friends are friends forever..

seriously laughed really hard when i read this.... !!!

today, i was faced with the fact - a very amazing fact - that i have some of the best, quality, friends a girl could ask for. one of my closest friends, elisa, texted me, randomly, and said, "you should come over and make me some food." so i did. we had a spontaneous home-cooked meal - masala chicken with garlic aioli quinoa - great conversation, lots of good laughs and just enjoyed each other's company. and then, my other dearest friend sydney (of 21 years) wanted me to go to value village with her and so, after having a great fun, spontaneous time with one amazing friend... i did the same with another. 

you see... syd is getting hitched soon and she's going to be leaving me to become the best housewife out there. sad for me, but then again, i'm so happy for her! so tonight, i just kept thinking, "thank you jesus for such amazing friends! help me to never take these times for granted..."

so yeah, as i'm getting ready for bed (another early morning tomorrow), i'm just thinking about how blessed i am to know some pretty amazing people. and i guess, not just know them, but share life with them. community is the best. and knowing that if i were to ever jump off a bridge, my friends would come save me.. well, that's an added bonus ;) 

"It's a sign from God, mom!"

as you might've read in my last post, as i was sitting in BN, i realized that they were playing hawaiian music. be still my heart. not quite what i needed to hear in the midst of trying to not get distracted about my desires to want to go to hawaii. so i just tuned out the music and focused on finding a job.

looked at my tea and realized, "hmm.. i need a refill." got into line. and what did i hear? two old men talking behind me... in PIGEON. unreal. i turned around, asked them if they were from the islands and we struck up this long conversation about island living, different hawaiian events that go on around seattle, etc. etc. after i left BN, i quickly called my mom and told her, "it's a sign from God, mom! i need to go to school in hawaii!" 

mr pet piggy.

yep. that's a real life little piglet. isn't it adorable?! my friend sent me this picture... it's a little piggy he rescued.

i was sitting here in barnes & noble trying to figure out what i wanted to blog about & i remembered this cute pet pig. if i could have a pet {and it would be easy to take care of it}... i would most definitely have a pet piggy. that or an elephant... but that's for another blog post. 

[side note] they're playing hawaiian music in BN right now. i don't know how i feel about that. here i am trying to be okay with being in wet & rainy seattle & BN is messing with me by playing iz kamakawiwo'ole ... not nice.

well. to pet pigs & hawaiian music - happy tuesday!

to be old & in love..

... means to go on an afternoon date to the mall, take a seat on a bench & nap. 

isn't this the cutest/funniest thing you've seen all day? a couple months ago, i saw this little couple at the mall. knocked out. seriously napping in the middle of a noisy mall. i felt like a creep taking all these pictures... but i bet you're happy i did :) cuteness all over this blog post right now! 

the grand search..

and that something i can't find is a good job. it's so frustrating sometimes... i honestly feel like i've applied to every open position in the state of washington & hawaii {yes, my heart soooo badly wants to be there}. i have a job and i love it. anthropologie is such a great company to work for and i love my store and my co-workers but i definitely need another job. so for those of you reading this, say a little (or big & lengthy) prayer for me. 

first time for everything

this is the un-named, regular customer @ anthro.

sooo... you know how a lot of girls have "old man celebrity crushes"? (i.e. george clooney, etc.) well, i've never been that kind of girl. until today. and he's not even a celebrity. there's a man that comes into anthro all the time. he's probably late 40s, early 50s. he's apart of the visual team for another store in the area and loves coming into anthro to see our new displays. well, today, i realized & thought to myself, "man.. he's cool. and i so want my husband to be like him someday." its pouring down rain outside.. he comes in, messy bun on his head, t-shirt, straight leg jeans, some cool tennis shoes & a smoothie in his hand.

he's just cool. is this a creepy post? if it is.. i'm not sorry for it. haha. i did a little sketch of him just because i wanted you to see who i was talking about. 

anyway. this is all i've got for tonight folks. 

peace, love & old-man-celebrity-crushes.

if grace is an ocean, we're all sinking.

