high high #35

this could be the best high high ever, the highest of my highs...

getting a little goofy after brunch at le grande [where else] + drinks at crave.

my bestest of my best friends: r, w, me + j.

otherwise known as: samantha, miranda, carrie + charlotte  : )

i have loved spending time with these girls so much i am trying to scrape together some funds to stay another week... if only!  i know i've been pretty much mia during my visit here, but as much as i love blogging, i love playing outside with my family + friends even more.  so the blogging has been put o hold, but boy do i have a lot to say!  and also i have been working on lots and lots of changes for the blog, which i am hoping to roll out semi-soon.

so keep stopping by, and i'll be back in a day or two - unless i get to stay in denver another week ; )

til next time!

hello there from [snowy] colorado.

that's right, you heard me: snowy colorado.  because it's may first, so obviously that means it's time for a good ol-fashioned spring snow.  though we arrived early tuesday, today is our first full day here since we were nearly dead from jet lag for most of yesterday. 

i wanted to tell you all sorry now and in advance for the absence from my blog.  there are some pretty big changes i am hard at work on for the blog, so do stay tuned.  i'll definitely be blogging but i am mostly hard at work at revamping... well, just about everything to be honest.  it's getting a big-time makeover.  here's a little hint at what i am working on [just a little clue!]:

but besides working hard on the new blog, here's what's been going on in colorado so far.

hanging out with my favorite puppy, brew.

hanging out with my favorite girls.

watching it snow.  what.  the.  hell.

hope it's nicer where you are than where i am today...

til next time...!

w o l f p a c k .

girlfriends are the best.  but there's nothing better than a wolfpack.

my wolfpack is me [of course], PI & AJ.  the two best guys in the world.  we do all kinds of stupid things together, and we always make it fun.  once, we were stuck in the lobby of a hotel in the middle of nowhere for five hours.  while we were hungover.  and we had a blast. 

since PI & i have moved to boston, we have had loads of time to spend with AJ.  and it's pretty much been the best.  we have lunch together at the same place every week. they are my favorite people to hang out with.  they are the guys i can be myself around with no judgment, the two guys who know me better than anyone else in the world.  and although i haven't met any girlfriends out here in boston just yet, i definitely have found my wolfpack. 

and i am about to spend eight hours on a train to dc with them tomorrow.

i hope you have a wolfpack too : ]

a christmas memory.

this song came on my iPod this evening as i was driving home and i thought i'd share it with you all, along with a little special memory i have of it.  i love it :)

back during my prague days, we took a little road trip over thanksgiving break.  now, of course they don't celebrate thanksgiving in the czech republic, but american students still do.  so basically we skipped class on thursday and friday.  we rented a little car and left prague on thursday afternoon, and then drove to vienna.  it was awesome for so many different reasons - one of which was road trips are just a little more interesting when you are trying to drive your way around europe.  also, PI and i were just becoming an item at this time, so it was a special time for us. 

but best of all, it was christmastime.  and christmas time in vienna is something very special.  we were all on a very tight budget, so we found a nice hotel and shared a room with two twin beds between five of us.  but during the day we would wander around the city and spend time in the amazing christmas village in the city square.  now i am really huge into christmas carols during the holiday season, and one day while we were walking around the christmas village, i found this old frank sinatra christmas album and just had to buy it for our car trip.

well, that night we were all going to bed in our cramped little hotel room and we decided to put on some christmas carols as we went to bed (yes, we were kind of strange college students i guess).  the first some on the album is this one below - which just happens to be my favorite christmas carol of all time.  no joke. 

at the end of the song frank says 'merry christmas.'  and as we all laid in the dark, PI and i cuddled in a twin bed together with some of our best friends, we all at the same time said 'merry christmas frank.'  it was such a weird thing, as soon as we all said it we all just busted out laughing.

it is such a random memory but one of my favorite holiday memories.  just wanted to share that :)

weekend with our favorite couple

hey friends! i don't know about you, but we had an awesome weekend.  we drove up to glenwood springs to hang out with one of our favorite couples ever.

it was a nice little getaway.  it has been so unbelievably busy around here that i can't even explain - or share just yet - everything that's been going on!  but all in good time my friends.  a great way to pass the time from homework and other stresses is drinking with friends i learned.

