6/14/14
"I was watching 'As The World Turns' when you were born." - my mom
Slowly eating my Key Slime cupcake because I don't want this moment to ever end.
6/15/14
Happy Father's Day to Danny Tanner, the Braverman boys, Dr. Brown/Dr. Abbott, Coach Taylor, Rick Grimes, & Phil Dunphy.
6/16/14
Ok Monday, you're sucking far too much. Throw me a bone!
RT: I love friends that aren't assholes.
— Amanda Seyfried (@AmandaSeyfried)
6/19/14
It's painfully clear after that last segment the @MonstersOnAir need a woman on the show. You guys know nothing about menstruation.
6/20/14
I've lived in FL my entire life yet from May - Oct I think to myself "it's so hot!!" every time I step outside. I'll never get used to it.
Diagon Alley has butterbeer ice cream. That's reason enough to go.
I'm too tired to sleep.
6/22/14
Just finished 'An Abundance of Katherine's' and I've got to say it is my least fave @realjohngreen book. Womp Womp.
Really not sure about True Blood anymore but might as well finish the final season. Where is Eric?!
6/24/14
What happened to simple parties? Why does everything from 1st brays to a wedding have to be so extravagant?
Icing my elbow like I'm Chet Steadman.
RT: Being well adjusted is probably fucking overrated.
— Anna Kendrick (@AnnaKendrick47)
6/25/14
I love getting to eat lunch with Dustin now.
6/28/14
This is the first time Dustin and I have no interest in seeing a Transformer movie in the theater. Also, 3 hrs? Pfft! Only Titanic is worth that.
Anyone who calls days like today (97 and humid) "gorgeous" must be an alien. #acforlife
6/29/14
Pizza forenics! LOL #TrueBlood
The @TheLeftoversHBO is my new favorite show. BUSEY!
Monday, June 30, 2014
Sunday, June 29, 2014
Happiness
I've been pretty distant from my blog this month. I knew I hadn't been blogging as much as normal but it was confirmed when I looked at the right side of my home screen and saw only 11 posts for the month of June. Only eleven?! I think about blogging still but lately it's been much less. Is it a phase? Or is this a slow fade out of the blogging world? I don't know. I still enjoy blogging so I'm not sure why I've been so quiet in this little space of mine. Actually, I've been quiet privately too. I can't remember the last time I wrote in my LiveJournal which has always been like a best friend to me since my teen years. I don't know what's going on but I haven't been as compelled to write or share even though I still want to. The desire just is kind of lost at the moment. I think it might have to do with the fact that I've been extremely focused on my upcoming craft show. It's my first one and I've put a lot of expectations on myself to do my very best with preparing for it. I sew A LOT now. Before, it was just here and there when the mood struck or when a friend asked me to make them something. But now I sew because I have to have something to sell. And I also still love it. I've also been putting the final touches on all the ceramic pieces that will be sold. Painting ceramics is time consuming and meticulous. And also fun. But wow the time I've spent on these little vases and jewelry holders. The show is about a month and a half away and I'm finally starting to feel excited about it. Still stressed. Still nervous. But more excited than anything.
I feel like I don't ever have enough time. Sure, I don't have kids or pets or work crazy hours but I still feel like I'm always up against the clock to fit in the things that make me happy. I have to be a bit more realistic and understand that sewing is going to take up the majority of my free time for the next month. I won't be able to read every day or play Sims or watch mindless TV or even blog as much as I would like. Hashtag first world problems. Am I right? I feel silly even thinking it let alone typing it out.
The truth is lately I've been overall happier than I have in months. I recently started a new job which I think deserves a lot of that credit. I also think time gives us a different perspective on certain things. The more time that passes the more peaceful I feel about things that really upset me not too long ago. It's weird how that happens but I'm thankful it does.
I sat down at my computer this morning and watched the documentary 'Happy' that is currently on Netflix. It was really interesting to see what makes certain people happy from all over the world. It really gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own happiness. Check it out if you have time.
