we interrupt your regularly scheduled program . . .

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happy tuesday! and happy "monday" to anyone who had yesterday off. i hope everyone was able to enjoy the long holiday weekend. :)

just wanted to drop a line since i sort of ghosted out last week. the dude and i are officially 11 days away from tying the knot!! how nuts is that!? it feels like there is sooooooooooo much still to be done. time to finish all those fine details.

with that being said, my posts will be slightly sporadic for the next couple of weeks. i missed last friday's five faves, but am planning a special wedding edition for the end of this week, so stay tuned!

***UPDATE: my, my how this past week just flew by! between building center pieces, creating a week-of itinerary, mini shopping trips, getting our marriage license, and finalizing the last little bits of the wedding, i have not truly had a moment to myself. i am sorry loves, but i just wasn't able to get my five friday faves - wedding edition post out in time :( 
i still plan on posting it, as well as many pictures from THE day, but must delay such posts until after the wedding.  

sending out those happy vibes all around.

peace. love. :)
yay

early to rise + spill it sundays #4

do you ever wake up bright and early after a long night? i do. every time. even though to be perfectly honest, my "long" nights are far and few between haha. still, i thought for sure i'd have a tough time rolling out of bed after our wine walk last night, but nope. bright and early me!

the wine walk, by the way, was SO much fun! i am sad to say i did not take a single picture!!! :( you'll just have to take my word for it when i say i had a blast! got all dolled up with the dude and met a few friends. made two new ones. it was great!

and now it's time for my 4th spill it, sundays! i look forward to this post every week now. arman, you genius you. i just love anticipating what questions each week will bring, and equally love reading the different submissions. there are some fun, interesting, and talented bloggers out there that i probably wouldn't have found if it weren't for spill it, sundays. :)

this week's questions come from sarah, who has a lovely blog called slices of sarah pie.

1. what is your middle name? if you don’t have one do you wish you did? what would it be?
ariel. like the little mermaid?? exactly like the little mermaid ;) i get that all the time when people ask what my middle name is.

2. when you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?
oh gosh, i wanted to be a million different things growing up. my dad says that when i was little i used to say i wanted to be a chef someday. not because i loved to cook (in fact, i am fairly certain i wasn't even tall enough to reach the counter when i said this), but so that i could taste all the different foods.

3.  what do you keep in the glove box of your car?
tire pressure gauge. registration. insurance card. a screw driver (philips). ear plugs (for the shooting range). sunglasses case.

4. name one food that always seems to go bad before you eat it?
lettuce. it doesn't matter now gigantic i make my salads! it always, always gets wilty (not a word? now it is) before i can finish it.

5. what was the last workout you did?
50 minutes of spin! such a dynamic "ride" and an allover great workout!

6. when was the last time you got the giggles in an inappropriate moment? what did you do?
oh gosh, story of my life. i always seem to react inappropriately when it comes to emotions. last time i got the giggles? let's see . . .  so we have this HUGE revolving door to get into my office. not a regular revolving door though. this one is highly secure and requires a badge scan to get in. the door's uber sophisticated body scanner/sensor technology is overly sensitive and sometimes often times goes haywire when a person steps in holding an object (handbag, laptop, lunch bag, coffee cup . . . ). thinking there are two people attempting to walk through the door, the alarm sounds and the door abruptly stops. on one particular day the person attempting to get through the door was completely and utterly unaware of this psycho door, and did not anticipate its shenanigans. objects in motion tend to stay in motion. the door came to a sudden stop, but her poor little body did not. and she ran face first into the glass . . . and i laughed. really, really hard. like hand over my mouth, ducking under my desk, horrified with myself laugh. i am a terrible human being . . .

7. if you had to pick one song to play continuously in the background of your everyday life what would you pick?
oh man, there are SO many to chose from! i have not a clue.

8. what would you do if you got 25 hours in a day while everyone else was still stuck with 24?
have my own private gym sesh! the gym would obviously be empty if i got a whole hour all to myself, right? it would be like my own private playground!
now i know others may disagree, but i couldn't work out every single day -even with the gym all to myself- so i'd reserve two days for kicking back with a good read and a piping cup of jo at my favorite coffee shop. that would probably be empty too though huh, if i'm using the same logic? good thing i used to work at starbucks when i was in college!

