June Favorites: Books, Movies, & TV

We're halfway through June and you know what time it is....okay, well maybe you don't. But I am going to tell you so never fear! It's time for Emilie's June Favorites: otherwise known as a list of random things that I've really liked during this month. Cheers.

1. Movie...

Wonder Woman: let's just get this obvious favorite over with. OBSESSED. I have always been a sucker for a good Girl Power storyline (Spice Girls represent) and this movie was one, big, epic, MFing girl power moment. I thought Gal Gadot did a wonderful job (pun intended) and that her portrayal of Diana was amazing. She made Diana relatable, real, and still an ass-kicking warrior princess. Wonder Woman is goals for all of us; she does what she wants, stands up for those who can't fight for themselves, doesn't let anyone tell her what to do, and is unapologetic about her femininity.

2. Book(s)...

I am not capable of reading only one book at a time. I get bored and end up taking forever to finish it, unless of course it's Harry Potter. Right now I am really enjoying:

*White Trash: The 400 Year Untold History of Class in America (Nancy Isenberg)
*The Secret History of Wonder Woman (Jill Lepore)
*A Breath of Snow and Ashes: Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
*Outliers: The Story of Success (Malcolm Gladwell)

I highly recommend all of these books especially if you like history or historical fiction.

3. Television...

When I say 'television' I mean Hulu, Netflix, or Amazon because I am cheap and we don't do cable unless its basketball season. But! Here are my favorite shows currently...

*American Gods - This show has incredible camera shots and the storyline is insane, I can't wait to read the book! Unfortunately I messed up my longtime pact of reading books before seeing the show on this one but if the book is anything like the show, it's going to be great. Neil Gaiman is an artist.

*The Handmaid's Tale - This show makes me angry & upset but it is relevant and I love it. I'm a little confused about why they decided to drag it out into more than one season, but excited to see where they go with it. Elizabeth Moss is insanely great as June and I love that she is also a producer on the show.

What are you reading, listening to, and watching right now??

Happy Monday...

Em

Living with Intention

We are swinging right through Spring and into Summer here in NC! The days are starting to get hot and muggy and long, and everything is green and full of life. I love this time of year in Durham and I'm so glad I get to spend the next few months here before our big move this winter.

During the summer months when the American Dance Festival is going on you can hear the rehearsals going on across the street at Duke! The cicadas are picking up their chorus and fireflies are everywhere. You can hear people walking their dogs, playing outside, grilling out, and laughing with friends and family until late in the evenings. On Friday nights you can hear the fireworks from the Bulls Games and the smell of charcoal and freshly cut grass is always in the air. These are the sounds and smells of my childhood, and it makes me so nostalgic to experience them again after being gone for the last two years :)

Even though it's starting to get too hot to leave the windows open, I love to throw them wide at night so I can hear the crickets chirping as I fall asleep and the birds singing when I wake up. Every morning I take my mat out onto the back deck and get in some morning asana flow while my coffee is brewing and the dogs are running around the yard. Everything seems to move slower in the summer. I love that. The feeling of waking up early, but slow, so you have time to start your day gently and with intention.

I have been thinking about intention a lot recently. I feel like I see so many people going through life every day full of worry and anxiety and chaos. And of course, I am guilty of that regularly, but I've noticed that my yoga practice has made me hyper-aware of this to the point where I am able to catch myself getting kinetic and am then able to take a breath and reset my intention. Naturally there are some big things in life that cause stress; a big project at work, a test in your hardest class, money problems, etc. But, there are also a ton of little, insignificant things that cause just as much anxiety, and when it comes down to it worrying about ANY of these things, big or small, is not going to solve anything.

I heard a saying once that, 'if you worry about things before they happen, you suffer twice'. To people who know me, it's going to sound like I'm being extremely hypocritical right now because I am seriously one of the biggest worry-warts alive! But I think that is why I am so aware of it, because I spend so much of my own time trying to quell my anxiety and stress that I have in my life (and to a certain extent exacerbate when I don't catch myself in time!)

