The Adventures of 2015

I can’t believe it’s been over a year since my last post!  Not that anyone reads this blog, but wow, it’s 2016!

It’s actually quite nice to have my own secret blog.

So much has changed since my last post!

First off, I’d just like to say that I can’t believe it’s March of 2016… When I say a lot has changed, I mean A LOT HAS CHANGED.

I left off about to start my adventures as a flight attendant.  I quickly learned that life abroad was not the life style for me.  I found that I’m most happy and content near the people that I love.  I do not function well alone, especially in a new state, broke as hell, and eating like I was in the dorms all over again.

Unhealthy, exhausted and lonely, I quit my job and bought a plane ticket home (although I could have got a free ride if I would have kept my job for one more day).  I showed up back home with no new job lined up, relationship in shambles, and about $50 dollars to my name.  It was time to try and put my life back together.

I had one phone interview with a potential job and I felt confident enough after that call to quite my current job (Via Email).  So– I did it. In the heat of the moment I had so much courage and passion running through my veins that I quit my job with just the spark of hope for a new one.

When I arrived home, I didn’t tell my parents this was a permenant stay.  I lied about it for a couple of days, and finally caved after about the 3849021849021 time my mom asked me when I was leaving.

No one was upset with me, no one made me feel bad for only sticking with it for 6 months, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like a complete and total failure.  I uprooted my life to try something new, something that I convinced everyone around me was a good idea.  My friends and family were skeptical and I re-assured them that this would be perfect for me, something I would love.  It was the life for me!

But I was wrong, and I had to face every one who knew that from the beginning.  Although no one had the guts to say ‘I told you so’. No one had to say it… I knew it.

As hurt and broken as I was, I chugged along and tried to pull it back together as best as I could.  I interviewed with the potential job a few more times and broke up with my boyfriend.  I eventually got the job I was interviewing for, and was finally content with being single for the first time since I was 17.

So much happened during my time in Phoenix and Dallas, training and flying, that I couldn’t begin to write about it all.  Some things changed me and some things made me a better and more accepting person.  I did things I’m not proud of– yet, I also accomplished some amazing things that I’m completely proud of.

Now, I’m in the most amazing relationship with the man of my dreams.  I love him with my whole heart and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with him.  I don’t ever doubt my decision to come home anymore.  I do believe the passion I had that day, pulling me home, was for a reason.  Through all the ups and downs of 2015, I can honestly say it’s the year I learned the most about myself, and I now feel good about sharing my life with someone else.

Life is perfect.

Love

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014 Christmas Gift Ideas For Your Best Friend

While searching for gift ideas for my best friend (who also happens to be my cousin) I came across so many awesome ideas I just had to share!!  If you have a very close relationship with your best friend, like I do, you know that it’s not necessary to spend oodles of cash on a gift just to impress her.  You know she’ll love any gift, and she understands just how broke you really are. 🙂

Today I’m going to feature 5 items.  I may end up doing another post in the near future.  But for now, here are 5 of my favorites!

If your looking for gift ideas for your best guy friend, then i’m sorry to let you know that this list probably won’t help you much.  The list mostly consist’s of women’s gifts.  But who am I to say guys wont like what’s on this list, so here goes!

1) Kate Spade Jewelry

   This is a go-to gift for my close friends.  I love the look and quality of Kate Spade Jewelry.  Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of expensive jewelry on their site.  But there is also plenty of  not-so-expensive pieces as well.  This piece above is only $48.00 and comes in a few other colors.  They have a lot of affordable earrings, rings, bracelets and necklaces!  The packaging is super colorful and adorable too.  Your best friend will love you for getting her designer jewelry, and will probably think you spent way to much! Win!

Kate Spade Site:

http://www.katespade.com/jewelry/ks-jewelry,en_US,sc.html

2)       Clarity Candle — Or other Jewelry Candle

These candles make super cool unique gifts!  At only $23.95 (and $5 shipping) you can get one of these large lovely candles that contains a surprise ring!  I personally have the Tropical Oasis Candle (featured above) and it smells delightful.  I burned it every day for about a week because I was so excited to find the ring.  You can choose the ring size, but the ring and it’s worth will be a surprise.  Super cool, huh?! The ring I got is BEAUTIFUL and I wear it all the time.  Clarity Candles Facebook page has specials and discounts all the time.  So, go like their page and wait for a deal!  I swear, your best friend will be one lucky lady if she get’s a ring that’s worth $5000!!! (She has to split it with you, right?)

Clarity Candles Page:

   http://www.claritycandles.com/

3) The “I never buy this product for myself'” gift

We all have those moments in beauty stores where we see something we’ve used and liked, but never want to spend the money on it at the time because ‘you’ll pick it up later’ or ‘I can live without it, I guess’.  I go through this every time I go to Ulta or Sephora, and so does my best friend.  Whether you got it as a sample or borrowed it from a friend, we all have those products we like, but never buy.  I would love to get this as a gift, and I know my best friend will too!  We talk about makeup and products all the time, so I know exactly what to get her.  Here are a few

  If you’re anything like me, you think:

-Your old decrepid brush is good for another 6 months.