"There is a longing for God in each of us and though it may not be recognized or consciously expressed as such, the search for joy, for peace, for happiness and above all for love, is a manifestation of this longing. Though the desire or hunger is implanted in every human heart, entering into a relationship with Him depends largely on our cooperation with His grace. The freedom to cooperate or not is yet another expression of the love and respect that God has for each of His human creatures. He does not force Himself on anyone; He leaves it to our choice. Yet, the response befitting a creature before its Creator, who is infinite love and wisdom ought to be on of love and trust, praise and adoration, recognition and thanksgiving." 

-  Where There Is Love, There Is A God

so long free movie, hello free books.

"bummer duuuuude." this morning {or i guess technically yesterday morning} i got a text from redbox {yeah, we're cool like that} & it gave me a code to get a free movie. free + movie = whats better than that? it expired that day, so throughout the day i kept reminding myself that i needed to stop at a redbox and redeem the code! well... i was on my way home & only had ten minutes left to get to a redbox.. i drove to one.. pulled my phone out to get the code... and my phone was dead. yep. dead. and my phone never dies. but of course it would the day i get a code for a free redbox. 

so that's how i ended my thursday night. depressing, huh?

BUTTTT... one thing i did do right was - i went to the library! i love reading & you get books for free at the library. {i'm sensing a theme here... free, free, free}as a kid, i loved going to the library.  okay, well.. pretty much as a kid, pre-teen, teenager, young adult, etc. don't judge me. if you ask my mom or my friend sydney (click here to go to her fun blog), they will tell you for my free time i would much rather sit in a library and read all day than do anything else. i've kinda grown out of that, but every now & then, i'll get the urge & give in. 

picked up a couple books & am guessing that it was a sign to me that i didn't get a redbox. a sign that tonight, i can stay up & read, read, read. 

in my perfect world...

i'd own a coffee shop/boutique... where you, your mom & your brother's best friend would want to hang out in 24/7. 

i'd be able to go to the beach {or on vacation} whenever i wanted. **right now, i want & need the beach BAD.

...two things i keep thinking about! a lot.

"old fashioned"

thank god for pinterest, google, recipe blogs, etc. but i much rather cook something out of a real cookbook over any internet recipe. it's just something about flipping through pages.. having to actually open a book a search for a recipe that way. i can make notes on the pages... i can add sticky notes, fold the corners down and all that good stuff.

this was a random thought this morning as i was eating my breakfast and going through one of my mom's recipe books :) 

the open road

thanks to my friend katrina hope & her recent post about buying a ticket & never returning - i have been thinking about doing exactly that. oh, the places i could go. or want to go. i seriously would be fine just going one state over. any destination really - put me in a plane & send me off. in all honesty, that's really what i want right now. 

but the funny thing about it is, i actually just want to be here too. i want a really good full time job. i want to be in school right now {september should probably go ahead & hurry on up}. i love being back home after living in california for a year. 

i am definitely living with a heart that desires [home, family, friends & all things normal] and all at the same time [travel, meeting new friends, missions & the open road]. 

are you confused about how i could feel this way? well... try being the person who is feeling this way ;)

in light of all this, i have made the resolution that when i'm home, i'm going to be 100% home & make the most out of it. and when and if i get to travel again, well... trust me, there will be no reservations on the open road.  

another note to my children.

