back in action
hi guys! it’s been a long time… a few years to be exact. BUT i’m back! I have a new blog 🙂
hope to see you all there! XO
so long, see you soon
I apologize for my unannounced disappearance. Things have been crazy over here, and honestly i’ve just been enjoying life and not worrying about capturing every moment.
I started my new job, had my 24th birthday, went to Vegas, have been crazy at work, have been enjoying the time with my family and friends and it was like life got in the way. I have been enjoying it and soaking it all in. My new job is crazy busy, but I love it. By the time I come home, the last thing I want to do is get on my computer.
So what I guess i’m saying is that i’m taking a break. I’ll be back, not sure exactly when, but i’ll definitely come back. I’ve made so many blog friends, kept in touch with family, and have used this blog as a way to figure out what my passions are and what I want in life. Right now, it’s time to live it.
I’ll miss you guys, but it’s not goodbye it’s see you soon.
I’m going to leave you with some pictures of my vegas trip. Absolutely the most amazing trip of my life. Unbelievable. If you’ve yet to go to Vegas, you’ve GOT to go.
Celebrations
Thank you thank you for the birthday wishes! It was a great 24th birthday that I got to spend with my friends and family. Yesterday after work I headed on over to a local bar/restaurant called Little Havanas. They have a fun outdoor area right on the harbor with great happy hour specials. Yesterday’s was $10 pitchers of margs. With to die for weather, along with some of my favorite people it was the perfect day. I even got my own chocolate birthday cake.
Today we had off early at 2 PM which was great because my mom, dad, and sister came into the city so we could walk around and then go to dinner at Mezze. Mezze is a Mediterranean tapas restaurant in Fells Point. I went once during restaurant week and it was unreal. Tonight the food was yet again spectacular, but I didn’t end up taking pictures because I was soaking up the time with my family.
I’ve been feeling so fortunate lately for everyone I have in my life. It’s been an amazing start to the weekend, and I can’t wait for it to continue! Lots of love and thanks to everyone of you who made my day so special. I love!
2-4
Sorry to leave you guys hanging after my first day on the job post! Things have been going great, i’ve been in training and learning so much. It’s such a welcoming and inspiring environment for me to work in and I couldn’t be happier.
I’ll get into more details when I have a little more time.
On another note, today is my 24th birthday! Woo! I’m going to happy hour after to meet up with all my friends. Tomorrow night is dinner with my family. We’re going to Mezze which is a Mediterranean Tapas restaurant and is absolutely amazing. Saturday night? Celebration! A good weekend ahead.
On a training note, 1/2 marathon training started this week and has been going well so far. Yet something else I need to update you on! Sorry i’ve been so swamped but as soon as things get sorted out posting will be back to normal. I’m excited to share everything with you in more detail!
HAPPY Thursday!!
First day
Today is my first day at the new job! I’m usually at work by 7, and today I don’t have to go in until 9. With the extra hours i’ve managed to already go on a morning run, make myself a fresh juice, shower, and soon i’ll be making oatmeal and deciding on an outfit.
Sometimes changes can be intimidating but they’re such an amazing time in your life. I’m so excited to be starting this new chapter, meeting new people, being excited about work each day that I go in. I can’t wait for the day to be started. Wish me luck!
girls night pizza
Thank you thank you so much for all of the congrats on the new job! I am so excited to be able to share my good news and I appreciate all of your endless support.
Tonight we had our girls night dinner. I wanted to make pizza and had two different pies on the menu.
The first was a pesto, mozzarella, mushroom, sundried tomato, pine nuts, artichokes, feta and roasted red pepper.
I love adding lots of ingredients and creating my perfect combination of toppings. The pine nuts were a new addition that paired really well with the pesto.
Secondly was the BBQ Chicken pie. I grilled some chicken tenders on the George Foreman then coated them in BBQ sauce. I added the BBQ sauce to the crust, then simply added mozz cheese and the chicken. An extremely simple pizza that is full of flavor.
