FOOTBALL!

Yes, it's that time of year again...FOOTBALL SEASON!

And yes, I am very excited.

I've always liked football, but it's been in the past three or four years that I've really started to love it.

And yes, I am a Dallas Cowboys fan. Go ahead, hate on me and my boys, but they're the best! I'm addicted to wearing Cowboys garb during the season, and I'm stoked to get out my blue and silver!

Tonight marks the first game of the 2013 season, and my boo and I are stoked. We're currently snacking on chips and salsa (courtesy of Trader Joe's), guacamole (courtesy of me), and bloody marys (courtesy of my man). We're snuggled up on the couch with our dog :)

First game of the season!!

Anyhow, I'm stoked it's football season and that I get to spend it with one of my favorite people (even though he's a Packer's fan...you can be sure Louie is being raised as a Cowboy supporter).

Have a good Thursday and enjoy some football!

XOXO!

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I Can't Wait for Fall!

A brief blog note: stuff might be changing soon! I've got some new ideas and have been trying to figure out a way to make this less like my journal and more relatable to everybody (and less all over the place!). But regardless of what changes, I'll definitely keep writing and I hope everyone comes along for the journey! As of now, I'm just going to keep posting whatever random things my heart desires. But just wanted to alert everyone to the idea that things might be changing soon-ish! But get excited, it's going to be good changes!

Not a whole lot going on today. I went for a six mile run in ridiculous heat (I had to get up early for an appointment and ran afterward). Thankfully I hydrated excessively (but not too excessively - that can be super dangerous too), wore a hat, and tried to stay in the shade. I am SO ready for fall. Not just for running purposes, but also because I simply love autumn. I adore the smells, the colors, and the overall atmosphere.

There's just something so special about fall. My affinity for the season might have something to do with my childhood - fall in VA is spectacular and preparation for coming holidays was always fun in my family. One of my first memories is carving pumpkins with my dad and decorating the house with fall decor with my mom. The rustic oranges and golden yellows of autumn are some of my favorite colors, and the bright sunshine accompanied with a touch of cold weather makes me feel so incredibly content and peaceful. I love pumpkin flavors, the smell of cinnamon and drinking hot coffee on cool days. I love how fall means that the holidays are coming and I get to spend time with the people I care about. And back to running, I love how the early fall air reminds me of racing in high school. It gives me the best kind of shivers, stepping outside and going for a run in weather that's absolutely perfect. The sky is so, so blue, the trees are shedding the summer months, and I always feel rejuvenated. 

Oh, and I love wearing fall clothes! Big, comfy sweaters, adorable boots, dark jeans, and colorful scarves. Eee I can't wait for fall! Of course, I'm not really sure what kind of fall I'm in for in California, but I can already tell that it's going to be a wonderful season!

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Teen Dream Photo Shoot

This past Friday I went to something wonderful, amazing and absolutely WILD.

Yes, that's right, I went to the Wildfox sample sale.

Wildfox is an LA brand that I became obsessed with about a year before actually moving to California. Since living here, I have somehow managed to acquire a good number of Wildfox pieces (thanks to bday gifts, Wasteland - the best consignment store ever, and now, this awesome sample sale).

This is not a cheap line of clothing, and I have no shame in admitting that I cannot afford a brand new Wildfox sweater (unless I don't want to eat for several weeks). Thankfully, this is where the sale comes in. Once a month on a Friday, there's a sample sale downtown in the Wildfox showroom. My girlfriend Aurora invited me and I very eagerly showed up ready to shop. There were boxes and bins everywhere, brimming with t-shirts, sweats, sweaters and dresses. Girls were tearing through the clothes, stockpiling their finds in corners of the tiny room. I probably picked up 30 different things before settling on a single piece (now that is some self-control).

I'd been wanting one of Wildfox's sequined tops since I saw them online. So when Aurora handed me a turquoise, long-sleeved crop top COVERED entirely in sequins (and it says Teen Dream which reminds me of Katy Perry and being a teenager AKA all sorts of awesomness), I knew that - no matter the cost - this shirt was going home with me.

What began as a nearly $400 top became my new favorite wardrobe staple for $40! AMAZING. WONDERFUL. WILD.

Then, after bringing this glitzy, funky top home, I did what I tend to do whenever I get a new piece of clothing that really has personality. I did a short little photo shoot in it. Because, quite frankly, this top is too awesome not to share (and I had't gotten out my nice camera in a while)!

I had to take one with Louie, since he's even cuter than a Wildfox sweater.

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Happy Labor Day!

Happy Labor Day everyone! Enjoy your day off and do something relaxing!

I'm definitely planning on taking today easy because I've been busy busy busy this past week. I've been working like crazy which is awesome - I love being busy and I love my jobs! It's a win win! :)

Weekend recap:

Saturday - I worked a little bit early Sunday, then the bf and I went to the beach to enjoy the sunshine. It was surprisingly un-crowded for the weekend and super relaxing.

The sky was stunning.

