One of Those Weeks...

photo credit: Horace and Mae

It has just been one of those weeks where: 

- I completely failed at blogging. I started my "10 Things" post for Sunday and didn't even finish it, my brain was void of blogging ideas, and I just didn't feel motivated to post anything. I know every blogger has weeks like this but I was disappointed in my lack of presence here on the blog. 

- I set out to deep-clean my room last Sunday and it has gone untouched. Bags, boxes, and clothes are everywhere. 

- My sleeping has been off. I wake up at all hours of the night and can't fall back asleep so I end up watching numerous episodes of Grey's Anatomy and The Wire. This means that this week has been full of afternoon naps.  

- I spent way too much time at the Apple store, but three trips later my phone is finally fixed. 

But instead of dwelling on these negative things I will look on the bright side: I have made lots of progress in the book I am currently reading, I bought a few new items for my Fall wardrobe, and I've spent lots of time with great girlfriends. 

I hope you all have a great Friday and a happy weekend :) 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Lately...

Lately life has been about spending quality time with my family, long drives out to the country to clear my head, playing the Civil Wars on heavy rotation, and trips to the library to start my summer reading. All of these things and more have me super excited for the summer days ahead. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

What's In My Bag...

I love when girls share what they carry in their bags. Personally, my purse is usually a mess and filled with little odds and ends that I don't need but since I'm out of school I decided to clean out my bag leave only the necessities. I thought that I would share a few things that I always keep in my bag: 

First, I have the usual car keys, phone, and hand sanitizer (I won't go anywhere without my hand sanitizer these days. I always make sure that I have one in my bag lol). I also always try to bring a book with me whenever I go out. You never know when you're going to have time to kill and it's nice to have one tucked in your bag. Then I have my chapstick and whatever lip product I'm wearing that day (these days it's the NYX lip butters. Have you tried these? They are awesome!!). I also have a pack of my favorite gum and my lavender wallet that I am just in love with. Some other little things that I like to throw in my bag include a notebook or journal to write down ideas whenever creativity strikes, glasses/sunglasses, and a pair of headphones. 

What kinds of things do you like to keep in your bag?! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Anyone There?...

So sorry for my silence on the blog lately. Between work, finals, and a migraine that lasted 12 days I just haven't felt up to much of anything lately. I'm in the final stretch for this last semester and once this week is over I will definitely be back and better at blogging. If you're still out there and still reading, thanks for sticking with me. I should be back at the end of the week with a brand new post (possibly a playlist)! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Concerning Bucket Lists...

I have never been a fan of the phrase "kicking the bucket". Something about it just always seemed too morbid to me. Because of that I was never really a fan of "bucket lists". But recently I got to thinking: This life that we are given is a pretty incredible thing. Sure, it has it's rough spots, but with that comes growth and renewal. It's up to us to take life and grab it and make the most of it while we can. There are so many cool opportunities and places to travel and things to try that I don't want to miss out on. Because of that I decided to make a "Before I Die" list. It's small so far but I think some of the things on it are pretty epic- to me anyway. So far the list includes seeing James Taylor perform live, drinking coffee in Portland, and dying my hair pink. From the big things to the little it's fun to write out all the possibilities and to be determined that I will accomplish them. I want to make the most of this life that God has given me and I intend to do so. 

Do you have a list of things that you would like to do in life? I would love to hear all about them! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Let's Play Tag...

The darling Julia from Writer's Block Near You asked me to play a game last week and I couldn't be more excited! I always love when bloggers do these tags and answer questions about themselves. So, without further ado:

1. What's your motto?  

"All you need is love." Short and sweet. 

2. What's the first memory you remember having?  

I remember watching "Help" or "Hard Day's Night" and dancing around the living room while I belted out Beatles' songs with my parents. 

3. Is there a word that you seem to say a lot?  

I am really bad with my use of the word "like". Seriously, it's embarrassing.  I also say the word "love" a lot. I need to work on cherishing that word more and not just throwing it around all the time. 

4. If you could live anywhere, where would you choose?  

In a dream world, I would love to live in New York City. That, or on a farm somewhere in Canada.

5. What's your favorite indulgence? 

Pink lipsticks, Bath and Body Works candles, books... -the list goes on and on.