Speaking of things that make me happy, I booked two mini vacations for Dustin and I. We will be headed back to Siesta Key (Gulf Coast what up!) in September and we will be spending Thanksgiving weekend in Savannah. I'm so excited to go back to both of these places. They are some of my favorites to visit. And not only that but we have a Steelers and Pens game to go to before the year is up. The first half of 2014 was a rough one but the second half seems to be shaping up to be awesome. I'm so grateful to have so many fun things to look forward to.
I'm going to really try and blog more than I have been. I knew if I just sat down and clicked on the 'new post' button my thoughts would spill out. And thats exactly what just happened.
I feel like I don't ever have enough time. Sure, I don't have kids or pets or work crazy hours but I still feel like I'm always up against the clock to fit in the things that make me happy. I have to be a bit more realistic and understand that sewing is going to take up the majority of my free time for the next month. I won't be able to read every day or play Sims or watch mindless TV or even blog as much as I would like. Hashtag first world problems. Am I right? I feel silly even thinking it let alone typing it out.
The truth is lately I've been overall happier than I have in months. I recently started a new job which I think deserves a lot of that credit. I also think time gives us a different perspective on certain things. The more time that passes the more peaceful I feel about things that really upset me not too long ago. It's weird how that happens but I'm thankful it does.
I sat down at my computer this morning and watched the documentary 'Happy' that is currently on Netflix. It was really interesting to see what makes certain people happy from all over the world. It really gave me a lot to think about in terms of my own happiness. Check it out if you have time.
Speaking of things that make me happy, I booked two mini vacations for Dustin and I. We will be headed back to Siesta Key (Gulf Coast what up!) in September and we will be spending Thanksgiving weekend in Savannah. I'm so excited to go back to both of these places. They are some of my favorites to visit. And not only that but we have a Steelers and Pens game to go to before the year is up. The first half of 2014 was a rough one but the second half seems to be shaping up to be awesome. I'm so grateful to have so many fun things to look forward to.
I'm going to really try and blog more than I have been. I knew if I just sat down and clicked on the 'new post' button my thoughts would spill out. And thats exactly what just happened.
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
A Springy Kind Of Summer
Saturday morning I woke up at 6:30. On purpose. I'm an early riser even on my days off but 6:30 is kind of pushing it. A group of us had plans to go to Wekiwa Springs and it's common knowledge that you always get there right when it opens, because it gets crowded fast. And a lot of the times the parks will reach maximum capacity by 10AM. So I changed into my swimsuit and made sure all of our stuff was ready to go. Cooler. CHECK. Towels. CHECK. Sunscreen. CHECK. Donut float. CHECK! The last thing I had to do was put contacts in my eyeballs. I'm not exactly an expert on the process but I feel pretty damn comfortable with it nowadays. I tried to put the left contact in and not only was it in my eye but it was lost. Yeah, contacts can get lost in your eyeball. It's happened to me a few times. The contact gets folded and suctioned together and is hiding out in some crevice of your eye. The first time it happened I nearly had a panic attack until I found out a contact can't roll into the back of your eye and go into your brain. Whew! It's still pretty freaky though. It doesn't hurt but just feels like something is in your eye. BECAUSE SOMETHING IS. The minute Dustin woke up I told him what we were up against. Then seconds later Pat tested him to let us know he was here. The minute Pat walked into our house I asked him for advice on how to get it out. I texted Rachelle for advice. I only really trust daily contact wearers. I tried everything they suggested. Dustin tried to help me. I lifted my eyelid up, down and moved my eyeball all around. We couldn't find it but I knew it was in there. I just knew it. I was so pissed. I foresaw my day going something like this... I'd have to go to the springs with a stuck contact, be blind (no glasses OR contacts) all day and end up at the doctors to have them dig it out. Except at the very last second before we had to leave, Dustin found it and we worked as a team to get that sucker out of there. Once it was out, my eye felt instantly better. But now that it was out I was kind of hesitant to try it again. But I did anyway and was able to pop them both in within seconds of each other.