-The body wash you used at your friends house smelled delicious (all while making you crave an adult beverage) but can’t justify spending $20 on it.

-That Pore sample I got was simply amazing, but I need this $8 nail polish and concealer way more.

-Eye shadow primer.. Does that really work!? Yes, Chelsea, you used it religiously for 3 months.

Check out all of these items at Sephora!

 http://www.sephora.com/

4) Lokai Bracelet

At only $18.00, this cool bracelet has an inspiring meaning. It hold’s water from Mount Everest, the highest point, in the blue bead & mud from the dead sea, lowest point, in the black bead.  Together it represent’s going through the high and low point’s in our lives.  To top it off %10 of net profits are donated to communities to a variety of charities.  This is one of those gifts that you have to buy for yourself as well.  You’re Welcome!

Lokai Site:

 http://mylokai.com/

5) Customized City Map Glass

If you’re like me, you love anything customize able.  But doesn’t it seem like it’s all so expensive??  No, I don’t want to spend $40 on a canvas 4×8 photo.  Anyways, I think these glasses are cool and practical.  My best friend is a bar tender, and loves to experiment at home.  She also has a love for travel.  BOOM, perfect gift.  at only $12.50, get her (or him) a set and pour a drink.

This site is filled with awesome gift ideas:

 http://www.uncommongoods.com/product/city-map-glass

The End!

The Natural World

Finding beauty in everything is something I strive to do.

The world is full of wondrous and magical places, it’s easy to find and appreciate them daily.

Sadly, it’s easy to overlook those things & places and ignore their magnificence.

Every day, I try to seek out the beauty surrounding me, to appreciate the natural world we live in.

This morning as I climbed into my frost covered car, freezing my buns off and angry that I had to consider getting my windshield scraper out.  I noticed how beautiful the frost looked on my windows.  Instead of being upset that it’s this cold in November, I smiled and snapped a photo.  Enjoy!

Frost

Jam of the Week

I listen to a lot of music at work.  I find that i’m more efficient and motivated when i’m jamming to some tunes.

I’m the type of person that listens to a song over and over until I get sick of it–which usually takes about a week or two.

This week, I didn’t stumble upon this song on Spotify, which is what usually happens.  But no, I took the time to search for this duo’s new album, as I loved them from the first moment I heard them.

I’m not usually one to watch singing competition shows, but I got sucked into watching the X Factor with my mom last season.  The X Factor was officially cancelled in the US after last season’s incredibly low ratings.  Although, I was hooked after only a few episodes, I guess the rest of America wasn’t so thrilled.

Alex & Sierra are so wildly talented, and the main reason I couldn’t stop watching the show.  Every song they performed was fun and rendered in their own acoustic fashion.  Here is the song I fell in love with after one listen.

Alex & Sierra, Give Me Something

What I love most is how seductive and passionate the song is, & you wouldn’t be able to tell unless you listen to the lyrics.  It’s charming and adorable.  So take a listen and feel free to let your mind make up  it’s own music video.  It really helps the work day go faster.

Enjoy!

Landmark

Milwaukee is a beautiful city.

Unfortunately we’re already experiencing freezing temperatures, but that didn’t stop me from getting out and taking a few shots of ‘landmarks’.

The top two photos are along Milwaukee’s Riverwalk Downtown, and the bottom two were taken in the Village of Shorewood at Atwood Park.  It’s basically a sculpture of a man made up of random letters.

I wish you could see the marvelous Lake Michigan in the distance on the third photo.  If I could sync the sound of the waves and the cool crisp air of last night to this photo, you would really get an experience.  My boyfriend and I could have stayed out there all night if it wasn’t for the freezing wind.

I love that this course has me inspired to get out and see things that I normally don’t take the time to see and appreciate.  Last night was truly an adventure.

Connect

A little late on this one.

Here is a picture of my boyfriend at Whole Paycheck, Whoops I mean Whole Foods, finally deciding on a beer.  You could say, he felt a special connection with this IPA.

Solitude

Photo Challenge Day 5: Solitude

Once again I had difficultly choosing what to take a photo of to represent ‘Solitude’.  I woke up and went to work as usual, and sat at my desk wondering what I could take a picture of.  At work, I don’t have many cool photo opportunities.

We’re at that unfortunate time of year in Wisconsin that it gets dark by 4:30pm.  So by the time i’m done with work–It’s dark out.  My prime picture opportunities seem limited.

Today, we were lucky enough to have a duck wander into our parking lot.  We are no where near water, so how he ended up here, and not flying south with his ducky friends is beyond me.  He’s been pretty cool all day, just hiding under cars and eating little scraps of food lying around.  I thought.. what a lonely duck..

Then it hit me… perfect opportunity to capture ‘solitude’.  I mean–what represents solitude better than a lonely hiding duck in Wisconsin?

Enjoy,

Lonely Duck