9. pick a great picture of you/your family/your friends, tell us the background story of what’s happening in it.
this pic is from last summer. my baby cousin (the one holding the gigantic bottle of tequila) and her family came into town to celebrate her 21st birthday. i think the picture says it all! haha

10. whats your favorite quote/song/image when you need a little inspiration?

source

after clouds, sun.

***
have you ever laughed or cried at an inappropriate moment?

peace. love. :)
yay

five friday favorites #9

i am a little behind this week, and i am sorry. everything has been backwards and forwards, fast and slow, and basically just crazy all week.

promise to catch you up, but for now i will leave you with my five friday faves from this week. 

1. feel good vibes.

for the 9th year straight the company i work for has held an annual charity event. i don't want to go into too much detail (mixing work and my blogging world, ya know), so i will keep it simple. there were different booths set up and everyone got to choose which activities he or she wanted to participate in. for the past 5 years i have made it a tradition to get a faux tattoo. glitter of course. ;)

2. food for thought.

i found this on IG this week. i am not sure of the original source, but the words just seemed to resonate. 

3. waltz of the tastebuds.
okay, i think i've made it perfectly clear just how obsessed i am with shaved ice, aka sno, aka raspado sno (my fave!) by now. if you didn't know though, now you do haha. it's just that it makes the absolute perfect summer sweet treat! regular shaved ice is fine and dandy, but the syrups are usually loaded with high fructose corn syrup and/or artificial sweeteners. what i like about the raspado sno (at least at the little shop i go to) is that it's topped with real fruit puree. still have to be careful because sugar is sugar, but i at least feel a little less guilty knowing that i'm eating real fruit as opposed to overly processed sugar and chemicals. 

4. sweet summer tunes.
i usually don't go out. i live in the perfect city for it, but let's face it, i'm becoming an old lady haha. dark equals bed time for me. every now and then though i can be coaxed out of my shell. last night my company sponsored and helped to organize a big skate event downtown. it was complete with pro and amateur skaters, brand booths, and a free concert! there is something about summer outdoor concerts that i love!  

5. farewell cristina.
thursday night brought all the feels with the grey's anatomy season 10 season finale. i posted up right in front of the tv with a bowl of popcorn and let the emotions flow! haha.

***

what's your favorite summer pastime? 

peace. love. :)

yay

paper china + WIAW #2

can you believe it's already wednesday?! where on earth has this week gone? not that i am complaining. i am totally content with the weekend being even the teensiest bit closer.

today i am linking up with jenn for my second edition of what i ate wednesday.

this post may be a little light on my usual mindless meanderings, which is only because this week is hectic. i will be sure to have an especially wordy post for y'all on friday. ;)












tea time:
7:00 am.
today it's honey ginseng from the republic of tea. yum!

coffee time:
8:00 am.
just about time for that mid-morning kick. black iced coffee with sugar-free vanilla.

breaky:
8:30 am.
this morning's breakfast is inspired by amanda's oatmeal cookie dough breakfast bake. her original is phenomenal! i've eaten it for breakfast twice this week. #sorrynotsorry. this time, i decided to play around with it and added pineapple and coconut flakes in place of chocolate chips. seriously drool inducing.

lunch munch:
11:00 am.
i don't know about you, but there is nothing like a hearty midday meal. as much as i love breakfast, lunch is pretty high up on the list too. this week my meal prep brainstorming settled on chipotle-inspired burrito bowls. pan roasted chicken with light seasonings, over cilantro-lime brown rice. oh, and say hello to my little friend cholula hangin' out there. how do you like my deeply fancy paper plates so far?

snack/treat #1:
12:30 pm.
raspado sno! this is currently a guilty pleasure (although not too guilty) of mine. it's shaved ice (japanese style, so it's extra fluffy and light like the freshest of fresh snow) with real, freshly made coconut fruit puree. there is this fabulous sno shop just down the street from work. maybe it was heat induced, or maybe we were all just stir crazy. either way, my team ended up taking a little field trip for a bit of mouthwatering sno. i was feeling extra sassy today and i decided to top it off with a scoop of boba (<-- the guilty part). this was my first time topping it and i prefer it without. now i know.

