The First 24 Hours of Owning a Dog.

Remember how I mentioned that I may or may not have a furry companion come Sunday? Well, I may, and I do. His name is Einstein and he's a mix of a Yorkshire terrier and who knows what else, and he is already 100% bonded with me. He's the sweetest pup in all the land, but in the last 24 hours, I've come to a few conclusions:

1) He is not a poodle. No duh. But I've grown up with poodles my entire life. Poodles [generally] have a kind, non-territorial demeanor. Terriers are territorial, probably hence the name of the breed. He is pretty protective of me, and needs to be introduced to new dogs and most new people in a neutral setting. He's not going to be everyone's best friend right away, or even at all, and that's fine. 

2) He is a responsibility. I don't think it fully sinks in for many people before they adopt a dog or a new puppy that, to them, you are their whole life. You have to plan your nightly outings around when they have to do their business, and you have to be realistic about how many hours straight you can leave them to their own devices. I saw this on Pinterest, and the biggest part that stood out to me was "You have your work, your entertainment, and your friends. I only have you." It's so true. They spend a good chunk of their lives waiting for you to come home, to play with them, to take them for walks. It won't always be easy. But similar to having a child, they must be your priority.

3) He is overwhelmed. While he's new to me, I have an idea of what's going on. I know that I adopted a pup, he's going to live with me, and he's going to be mine for the rest of his little life. All he knows is that his previous owners left him outside, matted and full of fleas, and he's been hopping between shelters and foster parents, and who knows how long this home will last. Like most dogs, he lives in his happy-go-lucky present, but he's a smart dog. He's had a rough past, and it's my job to make sure he knows the 'rough' bit is dunzo.

4) He is forever. Most adoption contracts mention this before you sign, but it doesn't ring true until you have your happy little friend home with you. Short of your dog biting off your face, once he's yours, he is yours. I brought Einstein over to my parents' place today and while he's phenomenal in the car, he sat in the passenger seat and looked at me with pleading eyes, and I could almost hear his little voice asking, "You're not taking me back, right?" Dogs require unconditional love. Again, much like a newborn baby or toddler, you can't 'send him back' because he got into the trash, or because he barks at strangers. Well, you can, but you'd be an asshole for doing it. Like humans, dog make mistakes. It's our job to be firm, but always, always loving. 

I've had dogs all my life, but this is the first time a dog has been my dog. It's been two days, and I'm exhausted. But as my boyfriend continues to assure me, it's going to get better. And it will. But as they always say, patience is a virtue. It's not always easy, but he's worth it.

PS: Here's a picture of the little man - XO

Taking Chances.

This week has been a whirlwind of stress and anxiety. Some good, some bad. Yesterday was especially trying. Maybe it's because it's not a fantastic time of the month for me, thus making me extra hormonal, but I was ready to cry over spilled M&M's. No but really, if there was chocolate available and I spilled it on the floor, I think I would've legitimately been upset and described it as the "cherry on top of my awful day." Wah wah wah.

A few things are up in the air right now, in several departments of my life. I don't want to go into too much detail, simply because I don't want to jinx the good stuff! Having said that, by the end of this weekend, I may or may not have a furry counterpart. I'm crossing my fingers for a good connection and good luck, but I'm also trying to stay rational and understanding. If this furry counterpart isn't meant to brighten up my life, maybe it's because he's meant to bring beams of sunshine into someone else's. 

I've found that there isn't much point in stressing out about what you can't control - you can only take a chance, do what you can, and hope for the best! Not only that, but I'm trying to break away from having to ask everyone's opinion about every change I might make in my life. From asking five friends if "this dress is okay," to asking a server at a new restaurant which dish on a menu triumphs the other, to asking my parents what my next step should be. Growing up means taking control of your own life and trusting your decisions, and that's exactly what I intend to start doing.

Happy Friday! XO

A List of Happy, pt. 6

I've been wearing one of Ryan's t-shirts to bed...as a dress. It's so roomy in here.
Having lost almost six pounds in the last month. Small victories.
The last lick of cream cheese frosting from a slice of gourmet bakery made hummingbird cake.
Finally ordered my first package of frank coffee scrub.
When I come home to my parents' house and my dog, Micki, throws himself on the tile floor and demands his belly to be rubbed.
Discovering new music. If you're an active Spotify user and love acoustic music, check out their Afternoon Acoustic playlist under browse. On repeat.
24 days until our long weekend in Savannah. Errrmehgerrrd.
Coming to terms with my own personality flaws, and working toward overcoming them.

Sale Shopping Mission...Complete.

As I mentioned in my post on Friday, I headed to the outlet mall Saturday afternoon on the way to my friend's bridal shower. It's about 45 minutes south of where I live, so I don't head down there too often. When I do stop and shop, my go-to is J. Crew Factory. Regular J.Crew is just a leeeelte pricey for my taste, but the Factory's sales are typically too good to pass up. 

The trouble with sales is that I'll just see '50% OFF!' and go nucking futs and buy all the things and most of those things are unnecessary. Pretty, but unncessary. This time, I went inside solely for the purpose of adding a few key pieces to my Fall wardrobe, a.k.a. my Savannah trip wardrobe. This is what I came up with: 

Factory waffle sweater in Colorblock here - I've been looking for an oversize sweater, and while this doesn't exactly fit the wishlist, it was too comfy to pass up. Plus, it fits perfectly into my wardrobe color palette of gray, gray and more gray. Or is it grey? Life's questions.

Factory three quarter sleeve tee in Heather Chrome here - Brought this baby home only to remember that I bought an identical three quarter sleeve shirt in heather gray two weeks ago. Whoops. Still, this one is super lightweight compared to the other one. I fought the urge to buy every color they had.

Factory classic button-down shirt in flannel in Buffalo Blue here - This is probably my first real flannel shirt I've owned since I was little. It's pretty thick, but SO soft. I was thinking I could either wear it by itself or layer it with a navy tank top. I'll definitely have to wait for the cooler weather to wear this one.

Factory Gigi jodhpur pant here - My black skinny pants recently died on me, so I've been scouring shops high and low for a new pair. These fall more under the category of leggings, but they're not quite 'jeggings.' I saw them on The Lauren Elizabeth about a month ago, and I loved the leather detail. Turns out they fit like a glove and I caught them on a good sale. Easy peasy.

Giraffe necklace - Didn't see this bad boy on the website, but I thought he was too cute. Because he's so tall, Ryan sometimes refers to himself as a giraffe, so I told him it'd be like I have him with me all the time! Just kidding...but seriously. 

If you're a student (or if you've graduated and you're lucky enough to not have an expiration date on your ID), USE IT HERE. I saved almost $30 with that bad boy. And I will continue to use it until I'm 40. And I don't see an issue with that. XO

Feelin' Frisky on a Friday!

Maybe it's the breezy weather, or that I just devoured Chipotle, or simply the fact that it's Friday, but I am feelin' frisky today. I may have woken up a little late this morning, and maybe things don't always work out the way I want them to, but today I feel like everything will fall into place. Maybe even sooner than I think. On that positive note, I'm really excited for a weekend of sale shopping at the outlet mall ("Very light sale shopping," whispers my credit card) and pumpkin carving! Happy weekend, my friends! XO