One of the ways that I have started trying to live with more intention is by taking a step back, following my breath, and giving myself a minute to process things when I get overwhelmed or feel myself starting to experience negative emotions. This is harder some times and easier other times but the result is always the same: I walk away feeling more at peace with things, and I am able to move forward in a more productive and positive way.

It can also help to reflect at the end of your day! I recently had dinner with my family and I was telling them about a family I used to nanny for and how every night at dinner they would go around the table and each person would say what their "rose" and "thorn" of the day was. Your "rose" being the best part of your day, and the "thorn" being the worst. We decided to do it ourselves and it was so wonderful to hear the highs and lows of each others day and talk about things on a different level. It can be so easy to let little, annoying incidents effect the outcome of our days but if we take the time to appreciate the little things and focus our intention on being grateful for those things we can be so much happier and peaceful.

Smile at a stranger. Hold a door for someone. Call a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Go for a walk outside without your phone. Go to the gym. Start a book you've been wanting to read. Have a glass of wine on your deck and look at the stars. The list in endless!! Pick one thing to do each day that will bring you joy, and do it with intention!

Find the things that bring you joy and DO THEM! We are only here for a short amount of time and every second should be filled with love and intention and gratitude (easier said than done, but big goals build character and every little step in the right direction makes a huge difference!)

What are some things you can do to start living with more intention?

Em

Let Me Just Be Basic For A Minute...I'm Ready For Autumn.

I've reached that point at the end of the summer where ALL I can think about are the cool days of fall. Anything to get some relief from the stifling, timeless, stuffiness of summer.

I want to be able to turn off the A/C and throw the windows wide open so that the smell of wood stoves and crispy leaves fill the house. I want to wake up and have that moment where the air is so chilly that getting out of bed seems impossible, until you remember how amazing that first sip of hot coffee is. I want to come home from work and be able to get cozy and curl up with a good book and a cup of tea, knowing that outside the world is slowly going into hibernation but I am warm and safe inside.

For the love of god, I really just want to be able to walk to the mailbox without having a heat stroke.

There is something so alive and exciting and comforting about the autumn. Even the names of the months; September, October, November carry a specific, cozy promise in the way they sound when they roll off your tongue. The nights get longer, the evenings chillier, and you can hear people going for walks and laughing on the street only to stifle their noise abruptly and disappear into the night. There is something about the fall that makes you want to whisper so as not to disturb nature as she slips into her yearly slumber. Not fear, but excitement and expectation. For me, it borders on awe as this colorful burst of life happens before everything slips into rest mode for winter.

Needless to say... my autumn Pinterest boards are overflowing, I'm trying to wear sweaters prematurely, and I'm getting the urge to start re-reading Harry Potter. The signs are all present. Now I just need that first leaf to turn...

Holy August Batman!

I can not believe it is already August. This summer has seriously flown by and honestly, I am completely fine with that! This girl is ready for some cool fall nights, cozy sweaters, and pumpkin flavored everything. Basic I know, but there you have it.

I just got back from spending a wonderful week up in Durham with the family. We finalized some wedding details, had my first dress fitting, & did a little rental house hunting (more on that later!) I also got to see one of my favorite ADF performances (Paul Taylor), and pick up the new Harry Potter book at the midnight release from the old, local book shop where I bought the others so many years ago. Super nostalgic trip! Every time I go back to Durham to visit I feel so lucky to have been raised in such an open minded and forward thinking community. And luckily wedding planning keeps me going back and forth quite a bit!

It's hard to believe that in a few short months we will be saying our 'I do's'!! When we got engaged last December I kept thinking that our wedding date was soooo far out, but this year is flying by and I'm super thankful we started planning early. A lot of changes are going to be happening in the next few months leading up to the wedding and I am excited to see where these changes take us.

But for now, we are enjoying our last few weeks in the Milton House and spending time with all of our Florida friends :) One of the hardest parts about being a military family is having to constantly say 'see you later' to the wonderful friends you make along the way. The stress and love that comes with this lifestyle bonds you together with each other quicker and more intensely than most normal friendships and they are the glue that holds us all together.

