Well hello there!
Let's write some letters shall we?
Dear Readers,
Shortly after writing and posting this, I am going to do another post immediately afterwards. I wanted to get my Maid of Honor toast/speech up after realizing today is the week anniversary of my sister and her husband's big day. I'll put the link to that post here after it's up.
That's right, two posts in a day. DEAL WITH IT. :) *Update: The maid of honor speech has been posted. You can read it here. *
Dear school,
One week huh?
I suppose you're not going to plan for yourself.
But looks like I've got to do all of you at hom because my classroom isn't finished being cleaned, with a week to go. *LOOOONNGGGEXASPERATEDSIIIIIIGGGGHHHH*
Dear 98 degrees,
I'm watching you on the Today show right now.
Congrats, 3 out of 4 of you are still kinda cute. (Sorry guy in the bowler hat and half beard.)
BUT
Right now you're doing that super awkward chair thing where you're casually swaying in them backwards and putting your feet up and down on them.
No one does that anymore because it's awkward and distracting.
You're men and can no longer get away with sitting in chairs awkwardly on stage because I'm no longer distracted by your good looks. Get some new moves so I can sing "I do cherish you" in peace.
Maybe break out the stools?
P.S. Congratulations, my mouth is automatically singing all of your lyrics without my brain doing any work after about 10 years. It's all just coming out.
World dominance is apparently yours.
Dear stuffy nose,
Is this a head cold or allergies?
Please write back and let me know because I'd like to know if this is going to be a long term thing.
Dear hair,
We're getting you cut today at noon.
I'm excited to finally get you some nice layers and trimmed bangs now that I don't need to have you grown out. Maybe we'll even get you thinned out so you're not so thick!
This also means less ponytails. I hate styling you when you're shoulder length and boring. So up you go. But now that you won't be so long you're in my face I might actually leave you down.
One thing though, please don't put me through hell trying to get you up in a ponytail for workouts or the ice cream shop. I keep on losing clips and do enjoy getting ready last minute. Thanks.
Dear Lana Del Rey,
I can't stop listening to these two songs/watching the music videos.
I used to judge you after that weird SNL performance, but now I'm in love with you and your music.
Keep it going girl.
Dear hubby,
Thanks for bringing me coffee one night at work, and then dinner the next night.
You're from a book or something. I shall keep you.
I'm loving... that I've officially made it to the beach more times than I did last year...and counting! I'm feeling relaxed and fairly tan!
I'm loving... that I'm working a double today. Okay, not the fact that I'm working a double. But whenever I start to feel bad for myself about working a double I try and remember that I'm doing it to make some extra money. For extra expenses this summer, bills, and all of that shopping I've been doing lately. I do like the extra money. So yeah, let me sugar coat it for myself and say that I'm loving it as a remind that if I wasn't working I would not be ready for the end of the summer!
I'm loving... that the olympics start this weekend. When those start up I am a serious couch potato, cheering on the good old USA in sports that I otherwise probably wouldn't be super interested watching on TV. Can not wait!
I'm loving...how sweet and thoughtful my husband is. Yesterday after he left for work I woke up these.
Nothing special. Just a note and some fresh cut flowers from the back yard. But it's the little things that remind me why I decided to hang out with this guy for a really long time. It's the little things that make our marriage go round.
I'm loving... that I've been finding some awesome deals on clothing. My back to school shopping is almost finished. (Just need to find a nice pair of casual khakis that come in long. Leave a comment if you have a pair you can't live without.) Here are my most recent deals and steals.
At a Van Huesen outlet I got this sweater whose original price was $82. I got it for $25!
And this scarf whose original price was $30. I got it for $8!
Add a comment
There's no photo, but yesterday I got another cardigan from Maurices.
Now they're having this super awesome sale where if you just try on a pair of jeans you get $5 off. So, the sweater was already in clearance, and I tried on a pair of jeans because this girl ain't stupid. What did I end up paying?
Original price was: $35. I paid $2.50.
I walked out feeling like I stole the sweater from them!
I'm also loving the shirts I have arriving in the mail today from American Eagle!
I'm loving... leftovers. Healthy leftovers that is.