;) 

tunes

she is my hero.

spent all night thinking of ways i could be more like mother teresa. she's my hero. the other day, i wrote in my journal:

"if only mother teresa were still here. i think we would be good friends... i just want to be able to have conversations with her. in real life."

it's true. i wouldn't even have to talk or ask any questions... i'd just listen to her or just observe her. work alongside her. what an admirable woman.... 

their friday night vs. my friday night

what most people my age are doing right now:

this is a random photo i found online of people partying. people my age, probably partying on a friday night. something that i don't quite do... because lately, my friday nights have been consumed with reading, catching up on netflix movies, hanging out with my family at home or just being cozy in my bed thinking about life.

now, don't go off judging me in your mind... i do have a social life and i actually really enjoy a good party every now and then. but i have noticed that in recent times, i can do without just fine. i think it's healthy to not be out 24/7. i think it's perfectly alright to stay home & relax. 

so here's to a quiet friday... enjoy the art of relaxing. it's almost becoming extinct. 

what i'm doing right now:

{disclaimer: this isn't me.}

Meet my new friend.

"Spread love everywhere you go. Let no one ever come to you without leaving happier." - Mother Teresa

Everyone, meet Lydia. She is literally half my size... but her kindness, her smile, her laugh, the youthfulness in her voice - is way bigger than her tiny frame. 

It was just a normal day - sat down on the bus, pulled out my book and was extremely focused on the words on the page. Until this little lady pushed her way through the crowd and plopped down on the seat next to me. At the next stop, the bus driver slammed on the breaks pretty hard and Lydia pretty much flew out of her seat... but don't worry guys, I caught her. And that's where our relationship started. She looked at me with her blue-grey eyes and just laughed. I wasn't sure what kind of response I would get for voluntarily putting my arms around her to make sure she didn't fall. I mean, we are downtown and some people would be quite angry with me for touching them, even if it was to save their lives. {weird, right?} But she laughed and whispered, "Whew.. that was close! I should remember to hold on to the bars here." We both shared a laughed and then the whole bus ride to our destination {which so happened to be the same place} we just talked.. about her life, where she grew up, what she does now, her family, her ex-husband, what she did in college, etc. 

After I took this photo of her, I asked if I could take a picture of the both of us. I told her that I wanted one to print out and put in my journal. So that every time I see it, I can pray for her. She was more than happy to take one, but before we did, she whispered to me, "Oh man, I need a perm. And to color my hair. So bad." haha. 

We ended our conversation with me giving her my number just in case she needed anything! {her son doesn't visit her much} And she gave me a huge hug. 

Some people would be overly-cautious and not give their number out to a complete stranger. But in my mind, the way I think is... she really has no one and I don't want this to be the last time I see her or have a conversation with her. If all we will ever have is that one conversation on the bus, okay, fine. But if there is an opportunity to serve her and help her with whatever, even better. 

goin' to the chapel..

today i received two bridal shower invitations in the mail. crazy. i have so many friends getting married.. actually, every month until august. yep. tis the season for love, people. 

No Greater Love

"What we need is to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. What are these drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being silent, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. Do not look for Jesus away from yourselves. He is not out there; He is in you. Keep your lamp burning, and you will recognize Him."

-Mother Teresa

This is on the back cover of No Greater Love. I am loving this book and have only read the first chapter! 

rain rain, go away.

after a year of living in the desert.. i can't stand living in the rain. before moving back to seattle, i definitely didn't give it much thought that i was going to be moving back into a total different climate. and now... well, i've been thinking about it a lot lately and i've come to the conclusion that i cannot wait for summer. let's skip spring {i've never liked having allergies anyway} and go straight into summer. 

many of you don't know, but i've been praying about moving to hawaii for a short season. and when i say short, i mean seriously really short {only a couple months}. and it's during days like this when i definitely want to hop on the next plane out of here. 

I love this woman!