As we approach this next PCS, I can't help but shed a few tears over the idea of parting ways with these wonderful friends and having to start over from scratch again. But if I've learned anything over the last couple of years, it's that distance over time and space have nothing to do with affairs of the heart, and while we may all be scattered across this planet nothing will cause this support system to falter. Also, we thankfully have the internet at our disposal so staying in touch is much easier :)

With all that being said, new beginnings bring a sense of excitement and adventure and we will be keeping everyone posted on our little journey right here through it all! Stay tuned...

What's on the Menu: Fourth of July (Part 2)

It's actually, officially INDEPENDENCE DAY!! However, we celebrated too hard all weekend so I am celebrating by watching Captain America and trying to force my dogs to snuggle as they run about the house barking at fireworks (high five)!

heh heh heh 'Merica

We did have a great BBQ yesterday and were able to spend time with our wonderful friends, eat some amazing food, and drink too much beer. We were ALMOST outnumbered by dogs since all of us are in that awkward 'we don't have kids yet but treat our dogs like they're babies' stage, but the humans won out in the end.

J and I got up early so he could start marinating the ribs in a new homemade sauce (Pineapple Habanero), and I had to get the biscuits and veggie burgers crackin.

The veggie burger recipe is from one of my all time favs Thug Kitchen. They are super easy to make, and only require a few ingredients that we usually have laying around the house:
-3 cans white beans
-an onion
-cumin, chili powder, paprika
-jalepenos
-bread crumbs

All you have to do is bake them for 30 minutes and they are good to go!

The biscuits are another favorite of ours from the Foster's Market Cookbook.
They are amazingly buttery, and cheesy, and delicious! And, they are good for several days after so you can heat them up and have them with breakfast and dinner.

We also had sides galore thanks to our amazing friends, and everyone was stuffed by the end of the night. I for one will be doubling up on Pure Barre this week, especially since Wednesday is Glow Day at the Pensacola Barre studio! (and who doesn't love doing pilates covered in glow paint??)

Here are some photos from our festivities...

Sweet Friends 

Men & Their Fire Sticks

Dog Pile Up

Poodle Mama

Cop & Tuck 

Lovely Milton Ladies

Happy Fourth of July friends! Hope everyone had a wonderful, safe long weekend :)

Top 5 of the Week...and GO!

1. Outlander EVERYTHING. If you've not read the books and are looking for an amazing series that takes over your life, this is it. Also, the show. It stays so true to the books and the characters are perfect. We definitely splurged on the Starz Amazon addition just for this show...

Get your copy here!

2. Victoria's Secret bathing suits. We have all heard the sad news by now that they are discontinuing the swim line after this summer. Time to stock up ladies.

3. Beauty Counter make-up. My friend Christine is a rep for this company and she got me hooked. These products focus on natural ingredients, cruelty free composition, and healthy skin. I'm in love.

4. Day Designer. These planners are absolutely on point. They have dedicated areas for your weekly goals, notes, appointments, and to-do lists. Also, they have weekly and monthly spreads which I need so I can figure out what month I am in...

Find yours here :)

5. Pure Barre. If you have never taken a Pure Barre class, you should. As a dancer I thought it looked like a joke and then I went to a class and it broke me. Like literally, broke me and I couldn't walk for 3 days. Now I love it (and hate it). It hits all of those weird hard to reach muscles and you will feel immediate results, aka pain. Do it!

So, there you have it! The top five for this week! Go play!

First Day of Summer

Summer is in full swing here in the sunshine state. Daily thunderstorms pop up and cool the air for a grand total of 10 minutes before you feel like you're swimming through a hot tub again. And in the mornings we wake up to condensation fogging the windows while our AC works overtime to keep the stifling heat out.

When I was younger summer was my absolute favorite. School was out. There was no end to all of the awesome summer activities one could do. We could go to the quarry with floats and Cookout milkshakes, and spend the day floating on the water. We could make the quick two hour drive to wilmington for a beach day (complete with ice cream on the boardwalk and henna tattoos from Wings). Sometimes we would just walk up to Duke Gardens for a picnic. No responsibilities. No obligations. Just pure, easy fun.