Girls night was complete with glasses of Riesling, The Hills, and girl talk.
Off to bed so I can get up and go on a 5:30 AM run! It’s way too hot here after work to be hitting the pavement.
Goodnight xo
The Big Reveal
Not long after I landed my very first job after college I realized it may not be the right one for me. The economy was at a low, and I was lucky enough to have found a job at all. I would complain and people would remind me that I needed to be thankful and to stick it out.
I graduated college with a degree in graphic design. I also graduated with the idea in my head that since this was my major I would have to land a job in my field. Turns out, I’m not sure if graphic design is my true passion. I love doing it on the side, designing invitations, blog headers, etc but as a full time career? I’m not sure anymore. I’ve realized that life is too short to be unhappy. You have the power to change the direction you’re going in. It lies in your hands you simply need to realize that and do whatever it takes to get what you want. I wanted to work for a company I was passionate about.
I’ve always been a little superstitious. 2010 is the year of the Tiger in the Chinese Zodiac. That’s my year. On the day of the new year I looked at my horoscope for the upcoming year and wrote down what was in store. Career-wise here’s what it said.
“This year presents opportunities of your wildest imaginings, but you will need abundant self discipline to make them realities. Success is within your reach”
For some reason I thought that I would find a new job immediately after reading my horoscope. Not so much. It was full of ups and downs. Tears after hearing that I didn’t get the job that I had wanted so much. Picking yourself back up and brushing your shoulders off and getting right back on track.
Well friends, persistence and passion paid off. I landed the job of my dreams. I couldn’t be happier. It is true, things always do work out the way they’re supposed to. I didn’t get certain jobs, but that led me to this. I will be working for an amazing company with limitless opportunity. I know that this is where I was meant to be. I felt so welcomed during my interviews, and left feeling like there was no other place for me. This is my last week at my current job, then I start my new one next Monday. Something that makes it even better? It’s about a mile from my house. The best commute.
The same week I start, is the week of my 24th birthday. A new beginning and the perfect way to start off a new year. It feels so good to work so hard and see results. You can’t expect things to come your way easily, you’ve got to fight your way to the top but nothing beats the feeling when you reach your goals.
24 is going to be a good year 🙂
Baltimore 10 miler recap
When you run a race you expect to have a fantasy recap where you felt strong throughout the entire run and bounded through the finish line with the Rocky themesong playing in the background as you pose for the race photographer looking like it was a piece of cake.
Not exactly the recap you’re about to get here.
I’ve honestly been dreading this race. After the Cherry Blossom 10 miler I was on cloud 9, and then it was kind of like I didn’t want to really run anymore. I had lost a lot of motivation to keep up my running and honestly didn’t do much of it to prepare for the Baltimore 10. The longest training run was 3.75 miles, and that was only once. I wasn’t prepared for this whatsoever.
I was running the Baltimore 10 with 3 of my friends. 3 of us decided to run the entire thing together and to finish hand in hand. About 3 steps past the start line I got a side cramp. This lovely thing decided to stay with me until the very end. It was all I could focus on and it wouldn’t go away. There were lots of rolling hills throughout the course and although I was happy that some of it was shaded, it was a hot summer day out and it took its toll on me.
I was so incredibly thirsty throughout and stopped at each water station and would grab 2 cups. 1 to drink and the other to dump on my head to help cool me off. I was doing alright until about mile 7, I started inching further and further away from my friends. My legs were started to feel like lead and it was hard for me to push through. By the time I hit mile 8 it was uphill till the end. The last 2 miles going uphill was what really killed me. Tracey and Meg were trucking up those hills and I just couldn’t. I had to take a few walk breaks and try to gather enough energy to keep going. At this point I really didn’t know if I would be able to finish running.
