Design a life you love.

This phrase has been circling in my brain allllllll week long. I've seen it a thousand times before, but for some reason, this week it's really stuck. I've been spending a lot of my spare time whining and wishing...and it's kind of exhausting. So rather than complaining about unfortunate situations, I've decided to channel that negative energy into changing those situations. It's a long process, but I know the end result will be worth it.

In the meantime, I've been trying to make better use of my nights off. I spend entirely too much time 'pinning' DIY ideas and hardly any time, ya know...actually doing them. So last night, I dropped a pretty penny at Michael's and let my creative juices flow. Kaylee and I are trying to put the finishing touches on our apartment, and what better [and cheaper] way than to add a few acrylic canvases?

In case you needed clarification, that is a tree. Clearly, I am no Matisse, and this lighting is pretty awful, but hey, it was a fun Thursday night project. I spent about two hours with several paintbrushes and The Civil Wars and it was the most relaxing time I've had in awhile. Here's to designing something. 

Happy Friday! XO

Lesson of the Week.

Earlier this week, I learned an invaluable lesson: never compromise yourself for the sake of pleasing others. It doesn't matter if it's your best friend, your husband, your mother, or an authoritative figure.

Too many people in the world are strictly out for themselves. They don't care who they have to step on to make it to the next level. To them, they're Mario and you're the mushroom that serves as a stepping stone to the next dollar, the next hundo, the next promotion. Sometimes that step is necessary, and sometimes it hurts your feelings. Sometimes you want to stoop to their level. If they are successful in their conniving ways, you may even want to learn from them.

A few words of advice? Stop. Don't. Don't even think about thinkin' about doing it. If a certain behavior doesn't reflect who you truly believe you are, then don't behave that way. If something feels wrong, it probably is.

Step by step.

It's the little things in life.

Isn't it? That's what we hear all the time. It's what we say all the time. It's what we read on every social media platform. #ItsTheLittleThings on Instagram has more than 435,000 linked photos. From crisp, new day planners to a bundle of freshly picked sunflowers, run of the mill coffee in a special handmade mug to a budding homegrown basil plant; for a generation deemed unappreciative, we seem to appreciate almost everything. 

"Little things" don't have to be something tangible. For me, it's when Ryan and I walk through the grocery store and he touches the small of my back and guides me down an aisle. Even if it's for only a few seconds, that little thing makes me swoon, because it's his way of telling me he loves me. It also helps when he buys me frozen pizza, wine and cookie dough from said grocery store. It helps a lot.

It's true what our parents have always told us: life flashes before your eyes. Long days turn into short weeks, and those short weeks fly by and turn into years. We spend a lot of time thinking about the next step. In college, all we can think about is graduating and landing our dream job. In romantic relationships, we can't help but imagine what it would be like to move in with our significant other, even spend the rest of our life with them. It's only natural, and it's exciting. But I think if we spend too much time thinking about the next step, we forget to enjoy the journey to that step. It's something I work on every day.

So in a very large nutshell, yes, it really is the little things in life. Because the little things eventually become the big things, don't they? XO

New York Trip, Pt. 2

This was my fourth trip to New York, but my first trip to Long Island. Ryan's family lives in Centerport, and the best way I can think to describe the area is the "North Carolina of New York." Instead of graffitied walls in a subway station, we drove through winding roads surrounded by the greenest trees I'd ever seen. Shortly after arriving at Ryan's aunt's house, we walked about five minutes down a very steep hill to the beach.

[Ryan, getting ready to soak up the sun!]

 [BEAUTIFUL Centerport Beach]

Later in the night, Ryan's aunt & uncle took us down to the Centerport Yacht Club where we enjoyed a glass of wine and of course, craft beer for Ryan. Despite the fact that it was the end of June, the temperature dropped down to the low 70s/high 60s. Being the chilly willy that I am, I was thankful that I remembered to bring a light sweater. Having said that, I was still shaking in my boots. Or my wedges. Close enough.

 [Ryan, being such a good little listener.]

[One of my favorite pictures from the trip!]

During this trip, I also had my first encounter with a chipmunk. AND I got to play with his family's chickens. A whole coupe of chickens. I was in heaven. Overall, this was easily one of my favorite parts of our trip. It was so great to meet Ryan's Aunt Lisa & Uncle Grant, and to explore a new part of New York. In all honesty, I could never see myself living in NYC. Centerport, Long Island, however? I'm all over it. XO

Wait, it's August?

Another week has come and gone; another month has come and gone. Cue dramatics. "The days are long but the years are short." Blah blah blah.

This week has been chock-full of big decisions. Mostly big mental decisions that will [hopefully] become big, real decisions soon enough. I've been spending a lot of time trying to figure out what's making me happy and what's weighing me down. To say the last few months have been a roller coaster would be an understatement, but I'm looking forward to facing my problems head on. As much as I love whining about the same things over and over and over again, I'd much rather find a solution that will ultimately make me a happier camper.

In the meantime, I think festivities this weekend will keep me in a chipper mood through Monday. A potential roomie date night tonight, a pool day full of mimosas, fruit and cheese tomorrow, and quality boyfriend time tomorrow night? Sounds picture perfect to me. The weekend would have been even better had I been able to attend my oldest friend Mary's wedding in North Carolina on Sunday, but I will be thinking of her wedded bliss alllll weekend long! Since I know you're one of my avid blog stalkers - HAPPY WEDDING DAY, SWEET THANG!

On that note, let's do this thing, Friday. I want you over with so I can enjoy happy weekend thoughts. Love you all. XO