6. What's a song you have repeatedly stuck in your head?  

Hmmm, so many! Currently I would have to say "Possibility" by Lykke Li. It's almost impossible for me to listen to this song and not hum it for days on end. 

7. Think of something soft. What first comes to mind? 

My fur-lined slippers! Oh, so cozy!

8. When you were a kid, who did you look up to and why?  

Most definitely my parents. They taught me to love and to live by faith. I went to them for everything and knew that I could always trust them. They made it very clear that I could talk to them about anything and everything and that I wouldn't be judged. 

9. If you could communicate with any animal, which would you choose?  

Probably our Beagle, Mel. I would love to know what's going on in that little head of hers!

10. What do you like to do on rainy days?  

Listen to records, drink coffee, watch a good movie, snuggle up with a book... -rainy days are just full of fun possibilities. 

11. What do you hope to achieve this year? 

Lots! I want to write more, I hope to make the move to Nashville, and I want to work on conquering my anxiety. I'm really looking forward to seeing where 2014 takes me! 

I want to thank Julia for tagging me! I've decided to tag Lacey and Alli. TAG! It's your turn!

Peace and Love,
Em

Thoughts & Goals For 2014...

I normally don't make New Year's resolutions, in fact, I typically find New Year's to be a depressing holiday. I'm not sure why...the day just makes me sad. However, this time around I tried to look at the new year with optimism and excitement. I found myself jotting down goals and ideas for what I wanted to do in 2014. There are potential major changes that could take place for me this year and I really want to work on improving myself as an individual during that process. I want to become more dedicated to my art, to blogging, writing, photography, etc. I want to live each day to the fullest (not to sound cheesy) and I want to be healthy. I want to push myself to do things that will make me happy and I am going to remind myself that nothing is impossible. 

It's going to take a lot of effort to accomplish all of these goals but I am open to the challenge. You may have noticed that the layout of the blog has changed which was step one in my plan to improve my blogging. The design still needs tweaking but it will get there soon enough. I have been in bed with a killer migraine for the majority of the past week which has put some of my plans on hold (yeah, the whole staying healthy goal hasn't really kicked off to a great start). 

Anyway, I'm excited for a new year and a fresh start. I can't wait to share 2014 with all of you! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Little Moments...

More and more lately I am starting to love those little moments of time during the day that I am creating for myself. It might just be the time I spend drinking my coffee in the morning or an hour of watching tv in bed at night, but let me tell you, I love that time. I have been starting to hate that fact that because my schedule is so busy I have to pencil in time for God. He should be the first thing on my mind when I wake up and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep but lately I just wake up and get straight into my routine and then I fall right asleep at night. So it's those moments of peace, those few quiet minutes when I can focus on God and myself, that I have been coming to love lately- that time when I can clear my head and just remind myself of what is really important in life.

Do you make time for yourself during the day? What are your favorite things to do to relax?

Peace and Love, 

Em

Heavier Things...

It's that time again for me to get a little sappy here on the blog. Maybe not sappy, but emotional.  

Let me start off by saying that the point of this post is not to whine about all my little problems and beg for attention or sympathy. It's merely meant to put my feelings out there and express where I'm at right now. I know that compared to many my struggles are quite small. Your support means the world to me and I simply feel like there are things that I need to get off of my chest. 

Lots of little challenges have been coming my way lately. Things that will seem stupid and trivial one day are pushing heavy on my heart at the moment. Right now I find myself going through a time of transition that I did not anticipate. And although I may not be happy with the way things are right now I know that God has a plan for my life and that everything happens for a reason; everything He does is for a purpose. While I may find myself constantly criticizing my appearance or obsessing over questions like Will I be single forever? and Where will I be in 5 years? I am also trying to look at this as an exciting time in my life. I'm tired of just stewing in negative thoughts and stressing about things that are ultimately out of my control. I need to keep reassuring myself that I am right where God wants me right now. It may not be the most exciting of times but this chapter in my life will lead to something else. I need to focus on growing in myself and becoming the woman that I want to be rather than comparing myself to others and speaking negatively to myself. I know these are things that every girl goes through and I am happy that I can look to other women as sources of inspiration at this time. Some seasons of our lives just seem awful, but I know that this season will lead to another and that all things are working towards His plan. 

