things i do when i should be packing.

tomorrow i'm driving back to my beloved home state (okla-HOME-a...you know you love it). i should be packing right now, but i completely and utterly loathe packing (i mean, really dislike it). so instead, i've chosen to fill my time by:

a) reading random blogs, such as this one:
Kitchen Oddity: this girl is quite humorous and has some creative cooking ideas (of which i could always use, considering my lack of skill in the kitchen).

b) pretending i'm Liz Lemon (a new episode of 30 Rock is on tonight--hooray!). come on, who doesn't love a little "Night Cheese"?



c) watching the Travel Channel. people, i'm in serious need of a vacation. random fact: lately, i've had a curious fascination with Asia. i've added Japan, China, India and Thailand to my list of places to visit. but really, send me anywhere!

d) dancing to T. Swift. you will probably laugh at this, but i'm slightly obsessed with her new CD. it's ok if you don't like her. i do. well, except for that song about my dearest John Mayer. i won't hold it against her.



alright, time to go pack! well, maybe...

recipe for a relaxing sunday.

sunday morning: i wake up feeling like someone shoved cotton balls up my nose and then rubbed my throat raw with a brillo pad. not a good way to start off the day. how to remedy this problem?


pajamas and cozy socks +
comfy couch +
cup of hot tea +
fire in the fireplace +
Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations =
---------------------------------------
soothing for a one sickly girl

have i ever mentioned that i love Anthony Bourdain? because i really do. i not only love the man for the silver fox that he is, but i love that he loves writing, traveling and eating. he's smart and a bit (ok, a lot) of a smart ass. he appreciates a good adventure and discovering what other cultures in the world are all about. i don't have the money to drop on an overseas trip whenever i want, but i can watch a little No Reservations and dream about where i want to go on my next journey. Brazil? New Zealand? India? Uzbekistan? (Bourdain can make any country look fascintating).

i think i'm feeling better already!

i can't help it.

i love this song. that's all.



happy listening.

the heart of life.

"To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all."
-Oscar Wilde

yes, it's fun to ponder new year's resolutions, and i, of course, have fulfilled my list-making needs with a slew of things i want to do this year. but in the very depths of my heart what i most want to do this year is live, and truly live. i want to savor every moment and fully embrace everything life has to offer. i want to focus on giving more and loving more and pouring into friends and family. because ultimately, that's where true happiness really lies. so, let's take a journey together this year...will you join me?

why hello there, long lost friends.

so, it's been a while since i blogged. the last couple of months have been crazy, but not in the way that grad school was crazy. even though i'm enjoying my job, i've found that it is particularly draining, physically, mentally and emotionally. at the end of the day, all want to do is come home, put on my pj's and sit and stare. that means i've spent many hours catching up on the entire series of 30 Rock (how can you not love Liz Lemon?), and well, not a whole lot else. sad, i know.

so, i decided to make a list of achievable goals for myself. things that i need to do and things that i want to do. things like writing letters to friends, reading more, journaling more, cooking more, crafting more. basically just doing anything more than what i've been doing. stay tuned for updates on how things are going!

oklahoma is ok!

alright, so if you know me, you know i've never really been sold on living in Oklahoma. i've always had this idea that Oklahoma was somehow sub par and just not very interesting at all. this was all before i moved to Amarillo. Oklahoma City is actually on the up and up. there is surprisingly a very progressive movement going on in OKC, with a lot of new coffee shops, restaurants and stores popping up everywhere. here are a few of my most favorite things that i miss now that i call Amarillo home.

1. Cuppies & Joe: seriously, what is better than a Boom Boom Pow cupcake (my favorite flavor) and a warm mug of coffee? nothing.

2. Iguana: love, love, love the Mexican food at this little place.

3. Shop Good: go eat dinner at Iguana (which is just down the street) then hop on over to my friends' shop and buy some sweet clothing or accessories. a portion of every purchase goes to benefit a non-profit organization. you'll get something new and help impact someone else's life too!

4. Super Target: i love local stores, but there's nothing like wandering the aisles of Super Target for hours. sadly, Amarillo has an average Target...there's nothing super about it.

5. recycling centers: i'm convinced people in Amarillo don't care at all about the environment. i can't find a single recycling center in this town! it's driving me insane.

6. City Bites pumpkin cookies: these cookies are to die for. if you live in Oklahoma and you've never had one of these cookies, shame on you!

7. the potential to catch a decent concert every now and then: not surprisingly, Amarillo doesn't have a very exciting live music scene. the only concerts you'll find here are ones at which the appropriate attire is boots and a cowboy hat. i'm going to go through concert withdrawls!

8. Norman: there are way too many things about Norman that i miss to list here, so i'll just include it as it's own category within the OKC metro area. Norman is more home to me than anywhere else i've ever lived. it's so bizarre not living there anymore.

so far, Amarillo has been treating me well, but i get a little homesick now and again. thank goodness OKC is only four hours away!

lucy in the sky with diamonds.

i've really been wanting to get a little frenchie like this one lately. i would name her lucy.


is she not the cutest thing you've ever seen?