on currently (seattle update)...

(my miley cyrus impression. what do you think?)

Thinking about// OUR MOVE! For all that haven't heard, we're taking a big leap across the country back to my home, Seattle. Our move is set to happen this December. With it only being three months away we are already packing boxes and selling things we don't want to haul out there. We actually took one step forward and already put in our notice with our landlord. So, by the end of September we are out of our apartment and will be living out of a suitcases at our in laws for the last few months. My in laws are nice enough to share their home with us so that we can save some money and with all our things already packed up ready to go it will make things go a little smoother! Of course, my heart swells with gratitude toward my in laws who already have a house full of people to welcome us into their busy lives. It's going to be an interesting couple of month but even so I am pretty excited for the memories that will be made!

Reading// Just got done with reading Losing Hope by Colleen Hoover. This is the second book to Hopeless by Hoover. The first book was amazing and once I found out she was coming out with a second book with Holder's point of view, I knew that it was a must read. Just to put this in perspective, Sebastian went down for a nap and I ended up reading Losing Hope (336 pages) in just about two hours. So, basically it's an amazing book. 
I just started a book called The Wild by Whitley Strieber. It's an older book that was gifted to me by one of my regular customers at work. It shows he knows me too well because it's a book about a man who goes to sleep at night and dreams about becoming a wolf. But it turns out it's a dream at all. Hooowwll! 

Eating// I am currently preparing my body for a juice cleanse that I'll start next week. I've been hearing and seeing many people say how great they feel during and after doing a cleanse. It's not going to be easy so I knew I'd have to give my body time to prepare. I started weaning myself off my usual cups of coffee at the beginning of the week. Not going to lie, I'm hurting but I think I can do it. Other than that I'm ready to start juicing!!

Watching// Right now all my beloved summer programs have ended and so right now I'm simply waiting for the fall schedule to start! Many of my favorite shows will be starting back up in September and a few in October. I'm most excited for The Originals to start which is a spin-off Vampire Diaries. However, right now, Bobby and I have been watching Breaking Bad whenever we find time during our evenings together and also Ray Donovan which isn't all that bad. What are you most anticipating? 

Learning// More and more about myself each and every day. Lately, I've learned that even though I have many fault (who doesn't) I am sure of one thing in this life and that is that I will always be my son's advocate. There are no boundaries when it comes to Sebastian. I've never fought for anything more. I will do whatever it takes, I will educate people, I will voice my opinion, I will not let people judge and I won't ever let anyone think my child is less of a person because he has a speech delay. I am judged on a daily basis and over the years it's been very apparent that people are quick to judge me and when it comes to myself it just rolls off of me but when it comes to Sebastian I can't help but feel a fire within me erupt. It's the one thing I know I'm doing right :) 

Loving// My banjo! I am enjoying my new banjo who I've named Norma (yes, I named my banjo) with all my heart. It's been fun learning and practicing and it helps a lot that Bobby already knows how to play the guitar. It's been cute having him teach me things. I think Bobby has secretively taken a liking to the banjo since I've gotten it, I catch him playing it when I'm in the other room. It's a really cool instrument though! I'm currently working on cords and trying to condition my fingers to do ungodly things. It's not as easy and it looks, I swear! No doubt it's going to take lots of practice but I hope to have a song down by the end of this year. Wish me luck!

xoxo.

on an avocado face mask...

I've always loved the idea of handmade lotions, soaps and face masks. The thought about putting something that you've made on your body and knowing it's the best for your body is a great feeling. The other day I made this fun Avocado Face Mask that I have completely fallen in love with. It's super simple to make and I love applying it every night since. I encourage you to try this out next time you have a ripe avocado laying around! 

All it takes is:

1 ripe avocado 
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice

Combine all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. And blend. Pour it into a container with secure lid and it should keep for at least a week! You can use regular yogurt as well but I found that with using the Greek yogurt it created a thicker finished product which was easier to apply. 

It left my face feeling fresh and rejuvenated. The avocado naturally moisturizes your skin without leaving it oily. Which is specially important, at least for me! The yogurt and honey give your face a smooth glow and the lemon is great because it adds alpha-hyroxy acids which break down dead cells, clearing your skin! Can't beat that. 

xoxo.

on playing catch-up...

There's been a whirlwind of things happening this week, all of which I haven't been able to share here. I'm 25! And feeling great. I was spoiled beyond belief and was taken back by how much love I received all over the place. It made my heart swell! 
Let me rewind and start with Tuesday because that was the day that I got my fingers tattooed! I've been wanting to get my fingers tattooed for some time now and I thought I'd treat myself for my birthday (I've been treating myself a whole lot this birthday!). I went downtown near Chinatown to Eddie's Tattoo, a place that was recommended to me by one of my loyal customers at the coffee shop. I couldn't be happier :)

FULL MOON. It turned out just the way I imagined and I love it to death. I got full moon because of my fascination with the full phases, full moon being my favorite of course! For me, the full moon represents wholeness and strength, both things I like to hold on to. It hurt like crazy but only for the first two days and now I am back to normal.