snack #2:
3:00 pm-ish.
nut lover's KIND-inspired bar. i based mine off of marcie's recipe over at flavor the moments.
this bad boy has almonds, peanuts, and pumpkin seeds!

dinner:
6:30 pm.
got a wee bit creative with this week's dinner prep and made a chicken enchilada bake that i found on paleOMG.com. i have said it before and i will say it again, juli has some mad paleo cookin' skills. thanks juli, i can always turn to your blog for meal plan inspiration. and of course no mex-inspired dish is complete without tortilla chips (another HUGE weakness of mine). i kept it smarter with organic, multigrain, gluten-free chips from late july. i am a big fan of the sea salt flavor, but not too keen on the mild green mojo (bought a bag to taste test since i loved the first flavor so much). a bit too salty for my taste.

***
do you have any guilty summer snacks?

peace. love. :)
yay 

cheers to mom! + spill it sundays #3

happy mother's day to all you moms out there! :)

i have mentioned before that my parents do not really celebrate holidays, which sadly includes mother's day. regardless, i would like to send happy mother's day wishes out to my stepmom, the only mother figure i have ever known. thank you for putting up with my wild child antics.

we sent a pretty lovely little succulent to the dude's mother. succulents because there are sooooo many different and beautiful varieties. plus, they are perfect for the desert weather where she lives. happy mother's day dana!

here's a pic of the two of us from this past thanksgiving. such a great trip!

***
arman, you have me hooked. i am back for week three of spill it sundays.

this week's questions are brought to us by angela from nutty for life.

1. if your tastebuds could only decipher one flavor for the rest of your life, which would you choose?  i.e. salt, sweet, spice, sour . . . 
oh my gosh, that is so tough! definitely not salty. i am not a huge fan of salty food. i LOVE sweets, but a little goes a long way for me so i fear it would end up being a punishment. not the biggest fan of sour either, so i guess that leaves spice. i think i could live my days out as long as the dishes had well-rounded, developed spice flavors.

2. what sports did you play as a child, if any?
i was in ballet and gymnastics for a bit when i was itty bitty (like 8). i always, always wanted to play soccer in grade school, but was given a strict no each time i begged and pleaded to join the team. i was able to weasel my way into track & field in junior high, and then cross country in high school. and what i mean by weaseled my way in is that basically i just joined the team, told my parents i had practice, and that was sort of just that. i also danced for three years in high school and another three in college.

3. who would you want to be handcuffed to for a day?
okay cheeeeeze city warning. first person that came to mind? the dude. i'm not too much of a romantic so i even barfed a little myself haha. but seriously, after 6 years our work schedules finally allow for us to have days off together. i have definitely learned to cherish our time together and couldn't really imagine anyone else i'd want to be handcuffed to for an entire day.

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4. what’s the strangest thing you’ve ever eaten? what’s the strangest thing you want to try to eat?
i once ate dog food when i was kid. does that count? i do not recommend it.  

strangest food i would like to try? that's tough. i generally have an i'll-try-anything-once approach to food. 

5. lions, tigers or bears? (Oh my)
tigers! i was obsessed with the big cats of the animal kingdom, as i was a kid. such a dorky confession: i had a subscription to national geographic kids magazine and would hang up the in-issue posters any time i received one with a big cat on it. :)

6. what is your favorite restaurant you’ve ever been to?
i don't have just one. it all depends on my food mood at the moment, which can range anywhere from sushi, thai, indian, taiwanese, mediterranean, etc . . . i do not have a one-note palate. 

7. if you were forming a band, what would your band’s name be, and what kind of music would you play?
hmmmm, i am so terrible at coming up with witty group names. it would be an indy/folk band for sure. the name would be super earthy, simple, and reflect the down-to-nature style of the band. 

8. what is the best compliment you’ve received?
i was recently complimented in my leadership skills. being fairly new to having direct reports, it felt so great to receive a genuine compliment from a superior. 

