life lately

…according to my iPhone 

#selfie (wearing my newest dress from stitch fix!) // friday means donuts! // BFF

a sleepy pup // seattle sunsets // bright dress, bright toes, bright yogurt

my love // caprese salad is my favorite // 'am i too big for this thing?'

things have been a bit busy around here as of late;

life, work, school (and copious amounts of homework), friends and family - 

sure makes for a busy girl.

it may or may not help that i am also addicted to the show, 'the killing,'

available on netflix.

set in seattle, 'the killing' is my new favorite crime show.

if you're a fan of serial killers, drama among detectives, 

and plot twists galore, 'the killing' is the show for you!

and now, three cheers for it being one day closer to friday.

the weekend is oh so very close, i can feel it.

happy almost friday, everyone! 

xoxo. 

to a new adventure!

source

cheers to a new adventure! 

tomorrow is my very first day at my new job.

i'm both excited and nervous, as i haven't had

a new job in three years.

i will be working as an infant montessori teacher,

while caring for six little babes.

wish me luck!

xoxo.

with a heavy heart

'lord, my heart is heavy, and i'm worn out.

please help me to see the goodness that surrounds me.'

source

source

two weeks ago, i made a very difficult decision:

i quit my job.

i have worked at the same preschool for almost three years.

the same building. the same lunch stops.

the same classroom.

the same (and sometimes different) coworkers. 

the same sounds of laughter, tears, and of course,

temper tantrums from the children who have become 

an important part of my life. 

while i know i made the right choice (from a professional standpoint),

it certainly does not make the choice any easier. 

and it absolutely does not take away the pain i feel 

after saying goodbye to my staff, the families i have supported, 

and most of all, the children i have grown to love. 

i may need a minute.

..to think back on all the good times.

the joy. the growth. the copious diaper changes.

the developmental milestones.

the incredible memories i made throughout my time at preschool.

my heart feels heavy.

i begin a new job monday. a fresh start, a new school.

i hope it's great!

xoxo.

bloompop

^^^ meet my newest little plant friend! ^^^

i must admit, when it comes to plants, 

gardening or any sort of nature-related activity, i fail. 

i never mange to keep plants alive;

i either water too often, or not enough.

my mom has a green thumb, but unfortunately, 

it is not a gift i possess. 

i was recently contacted by bloompop

to receive a free surprise box! 

upon arriving, i was greatly impressed by how beautifully 

the box was presented;

even better, however, was what came inside the box! 

two different types of seeds to plant, a coupon for a later

purchase using bloompop, and the most adorable little plant

(pictured above) were sent to me. 

bloompop, founded in 2013, is an online marketplace.

here, you can buy gorgeous flowers, plants

and other arrangements directly from local florists.

they offer same day shipping, as well as simple, but competitive pricing.

i am pleased to say that after two+ weeks, 

my littlest plant is alive and well. 

i cannot wait to plant the seeds i received 

and look forward to placing a future order with bloompop.

xoxo.

**this is not a sponsored post. i received my bloompop box free of charge, 

but all opinions are my own!

'empowering women: empowering humanity'

^^^ the slogan for international women's day 2015 ^^^

an empowered woman is one who is lives 

in a world free from violence and discrimination.

an empowered woman has the right (and accessibility) to education. 

an empowered woman can exercise free choice.

source

source

i know i am a day late with this post, 

as international women's day 2015 was formally march 8th;

however, it is never too late to recognize the plight of women,

to acknowledge the inequality that still exists in our world, 

and to commend my female counterparts.

'international women's day is a time to reflect on progress made,

to call for change and to celebrate acts of courage 

and determination by ordinary women who have played an 

extraordinary role in the history of their countries and communities.'

source

source

to all the women in my life (my mom, aunts, cousins, 

girlfriends, coworkers, and everyone else!),

thank you for your support, guidance,

and most of all, for the love you have given me. 

xoxo.

2014...

