5 more 5k's [0/5]
62. Take a yoga class
63. Go on a hike
64. Workout 5 days a week for a month [0/20]
65. Complete phase 1 of Insanity [0/36]
66. Complete phase 2 of Insanity [0/28]
67. Own a star
68. Go skydiving
69. Camp out on a beach
70. Have a paint fight
71. See a Broadway show
72. Go para-sailing
73. Attend a hockey game
74. Attend a baseball game
75. Attend a basketball game
76. Get front row tickets to a concert
77. Go to a music festival
78. Go to a drive-in movie
79. Learn how to drive stick shift
80. Learn how to write and edit HTML
81. Make a pair of high wasted shorts out of old jeans
82. Take a kick boxing class
83. Take a pole dancing class
84. Swim in the Pacific ocean
85. Make and mail out Christmas cards
86. Plan a date night once a month [0/33]
87. Put $1 away every time I complete a number [0/101]
88. Go to a driving range and learn to play golf
89. Learn all I can about football
90. Get above a 3.0 GPA before graduating
91. Get better with my finances
92. Make an inspiration journal
93. Drink 2 bottles of water everyday for 2 weeks [0/14]
94. Reach 100 followers on my blog
95. Volunteer as a assistant for a professional photographer
96. Create a budget and track it
97. Try a new recipe once a month [0/33]
98. Go on a photo excursion once a month [0/33]
99. Complete a creative project once a month [0/33]
100. Watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day
101. Make a new 101 in 1001 list

Laps for Love 5k

I completed my first 5k!

Some of the students involved in our marketing program, at Salisbury University, created an event to benefit the One Love Foundation. They thought a 5k would be a perfect way to get active and support a great organization! 

They thought right! I am not a runner, by any means, and I thought this would be a fun way to get involved. I have always wanted to participate in a 5k so this was the perfect opportunity to check that off my list of things to do.

Even though I am tall, I run as if I have really small legs. Which tends to make me look like the most attractive looking one out there...not! But I got over the fear of my awkward running and registered.

I asked my roommates to come out and run with me in order to stay motivated. I also made sure to set a timed goal for myself, which I was able to beat by 5 minutes! Not too shabby for my first run and not really preparing.

 Before & After

The run was two laps around our schools campus. Thinking about it, it didn't seem that bad. The cold weather and rain really made the run a struggle. It was really tough, I'm not going to lie, but actually doing it and finishing made it all worth it. What matters is that I was able to finish strong and come out feeling like a champion!

I want to participate in more runs in the future. I hope to actually prepare for the next one and beat my time! I recommend running at least one in your life, its a great experience.

For those of you who don't know, The One Love Foundation was created in 2010 by family and friends to honor the memory of Yeardley Love, who lost her life in a very unsettling way. One Love's mission is to end relationship violence through education and technology.  

“Be 1 For Change” and support a great cause! If you would like more information or would like to donate to the One Love Foundation, visit their website at www.joinonelove.org. Or download the free app!