9. describe your personal style (for clothing or decor) and why you like it.
my style pendulum swings between all-american -simple, classic, well-fitting tops, jeans, cardigans- and boho chic -lots of loose layers, textures, patterns, stack bracelets- with a hint of sporty.

10. what is one thing you absolutely want to do this summer? 
oh gosh, i have so many things on my must-do summer to-do list. can i just name few? let's see . . .

• hiking! more hiking in general. after we tie the knot i'd like to take the time we've been using for diy projects and wedding stuff and revert back to our nature-loving, trail-junky selves. 

• camping! so far, we have only been camping once this year. again something i'd like to do more of once we have more free time. 

• a brunch and pool day. there is a hotel nearby that offers a brunch-by-the-pool package. it just sounds so glam. i'd like to try it at least once to see if i like it. my birthday is smack dab in the middle of summer, so maybe then.

***

what's on your summer to-do list?

peace. love. :)
yay

five friday favorites #8

five friday faves on a saturday? say whaaaaaaaat?!

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tardy! i am sorry for my delay in posting this. what began as a relaxed friday morning soon became a run-like-heck, jam-packed day full of tasks and errands. if you are ever feeling like you do not want to have a life anymore just plan a wedding haha. you will no longer have free time the closer you get to the actual day. ;)

but enough with my whining, i am back and ready to share my top favorites from this week!

1. fave fad diet

okay, i know that by now the entire world and its mom's dog have seen this video at least 10 bazillion times . . . but no cares here. i am still getting a kick out of it!

"gluten. it's like a grain, right?"

"...it makes you fat..."

"...it is a part, i believe, of the wheat that . . . i really don't know..."

hilarious! and sad. oh, so sad. my diet is wheat free for reasons other than a gluten intolerance. nixing wheat products was one of the necessary changes made after my doctor started me on the low FODMAP diet (to help with a seriously dubious ibs belly). even with a board certified, P.H.D. wielding doctor of gastroenterology stressing the need to follow this diet/lifestyle until forever, i still devoured every piece of low FODMAP literature i came across. and still do my own research anytime i have doubts about whether i can eat a specific food. i cannot imagine blindly cutting out a food just cause. (shakes head)



2. #girlpower

another something everyone on the planet is probably sick and dog tired of hearing about. but again, no cares here. brooke birmingham, you are my hero and lady crush of the week. now my intension is not to start a holy blogging war, as i know her story comes littered with opinions that sit on various ends of the spectrum. i would simply like to voice my opinion and say that any woman (or man, girl, boy, child, etc . . . ) who is not afraid to not only stand up for what she believes to be just, but has the grit to make her voice heard is 1,000,000% amazing in my book. the end.

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if you would like to read more about this specific story or about the blogger herself (in her own words), you can find her lovely blog here: Brooke: Not on a Diet 

she also shared her story in a huffington post article here:  why i refused to put a shirt on for shape magazine

3. grab a snack and kickback!

i tend to gravitate towards funny, dumb, idiotic comedy. so naturally, i am convinced that i need to see a million ways to die in the west. what can i say, i love a good belly laugh. and it's so rare that i even see a movie in the theater (or within the same year of it being released!) that this one just feels like a winner, in a bad, cheesy comedy sort of way.



4. oh the weather outside is weather!

take a look at that gorgeous forecast! you know what that means . . . i for sure want to get my hike on! there is simply nothing like getting away from the busy city streets for a little. this weather also makes me want to slip into my teenie-weenie-bikini and get my sun on! lather on that 5,000+ spf. summertime fedora. my sunnies. a good read or juicy mag (or both). a nice, tall, cool sip. aaaaaaaaaaaaah. i could relax the year month week day away.