I think that's about it. I just needed to put all of that out there. If you actually read all of this post, thanks for bearing with me. I will be back with something happier tomorrow. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Rainy Days...

I decided to take time out today and just relax. I don't think that it's hit me that my Summer has started. I've spent some time painting and reading. I'm also working on organizing my room. Since it's raining I even had a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato bisque for lunch. All in all it's just nice to take a little time to breathe and forget about all of the messy things in life. In other news, I'm really loving the peonies from our garden! I put some in my room and they just look gorgeous! 

I hope everyone enjoys their Thursday! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

This & That...

Okay, so I know that I haven't been doing a ton of regular posts lately. And yes, many of the ones I have done haven't been super creative. Lately I have had so much school work and I just frankly haven't made the time to work on the blog. But in a week or so I will be all finished with this semester of school and plan on working on some cool posts :) Here are just a few little shots of things that have been going on lately. I finally ordered Justin Timberlake's album on vinyl! It is just such a great record and so fun for Summer!! Give me that, some fresh fruit, and a little time with the pup and I am good to go. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Little Things...

 

Just a couple little things from around the house this week: 

1. Listening to records non-stop. Spring has rekindled my love for a handful of albums.  

2. Fruit in my cereal. Another great thing about Spring- yummy fruits! 

3. Little Mischief. She has so much fun playing outside in the sun and looking out the windows at birds.    

4. A few new Anthropologie purchases for my future home.  

Peace and Love, 

Em

Life Lately in (Mostly Birthday) Instagrams...

 

 

1. Reading for Spring Break. Such an inspiring book. // 2. Spring is finally here! 

3. Orioles opening day. // 4. I am in love with my new rug! 

5. Cheering on my boys. // 6. Dinner out with my sister and a dear friend. 

7. Beginning the birthday festivities a little early. // 8. Partners in crime. 

9. Love waking up to balloons on my birthday. // 10. A birthday walk! The weather was lovely!!

11. The most beautiful weather on my birthday. // 12. Confetti is fun! 

13. So happy that my sister got me this book! // 14. Sad days when there is no sunshine. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Recharging...

This week has been so nice! I have really tried to get away from the computer and my phone and school and just relax. I've been able to spend a lot of time reading and watching the Orioles games. It all has just been lovely. With my birthday coming up on Monday the next few days should be relaxing and fun as well. I'm really just trying to soak up all of this time before I have to get back to reality :) I hope you all have had a nice week and have a beautiful weekend!

Peace and Love, 

Em

This Week in Photographs...

// Monday //

// Tuesday //

// Wednesday //

// Thursday //

// Friday //

Just sharing with you today a few photos I snapped throughout the week. 

I hope you all have a very nice Good Friday. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Chill Out...

Let's talk about stress. I have been struggling a lot with stress and the OCD aspects of my life lately. When I start having a hard time with this I have to remember that stress is something that everybody deals with, some just have it more than others and some are just able to handle it better. I've been trying to take more time to do things that aren't stressful: reading, listening to music, etc. I truly am starting to feel a little better (prayer helps a lot too) and am glad that I am finding ways to deal with stressful times. It really isn't the stress but how you handle it that matters. 

What are some things that you do to handle your stress? I would love to hear your ideas! 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Life Lately in Instagrams...

1. Copying some of my favorite recipes. // 2. Quite Sunday mornings. 

3. Cheerwine has finally made its way to the East Coast. // 4. Saturday night outings. 

5. St. Patty's Day. // 6. I love me some sushi. 

7. The first day of Spring. // 8. Anthropologie birthday cards are the best!

Peace and Love, 

Em

Life Lately in Instagrams...

 

 

 

1. Morning coffee. It's a necessity. // 2. Messy. 

3. Saw Silver Linings Playbook. It was incredible! // 4. Homework all the time. 

5. Dressing up for church. // 6. Tara and I rockin' our glasses. 

7. My greatest source of comfort. // 8. Dinner out at Noodles & Co. with a friend. 

Peace and Love, 

Em

Around...

Peace and Love, 

Em