PI & LP

you know you get along too well when you both make goofy faces at the same time

the boys strutting

 

hope your weekend was as awesome as mine :)

we finished the weekend off with some tacos and mojitos with momma at a local el camino.  lots of big changes to discuss.  wish i could say more now... but it will have to wait just one more week folks!

happy sunday evening and i'll be back again soon!

letting go.

yesterday was a rough, bittersweet kind of day.

not only was it 9/11, which i know brings back nightmarish memories for people all across the globe. i know it does for me. but i buried a friend yesterday.  watching his family mourn was heartbreaking, and i know their grief is beyond words.  the service was very nice and we had the opportunity to sit and listen to his family, siblings get up and share their memories of him, which was kind of wonderful, while we all tried to grapple with the conclusion that this was really happening.  he was 26.

but as in many horrible situations, there was a glimmer of happiness.  there is a happiness, for me, in seeing so many of my classmates.  some people i didn't recognize, some people who looked just like i  remember them, which i loved.  it was so awesome to hear how well some people are doing and where their life path has taken them.

for me, high school was another life.  a lifetime ago which included many people who aren't involved in my life today.  but as i was surrounded by people that i spent an important portion of my life with, i was undoubtedly reminded of the fact that these people will never really not be a part of my life.   

i wasn't a big fan of growing up in a small town.  everyone knew eveyone's business and you couldn't go anywhere at all without seeing someone that you knew.  all i wanted to do was get out and leave the people and place behind.  and i went very far indeed, going as far as eastern europe to try to find the truth of my life.  and after years away, when my life path took me back home along with my husband, i didn't have any plans on integrating my past life with my new awesome one.  but just a few week in to being home, a good friend from high school died (yes, another one, this was 3 years ago), and i was thrust back into my high school world.  to put it lightly and briefly, i didn't handle it well.  and this time, i was actually able to enjoy my high school friends company and look back with a smile, somewhat, on my high school life.

but as i slide back from my past life into my current one, i can't help but wonder: how do we integrate  our past lives into our present one?

all these people - an old best friend i've grown apart from, a high school sweetheart, an older friend who got me through my first two years of high school, a boy who i spent a brief amount of time with but who dared to share his soul... while they may not have big parts in my life now, they will always have places in my heart.  and i am finally at a place where i can look back with a smile, and let go of past angers and heartbreaks. 

they don't all fit in to my life now, no.  but they are part of who i am, and many of them helped shape the person that i became, and i carry that with me always. 

just in time for my 10 year high school reunion.

high high #23

TGFHH.

thank god for happy hours. with your best girlfriends.

after a rough couple of days, there's nothing quite like talking your problems out with your girlfriend. at happy hour.  over $2 tecates.

especially when you are reminiscing over a high school friend who just passed away.

it's the simple pleasures...

wolves

hi all. i hate to say it, but i need to get into some personal (and depressing) stuff today.

i woke up this morning to the heartbreaking news that a friend of mine from high school passed away.  out of respect i won't go into who or how or why, but no matter the means, that is the end.

but it got me thinking about bullying and judgment of others. i've seen bullying throughout my life, as everyone else has.  and i have been in both sides of it as well.  but as we get older, bullying takes on different, more complicated and evil forms.  it's not just about making fun of someone's old used backpack, or bad haircut, or whatever kids target.  it becomes about judging people's choices and labeling them, sometimes even writing them off completely.  and the fact of the matter is that  (yes, i know this is cliche) it's impossible to know why people make some of the choices they make.  it's been a journey of life lessons as well as education that i have learned this.  it's easy to judge the homeless person on the corner, asking for money.  it's easy to pass by and not give up the other half of your sandwich or the extra $5 in your wallet.  but how did they get there?  sure, in some cases it could be bad choices - but what led them to those choices?  what past hurt or pain led them to make those choices?