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5. ma, the meatloaf!

there is no shame in revealing that i have never been a fan of meatloaf. okay, scratch that. until this past weekend i had never even had a bite of meatloaf in my life. nor did i think that i would ever want to. call me meatloaf prejudice. anyways, in my quest to use only the proteins in my freezer for last week's meal plan, i stumbled across juli's paleo meatloaf recipe on her fabulous blog paleOMG.com. juli, you have forever changed my ways. i was once a lost, meatloaf hater, but am now a reformed embracer of all things meatloaf. well maybe not all . . . girl makes a mean italian meatloaf though! you can find her recipe here. i made a few tweaks, using 1/2 ground turkey and 1/2 ground bison (because again, i was trying to use only protein that i already had), and skipping the onion altogether (because it is not low FODMAP friendly and is equivalent to death for me).

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***

how often do you see movies on the big screen?

any spring/summer flicks on your radar?

how do you feel about meatloaf?

do you have a food prejudice? 

peace. love. :)
yay

jibber jabber. this and that.

happy happy thursday from all of me to you!

keeping things short and sweet today. just like me! i keeed. i keeed.

hookin' up with amanda's fabulous thinking out loud link up for a third time.

1. today begins the official 30 day countdown to this girl gettin' hitched. eeeeek!! picking up the dudes ring this weekend and confirming the "cake" order. next thursdays is my second dress fitting! fingers crossed the seamstress is successful in cutting all 7 feet of extra length off to fit my oh, so short self.

hahahaha oh grumpy cat. you get me every time!

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2. i am 100% fine with the fact that this week is over. well, work wise for me at least. boy was it a rough one . . . i was in pain and sick with stomach troubles for most of the week. on top of that, the weather has been so weird and inconsistent. one day it's 88 and sunny, and the next it's 71 and overcast. the shift between winter and summer sunlight is really getting to me. felt the ol' blanket of darkness begin to creep its way over me. don't know why it took me so long to notice the progression of being tired, exhausted, drained, sick, and in pain lately. you would think i'd be able to recognize the symptoms by now . . . sheesh . . .  

3. but why focus on the negative. what do we do when life forgets how to play nicely? run like hell . . . sound like an odd answer? well, i was at the gym, so it's quite fitting ;)

this very choosy tum tum of mine was at about 75% in the wellness department today. pretty significant improvement from the past several days. so, i finally got the gym day i have been craving. 47 minutes running hills on the treadmill. i was in complete heaven. and hell. it has been a while since i've hopped on a treadmill. even longer since i've done hills. my lower calves are going to love me tomorrow! not.

i legitimately almost made myself throw up. i had about 10 minutes left before cool down, my heart was racing away, and sweat was pouring from just about every pore. then it came. this sudden, extremely strong urge to toss my cookies (or should i say chips, since that's actually the last thing i'd eaten). this little voice inside said, "keep it together girl. you got this." and i did. i told myself, "5 more minutes," and then after five minutes i said, "you can't quite now, you only have to make it another 5 minutes before cool down." and i continued to follow my inner coaching voice through the remainder of my run, and then through cool down. proud. the only word i could describe the feeling of watching the clock run down to 0:00 remaining time.

now i am not saying go out and puke your guts out in the name of seeing a workout through. if you can push your self through safely, then by all means. you go glen coco!! and if not, that's cool too. you good girl! or boy. to each his or her own workout tactics.

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4. i tan waaaaaaaaaaaaayy too easily. it is not a complaint so much as an observation. i sat out on the cafe patio at work for about an hour this morning. which was more than enough time for the bitty skin cells of my right arm to put up their defense against the sun and adopt a darker brown hue. first world problem. i know. smh at myself. i am just not at all a fan of tan lines, which i now have more of . . .

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5. last week was my brother's sweet 16th. mother's day is on sunday. tuesday is my little sister's 21st birthday. holy crap does that make me feel old. calls. i must make all the phone calls this weekend.

