Out With The Old......

Today, for the first time since high school, I decided to replace some of the photos that I had on my picture collage wall in my room. Mainly because, well, too many of those pictures were of me with my ex-boyfriends...something that my lovely boyfriend (of three years, might I add...) probably got tired of seeing. It sounds pretty bad now that I think of it. I've been with the love of my life for three years and still had pictures of me with old boyfriends at prom, ring dance, in Europe, etc. Yeah...its about time I moved on, right? ;) I replaced those pictures with ones of my best friends, my love, my family, and trips I've taken over the years. Much better.

I can proudly say that now, my love is the guy in almost all of my pictures, give or take a few :) But there are NO ex-boyfriends' pictures hanging on my wall anymore. For the longest time, I kept them there solely for reminiscing on all the good times in my past. Truthfully, though, being in love has taught me to love the present most of all. I have had moments over the years where I've wanted to relive some of my past, but now, all I want to do is enjoy the moment, live in the present. I have to give some of that credit to the love of my life, for making every day worth smiling over and finding the smallest joys that end up making every single day perfect. That's what love is all about. No matter what you're going through on a day-to-day basis, knowing you have each other makes every single day worth living to the fullest. Something else I've noticed after three years of being in love...I've turned into a sappy romantic. ha. But that's another story for another day...................

Things I Love [Summer Edition]

Because I'm still putting off writing about my European adventure, I figured I'd share some things I'm loving this summer...


1. Starbucks Iced Coffee Blend

It might help you kick the habit of stopping in Starbucks every day during the hot summer for an Iced Coffee, or it might not. But either way, its still nice to be able to make the same Iced Coffee at home whenever you would like :)

2. Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred

Yeah, this is not new. Nor is it the first time I've done The Shred. I just keep going back to it, because its that good! Even if you consider yourself an active person, give this a shot. I like to do this before I run...for a little warm-up/strength/ab work!

3. Sweet Valley Confidential

If you ever read the Sweet Valley High series of books, you should read this! Its a book about the twins lives 10 years later, with a lot of drama and boys (not surprising right?). Sure, its an easy read, but if you were a true Sweet Valley fan, you'll probably enjoy this book :)

4. Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect Suntan Lotion SPF 20

As a lifeguard, I've tried many different types of sunscreen over the years. Hawaiian Tropic has long been a favorite of mine, and the new "Shimmer Effect" is really great at evening your skin tone and it really highlights your tan! Downside: the glittery shimmer gets everywhere...oh well ;)



5. Riesling

I've never really been too much of a wine drinker, because it literally makes me fall asleep after a few glasses. For some reason, the only alcohol I've wanted to drink this summer is a chilled glass of Riesling (okay, okay...or a Mojito). I have a "favorite" but I'm not terribly picky about Riesling, because its generally sweet enough regardless of which brand...


-xoxo

Summertime Back Home

It kind of looks like I fell off the face of the earth when I returned from Europe....oops. Not the case...I just got busy enjoying summer and working a little bit, too ;) I still have some interesting stories to share from the month+ I spent over in Europe, but for now, here's what I've been up to...


First of all, I did a LOT of resting once I got home from London. I was exhausted. Who knew how tiring traveling for a month could be?! I had about two weeks to recuperate and do almost nothing...which I did a very good job of! haha. I worked to ease myself back into running, but it took a little while to get my mileage back up to normal. The first week back, I ran twice I think. Pretty lame! My second week back, I got up to about 25 miles that week. Then, last week I did 36 miles. Finally, almost back to normal, and it felt GREAT :)


One of the first places I went once I returned home was to the beach. Obviously. Makes sense, since its my favorite place ever...and of course it was nice to relax on a sandy beach after sitting on a rocky beach  in Nice, France! Not complaining about Nice, of course ;) Using poor judgment, I accidentally drank too much wine on the beach, and woke up the next day with a splitting headache. Good thing all I had to do the next day was lay outside and tan by the pool....

Sandbridge at sunset

I ended up back at the beach the week after the 4th of July...what can I say...the beach and summer just go hand in hand. I wasn't there nearly long enough, but it was long enough to get some sun and spend too much money on alcohol. Again...oops. I ended up winning tickets to meet James Wesley the night I returned from the beach, so that was pretty amazing. Its not every day you get to meet a country musician and have him sing to you.........

OBX

James Wesley

I started working last week, lifeguarding again. One day I'll grow up....for now, I'll keep my job of staying tan and wasting away by the pool. Last Saturday, I went to see Tim McGraw in concert again. Last year, he didn't play Indian Outlaw, so I swore I wouldn't go back to his concert. Well, apparently I had enough faith in him to give him another shot. And guess what, he DID play Indian Outlaw this year. Glad I made the decision to go! I'm clearly simple, since I declared that I could die happy now that I heard him sing Indian Outlaw at his concert.....

Tim and The Band Perry

Luke Bryan rockin' the tight jeans.

Tim McGraw

Since I spend most of my days sitting by a (never crowded) pool, I don't exactly have anything interesting to say. Except my guy and I celebrated our 3 year anniversary on Tuesday, at the Williamsburg Winery and having a nice dinner on the waterfront afterward. What better way to celebrate than by drinking alcohol...that's how we ended up together anyways. haha. Oops :)

Maybe one day I'll get around to writing more about our European adventure....

-xoxo