I Love Today...

I love today because...

It's Friday! No work or school until Monday :)

I'm in a cheerful mood...

Even though it's cloudy outside, I feel like it's sunny...

I'm heading back to Europe this summer!
Got the good news yesterday and couldn't be happier. Now for the next four or five months I'm going to have to save every dollar. Flights are so expensive(around thirteen hundred) and then money for food, souvenirs, and everything else. I'll be going to London(which I spent a week in last summer and fell in love), Kerry, Ireland, and drum roll please....

PARIS, FRANCE

Oh how I want to be there now. Last night as I was trying to fall asleep I pictured myself standing beneath the Eiffel Tower and got so excited. I can't wait!

My aunt lives in London and flew me over last year. That was so generous of her and now she wants me to come back. Although this time it's much more expensive for me. I'll be paying for the whole trip(which I don't mind one bit). I'll probably blog a lot more since I won't have money to go out with.

Happy Friday!

One Tribe

"One Tribe"-Black Eyed Peas

...One love, one blood, one people
One heart, one beat, we equal
Connected like the internet
United that's how we do
Let's break walls, so we see through
Let love and peace lead you
We could overcome the complication cause we need to
Help each other, make these changes
Brother, sister, rearrange this
The way I'm thinking that we can change this bad condition
Wait, use you mind and not your greed
Let's connect and then proceed
This is something I believe
We are one, we're all just people

And while we're on the subject....

check out this website:

http://www.onetribe.com/

Closet Shopping

Yesterday I got a jump start on my spring cleaning and spent the ENTIRE day cleaning. I am not even exaggerating. I've lived here almost a year and my room hasn't been this clean. Ever.

I've bagged up four grocery bags of clothing, accessories and puzzles that my sister kept in my closet. I need to clean out my desk and finish going through all of my wardrobe once my laundry is caught up.

I had planned on going to Wal-Mart(only because i had already been to Target twice) to get a bookcase, shoe rack and a picture frame for a piece of art I bought in London.

I told my Dad of my plans and he said that he had the shoe rack and bookcase in his closet. They weren't being used and I freed up space in his closet. And saved money!

Closet shopping is the best. It's like when I watch HGTV and they're remodeling a room on a small budget. They go into the basement and find all sorts of neat, forgotten things to use. Although, too many forgotten things leads to clutter and I'm working on eliminating that from my life.

the art on this page is by Francis Bacon. I bought a print of this at the Tate Modern Museum of Art in London over the summer. creepy isn't it?

But I kneed to run...

My right knee has me disabled until it heals. I think it's bursitis. This is the same thing that caused me to sit out for the second half of cheer leading my freshman year of high school.

So today instead of taking in this beautiful day I'll be stuck inside. While I don't mind the reading portion of being stuck inside, days like this are few and far between during the winter months. I can't run my mile today which I'm very sad about...I was really looking forward to it.

I'll just sit inside by a window and admire the sunshine and let it dance on my skin throughout the day. But since there will be no running involved, could you do one thing for me?

Enjoy today's sunny weather outside for me.

note: please excuse my cheesy title

{Photo Via: Here}

On Adventure

From the February 2010 issue of Yoga Journal written by Matt Walker:

Adventure isn't something that's reserved for the extreme athlete or the
daredevil. It is an expression of your heart's intention and passion for life.

Today was the first day of my winter term at school. I've been going now for about three years, but with my mom being sick last year I didn't get much accomplished. I read the passage above and it invoked something deep in me. My "aha!" moment, as Oprah would say. I felt this passion about life and my future. I decided to live my days with intention. Starting small like focusing on school. Just trying to do better in school and life in general.

Sunday will be another adventure filled day as I embark on an actual yoga class(an item on my bucket list). I usually stick to DVD's at home because I am somewhat shy when it comes to things like this. But i realized last night that every semester for the past three years I've been taking classes by myself and knowing no one in them. I even had the courage to take ballet and I fell in love. I already love yoga so now I just have to show up. Earlier this year I planned on trying yoga at the Bikram center and chickened out in the parking lot side note: I mulled over the idea for about three hours before going and by the time I got to the center I was about a minute early. When I needed to be about ten minutes early. Not a good first impression

I am so excited for this year, are you?

Happy New Year

I spent the evening at home reading "The Great Gatsby" and watching MSNBC shows about cults. Weird much? I swear I'm not that weird, but I really didn't feel like celebrating last night. I feel different about New Year's Eve this year. The past few years I partied until the early hours of January first. But after the year I had I really had no intention of celebrating.

I am really, really, really hoping that 2010 is my year. Thing's I'd like to accomplish this year:

• Get at least one A during winter term.