everyone has as path.  i believe that the major points are laid out for you, how you get to those points are up to you. i believe there are some people who aren't meant to be a part of your journey, or perhaps just play a small part.  and those intersecting paths  may be cut off in clean. breaks or rough, jagged, painful edges.  but i guess what i am trying to say is that we should never judge someone else's path.  there are people that are only supposed to have in our lives for a short time, and after that, our paths lead in diffent directions.  they are not for us to judge, just for us to accept and move on.

that's about it for me today.  pretty much listening to this song on repeat today, so enjoy.  and please be nice.

til next time... xoxo

beer tasting party

hey friends!  hope you have had as awesome of a long holiday weekend as i have!  we decided to welcome in fall with a beer tasting party with some friends on saturday - and it turned out awesome.  pi had the awesome idea to make it like a wine tasting.  he told a bit about each beer we drank, poured it for people in tasting glasses, and we all tasted together and rated our favorite beers.  it was a brilliant idea and it worked out great.

of course i just loved hanging out with friends, the long weekend, and getting ready for fall - our favorite season.  the prep was pretty easy, it was just difficult to narrow down the beer we wanted to try.  for food, we put out some classed-up versions of classic beer food.  fresh pretzel rolls, three mustards for dipping, roasted turkey and honey glazed ham slices, jalapeno kettle chips, malt and vinegar kettle chips, smoked cheddar and gouda cheeses, and grilled bratwurst with fresh sourdough.

table setup

wheat, oats and a vinage seltzer bottle

the sunflowers in a german beer mug were perfect

tasting in full swing

two of our favorite people ever to hang out with

looking stuff up on her phone between tastings

j & r

josh & pi

starburst taste testing - do they all taste the same?

even brew made an appearance!

love this face :)

yes, we drank a LOT.

just for kicks, here was the menu:

beer

paragon dry dock apricot blonde

fuller smith ESB

avery the kaiser octoberfest

o'dell levity amber ale

samuel smith's oatmeal stout

elysian avatar jasmine IPA

he'brew rye double IPA

rogue chocolate stout

my favorite was definitely the jasmine IPA - i am obsessed with both of those things and it tasted like a flower explosion in my mouth.  i picked the he'brew beer because i had been wanting to try it for a long time, and i was glad i finally did.  everyone brought their own picks too, so there was much more sampling long after our samplers were gone.  

yesterday we had w stay the night so we slept in and then went to see the bourne legacy.  jeremy renner movies are kind of a tradition with us, as w & i are both lusting over him currently.  and we saw him in the new mission impossible on new year's eve last year and decided we love him.

today it's all about going to the market and getting out fall clothes!  the 70s are finally in sight and i couldn't be more excited.  oh, and i guess some homework too :)

til next time! 

a very good place.

feeling super awesome today.

a few days ago i had an epic breakdown about school. heading into this semester i was very optimistic about not having night classes - that was kind of rough the last two semesters. this semester classes are over my lunch hour at work, which i thought was kind of awesome. turns out its really difficult to switch mind sets back and forth from work to school to work to homework at night.

but i am finally in a good routine i think. weekend classes don't start til after labor day, so i don't know how long this will last, but it's good right now. the end is in sight. my classes are interesting. work is going well. fall is right around the corner. and there are LOTS of fun things coming up to look forward to each month to break down the semester into more manageable chunks:

1. beer tasting party this weekend! we are having a bunch of friends coming over saturday for a gourmet beer sampling, which means i am by this week getting the house ready. finishing up trim painting, pulling weeks, cleaning, putting out some fall decor,
2. my sister-in-law n is coming out in the middle of september! she's never been out before me we have some very fun plans and day trips on the agenda.
3. trip to nyc the weekend after n's visit! a wedding, meeting my little nephew for the first time and seeing all our family and friends. not to mention a welcome 5 days off of school and work.
4. trip for p's birthday in october! this one is a surprise, so i can't say anymore than that. but it's going to rock.
5. thanksgiving in la - and we are road tripping! sure it's a lot of time in the car, but with a stop in the mountains and possibly vegas (not to mention its at least $400 cheaper) its perfect. a week off from school and getting out of town.
6. and by december it's graduation time. done and done.

keeping my head up and my heart strong!

