Monday Morning Gossip - I am alive!

Happy Monday everyone. Hope you had a fantastic weekend, and a wonderful week before that. I have yet to read all of your lovely posts and comment accordingly - that is, if time permits. :(

It's been a hectic weekend. Not only did I study all week last week so I did have all weekend to do nothing at all, but I also struggled with personal strength and personal growth (if that makes any sense). Last week showed and taught me that I have wonderful friends who encourage me and make me laugh when I need it the most. Also, it taught me to stand up for myself and not to justify every single move I make. I can laugh whenever I want to laugh, I can do whatever I want to do, I can and show be allowed to say whatever and whenever I say something, and I can schedule my school work the way I want it to be scheduled and that is it. Nothing more, nothing less. My life and my moves.

A new week started and this only means more work for me.
I'm going to work on final papers, final projects and presentations, and at the same time trying to enjoy life. 

This morning, someone my roommate knew and me, too, passed away. He was sick, and yes in pain, but he is now in a much better place, save and healthy. Life is too short, and too precious to take it for granted. And yet, most of us still take it for granted. It has shown us once again that we just need to enjoy every single moment we get. 

With that being said, I had a great weekend (went to a wedding in Bakersfield) and am definitely looking forward to a wonderful week ahead even though it's going to be busy. Busy, sometimes, is good though. May is around the corner, and that means my travel plans are approaching faster and faster. I'll be leaving with mixed feelings but that's nothing new. 

Don't forget to link up with Leeann today, and join the Monday Morning Gossip Fun.

 

xoxo

Almost Everything

This song is just perfect for today.

Happy Hump Day.

xoxo

P.s. I'll be working hard on three assignments, and hoping a friend of mine stays alive while he's having a blast this afternoon working/living his hobby!

Monday Morning Gossip - Animals, Music, OTH, and Pool included

This week, I'm joining Leeann again and her Monday Morning Gossip.

I'm also using her awesome linkup as a quick weekend recap because I'm sure most of you were wondering what I was up to and where the heck I was since well, my posts lately ended up being almost non-existent.

If you are following me on Instagram you might have seen these... and if you are lucky enough that I let you be part of my facebook, then you know even more. Aside from that, here's what I was doing Friday, Saturday, and Sunday:

Friday, all day, one of my best friends M. and I went to the Pet Expo 2013. We almost adopted all kinds of dogs and cats. She even held a spider and I almost screamed. Cannot stand spiders. We had a blast though, worked on our tan while walking through this gigantic area, and enjoyed receiving information on certain breeds, food, training, and whatnot. It was a well-spent Friday. AND, it was a girls' day out. No guys or husbands or whatnot allowed. Just three girls (her fun mother-in-law came too) and many many animals. I really wanted a dog...but having already two in the house, a third one right now is not an option. :(

But I cuddled with "Stella" from Modern Family. She's definitely a cutie pie!

Then Saturday...besides organizing and preparing a birthday BBQ for a friend of mine, the main goal was to end up at the Troubadour and enjoy a concert. And, we did.

Oh you wanna know who we saw?

Brett Young, Wakey! Wakey!, and Tyrone Wells.

Loved all three performances. We had Lounge Seats upstairs so we could see it all. I preferred that since standing for about four hours isn't really my thing anymore. Besides, if we didn't have those seats we would not have sat next to the executive producer of One Tree Hill (and you know how much I LOVE this show), and saw James Lafferty and Stephen Colletti. So, it was definitely worth it. No?

Yes, I know I'm short. Let's just say he's super tall?! Thank you. 

If you don't know who he is...it's Mike Grubbs from Wakey! Wakey!

Sunday was mainly a relaxing day. Friends from Ventura County came down to our lovely OC area and we basically spent it eating, chatting, chilling, and sunbathing at the pool. Could not complain at all. It was a fantastic day. I think I definitely ate too much, but one can never have too much Sushi, and Chinese.

Hope your weekend has been grand.

This week will be busy...a take-home exam, a weird essay, and wedding preparations. Don't worry. Not mine. I would announce something like that on the blog at some point and not drop this topic accidentally a few days before the event. Just saying. 

Happy Monday everyone!