When you work at a frozen custard stand all summer it's hard not to snack on junk food and the frozen custard itself ALL THE TIME. Unfortunately, I've gained the 5 pounds I lost at the end of the school year back. Maybe even plus some. BLERG!
On the other hand, the hubby and I have been trying to make healthy dinners all summer that are filling and low fat. So how do I solve my insane munching problem at work to match up my goals at home? Yummy leftovers of course! Today for lunch I'm having some delicious Taboulleh that we made last night! Thanks pinterest for the idea!
Speaking of Pinterest...
Oh, How Pinteresting...
Before I share my favorite pins, yesterday I wrote a post that is the first in a series of a few called "Pins Awkwardly In Real Life". All of the posts are going to be about me trying out pins that I have done in real life, for better or for worse! My first post in the series is on a recipe for Butternut Squash Lasagna. Check out the post here!
Dear Bachelorette party invitations,
You're not going to sit down and make and send yourselves now are you? I guess you'll be one of my projects today before my 4:30-9:30 shift at the stand. Please be easy on me.
Dear Maine weather,
as I sit down and watch the national news about the weather across the country, I just wanted to thank you for being pretty awesome this summer. (so far...) I'd like to continue to hang out on the porch with my dog without getting heatstroke and getting a little bit of a tan. Keep making it happen.
Bruin and I tanning our bums.
Dear babies/adorable young children,
DEAR GOD YOU'RE EVERYWHERE. For me, this is usually fine. I oodle over how cute you are, make some faces, and compliment your parents on making a beautiful baby.
Now here's the problem, when I turn to compliment your parents I quickly realize that they're my age. "Holy Crapoly that could be me!" I think.
This seems to be happening all the time lately. Not just strangers on the street or work either. Many of the blogs I read are having babies all over the place. Not to mention people I work with, and family members too! Now, coming from a big family, again, I'm used to this. But recently my husband's cousin (he's only one of 8, opposed to my 45 or so first cousins) just gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. AND SHE'S OUR AGE!
Babies you then have to go and put the nail in the coffin by being out of control cute, smiling back at the faces I make, and having seemingly happy parents. Adorable young children, lately you've all been super polite, again too cute for your own good, ask hilarious and endearing questions, and reading my signs at the custard stand way earlier than developmentally normal.
MY UTERUS CAN'T HANDLE MUCH MORE OF THIS.
Babies, you might be wondering why this is all such a problem (or maybe that face you're making is because you have gas, I don't know.) I'm not quite ready to have a kid. My career. My hubby's career. Our living space. Our finances. And vacations, I want to go on more vacations. All of these things= I am not ready to have one of you. I'm just not.
So, babies and young children, if you could, just for the next few years, be a little uglier. Be less polite. Start talking back to your parents. Cry when you look at me. Start pooping when I'm holding you. And really terrorize your parents before I see them so they look like zombies.
Oh and fight your parents when they put your chubby little arms into nautical outfits and preppy clothing. There's nothing that makes me want to have a baby more than when I see one dressed up looking like they're about to get onto a fancy boat.
Dear next week,
You're a pretty big deal. Not only do you start off with my birthday on Sunday, but some other stuff is happening that I can't really talk about here. I've been gearing up for it for a little while, and now my nerves and excitement are pretty high up there. Please happen swiftly, and please turn out exactly the way that I hope you will. Or else I'll be real upset and never speak to you again, next week!
Dear city I live in,
One of your volunteers called my phone and told me I would be facing a fine because Bruin wasn't registered at all and it's June. UH HELLO HE'S SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME AND HIS TAG IS TOTALLY FOR THIS YEAR! Oh, and I have the paperwork too. I'll be storming into your office today with my paperwork and an attitude.
Also, I'm getting tired of the trash guys just chucking my trash can into the middle of the road for it to roll away when they're done emptying it in the truck. I've already lost the cover because of this and am not in the mood for it getting broken because it's run over or thrown too hard I'd rather have to bring my trash to a dump than deal with that!
Dear Victoria's Secret Yoga Cropped-Leggings,
You came in the mail yesterday when I didn't expect them to come until next Wednesday.
You are heaven. Thank you.