til next time...

throwback weekend.

well, it was a pretty awesome weekend at the isbouts household.  friday night we met up with my bff j and her husband - j just finished up grad school! we had drinks at a local place we've been wanting to try forever - forest room 5.  the food and drinks were AMAZING and i can't wait to go back again.  not gonna lie, it made me daydream a little bit about my own graduation shindig in december and what i want to do to celebrate.  it's going to be great.

so besides going out and being social, philip discovered a way for us to play super mario world on my computer (at my request).  so since i had one full day to be between semesters and be kind of lazy, we decided to have a little throwback weekend and drink beer and play super nintendo :)  it was perfect.

so that's about it.  just relaxed and enjoyed my last weekend of no school until i graduate.  four more months...

friday blanks!

happy friday friends!  i don't care what day it is because jamaica is only 6 short days away, but a weekend in there is pretty good too :)  up this weekend we have drinks with friends, drinks with friends, and family day on sunday.  should be awesome.  so without further delay...

1.  something that is very near and dear to my heart is travel, learning about other cultures, and translating that into respect and equality for all people.

2.   vacation in a few days (!!!)  is good cause to celebrate .

3.  the most fun i ever had was backpacking through italy with five of the most amazing people i know, including my husband.  we went to venice, florence, rome & the cinque terre - it was definitely the best 10 days of my life.  we have so much fun when we travel.

4.  true friends are the ones that don't get upset that you haven't called in months, are always there when you need them no matter what, and you  can pick up right where you left off if you go a while without seeing each other.

5. something that makes me terribly happy is traveling with philip just about anywhere, but especially when it's just the two of us getting away somewhere.

6. a good way to spend a sunny day is on the beach with a cocktail, which is what i'll be doing a week from right now!  but tonight i'll celebrate the good weather by having happy hour with our friends outside, which is pretty damn good too.

7.  my favorite celebratory food is champagne!  not a food i know, but i guess if you pop a raspberry or two in there that's food. 

the award-winning blog!

whoa - my day got MADE yesterday by winning a blogging award!  i'm blushing! 


my dear blogging friend jess over @ littmssunshine gave me a liebster award, which you will now see proudly displayed on my blog :) 

the liebster blog award

the liebster award is for up-and-coming bloggers (200 followers or less) that you think deserve recognition for their fabulous blogging abilities

jess, thank you and i am honored (especially since your blog is way cooler than mine)!  i feel like i've been such a slouch when it comes to blogging lately, but i'm happy to hear that people are reading and actually enjoying!  hooray!

think this is cool? if you get the award, you have to follow these rules... 

1. link back to your award giver and show some ♥ 
2. choose blogs to pass on the liebster award to, then...
3. list them on your blog with links 
4. leave a comment with the award winners 
5. give 5 random facts about yourself. 

AND the liebsters go to... 

miss bianca @ the martino nest

the ladies with awesome taste, megan & jessica, @ the colonies

ok, and now (silly) the five random facts about ME:

1. i yell at the radio when i disagree with what is being said.  and the television too.
2. i am currently obsessing over sweet leaf's mint & honey organic green tea.
3. i could not be more obsessed with hockey. right now i deal with my crazy stress by drinking watching round one of the stanley cup playoffs and screaming at the television. it doesn't add to my stress because my team didn't make it :(
4. i have a 'thursday dance' that i do to the opening theme of parks & rec because it kicks off my favorite shows on my favorite day of the week.  and it's the best show ever.
5. if i could pick one thing to drink for the rest of my life, it would be champagne and champagne only.

now, go check out these awesome blogs! 

til next time... 

xoxo

birthday love.

alright, so it's been nearly a week since my birthday but i figured i'd finally share some pictures with you.  it was an awesome weekend filled with lots of love and cocktails fun.  my sister from tennessee was here last weekend and it basically rocked my socks off.

the fun continued after the weekend was over - philip surprised me with a birthday with my friends on thursday night at our new favorite place.  and he also surprised me with a gift certificate to a spa for a few treatments... i've been super stressed so that was a welcome and thoughtful gift :)  my mom got me a new lens for my camera (major upgrade!!!) and a pair of diamond earrings my dad gave her - my first diamond earrings!  i tell ya, putting those on really makes a girl feel like a woman.  it was a great weekend.