We were out the door and in the car - which is where we were introduced to a whole new problem. Dustin bought me a donut float for my birthday and I of course wanted to take it to the springs for it's maiden voyage. The problem was it was too big to fit in the trunk so Dustin put it in the backseat. Which had it been only the two of us it would have been fine BUT Pat had to fit back there too. He ended up having to sit in the middle of the donut. I almost hurt myself from laughing so hard. But then I immediately felt bad when he told us how uncomfortable it was. He said it in a very nonchalant Pat way which made it even funnier for some reason. I hurried to the springs so he could get the hell out of the donut hole. We got there right on time. Actually about 10 minutes early. We were the 3rd or 4th car in line waiting to get in. Apparently they don't open the gate until 8 on the dot. Poor Pat had to open his door to try and get comfortable in the meantime. Finally we were inside the park. We walked down to the water and were practically the only ones there besides the two long distance swimmers in wetsuits that just did lap after lap. Dustin, Pat and I decided to go check out the water. I mean, I don't really know why we're always so surprised when we dip our foot into it and it's FREEZING cold! We all just hung out on the steps with our feet in the water. And then we'd go down another step. And then finally Dustin just went for it. And then Pat followed. Just as Dustin and Pat had gone in, the Benton's arrived. I was happy to have Rachelle and Shelbi as moral support. Getting into the freezing water at 8 in the morning is hard work ya'll. Poor Shelbi even had goosebumps! We finally just got in and eventually the water didn't feel so cold anymore once we started swimming around. I got a lot of use out of my donut float. Actually I think most everyone used it at some point. Not only is it awesome looking but it's pretty damn sturdy and comfortable. We spent the whole morning swimming, snorkeling, diving (mostly Matt aka The Aqua Daredevil), floating, slipping off slimey rocks which lead to laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, and exploring the wildlife (again, mostly Matt). Matt caught a turtle within second of getting into the springs. And then he dove in a cave and caught a fish with his bare hands! BARE HANDS! He was like his own aquarium exhibit because as soon as one kid saw the fish he wanted to pet the fish and then EVERY kid wanted to pet the fish. It was pretty funny. Shelbi and I went for a stroll around and found a baby gator, a big turtle on a fallen tree, and a wild Dorito bag. It was great. I was so thankful that I was able to see the whole day. It's something I never take for granted. I've been the blind girl at the beach or in the pool for far too long - but not anymore. I actually could see underwater (with goggles of course)! It was such a fun day with awesome friends (minus Sam =( because she was in CO).
We all headed back to our place to shower and change out of our swimsuits. And then we enjoyed a lovely BBQ lunch at Bubbalous. MmmMm. Then it was back to our house for video games. Us girls just watched and iPhoned. Ha! We were al pretty worn out. Dustin and I could barely move that night. We were exhausted and sore which are usually signs of a really good day. It most certainly was.