Dear followers, readers, stalkers, and even new visitors,
I have been loving all of the comments, the visitors, and the loving all of the lovin'!
Now there are a few things that I'd like to just through out there that have been getting to me a little bit.
If you follow me because you genuinely like to read what I have to say,
then awesome. Super cool. On the other hand if you are following me strictly to get
a follow back then you might end up disappointed. I will probably at
some point check out your blog if you are on my google friend connect.
But that does not guarantee that I will follow your blog as well. I follow the blogs that I will want to read on a semi-daily
basis. I'm sorry if your blog is not one of those. But do you honestly want people following you who do not want to read your content? Who have no interest in what you have to say? It's something to think about.
Similarly, if you comment on my blog I will try to email you (if your email is enabled! So please enable it!) in a reasonable amount of time in response. Please bare with me! I want to get back to you, I promise!
I will also probably check out your blog if you comment here. I might even follow it's something that I'm interested in or might be interested in the future.
But please do not comment here simply because you want me to check out your blog.
If you're commenting on my post I would like it to be because you'd like to comment on my post, not because you just want me to check out your blog. Ex: "Hey I'm new here and am commenting so, please check my blog out!" or "I'm now following you so please check my blog out to follow me too!"
Because guess what? That will make me not want to check out your blog.
I like getting feedback on my actual content, not feedback on how desperate you are for followers. I wrote a little while ago about this here. Please indulge. Here's another that I wrote last year about struggling with "follow-backs" myself. Here's the semi-follow-up post to that.
And if you've been one of these people before (LET'S BE HONEST. I feel like at some point all of us have gone through a stage where we were worried about our followers or following the right people before. Whether leaving desperate comments or trying to get follow backs. We were all new and once.) then no hard feelings. I won't hold it against you.
Phew, rant over.
Dear customers at the stand,
Please tip freely tonight when I go to work and you're getting your custard. Mama wants some spending money for the end of the summer!
Alright, that's it for today's long-winded letters! Stay cool and stay fabulous!
I'm with Michelle and Jamie today since I didn't want to think of what to blog on my own today!
What I'm Loving...
*It's the FourthofJuly!
America is a pretty great place. It's also a pretty good time. So the Fourth of July is a good time too OBVI. I may be working at the Custard Stand today, dealing with some pretty crazy customers, but I have time to hang out with friends and go to fireworks, so I'm pretty excited.
Oh and the tips I'll get when I'm working I'm sure won't be that horrible either.
Three reasons I teach: June, July, August I kid, I kid, I kid. But seriously. I love having the summer off. Not only do I have time to do whatever I want, but I have time to do some professional development and reading for work. NO SERIOUSLY. THIS IS EXCITING.
* The Ocean If
you ask me where my favorite place is, I will not give you a specific
place. I will just tell you the ocean. Any ocean. All of it. It's just
the ocean.
This was my day yesterday. Can we say the perfect day? I hope we can. Because it is.
* My Husband
I try not to go on and on about Dave on here all of the time. But the longer we're married, the more I realize he's a saint. If you're a regular to my blog you know I'm a hot mess. He puts up with this fact and makes sure I don't get lost or stuck on some rock somewhere. While I run around having fun and pretending to function in real life to everyone else, he is the guy that hangs out in the background holding my coat and apologizing to people after I accidently fling a pen in their face or he's making small talk with strangers because I'm picking up some baby I find in a store. Normal things. He just brought me my coffee, breakfast, nail polish, and reminded me to pick out a shirt for tonight before I went to work today. SAINTHOOD PEOPLE, SAINTHOOD.
Oh How Pinteresting
(Because we should all be encouraging this addiction...)
I forget if I've posted this here before or not, but it's a good one. This pretty sums up my school year. I'd like to think I'm not a pretty skillful sailor I mean teacher.
My husband and I are trying to eat a little cleaner (ignore the strawberry cake we're making tonight featured above) so we've been looking at some healthier and fresher food. This recipe is for Tabouleh made with bulghur wheat. It sounds intimidating because it's different BUT IT WAS SO EASY AND DELICIOUS! Check it out.
So please just imagine his Thank You note background music playing and me giggling as I write, because that's essentially what he does.
