list seventeen: to do this summer.

1. Wear more dresses and skirts.

2. Take more pictures.

3. Run, run, run!

4. More veg-friendly meals.

5. Get a hair cut (this is maybe my favorite).

6. Read a few books.

7. Go to the beach more!

Any big plans for your summer vacation?

the weekend.

Hi! How was your weekend? I hope it was wonderful, mine was. :) A little bit of school work in the mix, but hey...it happens. The weather in Florida is BEAUTIFUL right now. It's hot, but not gross-hot, which is saying a lot for Florida in late April.

My dad made quiche, we went out for breakfast, took a trip to the farmers' market, spent an afternoon in my aunt's beautiful garden, went shopping (I found my dress for my sister's wedding!), made homemade hot fudge, and watched The Switch (I SO recommend this movie - the kid is adorable!) and Pride and Prejudice.

happy easter.

{ Easter last year :) }

Dear Everyone,

Happy Easter! Even if you don't celebrate, this day still represents a beautiful time of rebirth. The presence of spring, chirping birds, crisp mornings and toasty evenings, and lots and lots of lush, green plants makes me feel so alive and happy. Of course, for some of us it represents even more than that -- but I think it can stand as a day for everyone to celebrate. xo, R.

on being sentimental.

I'm a really sentimental person. Standing in my (nearly) empty room today (in my apartment) honestly made me want to cry. I had a really, really good school year and I'm genuinely sad to see it end. I can't believe my time in this apartment is already over. It literally feels like just weeks ago that I moved in.

I was packing up all my clothes and thinking about all the times I wore them this year (I wasn't kidding about being sentimental), and it almost scared me that time can move so quickly. I feel like this year went by in the blink of an eye -- even more so than previous years. I kept saying to myself, "This is the last time I will ___________ in this apartment" about EVERYTHING. I kid you not, I even thought to myself, "This is the last time I will turn this hall light off." College is such a weird time because I'm rarely stationary. Just as soon as I was really loving all the quirks of this apartment, it's time to leave it. I don't know, I guess most people probably feel like this when something special comes to a close. I will never live in this apartment with my three girlfriends again, and it just made me feel really sad. Of course I'm excited about all the things coming my way in the near future, but sometimes it feels really good just to savor all the last bits of something. Even though it makes me feel really sad, and I'm tempted to distract myself with things like going to get frozen yogurt or watching a movie, I think it's really important to let all these emotions sink in. It makes me feel so connected and human. Have a great night. xo, R.

*image found here, via here.

the weekend.

{Jeffrey's beloved bus.}

This weekend my dad was my date to a fancy dinner, I got a huge chunk of my to-do list finished (!), Jeffrey took me out for dinner + frozen yogurt, and on Sunday his bus ran out of gas.

We were at Target getting a few things and then hopped in the bus to head over to Michael's. We had been driving for maybe one minute when the bus just stopped working in the middle of an intersection. Luckily, two really nice guys helped Jeffrey push his bus into a parking space. We walked over to the gas station, filled up a gas can, and were on our way. I was honestly impressed by how flawless the whole thing went off! Last time Jeffrey's bus ran out of gas, we were much more panicked and a little at a loss for what exactly we should do. We must be growing up! :)

Other than that, my weekend was just fine and dandy. Although I didn't take any pictures. Must. Improve. How was your weekend? xo, R.

list sixteen: ABC's

{An unrelated, but awesome picture.}

A. Age: 20-something.

B. Bed Size: Full, but I dream of a King.

C. Chore you hate: I dislike all chores.

D. Dogs: My sweet little Andy man.

E. Essential start of your day: Breakfast in bed. What?

F. Favorite color: Green. Always has been, always will be.

G. Gold or silver: There's a time and a place for both.

H. Height: 5'7" (and some change).

I. Instrument you play: I know a little piano, played Oboe for four years, and knew a little guitar at some point.

J. Job title: Student. We'll see what summer brings to me.

K. Kids: Call me in 10 years and we'll how it's going.

L. Live: Sunshine state.

M. Mom's name: This seems irrelevant (plus, I like respecting my mom's privacy)!

N. Nicknames: Ooh, nicknames are so personal. But the people closest to me call me Rox.

O. Overnight hospital stays: Never. Thank you, God.

P. Pet peeve: It embarrasses me how many I have. Let's see, dull pencils. So, so awful.

Q. Quote from a movie: "For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again." -The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

R. Right or left handed: Left handed. What, what?!

S. Siblings: Evie. :)

T. Time you wake up: It's all over the place, but I wake up at 6 on the weekdays.

U. Underwear: Mhmm.

V. Vegetable you hate: Beets.

W. What makes you run late: Forgetting my sunglasses and running in to get them. Forgetting a folder and running in to get it. Forgetting my water and running in to get it. It's a vicious cycle.