We were out the door and in the car - which is where we were introduced to a whole new problem. Dustin bought me a donut float for my birthday and I of course wanted to take it to the springs for it's maiden voyage. The problem was it was too big to fit in the trunk so Dustin put it in the backseat. Which had it been only the two of us it would have been fine BUT Pat had to fit back there too. He ended up having to sit in the middle of the donut. I almost hurt myself from laughing so hard. But then I immediately felt bad when he told us how uncomfortable it was. He said it in a very nonchalant Pat way which made it even funnier for some reason. I hurried to the springs so he could get the hell out of the donut hole. We got there right on time. Actually about 10 minutes early. We were the 3rd or 4th car in line waiting to get in. Apparently they don't open the gate until 8 on the dot. Poor Pat had to open his door to try and get comfortable in the meantime. Finally we were inside the park. We walked down to the water and were practically the only ones there besides the two long distance swimmers in wetsuits that just did lap after lap. Dustin, Pat and I decided to go check out the water. I mean, I don't really know why we're always so surprised when we dip our foot into it and it's FREEZING cold! We all just hung out on the steps with our feet in the water. And then we'd go down another step. And then finally Dustin just went for it. And then Pat followed. Just as Dustin and Pat had gone in, the Benton's arrived. I was happy to have Rachelle and Shelbi as moral support. Getting into the freezing water at 8 in the morning is hard work ya'll. Poor Shelbi even had goosebumps! We finally just got in and eventually the water didn't feel so cold anymore once we started swimming around. I got a lot of use out of my donut float. Actually I think most everyone used it at some point. Not only is it awesome looking but it's pretty damn sturdy and comfortable. We spent the whole morning swimming, snorkeling, diving (mostly Matt aka The Aqua Daredevil), floating, slipping off slimey rocks which lead to laughing so hard I couldn't breathe, and exploring the wildlife (again, mostly Matt). Matt caught a turtle within second of getting into the springs. And then he dove in a cave and caught a fish with his bare hands! BARE HANDS! He was like his own aquarium exhibit because as soon as one kid saw the fish he wanted to pet the fish and then EVERY kid wanted to pet the fish. It was pretty funny. Shelbi and I went for a stroll around and found a baby gator, a big turtle on a fallen tree, and a wild Dorito bag. It was great. I was so thankful that I was able to see the whole day. It's something I never take for granted. I've been the blind girl at the beach or in the pool for far too long - but not anymore. I actually could see underwater (with goggles of course)! It was such a fun day with awesome friends (minus Sam =( because she was in CO).
We all headed back to our place to shower and change out of our swimsuits. And then we enjoyed a lovely BBQ lunch at Bubbalous. MmmMm. Then it was back to our house for video games. Us girls just watched and iPhoned. Ha! We were al pretty worn out. Dustin and I could barely move that night. We were exhausted and sore which are usually signs of a really good day. It most certainly was.
Sunday, June 22, 2014
Currently
Watching: Dustin's got me into Heroes of Cosplay. One week I'm making fun of it. The next week I'm kind of paying attention to it while reading my Kindle. And then BAM all of a sudden Dustin and I are in bed watching it start to finish loving every second of it. If you're into anything comics, video games, or fashion it's the show to watch. It's incredible how much time, money and effort is spent on creating the perfect costume. We are also slowly making our way through The Americans. I still like it but we've had a lot of other things going on (drums and crafts oh my!) that it's just not been a priority. I'm also keeping up with So You Think You Can Dance. I'm not sure if I'll stick it out the whole season because it just seems to get repetitive. But so far it's keeping my attention. And tonight the last season of True Blood starts. The last few seasons have not been great. There have been great moments but overall it's been all over the place. I'm hoping they really step it up for the last season and send Bon Temps out in style. Also, if Eric is really dead I'll cry my eyes out.
Listening to: Real Radio 104.1 Now I've listened to this channel on and off for years. I even remember my dad having The Philips Phile playing on the radio when he would pick me up and drive me to his house every other Friday in the 90s. I used to listen to the Monsters on the way to work when we lived in PC. Dustin always listens because he's driving around most of the day. He normally keeps me up to speed on anything interesting with all the shows. And he's the one who got me into Tom and Dan too (former Monsters). A couple months ago I just got sick of listening to Pandora at work so I downloaded the I Heart Radio app and started listening to 104.1 again. There are a few personalities I'm not really a fan of but overall I enjoy all three shows. The best part of the app is I can listen to past shows commercial free so it's been fun to listen to at the gym too!
And as far as music goes I stumbled upon Lorde's version of 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' (which is brilliant) thanks to Dustin. I swear he introduces me to everything cool. He showed me the new Assassin's Creed Unity trailer which is great in itself but with the song it's even better. I came to find out it was originally on The Hunger Game soundtrack. How did I just now hear it? Oh well. It's still bad ass.