Thursday Flowers

Happy Thursday everyone.
It's been a stressful week with lots of ups and downs. School wise I'm doing fine. And yes, I'm excited about finals approaching (one more month, one more month) and then my trip to Europe. I won't bring much with me, so whoever fits into my gigantic suitcase is welcome to join me. ;)

At this very moment I am in the library, and yes I shouldn't be blogging but heck, people, I have nothing else to do. Maybe I should go over my paper again, or research something for my final papers but I am lazy today. Sometimes, for a day, being lazy is acceptable. No? I think so.

The upcoming weekend will be hopefully fantastic.
Not only am I going to a pet expo, and a concert and some fun city adventure...I will be enjoying warm, sunny, summer like weather that I think we all deserve (even us in southern California). So if you are snowed it, or experience too much rain...I'm gonna send you some heat and blue sky over, ok?

That being said...I'll be exiting the library soon so I can work on my healthy tan. ;)

xoxo

What if...

...you woke up and would not know where you were?

This scenario happened to me twice. Once I forgot I had jet lag and didn't know what was right or left, and once, I just came out of the operation room in a hospital. No worries, I'm okay. This week has been just weird. Not only was it Monday, that once again showed us that we are not invincible nor Godly, and that no matter where you are in the world you always find someone you are linked with or linked to so to speak that had to experience something as horrific (and as newspapers claim it, simply tragic) as what we all saw and heard on Monday. One of our professors ran too. He was fast enough not to be at the finish line when it happened. It just makes our world so much smaller.

So, yes, what wold you do if you woke up and would not know where you were?

I'd hope I'd see the following face. Every. Single. Day.

Yes, sorry. No guy photo. But this little fellow is my guy, too. He needs a bath and a major haircut...but seeing him in the morning curled up next to me on the pillow waiting for me to open my eyes...this is the best. I instantly know where I am. But don't be fooled. He's a cutie pie but has a little demon in him sometimes. Just when he doesn't feel like being the cutie pie and lover he actually has to portray. :) 

So, how's your week so far?
I have to admit I've been a bad blogger.
It's been insane lately...but good thing is, finals are around the corner and after those I can relax. My studies in general are going well. I have awesome friends and classmates who keep me sane and entertained. Who doesn't like random texts at night telling me I'm a sinner because I haven't been out to have Sushi and Sake for the past two months? I just love it. Made my day, trust me.
 

This semester will be rounded up with two concerts, one wedding, a pet expo, the Color Run, my bestie visiting, some shopping moments, beach days, and a pre-birthday party! Then, in June and July I'll be in Europe. I'm already counting down the days until I'm back here in SoCal. Huh? Wait, what? Yes, exactly. That's how much I love it here. ;)

That's it...my random update for today.

Confused? Let me know.
I might as well confuse myself lately.

If you miss me, and want to know what I'm doing follow me on Twitter or Instagram. If I'm not here I'll be certainly over on those sites.

xoxo

The Flat Shoe Friday!

The Flat Shoe Friday by crazylittleworldofmine

This week's theme over at Long Distance Loving is all about SHOES. As much as love shoes I went with a simple theme here. Flats and sandals. Easy, huh? It's warmed up here in Southern California so I switch my footwear from funky colorful flats to simple sandals. I wanted to incorporate my style a little with today's theme. I think I managed this well. Plus, lately, I'm so into polka dots (well, all the time) or stripes (recent thing) I thought it would be nice to add this little obsession of mine, too. And hello? Noticed the blue theme? Not sure where that is coming from. 

If only my sets were somewhat affordable for a poor student like me. Meh. Oh well. A girl can dream and save up. And I'm certainly saving up. :)

Hope your Friday is fabulous!
Happy Weekend everyone!

Hope you are having fun plans to look forward to.

xoxo

The Ultimate Wedding Party

Thank you Lacey, for reminding me how awesome Macklemore is. Totally forgot.

My wedding, one day, just has to be like this!

And if not my wedding...then a birthday. ;)

Happy Wednesday everyone.
Hope you're having a fantastic one.

xoxo

Quote of the Day #5

{via}

“When people don't express themselves, they die one piece at a time.” - Laurie Halse Anderson

***

This quote feels appropriate for this week.

As I have introduced my friend A. to a church she actually started to like a lot, we all learned that this church lost one of his young members last week. I never express my beliefs on here. If you know me personally you know how I stand when it comes to religion, church, prayers and whatnot, but knowing that the place my friends call their church is now mourning with their pastor is just sad. Life happens. Death happens too. So we all should embrace what we have and live life to the fullest.

And quite ironically...we keep saying that but we don't live it.

xoxo

Happy Weekend

captured this sunset earlier this week...Orange County is beautiful, no?