And if you have no idea what I'm talking about, google it and enjoy.
Dear Humanities Units and other paperwork from school,
Please organize yourself into those 1 inch binders I bought last summer.
Dear deoderant,
I'd like you to make your best effort to last more than oh, I don't know 4 hours in this heat. Just because it's humid doesn't mean you need to stop working.
Dear Coffee,
Thanks for being such an great friend.
Dear Nails,
I've been painting you a lot. Mainly because I'll paint you awesome colors and then you'll start chipping and then there's paint left staining my nails so I feel compelled to paint them again. (And no I haven't tried that cool thing from pinterest that gets rid of the stain, chemistry scares me.)
Which is all well and fine, BUT STOP CHIPPING SO SOON ALL THE TIME!
I feel like just when I get used to how awesome you are, you chip and then I look trashy and then I spend 3 hours painting and repainting you because I'm like a baby elephant trying to paint its nails which is exhuasting.
So if you could chip less, that would be awesome.
Dear Customers at my summer job,
You are about to eat something really delicious. Why are you sometimes so angry about it? When I am out getting ice cream or frozen custard no one can ruin my day because it is officially awesome.
But man, some transactions that I have are just downright aggresive.
Do you see where you are? Did you know there are mini-goats out back to look at? Do you understand how delicious your frozen custard is about to taste? Do you know who I am? HAVE YOU SEEN HOW COOL MY NAILS LOOK TODAY?
Turn that frown upside down, order something with some rainbow jimmies on it, and enjoy yourself.
And if you are going to be rude? Please be loud about it so the person in line behind you will give me a pity tip.
Dear Bruin,
I know the fan is scary but sitting next to or behind it will not help you cool off. Sit in front of it.
Also, cuddling with the cat is not going to make you cooler. Give each other some space eh?
Today, not only am I going to make myself feel better by repeatedly telling myself it's okay, but I'm also going to practice some thanks.
So I linked-up (is that the past tense of link? Or is it lunk? I'll just bounce back and forth between the two because that's just how grammar gangstah I am) at A Complete Waste of Makeup with Neely, and Brunch with Amber with Amber to verify to myself that I'm actually okay. And of course I also need to lunk-up with Tracy to be thankful because that's just healthy and good for me and stuff.
Man do I love days where I have lunk/linked-up.
(I couldn't find the linky box for being thankful so I just stole the box that goes directly to her website. WHOOPS!)
I'm thankful.....
I'm thankful for the fact that I get to GO TO THE LAKE TODAY. For those of you who aren't super duper awesome New Englanders (we can still be friends) it has been between 90-100 degrees here and humid. I have stupid windows that don't accommodate for air conditioners* so it's setting up 3 fans in one room to blow hot air around for me.
So am I thankful to visit a friend's lakehouse? UM YEP! *Oh and let's all just be honest, it's not like I could afford that electric bill anyway honey, you hear?
I'm thankful for living in Maine. Because this only happens like 10 days out of the year. I know my friends in the south and west have to suffer through much worse. Oh and I have the ocean and a plethora of lakes here too.
I'm thankful for all of the proffesional opportunities that I've had and have in the future. When I think about it (and I've been doing a lot of thinking about it), my teaching career has been pretty cool and I've had the opportunity to experience a lot of different stuff that other teachers my age haven't been able to. I've taught both Language Arts and Humanities(which people get super excited when they hear because teaching humanities is SUPER COOL), I've taught different grade levels all at the same time and just one at a time, I've been a part of tons of commitees, gone to a conference in DENVER COLORADO, and experienced project/service-based learning on a large scale. I've also taught students from a huge range of socioeconomic, cultural, and academic-ability groups. This all might sound lame/stupid for some of you, but I never imagined I'd have the opportunity to do all of this in my first three years of teaching.
I'm thankful for having a summer job, in air conditioning, with super cool kids, and with the best frozen custard ever. Now the calories on the other hand....
Now, with all of that said, It's okay....
It's okay that my "The Temper Trap" radio station on Pandora has been on repeat for the past two days. With other bands like Vampire Weeekend, The XX, Foster The People, The Naked and The Famous, etc. It's like an indie pool party and you're invited.