X. X-rays you've had: Teeth. And my ankle once.

Y. Yummy food you make: This fudge was my latest kitchen adventure and it was really good.

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: Elephants. I want their eyelashes.

xo, R.

P.S. I got this from Sarah. Destini did one, too.

the weekend, zit edition.

Well, I managed to make it through my weekend, pimples and all. I went ahead with my schedule as planned and didn't think twice about the family of zits that moved in on my face. It all sounds very mature, doesn't it?

It wasn't, I promise. I spent a good 20 minutes standing in front of my mirror asking myself what exactly I was going to do with these zits. You should just know, right now, that I have absolutely no ability with concealer. Never mastered it, probably never will. So, that was out the window. Then I found myself thinking, "If only it were cold out, then I could just cover my chin with a scarf!" These berserk thoughts went streaming through my head for awhile until it was just me and my reflection, standing still with no solution. Well, firstly, I realized that I had wasted 20 minutes of my precious time that I will never get back. (Stupid.) Secondly, I realized that no one really cares what my face looks like. And thirdly, and most importantly, if my biggest worry is the non-consequential zits that showed up on my face, then my life looks pretty darn good and I should probably spend my efforts helping people who are dealing with real problems.

So, that was what I learned this weekend. I left my bathroom, went to Publix without shame (mind you, I still thought that every person looking at me MUST be judging the amount of zits on my chin), and lived my life. And, guess what? Nothing bad happened. In fact, I had a really nice weekend. So, in short:

First of all, avoid mirrors when you don't feel your prettiest. But, more importantly, live your life. xo, R.

i have a really, really, really good fiancé.

I went over to Jeffrey's for dinner last night, and I was feeling a little overwhelmed. I have a lot more on my plate coming this summer than I would like and it started to get to me. It suddenly felt very real and a little scary. I wondered if I could handle everything I needed to do. I'd like to think that most of the time I'm pretty good at handling my stuff, but occasionally I get a little freaked out. I'm glad I was at his apartment when my obligations started to blow up in my face because he sat down next to me, and he said, "You're not alone in this."

And if anyone ever wants to ask me why I love Jeffrey so unconditionally, well, this is precisely why.

I am not alone in this, and I needed to be reminded of that.

Hope you're having a pleasant Saturday. xo, R.

have a great weekend.

{The ceiling in my house. Just kidding, that's the Tampa Theatre's ceiling and it's beautiful.}

Oh, good. The weekend's here.

This weekend I need to get a lot of school work done. Finals are rapidly approaching (Yikes!), and I have a lot left to do before then. My parents are coming up this weekend to grab a load of my stuff to take home with them. Also, I have 18 zits on my face. How does one go from perfectly clear skin to 18 pimples? Just wondering. Bye!

xo, R.

dreaming of summer.

{Dreaming of the weekend + more days like this one.}

Guys. Today hasn't been the best. I don't feel like doing much of anything right now. I couldn't register for a class I wanted to take, I somehow managed to jam my fingernail into my doorknob and it's still throbbing, and I haven't seen Jeffrey since Monday. I'm just full of complaints.

I need to find some motivation. If I get my work done tonight, I'm going to treat myself by watching Matilda. Big plans, guys. Big plans. I just want summer to be here.

Hope you're Wednesday is bright! xo, R.

P.S. Who loves this blog? I do.

my sister's getting married.

This weekend my mom and I hosted a kitchen shower for my sister. It was absolutely beautiful and so much fun! We had a splendid time together and my sister was gracious enough to help up make all the desserts. It turned out so wonderfully, and I think my sister had a great time. :)

It was such an honor to throw a shower for my sister. I know I gush about her all the time, but she honestly is one of the most kind-hearted and genuine people I know. It was really nice to have the opportunity to do this for her and have all our family come together to celebrate the love she has found. xo, R.

P.S. I'll have all the dessert updates soon. They were so delicious!