And every night there would be something going on. Some house party or camping trip or movie night. I'm not sure if it was the monotony and routine of the school year that made summer seem so magical or if it was something as simple as a REAL season change, unlike what we have down here!

I just got off the phone with my best friend back home and we laughed and talked about how being 'adults' is probably the dumbest thing we have ever done. So many things that used to be exciting and crazy no longer hold that appeal. Probably because we now have responsibilities, bills, and obligations to worry about.

I don't know when that change occurs, and you become somewhat jaded and uninterested or unfocused on what used to make you happy. It's probably a different age for everyone depending on your job, family or what have you. But it's always the same, things start to appear less shiny and fun, like an old toy.

All I know is that I think it is utterly ridiculous to feel obligated to do something or not do something simply because society says its what you are SUPPOSED to do. Of course there are things you can't ignore like your water bill or feeding your dog - but who's to say that you can't still enjoy the things that you used to?

I may be a realtor who is responsible for selling people homes, but I can also enjoy taking an afternoon to float down the Blackwater on an inner tube with friends. It's okay to spend a Friday night in reading an amazing book that you can't put down instead of going out drinking. It's also okay to go to Disney World as an adult and take picture with your favorite princess. The balance seems to evade us in favor of the mundane the older we get, and I am guilty of letting that happen to me regularly.

So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that, on this first day of summer 2016, think back to the basic, simple, every day things that make you happy. Sit on your front porch with a gin and tonic and a good book, get out into your garden and plant some new flowers, call up some old friends and have a dinner party, go for a hike, watch a movie you haven't seen in a while!

Take a minute to breathe and consider that child-like feeling you used to get when something really exciting was about to happen. Then go out and do that!

Happy Summer <3

Adult Disney

Ever since moving to Florida for flight school a year ago, J and I have been trying to pick a weekend to go to Disney World and have the ultimate adult Disney Weekend. Both of us went as young children but hadn't been in 10+ years, so as you can imagine, we felt very strongly about this trip. However, with everything going on down here we never managed to get enough leave or have all of our ducks in a row to make the trip happen.

But! Last week when I got back from NC, J handed me an envelope and told me to open it...and inside were two 4 day park hopper passes that he had gone out and gotten, spur of the moment, for us to use this weekend! I miiiight have the best fiance ever.

MAJOR. Bae. Points.

Needless to say, if there is one thing more magical than Disney World as a child, it's Disney World as a childless adult. We only had two days so we made the most of it by doing Disney Springs for dinner and shopping Friday night, Blizzard beach and Epcot on Saturday, and Magic Kingdom (my fav) on Sunday morning. We definitely didn't get to do everything we wanted to do but luckily we have two days left to you at some point in the near future!

If you are looking for a super fun trip to take as an adult to stir up your inner child, or you just love rides, water parks, and happiness, you need to do an adult disney trip. Not to mention...you can drink beer at the parks when you are old. BOOM. You're welcome.

So, here are some pics from our epic Disney weekend...and yes, we wore mouse ears.

Magic Kingdom!

Being children at Blizzard Beach

Obligatory Castle Pic

Me forcing J to take a car selfie 

Found my veil. Done.

Random people we took shots with at Epcot

Epcot

Ode to Summer: Part One

Ooooooh February, when are you going to be over? I know it sounds absurd but it has been super cold in Florida recently (aka below 65) and my body just can't handle it. I was not made for cold weather! Unless of course it is snowy and I am bundled up and there is a fire and I'm drinking wine. Lots of wine. 

Honestly though, the weather has been clear and beautiful but just chilly enough to where you would potentially freeze to death in a bathing suit.  And that just won't do. That being said, summer does come on very suddenly down here and once it does...were talking 80 degrees by 9:00am. But I LOVE it. The beaches down here are beautiful! White sand, clear aquamarine water, and little stands on the beach that sell mixed drinks. 

Since today is 67 degrees, with blue skies, and helicopters buzzing overhead like big, old birds (oooh base living) I have decided to put together a montage of summer things to get us through the next month before beach weather is officially upon us! 

