Spring Break 2010: Sunday

My gosh, I wish I had done a better job of taking pictures over spring break.

Note to self: Keep a diary, take more pictures.

Sunday, March 7, 2010
When I go home it is almost a rule that we have to make a stop at Lighthouse Donuts at least once. Donuts are so, so good for the soul. My favorite kind of donut is Maple frosted and Lighthouse has one of the most delicious renditions I've ever tasted. So, on Sunday my parents and I made a stop there and sat on the deck and enjoyed our donuts. Such a pleasant way to spend a Sunday morning. We originally planned to go to an art show downtown, but our planning was poor so we didn't make it.
And here's where my only picture of this wonderful day comes into play: Jeffrey is the proud owner of a 1966 Red VW Bus and we love it. So much. And so whenever we see another bus our eyes get kind of wide and our mouths drop and we just can't help but stare. My parents and I saw this darling little thing sitting outside of a produce shop and had to take a closer look!
What a gem. And doesn't she look so summer-y? Love that yellow. And I don't think you can see too well, but there was a little Hula Girl on the front dash. Precious. Anyway, this was for sale, but did not have a friendly price tag. It was fun to look at, though. And yes, I called Jeffrey while he was camping in the mountains just to inform him that I had seen a bus.
As for the rest of the day, we spent the afternoon in Borders. I poured over wedding magazines (Have I ever mentioned that I am completely in love with weddings and the mere mention of one makes me giddy and gives me the fuzzies? Now you know.) and then we stopped at Super Target, which is basically a given in my family — if you are in a plaza with a Target in it, you must go to Target. No questions asked. I got some spring-y nail polish and we headed home. And I wish I could remember the rest of this lovely day. I'm pretty positive that we made Not-So-Red Velvet Cake that night, but we didn't start it until around 9, so I'm missing something. I guess that's why a diary comes in handy.

xo, R.

the weekend.

Lots of buses were used as vehicles for different businesses. Some of them still have the original painted-on logos!

Some of them are super rusty like this one! Lots of bus enthusiasts like them this way. :)

Jeffrey's overall favorite of the day. That's the original paint job! The windows that pop out in the front are a hot commodity and so is that roof rack!

It was a crazy weekend.

1. It all started when I got a phone call from Jeffrey that started like this: "Rox, I'm okay, but my bus caught on fire." I'm pretty sure I skipped over the "Rox, I'm okay" part, and focused solely on the "my bus caught on fire" part. What the what?! It's scary enough that my boyfriend drives a vehicle that requires the presence of a fire extinguisher at all times but, like Jeffrey said, I never thought he'd actually have to use it. The good news is that the bus is going to be totally fine. Jeffrey's quick thinking and help from some friendly fellow interstate-drivers got the fire out in no time, and there is minimal damage to the engine.

2. For the first time ever, my dog Petey seemed really old. It made me feel a little sentimental (most things do), but the fact that he still jets out the door (and nearly pulls your arm from its socket) every time he gets to go for a walk is comforting.

3. Jeffrey and I got stuck in traffic on the interstate on the way back to school. I really hope everyone involved in the accident that caused all the traffic is okay. We spent our hour delay talking about Jeffrey's dream bus. It quickly became my dream bus, too. I try not to love those things (endangering my boyfriend's life with a fiery engine doesn't really appeal to me), but sometimes it's really hard. They're just so freakin' cute!

4. My sister's birthday was on Friday and we sorta-kinda celebrated with her! She opened her presents with us via Skype (what I got her), my mom and I made the same cake she made all the way in Wisconsin, and we ate it together via Skype. Yay Skype!

5. And the craziest thing of all: There was no trip to Target. Not one, I tell you. I think we were all shocked. And, to be honest, a little upset about it. Don't worry though. A trip to Target is already in the works for when I go home for Thanksgiving.

Things that happened that weren't crazy but still awesome:
We went out for pizza topped with mozzarella, ricotta, and meatballs. SO. GOOD.
Bulli Brigade was a success (even though Jeffrey's cute little red bus was not able to make an appearance).
The antique show was wonderful, as always.
I enjoyed breakfast with Jeffrey and his grandma (love and adore her!).
I spent some time in my mom's classroom. She has the most adorable class this year!
And Jeffrey and I shared McD's fries and a chocolate shake on the way back to school.

How was your weekend? xo, R.

list fifteen: things i don't need but want anyway.

You know, sometimes I really wonder about myself. I mean, I have an amazing life filled with amazing people, a more-or-less worry free agenda, and sometimes I still find myself drooling over products with a too-high-for-my-budget price tag. Anyway, in an effort to get all this nonsense out, I figured I'd make a list out of it. Because that's what I do when things are all jumbled up in my brain.