Walking up to the last water station I saw Meg and Trace waiting for me with cups in hand. I told them to keep on going and finish it strong but they wanted to finish together. We had less than a mile left and I felt like I was about to start crying. I was so happy they waited for me, I wanted this race to be DONE, and I couldn’t believe I was going to finish the 10 miles. Right before the finish line I spotted Caitlin and Kat cheering me on which gave me the extra push I needed to get through to the end.
The face of death
Once I saw Cait & Kat 🙂
The three of us grabbed onto each other and finished the race together, just like we said we would.
It wasn’t a pretty race, but it had a successful ending. I know it’s so easy to compare yourself to other runners, or even your past running performances. But we really all need to realize that it’s all about the journey. Sometimes we don’t have great runs, sometimes they’re downright awful, sometimes we feel like we’re running on air. Even though I did better in my last 10 miler, it is still shocking to me that i’m actually able to run 10 miles. I struggled, and found something deep inside to keep me going just a little further. I have friends that are focused on finishing together as a team and inspire me to do better. I have people in my life who are there at the finish line with open arms and are ready for a celebratory hug. I have my blog friends and readers who are there for endless words of encouragement.
happy to be DONE
thank you for all your support! XOXO
“Each of us has much more hidden inside us than we have had a chance to explore. Unless we create an environment that enables us to discover the limits of our potential, we will never know what we have inside of us.”
Muhammad Yunus
My perfect morning
My perfect cup of morning coffee has the following :
I went to the local farmer’s market this past Mother’s day with my mom and it was amazing. So many types of local foods, multiple food vendors, crafts, and plants. What caught my eye was the local creamery stand. South Mountain Creamy had everything you could imagine. I went for the half and half. I always try to venture out to different options in my coffee but nothing makes the perfect cup quite like it.
The ingredients were simple : Grade A Pasteurized Milk, Cream.
You pay a $1.50 reusable bottle fee, and then bring back your bottle each week for fill ups of $4.
This half and half is the best i’ve ever had. It literally makes my regular cup of joe feel like a decadent latte. I’ve finally found my perfect ingredient list for the best cup of morning coffee. Nothing crazy, just simple and amazing.
What can top it off even better?
A cranberry and pistachio biscotti from a local bakery. Now that’s a great morning.
What are the ingredients to your perfect morning?
The Happiness Project
I bought this book a few months ago, well maybe more than a few months ago. I’m starting to build a collections of books that I buy to read, yet are left untouched after the first chapter. I haven’t been engaged so I put it aside and start another. I’ve heard good things about The Happiness Project by Gretchen Ruben and it’s been sitting on my nightstand for a while now just collecting dust.
I started to dig into it today. I love the concept of this and have been trying to use it in my own life. Gretchen Rubin wrote about a year she tried to make herself happier. She was already happy, had a wonderful family, an amazing job but felt as though she wasn’t living up to her full life potential. She would worry about the little things too much, complain too often, not know how to sit back and enjoy what her life had become. She decided to devote a year to being happier. Each month she would tackle a new resolution.
I have a happy life, amazing family and friends, a solid job, nothing to complain about….
I tend to lose sight of that sometimes. I get worked up over small insignificant things, put off cleaning and organizing, overreact about silly issues. Everyone does it and it all just seems to be normal. Reading the first few chapters of this book has given me a fresh perspective. Do small tasks that accumulate and aid your happiness, be kind to others and compassionate. It’s these little things that add up and warm your heart.
We tend to forget how lucky we are and this book helps you realize the things you should be grateful for and how to live your life to the fullest. I’m no where near being done but I just wanted to share with you my thoughts so far.
It’s made me want to sit back and breathe. Lately I’ve been spreading myself too thin. I’ve got a million things going on all at once. The superwoman syndrome where you think you can accomplish anything no matter how much you have on your plate. I realized I need to cut back on some commitments and rethink my priorities. Make time for me, my family, my friends, and savor it.
Think about it for a few seconds : If you were to make your own happiness project, what would be the first thing you would focus on?
Daily Goods 