Favorite Summer Things...Part One

1. Watermelon. Now, you may be saying to yourself...'what a weird summer thing to start with...' BUT watermelon is amazing. You can eat it for every meal. It is delicious, hydrating, and only tastes good in the summer. 

2. Beach Couture. Otherwise known as adorable bikinis, cute jewelry, gladiator sandals, and awesome beach gear. The more sparkles the better. Tie dye? Bring it on. Headscarves? Why not. Kimono wraps? Yes, please. 

3. Crazy sunnies. Personally, I love huge sunglasses that cover your face and border on ginormous insect eyes. But in the summer I feel like one can go a little further and rock some truly spectacular eye wear...

4. Outdoor activities! There are so many awesome things to do in the summer! Kayaking, tubing, hiking, surfing, sunbathing, water skiing, paddle board yoga...the list is infinite :) And it makes me super happy because I have a really hard time sitting still, so if I can be doing something fun WHILE getting tan and being near water. I'm in. 

5. Girly bevs. In my old age (cough cough 27 cough) I have severely cut back on my intake of hard liquor. Mainly because Ive found that I don't really have a taste for it anymore. I'm more of a red wine or coffee porter gal. But in the summer, something weird shifts in my brain and all I want are pina coladas, rum, and coronas...drinks which, when consumed on a beach in a bikini on a hot summer day, become "dranks". 

The list goes on, quite literally, forever. But for now I will leave you with these five awesome summer things to help stave off the cabin fever. It's almost time to plan those beach trips so hang in there! And don't forget to protect your skin with some yummy smelling, glittery sun screen so you don't grow up and look like a leather bag ;)

Peace, Love & Sunshineeeee

E

B u l l C i t y R e v i s i t e d

if any of you follow my instagram, or Facebook, or snapchat, ooooor any other social media outlet you probably know by now that i got to spend 3 glorious days back in durham this week. i was able to spend some great time with my family, and also managed to cram in a TON of other amazing activities...

on sunday afternoon when i arrived home, i was surprised to see some of our great family friends that we haven't seen in forever. it turns out that Edie, who is the author of some amazing young adult fiction like East, Hero's Song, Fire Arrow...READ THEM, THEY ARE AMAZZZZEEEE)was in town for a book reading for her latest novel called Ghosting. I was super excited because i read it when it first came out and thought it was incredible. I'm also a huge sucker for book readings and signings because you get to ask the authors questions aaaand i always have a million questions :)

later that day also just happened to be our annual neighborhood block party. trinity park was such a great neighborhood to grow up in because everyone looks after each other, kids are always running around playing, people are out walking their dogs, and everyone knows everyone else...and their mother...and their grandparents...and their uncles pet cat...you get the picture. its also a great time of year to be outside in durham because the huge trees that line the streets are covered in bushy green leaves, everybody's gardens are in full bloom, and people just like to sit out on their porches and drink sweet tea after work because its simply too hot for anything else. 

i was able to see a bunch of friends and catch up before everyone goes their own ways. it seems like this is the year for us all to find the next step in our paths; med school, dental school, backpacking through europe, grad school, new jobs! you all know who you are! and you better come visit me!

on monday, i was able to visit with my adorable baby Dillon and i think he actually remembered who i was! he is getting so big! he can even sit up by himself and pull up on tables now. this is such a fun age, I'm super jealous of his new nanny! but we got to read a couple of books and hang out before his bath time so that was great. i know the next time i see him he will probably be running around. 

after a whirlwind couple of days of visiting friends, shopping with my mama, lounging on the porch, and going to my favorite durham spots, it was time for the kicker. the REAL reason for my visit (other than seeing my family of course!). The Taylor Swift concert.