It's okay that I haven't showered in like 24 hours. Whatevs. The lake is nature's shower.
It's okay that when I packed my room up for the summer I just kind of shoved things in boxes to deal with in late July.
It's okay that I'm trying to eat healthier and take care of myself better AGAIN. (Cross your fingers it'll stick this time...) I deeeeefinitely need to get my act together before the next school year starts again, because it all tends to fall apart around January. Can we say stress?
It's okay that when I go to my summer job I totally revert back into an immature high school kid. At 24 I can only handle being a responsible adult for 9 months of the year.
It's okay that I am addicted to painting my nails in bright colors or with tons of glitter.
It's okay if you thought you'd accidently thought you stepped into a Lady Gaga/Nicki Minaj concert when you came to my page because of its new look. I mean, I feel like there are worse things for my blog to emulate right?
It's finally okay that the song Titanium by Sia and David Guetta is that one song that I listen to on full volume repeatedly at the gym, and get weird looks because I mouth along to it from the person on the elliptical next to me. And you know what it's also okay that I get a little hipster about the fact that I've been listening to Sia for like 7 years and own all of her cds. She is awesome, I've known about her for a super long time, and yeah I'm just a little cooler for it. Here's the video, mostly so I have an excuse to listen to it again, but also to share it with you because the video is almost as cool as the song.
Almost.
And again, I am going to encourage you to never google search the term double dipping without the safe search on to at least moderate. Trust me.
I'm joining two link ups again this Thursday because I am greedy and want all of the salsa content I can get.
I'm again with the apparantly similar yet prettier Sarah Elizabeth.
And of course with the other southern gem, (is it just me or are all of my bloggy friends from the south?) the every charming Rebecca.
I'm going to go ahead switch things up and share what I've been listening to first.
Just gonna go ahead and throw this out there and bring up the obvious: I don't listen to country often.
Sometimes, but not often.
Most other people in the "What I'm Playing" link-up do, so I feel a little bit like an outlier. But a little bit of variety is good right? Hope y'all can appreciate my shares whether they're your style or notsomuch.
My first song that I've been listening to over and over again is permanently stuck in my head, and probably yours too. But I don't mind.
This girl might be crazy but she can throw a beat down. AM I RIGHT?
Okay so this one is the token adorable summer jam that makes you...well makes your heart beat faster.
Coincidentally, the lovely hostess of this link-up agrees that it is a worthwhile listen.
When driving in my car the other day this came on the radio. You know those songs that mean so much to you at one point in your life?
Well this whole album was a total game changer for me. It came out my senior year of highschool and made me put a positive spin on going off to college and "finding" my new self. A quote from this song may or may not have been in my senior yearbook.
(Before you judge go ahead and look at your senior yearbook.Yeah.... that's what I thought. )
Either way, ever since I heard it on the radio I have been playing it in my itunes and smiling.
Alright link up number two! Time to name some things I am thankful for!
1. I have a job in the summer.
My students have asked my why on earth I would work during the summer. Because, "The whole point of being a teacher is getting summers of right?'
I usually send them off with a,
"No the whole point of being a teacher is torturing all of you."
And then I growl.
I love teaching middle school.
ANYWAY.
Being young and on a limited income is difficult, especially where Dave and I are literally both at the bottom of the totem in our public service workforce.
So I am thankful that I am able to find a job with a great group of teens to 20 somethings where I can make some extra money. Some weeks it keeps us afloat with bills. Some weeks it pays for my windshield.
And other weeks it pays for a new bathing suit that is on sale.
Because when all of your suits are 3 years old and worn out from chlorine and sun, it's just not good for anyone.
So I am thankful for working this summer, but not working an insane amount like past summers.
Did I mention that it's a custard place and therefore air conditioned?
And that I get to make frozen bananas?
2. Professional days for school are starting up already.
This may sound like the most miserable phrase for my fellow educators out there.
Lemme explain myself. (And those of you not in the educational field feel free to skip this portion of my post. I'm going to use words like instruction and units. Those are boring even to me. I won't take offense. Move right on down to #3)
I am a part of a group of teachers that are going to help the integration of a completely new vision and way of instruction for our school.