^^^ just a few of my favorites from this past year ^^^

it is hard to believe that 2014 will be over within a few hours.

i know i likely said this at the end of 2013, but this year has been a good one;

perhaps the best one in a long while. 

i finished my RIE and montessori training, 

completed my second year of teaching (and subsequently running my 

very own little classroom), spent a great deal of time with family and friends,

fell in love, sent my baby brother off to college, 

met several new blogging friends, and continued to pursue my passion 

for writing, fashion, and sharing style advice on this forum.

surely i forgot a few things and events in the above list, 

but those were the first to come to mind. 

i am ever so grateful for the blessings (such as a 

full-time job, new apartment, and supportive family)

i was given this past year, but also the hardships and challenges that came about. 

i believe that it is through the more trying times 

that we become stronger, so i am grateful for the opportunity 

to test myself in order to be a better person. 

and now i cannot wait to ring in the new year with my love and of course,

my favorite girlfriends. 

happy new year, everyone!

xoxo.

life lately

…according to my iPhone 

1. forgot a rain jacket when it started to pour

2. the littlest dachshund ready for her walk

3. winter wonderland while in moscow, id this past weekend

4. sweet potatoes, candied walnuts and marshmallow topping 

5. source

6. "my girlfriend is an alien," said the meanest boyfriend of them all

(can you tell i am kidding?)

7. the cutest dachshund salt and pepper shakers!

8. this girlfriend + blog events = my favorite thing

9. although there was not any much cheese on this pizza,

it sure was tasty. 

what have you been up to lately?

xoxo.

life lately

…according to my iphone

the cutest of watches from jack's mom // birthday dinner // m's pup, lulu

bow ties for wiener dogs? yes, please! // source // new wheels?

playtime at preschool // must-haves // date night selfie

this past week has been incredibly busy, 

but also pretty incredible. 

i celebrated my 26th birthday, and could not be more

grateful for the love and support i received.

i ate a few too many treats,

and treated myself to several new things - whoops!

however, school is also wrapping up,

so things have been a bit busier (and a bit more stressful) than usual.

as of next month, my montessori classes will be complete.

i cannot believe how quickly the time passed -

but during those long weekends of class ahead,

please speed up.

i hope you had a wonderful weekend, too!

xoxo.

weekend oh weekend, where did you go?

tank & jeans: nordstrom rack, denim jacket & necklace: nordstrom,

flats: borrowed from my roommate, a

i am not sure where this weekend went;

these past few days have seemingly been a blur.

what have i been "oh so busy" doing?

i  could not tell you.

reading? napping? babysitting? eating? more sleeping?

and of course, spending time with friends.

sometimes i just want a break. a real break.

i enjoy keeping busy, but it can be exhausting, don't you think?

if only i could take a few days off from work

and dedicate the time off to myself. 

i could blog more, read more, sleep more, 

run more, paint my nails, etc. etc.

oh well, a girl can dream, right?

happy monday (even though i am not quite ready)!

xoxo.

from cynical, to less cynical, to optimistic

"had a bad day"

...or bad couple of days to be more accurate. 

it started with the food poisoning sunday,

followed by waking up before five AM for work monday,

sick babies,

my boss subsequently getting sick,

said goodbye to my best friend as she is returning to school,

one of the babies needing surgery,

being late to work,

a two hour-long commute home, 

running out of gas,

a coworker getting sick, too,

nearly freezing in this horrid weather,

and alas, a parking ticket. 

on the plus side, the cash machine on my bus broken,

so my two hour ride home was free, free, free! 

the silver lining, you see.

but to be honest, 

i think i am just grumpy and exhausted and being overly cruel.

thankfully tomorrow is wednesday,

my family is home safely from mexico,

i indulged in a seven layer burrito for dinner,

and i can return to my normal routine (and shortened commute) tomorrow.

i promise to wake up on the right side of the bed, too. 

until then...

xoxo.

*images found on tumblr