Reading: I just finished reading 'An Abundance of Katherines' by John Green (the guy who wrote 'The Fault In Our Stars'. I've read almost every book he's written minus one and I've got to say that 'Katherines' was my least favorite. The storyline was blah. And the two main characters (Colin and Hassan) annoyed the shit out of me. It wasn't terrible. I didn't hate enough to not finish it but it was just not my cup of Dr. P at all. With that being said there were a few lines I found interesting and/or amusing.
"To Colin, tampons were a little bit like grizzly bears: he was aware of their existence, but he'd never seen one in the wild, and didn't really care to."
"He liked the idea of coffee quite a lot - a warm drink that gave you energy and had been for centuries associated with sophisticates and intellectuals. But coffee itself tasted to him like caffeinated stomach bile."
"You can love someone so much, he thought. But you can never love people as much as you can miss them."
"...he thought about the space between what we remember and what happened, the space between what we predict and what will happen."
Over: Soccer. All of a sudden America gives a shit about soccer? Pfft. I understand the rest of the world is obsessed with the sport but it's never been big here. And now that it's the World Cup everyone pretends to care. Puhhlease. It's got to be one of the most boring sports out there. Dustin has been watching it on and off (because the poor guy doesn't have any other sport to watch) and neither of us get what all the fuss is about. There's no real excitement. All the players fall to the ground when someone touches them. Is it hockey/football season yet?! I'm more excited for the Little League World Series than this World Cup. I'm being completely serious. We watch it every year.
Jumping Up And Down: Because Diagon Alley opens July 8th! Dustin and I won't be going until nicer weather hits but it's still exciting! I loved watching all of the footage and seeing the photos of the behind the scenes last week. A lot of the actors from the movies came out to enjoy the festivities and I could not get enough. I really love living in Orlando. I love that all of these awesome things are right in our backyard. I mean, if I can't live in London or Hogwarts, Orlando is the next best place, right? RIGHT! I've got to be honest that I'm a little nervous about the new Gringotts ride because I've heard it's kind of sort of a roller coaster but it sounds way too cool for me to chicken out. If anyone can get me on a damn roller coaster it would be Harry Potter. Everyone who got to preview it last week has said that that ride alone is worth a trip to Universal. So I've got a few months to put my brave face on and go for it.
Listening to: Real Radio 104.1 Now I've listened to this channel on and off for years. I even remember my dad having The Philips Phile playing on the radio when he would pick me up and drive me to his house every other Friday in the 90s. I used to listen to the Monsters on the way to work when we lived in PC. Dustin always listens because he's driving around most of the day. He normally keeps me up to speed on anything interesting with all the shows. And he's the one who got me into Tom and Dan too (former Monsters). A couple months ago I just got sick of listening to Pandora at work so I downloaded the I Heart Radio app and started listening to 104.1 again. There are a few personalities I'm not really a fan of but overall I enjoy all three shows. The best part of the app is I can listen to past shows commercial free so it's been fun to listen to at the gym too!
And as far as music goes I stumbled upon Lorde's version of 'Everybody Wants To Rule The World' (which is brilliant) thanks to Dustin. I swear he introduces me to everything cool. He showed me the new Assassin's Creed Unity trailer which is great in itself but with the song it's even better. I came to find out it was originally on The Hunger Game soundtrack. How did I just now hear it? Oh well. It's still bad ass.
Reading: I just finished reading 'An Abundance of Katherines' by John Green (the guy who wrote 'The Fault In Our Stars'. I've read almost every book he's written minus one and I've got to say that 'Katherines' was my least favorite. The storyline was blah. And the two main characters (Colin and Hassan) annoyed the shit out of me. It wasn't terrible. I didn't hate enough to not finish it but it was just not my cup of Dr. P at all. With that being said there were a few lines I found interesting and/or amusing.
"To Colin, tampons were a little bit like grizzly bears: he was aware of their existence, but he'd never seen one in the wild, and didn't really care to."
"He liked the idea of coffee quite a lot - a warm drink that gave you energy and had been for centuries associated with sophisticates and intellectuals. But coffee itself tasted to him like caffeinated stomach bile."
"You can love someone so much, he thought. But you can never love people as much as you can miss them."