Wednesday was my birthday and I got to spend it with my husband. It was a nice relaxing day. We headed up Peddler's Village which a neat little town full of fun shops that we browsed around for the longest time, hand in hand. The evening was spent at my in laws where my mother in law cooked me the best homemade dinner a girl could ask for. Bobby bought my favorite cake in all the land, an Italian Rum Cake. Delish! And when it was time to open gifts I was not disappointed.

That's right! I got my beloved banjo. I freaked out to say the least. Her name is Norma and she sounds like heaven. I've never played any sort of guitar or stringed instrument so I'm basically learning from the ground up. However, Bobby has been playing guitar for a while and has been teaching me all he can. We did find out that the banjo is completely different and so now we are both learning as we go along. Thursday night I tuned the whole thing on my own and I was proud. I'm excited for this journey and so excited to have a new toy to pour my soul into. 

It's been a fun birthday and so thankful for all I have. Now it's time to have even more fun for we're heading to Dorney Park for day for some thrills :) 

xo. 

on the beach...

Let me confess and say that I'm not a huge fan of the beach. For some reason I just never really liked sun bathing, sand getting everywhere and the salty ocean water grosses me out. But even though I might say those things I always do enjoy myself. A couple days around the sea is plenty for me and even then I can't sit on the beach the whole day. 
We had fun and it was well worth it! I even took a nap each day and that is a very rare thing! Here are some of the photos I took from the past couple of days on the beach. 

Our last night we got to see the sunset and then we packed up and headed home. 

xo.

on a beautiful sunrise...

Did you think I was lying when I said that I was going to wake up at 5:30am? No. Ok good, because my alarm woke me up and I in turn woke my husband up. We made some freshly pressed coffee, grabbed two beach chair and sat on the beach anticipating the sunrise. It was beautiful to say the least. I can't say that I ever just woke up just to sit and wait for the sun to rise. I'm so happy I did because I feel like it stirred something inside of me and now I just feel like one big happy person. Matter of fact, let me just show you...

xo.

on a mini vacation...

Every summer my in laws rent a house down the New Jersey shore. We always try to make some time to spend a few days at the beach with them. This year they have a cute house with beach themed rooms and it's only about a half a block from the beach. I took a short day at work today and we got an early start on the drive down. It takes about an hour and a half to get down here, which for me always feels much longer. On long road trips I'm usually the driver since I tend to get car sick and I whine the whole way. Just ask my husband. I ask him if we're there yet more than Sebastian does.  

We arrived around five in the evening and of course we wasted no time and packed a bag to spend some time by the ocean before dinner. The weather is gorgeous here with the sun shining down on us with a cool breeze that nips at your skin. I'm thankful for this little mini vacation we are about to have and happy for all these moments. Here are some photos of the short time we've been here already!

I'll be the person who wakes up at 5:45am on their vacation so that they can make a great cup of coffee and walk down to the beach to witness the sunrise. Call me crazy!

xo. 

on my birthday wish list...

It's that time a year again! It seems, every year it sneaks up on me quicker than it did the last. August 21st I'll be turning twenty-five. Holy smokes. I'm not sure why I'm so excited but I am. I think this year coming up is going to be a great year and I'm exciting about it! Here are some things I have on my birthday wish list this year...

1// I've had my eye on this Washburn Banjo for a long time now. Folk rock has become a love of mine. Mumford & Sons and The Avett Brothers have been on repeat for weeks now. The sound of the banjo is something I've become obsessed with and ever since I saw Scarlett (Clare Bowen) from the television show Nashville play her banjo I knew I wanted to learn!

2//I saw this on Modcloth and knew that I needed in my life. 

3// Never Cry Wolf is on my reading list. I have this fascination with wolves and heard this book was right up my ally. I'm reading a great wolf inspired book right now that I'm loving so I just know I would eat this book up as well! 

4// Another find on Modcloth, this moon lamp was made to be mine. This lamp not only looks like a moon but also displays all eight phases of the moon! How freakin' cool is that?! 

5// This ring. Turquoise is my favorite and I've been looking for the perfect turquoise ring and found it on Etsy. I'm not big on jewelry and usually stick to my wedding rings and one other ring that Bobby got me for our first wedding anniversary but lately I've had an itch to add to my collection. Over all The Fox and the Fawn shop has some really gorgeous things!

6// I need a new IPhone case in my life and this one suits me. 

7// Since I just got my fancy new camera I thought a fancy new camera strap was in order. This one has me all starry-eyed!

Oh and I'm already scheduled to get a small little tattoo the day before my birthday :) Another treat to myself. 

xo.

on bits and pieces...

My in laws are down the NJ shore all this week and next so we decided to "house sit" for them today. More like borrow their house, use their pool and cable. But don't tell them that! It's been an extremely relaxing day, something that all three of us needed. 