***

do you have any special mother's day plans in the works? and for those moms out there: are you anticipating the day? 

peace. love. :)
yay

what day is it? + WIAW

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totally just got a kick out of this meme! at 28 (going on 29 real soon, yikes!) i don't think of myself as old, but i cannot deny that i may be getting a tad grumpier as the days go by haha. i find the, "hey guys, guess what day it is??!" jokes to be sooooooooooooooooo annoying. le sigh.

in an effort to branch out and and be a social bloggie-fly -does that count as being social? or does being behind the compute nix that? anyways, this is socially branching out in my book- i have decided to link up with jen over at peas and crayons. i have been a fan of reading everyone's WIAW posts for quite some time and thought, why not join in on the fun? :)












pre-breakfast tea time:

tea in the am is just perfect, in my opinion. over the years i have developed a tradition of reading through my work emails whilst sipping on a cozy mug. today it was TJ's chamomile. am i the only one who can sip on chamomile any ol' time of the day? everyone else i know says it puts them to sleep, and i always wonder if it's just a mind trick, since it's generally marketed as "sleepy time tea." 

breakfast:

my stomach typically begins its whale-like sonata around 7:45am. today, not so much. probably because the ol' tummy issue has decided to rear its ugly head lately. it was past 9am before the slightest growl was released. you can bet it only took one groan before i tucked into a steamy cup of overnight oats.

i whipped together the following last night and warmed half of it up for breakfast. i generally use vanilla protein powder, which allows me to forgo using better'n peanut butter and sugar alternative for added sweetness. alas, i scrapped the bottom of my last protein canister monday night and am in dire need of ordering more.

chocolate peanut butter overnight oats.
1/2 cup old fashion oats
2 tbs cacao powder
2 tbs PB2
1 tbs better'n peanut butter
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 tsp fiber supplement
1 tsp sugar alternative
1/2 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

sweet treat:

one of my teammates is working abroad (sitting with another team) for the week, so i moseyed over to invite her to lunch. that is where i found these. jelly beans. sugar. my kriptonite. before my mind could even begin to formulate an exit strategy, my hand was reaching into the dish . . . and that is how i came to eat 14 jolly jelly beans. they were not a part of this week's menu.

lunch:

lunch really hit the spot! ever since implementing the low FODMAP diet, my body has responded exceptionally well to its reintroduction to meat. in fact, i crave meat and protein more than anything nowadays. today's lunch included: grilled chicken breast, turkey/bison meatloaf, and oven roasted veggies (multi-color mini potatoes, carrots, string beans, and green bell pepper).

snack numero uno:

unsurprisingly enough, my sweet/snack tooth awoke around 1pm. good thing this girl came prepared with a spin on trail mix. i took my snack and current read (the pleasure of my company by steve martin) and found a cozy spot in the sunny courtyard. turned out to be the perfect snack! it's a simple mix of: raw almonds, unsalted roasted peanuts, raw pumpkin seeds, vegan dark chocolate chips, unsalted popcorn.

snack numero dos:

4pm rolled around and the grumbles returned, so i whipped out the remaining half of my overnight oats. this time, i ate them cold, which is how i typically prefer them, oddly enough.

dinner:

i was really looking forward to my 6pm spin class today. my stomach however, was not . . . #ibslife. the pain was too much to take, so i ended up heading straight home after work. supper shitty. no pun intended . . .

i know better than to get stressed over missing a workout due to tummy troubles. stress only makes things a million times worse. and is likely the root cause of this flare up. normal work stress + environmental factors + the fast approaching wedding = a lot on my plate right now. so, i decided to accept the unexpected rest day and relax. the second i got home, it was time for sweats and a tank top. hung out with my dude. did a little blog reading. and waited for the cramping and back pain to subside.

7pm rolled around and the gut was finally settled and ready for a nosh. dinner was a repeat of lunch (since i ended up not meal prepping for lunch this week for whatever reason). turkey/bison meatloaf with a side of roasted veggies.

***

what did you eat today?

peace. love. :)
yay

sunday lazy sunday + spill it sundays #2

here it is, sunday night, and my head is spinning with just how quickly the weekend zoomed by.

friday was spent looking for a belt to match the dude's shoes for the wedding. fact: we have come to learn that he is by far much, much pickier about the details than i am. as much of detail-oriented, perfectionist as i can be with my work, life, and overall self, my wedding approach has been big picture. on the flip side, as go-with-the-flow as he is in daily life, his wedding mindset has proven to be nit picky. funny how that works, huh?

saturday morning was delightfully relaxing. i finished reading steve martin's shopgirl, and began reading the pleasure of my company, another novel by steve martin. we moseyed on over to a friend's later that afternoon, where we spent the rest of the evening celebrating cinco de mayo and derby day with great food and even better company.

i have decided that i want to throw a derby party next year. i too want to wear a fancy hat!