• Start my yoga practice


• Run a 5K or longer


• Get my tattoo for my mom


• Pay off my debt


• Get the macbook I've been drooling over


• Spend a day surfing and blowing glass with my sister.

I've been working on my "bucket list" and these are the things I think can do this year.

Best wishes for the future

p.s. i l-o-v-e Zooey Deschanel.

It's Almost Over

I love the holidays. I love the holidays. I love the holidays.

I have that playing on repeat in my mind from Thanksgiving until New Year's Day.

While I enjoy the family, friends, FOOD, and all that comes with the holidays...IT'S EXHAUSTING!

We had two Thanksgivings this year which was unusual for us. But since my mom is no longer with us we've become much closer to her family. So two feasts we had.

Beginning of December we had our annual Christmas party with all of my dad's family. We use a fire hall and have a big lunch/dinner and watch football and play bingo. The next weekend was getting the tree and decorating the house. We had one weekend of rest and then it was Christmas with my dad's immediate family. Four days later it was my first Christmas eve service followed by dinner at my aunts house. Christmas morning which lasted all day. And then on the 27th we left for the Oregon coast for a few days.

In between all of that was work and shopping for gifts. Oh and my brother's birthday. Two families converged on our house to watch a football game and eat a lot of food.

ahhhh...it's almost over.

What did you do for the holidays?

One More Thing

I've been house sitting for the past week. Tonight is my last night, thank goodness. It's so lonely and the cat is crazy. I miss my family at night with it being so close to Christmas. This year is especially hard for me because it's the first Christmas without my mom. But even with that sadness lingering I still can't help but be excited for Christmas morning.

And one more thing. Santa, please make it snow for Christmas.

{photo via-http://www.blisstree.com/files/150/2009/01/apple-blog.jpg}

Good Times

Sitting at end of the bar, two friends laughed and shared stories over a few drinks. Once they could see through the bottom of their glass they decided to walk to the next bar. In the dimly lit pub there was an older, unattractive woman singing karaoke to a crowd of three. The two friends turned on their heels and headed back to the bar of origin. After pounding down their fourth, and strongest, drink they walked the few blocks to his truck. They kissed in to the wee hours of the morning. Something so unexpected. So strange. And it never happened again.

He is now planning to be wed to his soul mate.

She blogs from her living room. Completely single and unattached.

But she has never been happier. A few months ago, that night was the highlight of her recent days. Now, it's an embarrassing blister in her memory.

You see, she has found that to be truly happy you must love yourself and all of your flaws, drunken kisses, and low points in life.

Yes, after twenty two years she feels happy.

{photo via-http://leloveimage.blogspot.com/2009/12/i-just-wish-you-knew-how-much.html}

Every Woman

A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own,even if she never wants to or needs to...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..something perfect to wear if the employer,or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .a youth she's content to leave behind....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .one friend who always makes her laugh.. and one who lets her cry...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems,and a recipe for a meal,that will make her guests feel honoured...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE a feeling of control over her destiny..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love without losing herself..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to quit a job,break up with a lover,and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...when to try harder... and WHEN TO WALK AWAY...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change the length of her calves,the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may not have been perfect...but it's over.....EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW....how to live alone... even if she doesn't like it...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn't take it personally...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table..or a charming Inn in the woods....when her soul needs soothing...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..What she can and can't accomplish in a day...a month...and a year...-Pamela Redmond Satran

The perks of being a college student on winter break:

1. I am in my pj's all day.




2. I do my facebooking, blogging, emailing etc all while listening to jazz music on lala.com




3. I can bake whenever I get the urge. Yesterday was sugar cookies(!)

It's almost like being in high school again...almost. No responsibilities. Except for the sobering fact that I have to work tomorrow. Saturdays are usually really slow. So the five hour shift I work drags on and on.

My plan for today is to catch up on the shows I dvr'ed on Ovation(my new favorite channel) and maybe get some Christmas shopping done. I am, however, NOT going to eat all the sugar cookies, stay on the computer ALL day and complain about being tired. There's no excuse.

{photo via-http://www.leloveimage.blogspot.com}

Gratefulness

Every night before bed I write in my journal that I bought at the Tate Modern Museum of Art in London. The cover is colorful and inspiring. Each night that I write, I post at least five things that I'm grateful for. Some days it's as simple as my bed. Others it's a little deeper. Tonight it will be about the liter of shampoo I got for free, that would've cost $45! It's a nice way to reflect over my day and remind myself that I really do have it good.

What kinds of things are you grateful for?

{pic via-http://www.leloveimage.blogspot.com}