great divide brewery

sushi!

birthday brunch w/the family

momma, miss amy & my brother clarence

me and my sister anne! 

the whole fam (except AJ!)

bowling after brunch

beautiful larimer square

high high #14

it's february.

here is a list of all the super awesome things happening this month:

• my sister anne coming to visit me in just 9 days (i'm going to go bananas!), which will include 
• family brunch
• comedy show
• brewery tour
• major sister time
• 3 day weekend for alaina
• the beginning of restaurant week, possibly the best week ever
• my first midterm of spring semester, meaning i can already see the light at the end of the tunnel that is this hellish semester
• valentine's day! philip & i don't actually celebrate, but we do pick a day in the month, usually well after the real deal, and have a nice dinner - always something to look forward to
• our first ever oscar party, where guests have to come dressed as their favorite oscar-winning character
• and more time for blogging since i'm less busy

oh, and... 

• my 27th birthday. bummer.

that's one hell of a month. can't wait to share it with you all! 

xoxo

first january update!

hi friends. i’m baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

 

the absolute craziness that was january is now over, and it’s on to february!  i am very excited to announce that the script is finished.  there may be a few corrections or edits, but that should be a breeze (except in the nightmare i had last night where i basically had to rewrite everything.  terrifying!).  so school is underway, and so far so good.  i have a night class this semester, which actually isn’t turning out to be as painful as i thought it would be.  three onlines and a weekend class that starts in march – then the hardest part is done.  after this semester i’m looking at two summer classes and four fall classes, then GRADUATION!  i tell ya that day can not come soon enough.

 

besides my crazy school work, 2012 has been good so far!  i think it will definitely be my busiest year ever, but i’m looking forward to all the challenges and surprises the next 11 months bring. 

 

but busy-ness aside, 2012 has been fantastic! we already accomplished one of our 2012 goals – refinancing!  whoooo!  and the best news of the year… i am going to be an auntie again!  this time on my side of the family, my cousin-like-a-sister is pregnant!  i am sooo beyond stoked and am already planning a million ideas for the baby shower.

 

largely due to our crazy month, i have done next to nothing in the house.  seriously.  i half-heartedly redecorated the guest room, and i did a few little crafts before school started.  kind of sad.  but we are still planning on starting the two major projects for 2012 semi-soon:

 

        downstairs bathroom overhaul

        painting the entryway/staircase/hallway

 

looking ahead to february, the next month has my sister annie coming to visit and my birthday!  it’s going to be grand!  so glad i could finally catch you all up – happy 2012!

 

OH, and i have started wasting what little free time i have on pinterest, so follow me there during my blog absences!

 

xoxo

ps - last night was a wonderful girlfriend-filled night at the 9th door for my girlfriend SB who is moving away.  i just want to say best of luck to CB + CB on their new adventure!  i'll miss you lady! 

my bestest girlfriends!

NY recap: high highs #5 - #10

ohh, that bittersweet feeling when vacation is over. 80% disappointment that it’s back to reality and 20% looking forward to sleeping in your own bed, using your own shower, cuddling with your kitties :)


i thought i'd share a few high highs of the trip - i'll try to do one a day because there is just no way that i could do one high high for the whole trip.  over a week of family time, city time, time with good friends, and of course some wonderful meals from my godmother and nanny.  


high high #5 - tuesday the 22nd 


seeing this guy.  

friends since praha, 2006

one of our best friends from prague and a groomsman in our wedding, mr. s.  it was so great to see him, catch up, and meet his lovely new girlfriend. plus we ate at an awesome restaurant, one mario batali's otto pizzeria!  side note - the food is super affordable, so if you're in the area check it out.  but a big play of comfort food (pasta) was just icing on the cake of the evening. 


high high #6 - thursday the 24th

me & em, the bride-to-be at our station and bar!