"...he thought about the space between what we remember and what happened, the space between what we predict and what will happen."
Over: Soccer. All of a sudden America gives a shit about soccer? Pfft. I understand the rest of the world is obsessed with the sport but it's never been big here. And now that it's the World Cup everyone pretends to care. Puhhlease. It's got to be one of the most boring sports out there. Dustin has been watching it on and off (because the poor guy doesn't have any other sport to watch) and neither of us get what all the fuss is about. There's no real excitement. All the players fall to the ground when someone touches them. Is it hockey/football season yet?! I'm more excited for the Little League World Series than this World Cup. I'm being completely serious. We watch it every year.
Jumping Up And Down: Because Diagon Alley opens July 8th! Dustin and I won't be going until nicer weather hits but it's still exciting! I loved watching all of the footage and seeing the photos of the behind the scenes last week. A lot of the actors from the movies came out to enjoy the festivities and I could not get enough. I really love living in Orlando. I love that all of these awesome things are right in our backyard. I mean, if I can't live in London or Hogwarts, Orlando is the next best place, right? RIGHT! I've got to be honest that I'm a little nervous about the new Gringotts ride because I've heard it's kind of sort of a roller coaster but it sounds way too cool for me to chicken out. If anyone can get me on a damn roller coaster it would be Harry Potter. Everyone who got to preview it last week has said that that ride alone is worth a trip to Universal. So I've got a few months to put my brave face on and go for it.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Found
On friendship: THIS but also THIS!
A very Harry Potter wedding. Ok, Dustin, time to get married again!
Even if you aren't into the Sims, you have to admit this video game is awesome.
7 Reasons It Rules To Be A Wedding Guest
Kesha in Shawshank.
Shot through the heart.
Cat's are so funny.
20 Inspiring Quotes From Women
If these pictures of Diagon Alley don't excite you than go read some Harry Potter!
I heard this video is fake but I am going to believe it's real. It's just too crazy.
Jim Carey has some wise words for you.
7 Things You Didn't Know About The Star-Spangled Banner
What do you poupon?
A very Harry Potter wedding. Ok, Dustin, time to get married again!
Even if you aren't into the Sims, you have to admit this video game is awesome.
7 Reasons It Rules To Be A Wedding Guest
Kesha in Shawshank.
Shot through the heart.
Cat's are so funny.
20 Inspiring Quotes From Women
If these pictures of Diagon Alley don't excite you than go read some Harry Potter!
I heard this video is fake but I am going to believe it's real. It's just too crazy.
Jim Carey has some wise words for you.
7 Things You Didn't Know About The Star-Spangled Banner
What do you poupon?
Monday, June 16, 2014
Twenty Nine
via
It's crazy to think this will be my last year as a twenty-something. I think back to past birthdays and 25 feels like a lifetime ago. My 21st feels like a million years ago. It's like I'm almost a completely different person now, but not at the same time. My early twenties and my late twenties look nothing alike which I suppose is normal but it's weird when you think about it in terms of your own life.
I'm not one of these people who go around on social media whining about getting older. In fact, I feel better with each passing year. I'm not concerned with wrinkles, gray hairs, some silly number, or where I'm "supposed" to be in my life based on age. That stuff is just so ridiculous to worry about. I'm much more into knowledge and life lessons and being a better version of myself. And most importantly, happiness.
Most of this year has just been non-stop stress. I've been battling with life and myself and finally I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like pieces are falling into place. For now anyway, until life decides to shake things up again which it inevitably will. The point I'm trying to make is that I love birthdays and I think all should be celebrated in some way shape or form. So I'm certainly not going to waste time moping around. I rather just reflect on how far I've come and how far I'd still like to go. And then of course PARTY.