1. Ray Bans. A fairly practical item, but I think my pair from Target is working out just fine.

2. Steve Madden Intyce boots. Because now that the winter season is over, Amazon has them listing for about $100 less than their original price. Still way too much but almost convinced myself that I needed them.

3. Clarisonic Mia. Since this is actually a practical item, I'm not going to get mad at myself. Still, pricey.

4. Nikon D3100. A new camera. Although I'm tempted to ask myself, who can put a price on memories? (This girl can & not at that price.)

5. A trip to Denmark with Jeffrey. HA HA, that's a funny joke.

6. This dress. But really, who wouldn't want this?

Okay, that feels better. I'm done being materialistic for the day. Maybe I'll go frolic in a beautiful field tomorrow just to make up for the superficiality of this post. Any big ticket items you'd like to buy? xo, R.


Beautiful photo of Denmark found here.

What's the Good News?

Good News #1: The weather is absolutely beautiful today. And it was beautiful the day before that, and the day before that.
Good News #2: My family is dying Easter eggs today.
Good News #3: Easter is tomorrow.
Good News #4: I met my sister's boyfriend for the first time this week. He is wonderful and makes her happy. Perfection.
Good New #5: This hectic semester is coming to a close and I feel at peace with my long to-do list.
Good News #6: I'm about to go to Target.
Good News #7: We're making homemade pizza tonight and all my favorite people are coming over.


I'm just full of good news. What's yours?

list four: 100 things i love.

1. Rainy evenings
2. Yawning dogs
3. Baby hair
4. Freshly cut strawberries
5. Forehead kisses
6. Photographs
7. Weddings
8. The beach
9. Photobooths
10. The moment right after you finish washing dishes
11. Candy
12. Clean sheets
13. Audrey Hepburn
14. Comic strips
15. New shoes
16. Clothing at the back of your closet that you forgot you had
17. Late night conversations
18. Starbucks
19. Grocery shopping
20. Going out for dinner with people you love
21. Chap stick
22. Comfy sweaters
23. Target
24. Sunset
25. Blankets
26. Ice cream cones with sprinkles
27. The weekend
28. Bulletin boards
29. Laughter
30. Passing notes in class
31. Perfume
32. A new box of Crayola crayons
33. Glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars
34. Unexpected letters
35. Cardigans
36. Flowers
37. Chocolate
38. Fossil watches
39. Sparklers
40. Camping
41. Scarves
42. Corn on the cob
43. Open windows
44. Monograms
45. School supplies
46. A fresh coat of paint
47. Glasses
48. Holding hands
49. Cream cheese
50. S'mores
51. Garage sales
52. Sunday mornings
53. PostSecret
54. Libraries
55. Shopping
56. Professors who care
57. My grandparents' wedding photos
58. No. 2 Ticonderoga pencils (yellow, please)
59. The smell of freshly cut grass
60. Anthropologie
61. BBQ
62. Sidewalk chalk
63. Dirt roads
64. Bicycles with baskets
65. Picnics
66. Sunglasses
67. Mixed CDs
68. Watermelon
69. Vacations
70. World maps
71. Cheesecake
72. Buttons
73. Baseball
74. Mason jars
75. Romantic Comedies
76. Sandals
77. Seashells
78. Station wagons
79. Potato chips
80. Lemonade
81. Hugs
82. Yearbooks
83. Chalkboards
84. Rain boots
85. Dogs
86. Swing sets
87. The Andy Griffith Show
88. Birds
89. Sleepovers
90. Bobby pins
91. Acorns
92. Dr. Seuss
93. Colorful tights
94. Scrabble
95. Root Beer
96. Whistling
97. Sun roofs
98. Magazines
99. Rings
100. Peppermints

happy weekend!

Hi :) Sorry I was quiet this week. I had to get ahead on all my school work because my sister is in town! We spent the entire day baking, made a delicious summer meal for my parents, duck and covered this morning (there were some serious storms in our area, but we are fine!), and watched a silly movie. Tomorrow we are going to bake some more, go to Target (a must for our family), and just have fun. It's always such a blessing to have my sister in town. I'll have more details about this splendid weekend on Monday. I hope you all have a really special weekend! xo, R.

a lovely weekend.

i went home this weekend and we had a really nice time.
jeffrey and i shared a root beer from the bottle on the way home.

{his attempt at the 'elvis face.'}
we listened to old crow medicine show and the avett brothers.
my family got thai food take out and played bananagrams.
my mom and i fell in love with this blog.
my dog cuddled up to me and stayed with me all night.