time with our favorite soon-to-be-married couple!  it's kind of a tradition in our family to head out for drinks after holiday meals - so we walked up to a local bar after thanksgiving dinner (and dessert).  we shared a few pitchers of winter seasonals with the bride and groom.  i felt SO blessed - it was just two days before their big day and we got to spend the entire evening with them.  i totally believe that these two are meant for each other.  they are just the complete embodiment of two genuinely good people meant to be together.  so over-the-moon happy for them! 


thanksgiving was all around a lovely day.  i really needed that family time, especially with some family members i hadn't seen in quite a while.  it was almost perfect.  and when your godmother, who is aa trained chef, is making thanksgiving dinner well then it's even better.


high highs #7 and #8 - saturday the 26th

me, aj and my two cousins who are like sisters to me

i really hate to say it because this defeats the purpose of high highs, but i have two!  the ceremony went off without a hitch and the cocktail hour was amazing.  when the reception began and the band started playing, it was the biggest party you've ever seen.  one of the first songs they played - just as most people were sitting down to eat - was 'that thing you do.'  yes, the 50s song from the tom hanks movie.  well i'm not proud to admit this, but my two cousins, my brother and i made up a dance to this song back in the day when the movie came out.  we would dance around in my godmother's apartment and may have even performed our routine for family (yes, we were super cool).  so when the song came in, immediately my brother, the my cousin the bride, my other cousin the maid of honor and i were out there dancing our dance like you've never seen.  it was a fantastic memory of my childhood i was able to relive and a reminder that no matter what happens, we will still have that special bond the four of us have always had.

my favorite couple ever!

but a very close second would have to be the last dance of the night - shout.  typical song played at all weddings, right?  well when the groom has a cowbell and is in the middle of the dance floor, it livens it up a bit.  especially after 'a little bit softer now,' when everyone is starting to stand back up and get a little louder, and the bride dances onto the floor with a tambourine.  EVERYONE was dancing and was pretty tipsy at this point - and it was just the most fun moment of the night.  a perfect example of how much fun these two are.  pretty hilarious :) 


high high #9 - sunday the 27th 

me & dad at the wedding :)

brunch with my dad, his wife and aj.  i miss my dad so much and it was great to spend some time with him.


high high #10 - monday the 28th

part of my home, my childhood - astoria park

catching the N train back to astoria after a lovely dinner with my incredible godmother and her equally amazing husband in the village at one of our favorite places.  i had my headphones on and was standing on the platform at union square when the train rushed by me, blowing my hat off my head and my hair back off my shoulders.  and in that moment i realized how much i miss the city.  


don't be fooled - the rest of the trip was just as much of a high as these moments.  but these were just the best of the best.  i can't wait to get back out there soon - so many exciting thigns are going on with my family that i want to be a part of!  


but in the meantime, i have a few more days of hell school until it's break.  just five more days... 


until after school!  i can't wait to post bathroom updates for the upstairs, bathroom design ideas for the downstairs, and HOLIDAY decorations! 

what i'm thankful for

hi friends.  i've made it to new york and it's been a wonderful trip so far.  in the weeks leading up to this trip, i was a little worried... 10 days is a long time to be away from home when we have SO much to do.  but it's been great, because we have TIME.  time to see old friends, time to laugh, time to sit and talk with family, time to reminisce.

i have a lot of things to be thankful for thankful for this year.  i thought i'd share the 10 things i am most grateful for from last thanksgiving to this one.  i'll try to keep it semi-brief, because i have mashed potatoes with truffle oil waiting for me... that's right.

1.  that i'm surviving school.  i was so worried going into this semester that i wouldn't be able to handle it all.  but i've done decently well in school and have been able to have some remnants of a social life.  some remnants.  but i've also had time to volunteer and spend time on things that are important to me, which has been a real gift.  i will have to juggle more going in to 2012, so this was a good test of just how much i can handle.

2. it's been a good year for friends, both old and new.  i'm thankful that i've met so many new people through school, the campaign, blogging, and other avenues.  i'm also very thankful that i've been able to rekindle some long lost friendships that had fallen by the wayside throughout the last few years.  i love the people in my life and i'm happy to be adding new ones every day.