SATURDAY (Flag Day and also my birthday): I woke up early as per usual and then treated myself to a pedicure. I typically do them myself, but a few times a year I sit back in the massage chair and pay someone else to do it for me. I picked a super bright, pretty purple. It was called "Mrs. Robinson" which I found funny. My mom called to wish me a Happy Birthday right in the middle of my pedicure and proceeded to remind me that she was watching 'As the World Turns' when she gave birth to me. How's that for an image? After my toes were done, I swung back by the house to pick up Dustin. All week he was asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday and all week I couldn't make up my mind. We were just going to go see a movie when I found a great Groupon deal for the Orange County Regional History Center. It's normally $12/per person but we got in for $11 - total! I couldn't believe I had never been. It's right smack downtown next to the Public library. I had to do a couple laps around downtown in order to find parking. Actually, parking is super easy to find, the hard part is trying to figure out if you have enough money or if the sign says you're going to be towed. Thankfully downtown Orlando is dead on the weekends during the daytime so it wasn't too big of a deal. Once inside it was suggested to us that we start on the 4th floor and make our way down through all of the exhibits. We did just that. I'm not sure I'd call myself a history buff but I really do enjoy learning about how things used to be. It was extra cool that it was all focused on central Florida's history. From orange groves to Disney to the earliest of settlers to World Wars. Dustin and I were practically the only people in the museum so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We especially had fun in the mock courtroom. Dustin had 'The People's Court' theme song playing on his phone the entire time. Ha! I also loved the mini aerial view of Orlando. The coolest! We had such a good time. I'm still amazed about how many things I haven't experienced in this town even though I've lived here pretty much my whole life. We moved onto lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then went home. The afternoon was spent bumming around and cleaning until Sam and Pat arrived. Sam immediately handed me a bag that read 'However Old You Are Is The New 21'. She and Pat got me the coolest beach towel (can't wait to use it this weekend) and a photo of our Tom Hiddleston, amongst other gifts. The four of us gathered around Dustin's drum set while he and Pat collaborated on a little jingle until Sam demanded we eat dinner. I was 100% in but it was quite the task trying to pull the boys away. We ate subs and headed back to our house. Then Dustin made us all watch about 10 video game trailers. Thankfully most of them looked pretty good. We ended the night with some movie watching. The boys watched Goon and us girls watched Zac Efron take his shirt off multiple times in That Awkward Moment. It wasn't awkward at all.
I'm not one of these people who go around on social media whining about getting older. In fact, I feel better with each passing year. I'm not concerned with wrinkles, gray hairs, some silly number, or where I'm "supposed" to be in my life based on age. That stuff is just so ridiculous to worry about. I'm much more into knowledge and life lessons and being a better version of myself. And most importantly, happiness.
Most of this year has just been non-stop stress. I've been battling with life and myself and finally I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like pieces are falling into place. For now anyway, until life decides to shake things up again which it inevitably will. The point I'm trying to make is that I love birthdays and I think all should be celebrated in some way shape or form. So I'm certainly not going to waste time moping around. I rather just reflect on how far I've come and how far I'd still like to go. And then of course PARTY.
* * *
FRIDAY (the thirteenth and also my birthday eve): After work I met up with Meagan (Erin's sister) so she could give me some fabric to sew into valances and pillows. She also ended up surprising me with a personalized Harry Potter tumbler which is so awesome. She REALLY did her research! From there I went straight to the Yum Yum Cupcake Truck where I ran into an old co-worker/friend who I hadn't seen in a year. It was so nice catching up for a few minutes. I couldn't believe how big her little girls had gotten. Time goes so fast! I got my cupcakes and on my way home this idiot almost hit me which forced me to slam on my brakes. Everything in my passenger seat flew to the passenger floor INCLUDING my fresh cupcakes. Only one cupcake was injured and it just so happened to be one of Dustin's. Thankfully it didn't damage the taste in any way. I came home to several birthday cards and one package. I went nuts because - snail mail! Snail mail trumps every other kind of mail ALWAYS. I got some funny birthday cards and some awesome gift cards to go with them. And the package? Yeah, just a Marauder's Map kindle case from Rachelle. No big deal. Except it is the BIGGEST deal. HP for life. And Dustin, who had already given me my birthday presents weeks ago, had flowers and a balloon waiting for me on the kitchen counter. Yes, I got a lot of cool stuff but the best part was how loved I felt. Friends and family remembered me. The stuff is great but the effort was the best. I spent most of the evening sewing Meagan's valances and pillows. My deadline was July 4th and I ended up sewing two valances and two pillows (out of ONE panel of curtains) in one night. I told her I wasn't trying to be an over-achiever or anything, I just got into a sewing zone and went with it. Not only that but as I sat on the floor measuring, cutting and pinning all the fabric, Dustin was next to me drumming his heart out. I'm glad we are getting so much use out of our craft/music room.