{he thinks he's too good to pose for pictures.}
on saturday, we got my computer fixed at screwbox solutions (probably one of the finest shops i have ever been to.)
we ate lunch at smoke.
we ooh-ed and aw-ed over every piece of merchandise at indigo bee.
we bought sharpie pens (my dad and i are newly obsessed!).
i went out to dinner with my two best friends, sara and alex.
my mom and i stayed up late sharing creative ideas.
my dog cuddled up to me, but was being a bed hog, so only stayed with me half the night.
we woke up on sunday and made german pancakes. highly recommend.
we also made paula deen's apple cake. also, highly recommend.

{paula deen's cake required that you poke holes in it so that you could fill them with a buttery sauce.}
my mom and i went to target, our favorite place to shop — especially together!
we bought dove chocolates for valentine's day.
jeffrey and i drove back to school and shared fries and a coke from mcdonald's. it's practically tradition by now.
i hope your weekend was just as lovely! xo

weekend love.

Hello, all & Happy Monday! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. As I mentioned, I decided to head home, and I'm really glad I did. My family is notorious for carving our pumpkin the night before Halloween (sometimes even the day of), so my jaw naturally dropped to the ground when my parents proposed that we carve one up this weekend. It all started when my dad and I went to the grocery store to get ingredients for this stew (I highly recommend, by the way) and we saw the most perfect pumpkin of all time. Picking the perfect pumpkin is a pretty big deal in our household so when my dad and I immediately agreed on the same one, I guess you could just call it fate. Not 30 seconds later, he was sitting in our cart among butternut squash and bell peppers.

There were quite a few other happenings this weekend that included a trip to our favorite Thai restaurant, dinner at one of the most wonderful pizza places I have ever eaten at, browsing through an antique shop or two, the essential trip(s) to Target (Yes. There is often more than one.), brownie making & chick-flick watching, Dutch babies for breakfast, pumpkin donuts for another breakfast, and the celebration of a sweet family friend's 80th birthday party. The fall decorations are up around our house, and just thinking about all the sweet little kids trick-or-treating in their costumes makes me feel giddy.

{My dad and I tried a new technique where we didn't carve the eyebrows all the way through. Carving away just the surface is supposed to give the pumpkin a sort of dreamy, glowy look. Obviously we haven't really mastered that technique yet, but we're trying.}

{Not a decoration, but he sure is cute.}

Every time I go home I feel so well-rested and perfectly calm. It's a nice oasis in the midst of all this chaos. My teachers are taking it pretty easily on us this week. I can't help but feel that there must be a million things I'm forgetting to do, but I'm giving myself this week of freedom. It's a mental health week, or something. I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. Did you do anything exciting? xo, R.

**If you get nothing else from this post, please make the stew immediately. Thanks.**

list twenty-nine: my favorite things about fall.

Some people tend to believe that a Florida fall isn't the real thing. Well, I kindly and respectfully disagree. Fall is fall no matter where you are. And while our version of fall may look slightly different, the feelings surrounding it are the same. That means it's fall in my heart, and that's where it matters.

1. My birthday happens in the fall.
2. People seem to slow down.
3. Hot drinks are seasonably appropriate (even if it's still hot here).
4. Pumpkins.
5. Halloween candy (the best kind of candy) arrives at Target.
6. Halloween costumes (especially the home/handmade ones).
7. Thanksgiving happens (best food, great family).
8. Fall colors.
9. Taking walks during a cool(ish) evening.
10. Fall TV premieres!

So, while Floridians may have to conjure up some of that fall magic on their own, I think it is alive and well here. Besides, the extra effort necessary to bring about some of the feelings of fall just means I appreciate it even more. What are your favorite things about fall? xo, R.

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.

have a wonderful, lovely, happy weekend.

I hope your weekend is filled with good things. My parents are coming up on Saturday to help me edit a few assignments and go out to lunch with me, I think I'll make a whirlwind trip to Target and possibly spend some time in Borders. I heard they might be closing, so now I'm feeling all sentimental. And I'm sure Jeffrey and I will squeeze in a bike ride somewhere in there. Oh, and one of our favorite local restaurants is shutting its doors after years of operation, so I think my girlfriends and I will have to commemorate its existence by eating there one last time. Have a splendid weekend! xo

happiness is...

Woody falling asleep at the foot of the bed.

Feeling extra loved by people.

When Jeffrey makes milkshakes for us without telling me first.

A hot cup of tea in the morning (in my dad's Tintin mug).