3.  i'm so, so, so very thankful for our home.  sure, the roof over our heads has been leaky at times (not literally) but when so many people have lost their homes in the last few years, we are lucky that we own such a beautiful house that we are able to make improvements to.  it's our home, and i can't wait to spend the holiday seasons there for years to come.

4.  it's been a rough year for my family.  but i am so thankful for my ever-changing family that is so wonderful in so many different ways.  we lost someone very special to all of us back in february and it's taken my family a while to re-adjust itself to what it means to exist without her.  but we've made some strides, and i hope that we are on our way to a new definition of family.  she was a great woman, a true matriarch that held us together.  we've fallen apart a little without you nanny, but we'll get it together.  we've had some great additions to our family this year - my new aunt beth, my first and most-loved nephew little man, and my cousin's soon-to-be-husband patrick (wedding is tomorrow!).  i'm thankful that i have such loving and supportive parents and in-laws.  i don't know what i'd do without this support system.

5. we have had a few ups and downs health-wise this year, but everyone in my family is strong and healthy.  i'm very, very thankful for that.

6.  i'm blogging while on vacation.  i'm thankful that i have a job that allows me to take this time off to spend with my family during the holidays and my cousin's wedding.  i'm thankful that i'm able to semi-relax on this vacation, too :)

7.  one miracle of this year is the celebration of love during the holidays we get to experience tomorrow.  i can't think of two people more in love than my cousin and her fiance and i just can't wait for the wedding tomorrow.  no black friday shopping for me, just manicures with the bride and my fellow bridesmaids before it's off to the rehearsal.  it's the perfect reminder of what this time of year should really be about - family and love.

8.  our kitties.  they just make me happy.  :)

9.  my husband, the love of my life, philip.  i couldn't do half of anything i do without him.  he's my everything.  a quick story: five years ago it was our first thanksgiving together (or rather our first holiday together) and i remember almost every moment.  holding his hand before dinner, kissing in the kitchen, choking up at the dinner table with our friends in prague talking about how thankful we all were for one another in our lives.  i was convinced it would be the only holiday i'd get to spend with him.  and every thanksgiving, i remember that feeling and i'm thankful that he's the person i spend all my holidays with.

10.  it's been a year for personal growth.  i've kind of figured out what i want to do, i've gone back to school, and my life has a direction.  and i love the direction it's going in.

happy thanksgiving friends.  what are you thankful for today?

xoxo

fill in the blank stressful-friday

guys.  it's been a rough day.  for real.  it was one of those days where nothing really went my way, and just when i felt like i couldn't possibly handle ONE MORE THING something else happens.  when everyone needs me to solve all their problems but i can't seem to solve my own.  it was a long one.  but finally, i am done with my last day of work before vacation.  

siiiiighhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

just some blanks tonight, school tomorrow and sunday, then it's vacation time.  i'll have most of the day monday to sleep in, clean the house, pack and prepare.  i love those kind of days.  now if only i would wake up tomorrow and it would be monday... 

1.   a nervous habit i have is   just one habit? picking at my cuticles.  twirling my hair.  fidgeting.  shaking my leg.

2.   something that makes me sad is  well, there is something, but i'm not going to make it public.  but it makes me sad from time to time.

3.  today i am thankful for  my upcoming vacation!  it is crazy stressful right now getting ready for the trip - but once that moment, my favorite moment, arrives it will all be worth it.  and i get to see my loving family, some amazing friends, and watch one of my favorite couples tie the knot.  nothing could be better.

4. my favorite room in my house is    my living room. it's the only room that's actually done - no paint, no decorations, nothing missing.  so i love hanging out there because it is what the rest of my house will feel like someday... 

5.  i can't stand  intolerance, racism or stereotyping of any kind.

6.  if i had an extra $100 to spend on whatever i wanted today i would  look for christmas presents!  i have picked out a few so far and can't wait to do more holiday shopping!  that being said i might also be a little selfish and spend this fake $100 on something for my house for the christmas cocktail party :)

7.  the last person i hung out with was  my girlfriend walker, who came over on wednesday night to drink wine, eat thai food and help me dye my hair.  high school style.  it rocked.