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and that leaves today. i slept in late! the past few weeks of restless, sleepless nights must have finally caught up to me because as soon as my little brown peepers closed last night, i was d.e.a.d to the world. nothing like 10.5 hours of sleep to set things straight again. my body still felt exhausted all day, so i pushed my planned workout sesh and opted for another rest day. back at it tomorrow with spin. other than meal planning and grocery shopping, it has been a rather lazy sunday. no complaints here. somedays you just need a lazy day.

***

for the second week now, i am linking up with arman. this week is the first blogger-initiated spill it sundays, and is brought to us by juli with 1000 lovely things. :)

1.  in real life are you an extrovert or more introvert person?

i have always been an introvert. every thought is initiated inwardly. i have never ever, ever been a blurter because unlike extroverts, i think and rethink each and every thought (to death) before speaking. in all my friendships and relationships i am the "listener" and "therapist." i don't mind it. my inwardly drawn dialog has heightened my observation skills. i am so used to sitting and listening to the woes and triumphs of those around me, that i have become exceptionally good at picking up on body language, vocal inflections, and vibes (i don't care how new age or hippy dippy that sounds haha). reading people has become one of my greatest strengths, as odd as that may sound.

2. if money was no object, where would you move to? 

san fran. hands down my dream city. the culture. the lifestyle. a true commuter city gal's paradise. i like to call it my someday home because someday i will live there. :)

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3. what are your hobbies besides blogging, food and working out? 

this girl is a bookworm. i love to read, and have recently made it a goal to read more. more of everything, as well as more often. i also love nature. animals. plants. weather. i love it all. hiking is one of my all time favorite activities because it brings my passion for hiking and trail running together with my love for god's beautiful earth. birds. lizards. mountains. cactus. belly flowers. rock formations. i drink them all in when i hit the trail.

melting for the fuzzies.

4. if you have a sibling what do you have in common and where do you differ the most? if you are an only child tell me about your pet/ mother/ father, best friend …
out of four kids i am the oldest. other than dark hair and eyes, i don't think any of us really have much in common. to be fair, i am the oldest by many years. 8 years older than my sister. 12 years older than the next child, a brother. and 17 years older than the littlest, another brother.

5. if you were able to spend one day as the opposite sex, what would you do?
i feel a blush coming on because i have actually contemplated this before, and have always wondered just how difficult "relieving" oneself while standing up truly is. partially because i grew up with two brothers who always seemed to have issues with aiming. it can't be that hard, can it? plus, there's the convenience factor of simply being able to whip it out while camping or hiking.

6. if you could have any super power what would it be?
it may sound ho hum, but mind reading is at the top of my list. i mentioned being good with picking up on body and vocal cues, and sometimes would like the insight of actually being able to read what was on someones mind. i would want it to be a power that could be called upon at will, as opposed to being tormented by all the thoughts like mel gibson in what women want. that would be more punishment than power.

7. when you’re upset, what are you doing to cheer yourself up?
writing helps clear my mind, as well as hitting it hard at the gym, or letting the stress melt away with an invigorating yoga flow.

8. you have $500 to spend on anything you want – what would it be?
it is difficult not to be in wedding-mind mode at the moment, so my first thought was to pay something wedding-related off. use it to book the musician, or put it towards dessert, or rentals.

9. what is your favorite piece of art (painting, sculpture, architecture…)?
for reasons unknown, i am drawn to the promenade by marc chagall. i remember my first time seeing it, 11 years ago in french class, during my senior year of high school. there is no rhyme or reason behind my attraction to this particular painting. maybe it has something to do with the fact that "there she goes," by six pence none the richer autoplays in my little brain each time i see it.

10. if you were able to go back in time and give your teenage self any advise what would you say?
chin up. there is light at the end of this tunnel.

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thanks again to juli for this week's questions!