No need for setting an alarm clock the night before.

Knowing that I'll be married to my best in just a little over two months.

A new favorite song on repeat.

Trips to target with Mom and Sister.

favorite things.

Often times, I have things in my life that I really, really like, but don't particularly need. They're the kind of objects that I come across and i think to myself, "Man, I don't need you, but you sure make my life a whole lot better." Those items can easily be classified as my favorite things. These little trinkets have the ability to make a not-so-special day seem pretty spectacular. In my book, anyway.

My parents gave me this body scrub for Valentine's Day. It's mixed with big crystals of sugar that make it excellent for exfoliating, but it still manages to foam up really nicely just like a regular body wash. I use this about once a week and I got it in the Green Tea & Cucumber variety. It smells so fresh and makes my skin feel so smooth. You can purchase it here. (It's a little costly, but I imagine if you use it sparingly like I do, it should last a long while.)
Last time I was home my dad bought some Chobanis at the grocery store. I've tried Greek Yogurt before, but wasn't impressed. I think the fruit on the bottom is what really sold me on it. I bought plain the first time and found it to be too bitter, but the fruit adds just the right amount of sweetness. Greek Yogurt can be a little pricey, too, but Chobani is kind enough to offer coupons on their website and they will send them to your e-mail.
A few weeks ago while I was at Target, my mom told me I needed to pick up some Ticonderoga pencils. I have been using mechanical for so long, I forgot what it was like to use the traditional No.2. I have to say, I'm really enjoying them. They write so smoothly and their erasers work like a dream. Plus, there's nothing like the smell of freshly sharpened pencils.
This little guy always amuses me. He sits wisely on my bed and I can't get enough of his face. Jeffrey made me this pillow for my Birthday and I think it's one of the greatest gifts I've received. It's just so personal and one-of-a-kind and it never fails to make me smile.
The weather lately has been so rainy, I've been wearing these almost everyday. I can't say I mind, though. They're just so cheery. I got these at ForLove 21 last year, but I'm almost positive they're no longer selling them. I think every girl should own a pair of colorful rain boots. They give rainy days an element of pizazz!

xo, R.

little snapshots.

1. There's something about bulletin boards that I really love.
2. Valentine's flowers for my mom (from my dad).
3. This cute little guy.
4. Sister's artwork (pictured: My beautiful Grammy).
5. Wise old soul.
6. Year of dates for my dad (from my mom).

I felt like a weekend at home could do me good so that's exactly where I went. I finally saw The Help (and loved it), we made apple crisp (recipe to come), we took a 9.5 mile walk (!) and stopped at O'Keefe's to celebrate, saw Dolphin Tale, went to Cristino's, met my sweet, 6.5-week old cousin, and my mom and I made two Target runs, which is a necessity during a weekend at home. It was the perfect weekend to get rejuvenated and remind myself of the strong roots from which I come. Happy Monday, friends! xo

lalalala.

I hope you all had a great weekend! I had such a wonderful time at home. We went shopping, ate BBQ, camped out in the backyard, made s'more's, went to Target (twice!), and ate brownies almost every night.

Now I'm back at school, and I'm really tired for some unexplained reason. I guess it could have something to do with sleeping outdoors in 50 degree weather, but that's just a guess. I've also been uncharacteristically grumpy today, so I'm making the effort to change that. And I need to stop worrying about everything because it's clearly not getting me anywhere.

Jeffrey and I made calzones (he made them, I watched...and made a salad) and they were delicious. I'm going home again this weekend for a bus show & an antique show, and to spend more time with my sweet little dogs. Why do I love dogs so much? I don't know. It's a mystery. Their furry cuteness probably has a lot to do with it.

This is a pointless post, but hey, I'm feeling all over the place today, so I think it's pretty accurate. xo, R.

little snapshots.

This weekend my parents visited, which meant Target runs, lunch at Satchel's, lazy mornings on the Starbucks patio, breakfast for dinner, and lots of wonderful chit chat. My mom kept remarking that visiting our little apartment was like a mini vacation and I have to agree that our cozy little abode is quite lovely and the perfect place to come home to after a long day. 
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{1} A beautiful new begonia I picked up to join our front porch floral family.
{2} A small collection of pillows Jeffrey has made for me over the years.
{3} Marble-Rye bread for this week's sandwiches.
{4} Vanilla Chai hand soap that smells like concentrated fall (and matches our pink bathroom tiles quite well).
{5} Fall colored bouquet.
{6} Jack-O-Lantern erasers for my sweet students.

I hope you all had a marvelous weekend. I'd love to hear about it. xo, R.