it. was. awesome. i think she sounds even better live than on her albums. Brittney, my parents, and I donned our flower crowns (okaaay, not my dad), applied copious amounts of glitter (also not my dad, i offered though!) and spent the evening rocking out with about 15,000 screaming 13 year old girls. and i am pretty sure we had more fun haha

overall, it was a super fast trip but i was so happy to be home for a short amount of time! it definitely doesn't get any easier to say good bye but i know that whenever i go back things will always just pick up where they left off :) not to mention, my parents are coming to visit very soon so it was important that i got back down here to buy a vacuum and start cleaning...ruh roh

k i d k r u d

if you are a parent, teacher, or in my case a nanny, then you are most certainly familiar with what i refer to as the 'kid krud'. its that nasty virus that school age kids get EVERY. SINGLE. YEAR. it comes complete with runny nose, horrifying cough, sore throat, and body aches. and the best part is, you don't get a day off when you are a nanny and the kids are the ones who started the illness because they can't catch it back from you! its not like you can say 'stay away from me you sick child!' when i see one of my kids being all sick and pitiful i can't help but want to make them feel better...so long story short, i caught the 'kid krud'. wah wah

however, i did get about 24 hours of fun in this weekend before it hit me! we went out for sushi on friday night (or i did, J had a video game date) to celebrate our friends' flight suit friday. its crazy to think that James will be celebrating his in a few short weeks! then we spent the day at the pool, drinking gin & tonics, reading, and relaxing. 

saturday night we had people over for a BBQ. its nice to know that we are surrounded by so many great people. our tiny apartment was packed with fun friends, good food, and lots of noise. we had to call it a night early because J had some studying to do for his exam, but it was a good time :) also i needed to chug about 4 bottles of nyquil. 0_o

today was the first day of summer for the kids i nanny for so my days will be beginning at the crack of 8:00am for the next couple of months. the camp schedule for these 3 is insane, and i spent most of the day running them to and from their activities while trying to get laundry done in between. we did manage to watch Mockingjay, play 3 rounds of checkers, take the dogs to the dog park, and make crepes today though which is pretty good for four sick people haha. hopefully in the days to come everyone will start feeling better so we can go to the beach!

oh! and for all of my durhamites, i will be back in town this sunday until wednesday morning for the Taylor Swift concert and to visit my family. sooooo, if you wanna get a drink or catch up, you know how to reach me! i promise not to breathe on you...

m e m o r i a l d a y

this weekend James and I dropped the dogs off at the boarder (for the first time), drove the 8 hours up to Charlotte NC, and spent the weekend with his family celebrating the life of his late uncle. it was a beautiful weekend and so much fun to see everyone, especially J's aunt who has been super kind and helpful to us during our move! if it weren't for her we wouldn't even have a couch right now!

once we got the drive over with, the weekend was full of laughs, good food, remembrances, and family. you know how they say, 'you don't just date the person, you date their family'? well, i am very lucky that james's family is so awesome and welcoming.

we didn't get a chance to see my parents but I'm super stoked because I'm flying up there at the beginning of june to go to the T-Swift concert with them and my sister wooooo!!! 

its weird how easy it is to get wrapped up in life and every day things when you move away, and i can see how quickly falling out of touch can occur. it makes me so sad and i want to make sure i do a better job of staying in touch with everyone. just yesterday, someone (cough cough TEMPE, my sister) wrote on my wall something snarky about remembering she existed and i was completely shocked to realize i hadn't talked to her in like a week!! what did i do last week? was i busy? did i not have a free second to call? honestly, i can't remember what i had for breakfast so who knows. but it made me think, i need to be much more proactive about communicating with my people back in NC. 

And yes, Der if you are reading this, i do remember you and you are awesome and I'm going to make you wear flower crowns with me to the Taylor Swift concert. kthanksbyeeee, #loveyoumeanit

on a separate note; HOW IS IT ALMOST JUNE?!?!

i really can not understand why time is moving so quickly. it seems crazy that 2015 is almost halfway over! we have been lucky to meet so many wonderful people down here and make some truly amazing friends, but its really crazy to think about how short our time will be in pensacola. and once flight school is over, everyone will be scattered across the world to different duty stations. but, thats the name of the game. at least there are endless opportunities to make new friends and hopefully run into old ones. and having friends all over the globe definitely has its perks!

for now though, we are just trucking right along :) James is in the midst of API so he is studying like a mad man 24/7 and flying through his material (pun intended). i am about to start working double time since the kids get out of school this week. and hopefully on the weekends we will get a little bit of spare time to relax, grill out, and enjoy the beach. 