I got to play with my new toy, a Canon 60D. I sold my other camera that I had for a good four years to someone at work. It was bittersweet but all along I knew that I wasn't going to upgrade until I could sell the one I had so in the end I was super excited. It's very different from my old one so it's in a way thrilling to have something new to learn and experiment with. Here are some photos of our day...

xo.

on summer swoonage...

1//2//3//4//5//6

Summer here in Philadelphia is not my thing. I can either be really good at it or really bad at it. Last year I feel like I was really good at it. I enjoyed it actually. This year not so much. I guess I'm just not in the mood for sweating all the damn time. For me though, sometimes having the right summery things will make the time pass better so I came up with some of my current summer swoons. 
Lately I've been living off of iced or hot chai tea lattes. Being a barista I get to have chai all the time but secretively I prefer Oregon Chai over my own chai at the coffee shop. Don't tell anyone. Also I don't know about you but nail polish can brighten my spirits and so I picked a new color up yesterday, a mixture of a coral and tangerine, perfect for Summer!

What are you loving this Summer?

xoxo.

on who I am...

I am...

...no longer sure if I wish to drown myself in love, vodka or the sea. 

...nonstop writing. HA! Yeah, not here as you can tell. It's been hard to juggle this place and my other love so this place has been neglected. Not to mention there's really not much newsworthy going on. Just busy, busy and more busy. 

...starting to realize that I have a coffee mug addiction. I like coffee mugs not to forget the stuff you put in them but that's just silly, because you all know that. Over the years, at least the ones I've spent with Bobby, I've made it a habit to buy mugs wherever we go. I like being able to wake up in the morning, open my cupboard full of mugs and choose a mug. I'll pick up a mug and remember the memories of the place I got it at. Kind of cool. But really who am I kidding, I buy them anyways. Like the one that's pictured up top I got at Wegmans while we were grocery shopping. Now grocery shopping is always an adventure and it's sort of a mini date for Bobby and I but I really didn't buy it for the memory. I bought it because I couldn't put it back on the shelf. And I plan to buy all the colors that they have because they are stackable and I just can't get the thought of having a rainbow of mugs stacked on my countertop out of my mind. So there's that. 

...trying not to let stress get to me. Lately I feel like things have been happening one after another. One stressful thing ends and another starts right back up. However, I'm super stubborn and would never let anything defeat me. So I guess that's a good thing, right?

...nearing my 25th birthday and I'm finding that I'm very excited about it. Don't ask me why because I don't know. I think it's because I know that my 25th year is going to be full of lots of beautiful things. We'll be moving and starting anew. I'll start to be able to make up for lost time with my family and friends. And I hope to be able to finally start on my dream. A dream, because that's all it's been for a long time now. Many things will happen and many more challenges will surface but I'm over the moon about it! Plus there's gifts. Boy oh boy! 

...still in shock about Sebastian turning 5! Where has the time gone? We had a party for him last Saturday and it was a blast. We had it at a family fun center full of arcade games, a huge jungle gym, rides and go carts. He invited one of his best pals as well as his cousins. Sebastian was very spoiled with some wonderful gifts. Monday when we pulled up to school he got out of the car and motioned with his little hands at his body and said to me Mom, look, I'm a big kid. Before I melted into a puddle, I nodded and told him he is the biggest kid ever. He smiled and walked off. It's all just so amazing. 

...growing my hair back out. Need a change. It's at this weird in-between stage that is driving me crazy. I almost feel like I want to grow it out as long as I can from now until I start hair school just so I can do something off the wall crazy to it when I finally start school. What do you think? Yeah. That sounds about right. 

...currently putting hot sauce on everything I eat. What's up with that? I don't know but I do know I want everything I eat super spicy all the time. It's weird. 

...giddy about an early birthday present that I bought myself. 

...finding comfort in the evening hours. I've never been a night owl. That's always been a difference between Bobby and I. He could always stay up into the wee hours of the night were as I just could bring myself to do it. And then on the other hand I'm the ultimate morning person and he is the worst. I've always tried to help him become a better morning person and he would always try to coax me to stay up later to watch one more movie. Now, I don't really know the cause of it but I've become quite a night owl. I can stay up in the wee hours of the night and still be alright and I find comfort in it. Oh, you thought I was going to say Bobby was now magically a morning person. Umm. No that will never happen. And if it does I'm sure the world world will end. 

...gaining a lot of perspective on all the different kinds of people in this world. The more time I spend on this Earth the more knowledge I gain about who people are and why they do the things they do. Recently my eyes were opened to how power/money hungry people can be and usually they hide it really well. They say that they care about what they do but their words don't seem to match their actions. These people need to be taught lessons. I wish I could be that person to knock some sense into them. Hey, a girl can dream!

...thankful for this life I live and always looking forward. That's all you can do. 

xoxo.