So as I sat there yesterday in the air conditioned room in a shirt other than my bathingsuit or workshirt, I was asked if I was nervous to be teaching my new hybrid class, "Humanities".
You can read the long story here, but the short story of it all is that I teach language arts, but because of position cuts, I am now teaching a sort of hybrid between Language Arts and Social Studies.
This new change has been at the back of my mind all summer, but now that I was in my proffesional clothing and in a professional setting it dawned on me: YEAH I'M SUPER NERVOUS. And no, I haven't really developed any units yet.
Ideas? Yes. Solid units NO.
I don't have another professional day until August 10th and then I'm not totally back to work until the 23rd.
But knowing that school is somewhere on that sea-breezed and sun-kissed horizon is slight motivation to start putting my thinking cap on and getting my gears cranking in that direction. Even if it is just a slow and easy pace.
3. My husband.
NOW STOP RIGHT THERE.
Don't click on that little red x in the corner quite yet.
I am not going to gush and goo over him like you are expecting and like I very well could.
This is a different kind of thankful.
I don't know how many of you are married or planning on doing so sometime soon. But in case you didn't get the memo, being a newly wed is not always rainbows, unicorns and easy conversations.
Don't get me wrong, things are going great with us. No need to call the marraige counselor. Save y
He actually just walked in and gave me a smile and a kiss. (You're allowed to throw up in your mouth just a little.)
But, there is something a little different about marriage than just dating or being engaged. It's very hard to explain. I think that now that there's the pressure of having the label of being married, you just want to do everything in your possible power that is right for your relationship. Because let's face it, there's no out clause in that contract.
So why am I thankful?
Because while marriage, even in the first year isn't always easy, this guy always seems to do the right thing even when the going gets rough.
I am thankful, that out of all of the guys out there, I got to marry him.
4. The thunderstorm supposedly coming in this afternoon.
Um it's 90 degrees. Of course I am looking forward to the clouds coming in and giving mother nature a hard core cold shower if you know what I mean.
And that's it! For those of you who made it to the end of this ridiculously long post, you deserve a medal.
Unfortunately I do not have one of those for you. I guess the general satisfaction of knowing way too much information about my music and what I'm grateful for shall have to be enough today.
As someone who is a say yes-er and enjoys having disposable income, the 4th of July has always been a holiday that I have a hard time saying no to as far as working my summer job.
I mean I love fireworks and barbecues just as much as the next person.
It just hasn't been in the cards for me to have the day off the past few years. This year is no exception, I'm working the afternoon/night shift serving frozen strawberry custard to hysterical people who have been asking for it for at least a week. No joke.
Dave is working tonight since he already got time off for my birthday this week .
So what did we do on this, our day of independence? We slept in, vacuumed our cars, weeded our garden, and took the dog for a walk together.
Doesn't sound exciting to you? Well it wasn't.
But don't underestimate the feeling of accomplishment when you vacuum enough dog hair out of your car you could build a full-size replica of the real one. Of course I didn't do this. But I had enough fur that if I wanted to I could.
My point is, that I was able to do whatever I wanted. I was able to sleep in without worrying about my house falling in on my from bombs.
I was able to vacuum out my SUV. You know the one that I don't have to worry about fueling up, because have enough gas to go around in our country. (For now.)
I was able to weed the garden, a garden that I am able to keep, because I created it.
I was able to take my dog for a walk safely down the street without worrying about being taken away from my home or mugged.
I was allowed to do a lot of very basic things that I often take for granted, but in some other countries around the world I could not.
So thank you to those who served, do serve, and will serve in an effort to keep our country free.
And thanks George Washington for being such a badass. And all of those other guys in wigs too.
Speaking of doing what I want, in an effort to look somewhat cute in a t-shirt and jeans and patriotic for the customers, I painted my nails blue and red. Because tourists and regular customers alike usually like lame stuff like that.
Awkward claw. Hand modeling is not for me.
Remember: It's Patriotic to go get ice cream on your way to the fireworks, but it's even more patriotic to tip the girl at the window. Especially if her nails are fabulous.