its going to be a great summer with lots of fun things happening! we've got weddings to attend, new babies to meet, family and friends to party with, and lots of things to be thankful for. 

its looking like summer 2015 is going to be one for the books...

f l o r i d a l i f e

wow, its been a long time since I've written anything here. but thats definitely not for lack of reasons to! the move has gone very smoothly. we have managed to get settled, explore a bit, and make some new friends. i still get lost every time i leave the house but thankfully I've finally learned most of the main roads. 

learning how to live with someone in a shared space has been easy for us since we've lived together for longer periods during j's time at TBS. the hard part has been adjusting to our schedules and learning how to communicate in a normal way now that he isn't in the field all the time! and to be honest, its a great problem to have because it means we get to see each other so much. 

for me personally, the most difficult thing has been accepting the fact that i will have to put myself out there in an unfamiliar place and meet new people. we've spent some time with j's friends and their significant others which has been great! everyone is super nice and they know from experience the things i am going through. last weekend a big group of us went out in downtown pensacola which was awesome. i was surprised at how fun the bars were! and with the exception of a slight alcohol induced bout of hysteria on my part, the night was a blast. we were also FINALLY able to go to the beach! it was beautiful. white sand, blue water, and sunshine!!

i was supposed to head home yesterday morning but decided to extend my trip through the weekend in order to lock down a job I've been chasing while down here. I'm excited to say that i think at this point it is in the bag. such a relief! i have to admit that i was terrified at the thought of being down here with nothing to do. i don't want to only be a marine girlfriend. thats not who i am. or its not the ONLY thing i am. I've grown up being a very independent, educated, and motivated person and its easy for people in military communities to box significant others in and assume the worst about them. its kind of sad. but i refuse to be one of those people!

james and i are planning on getting our scuba certifications when i get back down here in may which i am SO excited about. especially since there are so many coastal and marine archaeological sites down here! we even found out that the local colleges offer classes that i may be able to take that will add some credits to my grad school count :) 

in addition to working full time, going to the beach, (hopefully) taking some classes, learning the area, and trying to find a place to volunteer i am feeling much better about my schedule. the only time things get hard is when i have nothing to do, so staying busy, getting out and doing new things, and meeting new people will not only be my biggest challenge but my salvation here. i think that this is the beginning of an amazing adventure and i can't wait to see how we grow as a couple and as individuals on this journey :)

w e d i d i t !

we did it!
we moved a 26 foot penske truck, 4 animals, 2 cars, and all of our stuff from north carolina to florida. the drive wasn't as bad as i thought it would be and surprisingly the animals all behaved very well in the car and didn't have any accidents. thank the lord! 

we spent the weekend rearranging furniture, unpacking boxes, grocery shopping, and basically just stocking up on everyday things that we completely forgot you don't have after a move. its definitely been a tiring weekend, but I'm finally staring to settle in and feel at home. its crazy to think that after twenty six years in north carolina i have taken this step. I'm so proud of my self and i can't think of a better reason to have left home. its been amazing getting to set up a home with james and finally being able to see each other every day :)

even though i will only be here for a couple of weeks before having to head back to nc until may, i want to get as settled in as possible so that when i come back for good, it will be easier to jump in and fully get involved down here in pensacola. as for the apartment, it is much cuter and bigger than i was anticipating. it isn't huge but its just the right amount of space for us, its close to everything, and we actually know the couple who lives back door to us. I'm not sure how long we will be here, but I'm sure that we will enjoy it. and i will savor the time before we have to pack up and move again!

hopefully in the next few days i will get a chance to see more of the town and explore a little bit. i also need to go to the beach asap and see some sunlight!! its only 15 minutes away now so maybe later this week :)

t a s t e o f s u m m e r

the past couple of days have been absolutely beautiful! warm bright sunshine, clear blue skies...i even heard crickets the other evening! baby D and i spent the day walking around durham, hanging out on east campus, and soaking up this amazing sun. needless to say, my motivation to get those last couple of boxes packed up has been lacking. 