That evening we went to The Troubadour to see a band - Sad Robot - perform.

Yesterday we got up, headed back to the beach, and ran 11 miles! 11! I hadn't run that far since high school, and when I hit 10 miles I literally cheered. It was definitely not the easiest run I've ever done; by the time I hit 9 miles the bottoms of my feet were aching, my calves were burning and I was way over-heated (it's been so hot here lately). It's been a long time since running physically hurt like that; my cardio was great, but my legs were not used to so much distance. I finished in an hour and 24 minutes (about 7:45 per mile average) which is faster than I intended to go. I definitely need to work on making my long runs easy runs. The point of a long run isn't to totally wear yourself out, it's to build up distance so that, later on in your training, you can start going faster.

There are a lot of things I've sort of forgotten when running longer distances. First and foremost, I forgot how important it is to hydrate. And I paid the price. Almost immediately after finishing the run yesterday my head starting pounding. I had the worst migraine ALL day/night (and my head is still kind of achy today).

Another thing I didn't consider? Running when it's cool. We didn't start running until 10 a.m. and by then the sun was blazing and the temperature was climbing. I was squinting against the sun the whole run (despite wearing sunglasses), and all day following the run my skin was hot to the touch. I didn't get burned, but I could definitely tell I spent too much time in the sun and heat (I'm very sensitive to hot weather and sunlight - the perks of being a ridiculously pale person).

Yesterday's run was a wake-up call. If I want to run a marathon, I have to take better care of my body and make sure to take the proper precautions and steps when preparing for/running anything over 9 miles.

Me after the run, about to pass out in the car.

Anyhow! Hope everyone is having a great weekend! Enjoy your Labor Day and stay hydrated!

XOXO!

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Bad (and oh so good) TV

Been feeling a little under the weather today, so I don't have anything crazy exciting to report. Right now I'm sitting on the couch with my little family watching 'Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,' which I generally refuse to watch because I just can't handle it, but for some reason right now it's highly entertaining. I really must not be feeling well...

Speaking of good (and/or bad?) TV, you have got to watch 'Drunk History' on the History Channel. I watched this for the first time last night and oh my gosh it's hilarious. Basically, a comedian gets really drunk and recites a historical event (usually very inaccurately). While they're detailing the events of "history," actors portray what they're saying. It's seriously one of the funniest things I've seen in a long time.

Does anyone else watch America's Next Top Model? This show is on its 20th season and it's more ridiculous and over-the-top than ever. I'm still kind of obsessed with this show (I know, I know, embarrassing) but I can't help it.

So, now that I've detailed my recent TV viewings (don't judge me!) I'm going to wrap up this post and try and get some sleep. Oh, I also watched the VMA's on Sunday and, like everyone else, have my own opinions about the whole thing.

1. Justin Timberlake is AMAZING. And he seems like such a sweet guy.
2. Taylor Swift looked awesome, but she came off kind of snooty in all of her interviews and speeches.
3. I have mixed opinions on Miley Cyrus's performance: I love the girl and totally understand her desire to change her image, but there are issues with her performance (mostly race related). Those issues need to be addressed, but there's also a lot of slut shaming going on and, as a fellow woman, I don't think insulting/trashing Miley and her sexuality is the right thing to do.
4. Katy Perry is cute and I like her new song.

XOXO!

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Photo Recap

I'm now going to recap the past week in photos:

Flowers from my wonderful boyfriend after hearing about my new jobs :)

Louie!

Date night (we have a really awesome skill: taking super bad selfies)

A delicious meal at Veggie Grill (lentil soup and tempeh/avocado/mango salad)

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BIG NEWS!

OH MY GOSH you guys, I thought I was never going to be able to post on my blog again. Because I'm not smart about computers I somehow managed to make like 4 gmail accounts and then managed to forget the account this blog was on. What ensued: tears, yelling, and searching every corner of the interwebs to try and figure out how to fix my problem.

FINALLY I somehow managed to stumble upon the correct account (and promptly wrote down the user name and password), so I'm super excited right now.

I haven't been able to post in days and it's been stressing me out!

So now I'm back and have a TON of stuff to share.

First and foremost: I am officially a grown woman! Grown in that I am now officially employed with not one, but two big girl jobs! *embarrassingly bad happy dance*

I'm now writing for an incredible magazine in Los Angeles - Boulevard Magazine - and I'm so excited about it. So far I've already done a ton of writing, editing, and exploring parts of LA for stories. Check out the magazines website at www.boulevard-magazine.com!

These past weeks have been a whirlwind - I've been super busy running around and I LOVE it. I thrive on having to balance things and staying busy, it feels so good to be working. Especially working in the fields I want to work in!

It really feels like everything is falling into place - I don't know that I've ever been this happy before :)

That's the big news! I've also been running, hanging out with the bf and puppy, and doing some of my own personal writing!

I'm seriously feeling high on life right now and incredibly blessed.

And I'm glad to have my blog back!

XOXO!

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