Picked up a new book today! I've always heard "No Greater Love" was worth reading.. Just never got around to picking it up. Excited to read Mother Teresa's words. I absolutely love this woman!

i'm seriously blessed.

i'm sitting here reading blogs of close friends, just friends, close acquaintances, mutual friends, etc. and i'm realizing... man, i know a lot of amazing people.

i tried to find a picture that would explain how i feel... but i can't seem to find one. so hopefully, i portray my thoughts well with my words. i have quality people around me. there are so many people that i look up to and admire. it's crazy. i'm a strong believer that you can't and shouldn't do life by yourself. look around you. look at the people you've crossed paths with and know that they have something to impart into your life. and as well, you have something to give out!

isn't that amazing? i'm amazed by it.

but while i was looking for a photo.. i came across this amazing shot:

yeah. beautiful.

we've got commitment issues.

so here's some encouragement.

abc, 123

saw this picture on my tumblr wall (thank you modern hepburn) and it reminded me about how excited i am to go to school. like so excited. fall should probably hurry up. there are two schools that i have been looking into - one here in washington state and on in the lovely aloha state. i want to go to school to be an esthetician  ( 1 a person who is knowledgeable about the nature and appreciation of beauty, esp. in art. 2 a beautician.). so there you have it. this girl is ready to learn & can't wait to be in a classroom setting again! it's been far too long.

two must haves...

i'll be grateful for having my own home.. with these two things or not. but in my perfect world - these will be two must haves in the home i raise my family in.

large windows.... i love natural light. 

a huge front porch! 

weekend recap!

This past weekend my whole family {dad, mom, brother, all my sisters, all the nieces & nephews (except one... we missed you lani), uncle sam & jordan & bentley (our two doggies) } all went on a little birthday getaway for my momma. We rented a beautiful home on Summit Lake (right past Olympia, WA) and spent 4 days there enjoying each other & celebrating my mom. It was amazing. Here are just some pictures from the weekend! 

mom opening up all her gifts!

 pampering time :)

 hey there bentley

 ms. jordan looking at the lake?

 lei loves to give kisses!

 and she also loves to show her belly button. & if you're ever around when she's showing hers.. be careful, she'll lift up your shirt too!

 this little cutie... amare!

 oh you know.. just three guys fishin'..

 happy, happy birthday momma!

 we can never take a normal family photo. someone's either not smiling, confused on where to look or just hiding..

 pretty girl!

i love my family. definitely appreciate everything about them... 

life is beautiful!

(my sisters out on the dock teaching the lil' ones how to fish)

with family, or at least with my family, life comes with happy times, sad times, annoying times, hard times, frustrating times, exciting times, ugly times, beautiful times... and if i missed anything - everything in between. 

for those of you who don't know me well.. i come from a family of 6 kids - 1 boy (my dear broham) and 5 girls (yep, all of us with our own very strong personalities). i was raised by a crazy, hilarious, dancing machine man.. who just happens to be my father & a sweet, strong-willed, lovable lady who can cook anything really good... yep, my momma. i've got 5 nieces & nephews who are hilarious, loud and all of have really strong personalities of their own. two sweet "in-laws" (but we don't refer to them as that.. they're totally more than related to us by law!) who fit in so well with our family... god bless their hearts ;) 

...and you put us all under one roof for the weekend... and let me tell you, all those emotions mentioned earlier - yup, those come out. and at the end of the day (or the beginning of the next day, seeing that it is almost 2 AM)... i have a big smile on my face, my heart is content and i'm faced with the reality that life is beautiful right at this very moment. nothing is better to me than family. the good, the bad & the ugly... it's a package deal ;) 

happy sunday ya'll.

Ready for a vacation....

regardless of the fact that i'm supposed to be in hawaii right now..... this is more than great too. away on a weekend vacation with my whole family. if i was looking for a quiet & peaceful time.. i came to the wrong place ;) 

...funny stories & pictures to come. i'm sure of it.

daydreaming about the future

in daydreaming about my future, i thought about how excited i will be to have my very own costco card. and that... like that picture up there... those will probably be my kids in the future too. messin' around & acting all kinds of crazy :) 

i just laughed at myself. i seriously get excited and amused by the simple things in life. like owning a costco card. unless that's every other girl's dream in life too.. and i just didn't even realize? ;) well, whatever the case, i can't wait to be a mom, shopping at costco for my family. those are the kinds of things that cross my mind when i'm daydreaming about the future.

for all my fellow hunger game fans..

trailer spoof. hilarious.