SATURDAY (Flag Day and also my birthday): I woke up early as per usual and then treated myself to a pedicure. I typically do them myself, but a few times a year I sit back in the massage chair and pay someone else to do it for me. I picked a super bright, pretty purple. It was called "Mrs. Robinson" which I found funny. My mom called to wish me a Happy Birthday right in the middle of my pedicure and proceeded to remind me that she was watching 'As the World Turns' when she gave birth to me. How's that for an image? After my toes were done, I swung back by the house to pick up Dustin. All week he was asking me what I wanted to do for my birthday and all week I couldn't make up my mind. We were just going to go see a movie when I found a great Groupon deal for the Orange County Regional History Center. It's normally $12/per person but we got in for $11 - total! I couldn't believe I had never been. It's right smack downtown next to the Public library. I had to do a couple laps around downtown in order to find parking. Actually, parking is super easy to find, the hard part is trying to figure out if you have enough money or if the sign says you're going to be towed. Thankfully downtown Orlando is dead on the weekends during the daytime so it wasn't too big of a deal. Once inside it was suggested to us that we start on the 4th floor and make our way down through all of the exhibits. We did just that. I'm not sure I'd call myself a history buff but I really do enjoy learning about how things used to be. It was extra cool that it was all focused on central Florida's history. From orange groves to Disney to the earliest of settlers to World Wars. Dustin and I were practically the only people in the museum so we felt like we had the whole place to ourselves. We especially had fun in the mock courtroom. Dustin had 'The People's Court' theme song playing on his phone the entire time. Ha! I also loved the mini aerial view of Orlando. The coolest! We had such a good time. I'm still amazed about how many things I haven't experienced in this town even though I've lived here pretty much my whole life. We moved onto lunch at The Cheesecake Factory and then went home. The afternoon was spent bumming around and cleaning until Sam and Pat arrived. Sam immediately handed me a bag that read 'However Old You Are Is The New 21'. She and Pat got me the coolest beach towel (can't wait to use it this weekend) and a photo of our Tom Hiddleston, amongst other gifts. The four of us gathered around Dustin's drum set while he and Pat collaborated on a little jingle until Sam demanded we eat dinner. I was 100% in but it was quite the task trying to pull the boys away. We ate subs and headed back to our house. Then Dustin made us all watch about 10 video game trailers. Thankfully most of them looked pretty good. We ended the night with some movie watching. The boys watched Goon and us girls watched Zac Efron take his shirt off multiple times in That Awkward Moment. It wasn't awkward at all.
SUNDAY (the end of the week and also the end of GoT): It was the laziest of days. I watched two movies on Netflix. I have to get my money's worth before I get rid of it again! Ha! Poor Dustin was stuck watching soccer since hockey is now over and football isn't back for another couple months. I asked him why he was watching it and he responded with "I'm trying to figure out what the big deal is." I don't think he's figured it out yet. Soccer is so not our sport. Personally, I think it's pretty much a snoozefest. Dustin isn't a fan either but I don't think he dislikes it as much as I do. I'm just more into the Quidditch Cup, Reeses Cups, and Princess Buttercup. To each his own! But how about that GoT finale, huh? Tyrion, you rascal!
Thanks to everyone who made my 29th so special. I'm a lucky girl.
Thanks to everyone who made my 29th so special. I'm a lucky girl.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)