I've been really slacking on keeping up with the blog recently too because, although i haven't packed random things like dishes yet, i did manage to get a little over-exuberant and pack up the modem for my internet. typical. so I've been mooching on my neighbors wifi by standing in weird places and trying to follow the signal. hopefully no one has been watching in my windows because I'm sure i look like a complete nut job. also typical. 

luckily, today is my last day of work for this week so i will be able to focus these last two days before the move. it is bittersweet though because i won't see my sweet little chunk for two whole weeks since i will be in florida getting our new place situated. but it will be amazing to finally see james and start building this next phase of our life together. it also doesn't hurt that the weather is already hot and awesome in florida. i can't wait to check out the beaches and explore the area.

I've also set up several great job interviews for this trip to pensacola and hopefully i will find something that works out. since i will be maintaining my real estate license in north carolina, i figured i would just try to find a great nannying gig to keep me busy and make some extra money. who wouldn't want to run around the beach with kids all day? sounds pretty great to me!

on a less fun but still exciting note, tomorrow evening my dad and i are going to pick up the moving truck and take it to get weighed before we begin the harrowing task of filling it up with all of our junk. I'm praying that the rain holds off so we can move everything without having to deal with inclement weather but you know what they say...when it rains it pours. 

guess we will just see how this plays out! I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst so how bad can it be?

w e e k e n d u p d a t e

oooooh durham. why do you have to get super cool right when i decide to leave!? just kidding, durham has always been cool to us townies but still, new restaurants are popping up, bars, hotels, awesome music venues, you name it. on friday molly and i tried out the new bar Counting House which just opened downtown. it was really different and artsy which was fun. apparently the hotel is a modern gallery hotel so each floor will have a different exhibit. put together i think we tried every drink on the menu...so much for curbing my drinking enthusiasm for this cleanse.
(insert smug emoji here)

on saturday, the fam and i went to DPAC to see Kinky Boots. it was hilarious. it was also relevant, endearing, and the voices were great. i definitely prefer musicals to be funny since i find chorus actors hilarious at the best of times. maybe its my ex-ballerina coming out but the choreography that chorus members do makes me simultaneously gag and laugh hysterically. i literally cannot handle it in a mature or appropriate manner. long story short...my favorite musical is a tie between Young Frankenstein and Legally Blonde. judge me if you must.

today, since i am running dangerously low on time and energy with the move coming up, i decided to refinish an old dresser of mine with metallic spray paint. i think it turned out quite well ;) hopefully, now that i got some of my restless energy out i will be able to buckle down and focus on getting everything else situated in the next few days. i may also see if the vet will give me a couple of tranquilizers for the animals...

sheesh, a day in the life.

Hope everyone else had a great weekend and was able to enjoy this beautiful, warm, sunny weather as much as i did!

c o c o n u t o i l t i m e

another gorgeous day! sunshine, birds chirping, people out and about. sweet baby D and i have already looped the wall twice, run up to whole foods for some groceries, picked up some boxes from the smitten kittens, and made lunch. now its time to relax (or in Dillons case, nap) and sit outside on the porch. 

its crazy how much more motivated i am to do things when its nice outside. although i would love to be sitting on a beach with a HUGE umbrella drink right now...

anyway, the season changes are always especially difficult for my skin. i've tried different over the counter meds, prescription lotions, you name it. thankfully my skin has never been that bad, but getting these random breakouts drives me crazy! so, I've decided to take matters into my own hands and do this the all natural way.

today i made my very first essential oil & coconut oil moisturizer. I've been researching what to do for a few days now and figured i would go ahead and give it a whirl! coconut oil is an amazing little    ingredient. it can be ingested, applied topically, used in cooking, and is good for your hair, skin, nails and all around health. 

the essential oils i chose to include were; frankincense (anti-aging), tea tree oil (breakouts), lavender (inflammation), lemon (dark spots) and sweet orange (dewy glow...and it smells amazing). i prefer my oils to be more diluted than most people so i only added 3 drops of each to my coconut oil, mixed it up, and put it in a four ounce container. since coconut oil is one of the thicker base oils, i plan on using this mainly as a night cream.

can't wait to try it out tonight!