Happy Weekend!
I had a terrific Friday, hence my lack of posts and comments and what not.
My uncle and aunt were in town for the day - way too short I have to tell you - so naturally, I woke up and got ready and spent the whole day with them. They had been to California before but never to my area. So I showed them around a little, organized a little dinner get-together with my roommates and then they left again. By now, I'm sure they are on their way back home to the Midwest. Hopefully next time I get to see them longer.

It was a fun day.
I'm a little sunburned.
Exhausted.
And ready for some studying today. Yuck.

Happy Saturday.

Gluten Free Update #2

Hello Lovelies.

I owe you a little update on my new diet. I survived. Yes I did. Well, that's really not surprising. It's food and we all know how much I love food. I may not post recipes on here (although I should change that) or talk about frequent restaurant visits etc, but I love food. Who doesn't, really?

Lent is over and so is my gluten free diet. If you are new here and you don't know why I chose to go gluten free for Lent...well, it's because of health related issues I've been having for years. I always blamed it on specific foods I ate, like the bloating/gassy kind that makes you feel pregnant even though you're not. Or I blamed it on stress or traveling which yes, both are factors that upset the stomach but come on...all the time? I had enough. So Lent came along and I decided to give it another a try (or I finally listened to my doctor's opinion). 

While it wasn't easy at times to stay strong and live gluten free, I felt better, less bloated (if at all), lost weight and enjoyed real food. This Monday I started going back to a gluten related diet. I can eat anything and everything if I wanted to. I just won't watch what I'm eating...that includes salad dressings, breaded stuff, soy sauce dishes, candy, and what not. I also had a yummy pizza on Monday. Well, as much as I liked the pizza the gluten free one was definitely more delicious. My friend who is not gluten intolerant and pretty much eats all kinds of gross stuff said "yuck" when I told her that I preferred the gluten free crust. Trust me, you wouldn't know the difference if you ate it blindfolded...it just looks different. So why do I prefer it? The pizza is smaller, and made me NOT feel bloated like crazy. It's Wednesday and I'm still having cramps. Go figure.

This whole week I will eat "regularly" but not go overboard with the regular diet. I still have gluten free bread and cereal and I'm still eating that. Lets hope I survive. Fingers crossed, okay?!

Other than that I'm doing fine. Zumba tonight was fun and kept my stomach issues under control. It also distracted me which was really needed. I have been feeling claustrophobic lately and it's not a fun feeling. So, getting out of the house for whatever reason and all that on my own is a very happy moment for me. A very happy, welcomed moment.

Happy Wednesday!

xoxo

Quote of the Day #4

{via}

You need to learn how to select your thoughts just the same way you select your clothes every day. This is a power you can cultivate. If you want to control things in your life so bad, work on the mind. That's the only thing you should be trying to control. - Elizabeth Gilbert

***

I have to work on that but I'm already on the right track. I select my clothes the night before and I'm ready on the day of. All I have to do now is to use that power properly. 

Monday Morning Gossip - A little late...but okay!

Happy (Easter) Monday!

How was your weekend?
If you celebrated Easter I hope you had a fabulous time. :)

This weekend was packed. There was babysitting, a baby shower and a baseball game involved. Then Easter Sunday...the usual, church, and fun lunch to see a former teacher of mine. She's that kind of person you want to have around in your life. Whether or not you meet her once or twice or multiple times around the year. She's pure happiness and love combined. I almost forgot how contagious her enthusiasm is and it totally brightened my day. That was my highlight of the weekend.

Other than that, I had a horrible weekend. Especially when it came to my emotional side. There's so much going on I can't fully concentrate, sleep, organize my crap, or just have some me time. We all know how important me time is, and heck it's been hectic. However, life is good so far - it goes on. Blah.

And yes, the above photo was taken this weekend. I went to a Baseball game. One I always wanted to see. Angels vs. Dodgers. For years I'd been a huge Dodgers' fan...and for the past two years I've grown to become an Angels' fan. See my dilemma? Yes, but I was rooting for the red team...and they won. ;)

What I'm looking forward to this week though is getting some more homework done, and seeing family again. Wooohoooooo!! Finally! Fingers crossed everything works out as planned though. 

Let's hope it's gonna be a good week. Today was a horrible day, and I'm super exhausted. It's not even 8.30pm yet but I'm headed to bed soon. :(

I linked up with Leeann over at Join the Gossip.