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what would you tell your teenage self if you could go back in time?

peace. love. :)
yay

five friday favorites #7

fridays are for . . . listing five (count that! uno, dos, tres, quatro, cinco!) of my favorite things, thoughts, ideas, and whatnot from this week. :)

btw, today was hot as heck! and to think, the thermometer is only going to rise from here on out. yikes!

anyways, please excuse my random outburst ;)

1. wanderlust

yesterday morning, i was struck with the strongest urge to travel after reading about the glacier skywalk within jasper national park, in alberta, canada. here is a blur directly from their website.

"...feed your adrenaline and step into a breathtaking world where glaciers rest above and birds soar below. experience waterfalls, wildlife, fossils and more on an exiting cliff-edge walkway that leads to a platform where glass is all that separates your from a 918 foot drop.  welcome to the all-new glacier skywalk in the heart of the canadian rockies!..."

a 918 foot drop!! holy ish!! now i am not at all shy when it comes to heights, but the sheer thought sends chills down my spin! oddly enough, that is exactly why i feel that i absolutely must journey to this skywalk in my lifetime. i am not exactly an adrenaline junky, but i do love that exhilarating rush that nothing less than being scared (though in no actual danger) can induce.

interesting to learn more? you can browse through breathtaking snapshots, purchase tickets, and read more about the glacier skywalk here.

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2. be still my heart!

has anyone not seen cheerio's latest mother's day commercial release? seriously, my heart melted the first time i watched it, and subsequently pools at my feet each time i replay it.



on a tangent, has everyone finished their mother's day shopping? does anyone not celebrate mother's day (and/or like holidays)? just asking purely out of curiosity because i grew up celebrating only religious holidays. even birthdays were never a big thing in my household. to this day, i rarely gift within my immediate family. for several years in college, and again a couple years back, i attempted to get my parents to embrace "american holidays," as my dad calls them. just for fun. truth: i love, love, love shopping for others. watching friend's and family member's faces light up fills me with the warmest of fuzzies. my parents didn't really take to it though. not that they didn't appreciate the gifts, but their reaction was more of an afterthought. and it just felt weird. so i stopped. guess you can't win 'em all, huh? the dude's family celebrates all the usual holidays (which i love!) so i still get to have my fun. not gonna lie, it feels weird as fudge brainstorming the perfect mother's day gift for my soon-to-be mother-in-law and not my own stepmom. should i feel bad? am i just over thinking this?

3. all the feels

this song is by no means new. this version however, is new to me. i had no clue that aloe blacc performed the vocals for aviccii, or that he released his own rendition. the lyric and vocals alone are powerful, but the music video. holy hell. not a dry eye on my first watch. no lose tears thank goodness (the closer i get to 30, the more i get "the feels." stupid hormones!), but watery eyes for sure.



4. my finger has a heartbeat!

elf humor anyone? christmas in may perhaps? you of course can't see this, but this put a huge grin on my face. smiling while i am type, type, typing.

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anyways, this week has brought about four incredible workouts so far. and with little to no pain! my upper back and hips were gnarly tense at the beginning of the week, and i experienced a mild bout of sciatica pain down my left leg. i did not let any of this deter me though. still listening to my body, i powered through each workout, careful to not go overboard. stretching each night (and periodically during work, despite odd looks) has done wonders.

sun: 45 minutes of power yoga

mon: 50 minute spin class - climbing mostly with intermittent sprinting

wed: 60 minute spin class - interval training

thurs: 59 minutes of cross training on the elliptical

i can't explain it, but i feel powerful here.

left is post spin on mon.  the right is after thrus'
cross-training sesh. i didn't get a snapshot after
wed's spin class because the locker room was
crowded and i wimped out of my gym selfie.

5. [never] enough with the cuteness!

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a few of you may have caught on to how much of a sucker i am for the movie frozen. i am not obsessed by any means, but i must admit it is my favorite recent disney movie. olaf. he just makes the entire movie for me. saw this on IG yesterday, and immediately had to add it to my five faves of the week.

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any plans for the weekend? is anyone getting a head start on celebrating cinco de mayo? 

peace. love. :)
yay