brief hiatus

I'll be taking a brief hiatus from posting for the rest of the week, since the husband and I will be in New Orleans until Sunday afternoon! I'll be sure to have a draft of a Motivated Monday post ready to go on Monday morning though. I leave for Cleveland (for work) right after we get back from our anniversary trip, which means posting might be a bit slow.

So for now, in honor of my anniversary and my awesome, super cute husband, I'll leave you with this true tid bit on gentlemen:

And some of the things I'm hoping to see in NOLA:

And of course I'll be working on #12 on my 30before30 list, master taking photos the way I picture them in my brain.

I hope everyone has a great week & weekend!

motivated monday: road trip edition

Happy Monday! I'm really excited to put together this Motivated Monday post because it is my 'Road Trip Edition' post. I had lunch with a friend yesterday and we started discussing my road trip goal (#26 on my 30before30 list). I haven't been on a road trip as an adult. The last one I went on was an amazing 2 week trip with my dad, brother and 2 sisters when I was 13. We went from the tip of Texas all the way to the tip of Mexico; we took our time, ate so much amazing food, saw amazing things and spent time at the beach. Naturally, I have a little soft spot in my heart for road trips. So why haven't I ventured out on a trip like that in 10 years?!

Have you gone on a road trip? Ever?

So this friend that I was lunching with - she would like to do a road trip for her 25th birthday in November, which means that it's perfect timing for some road trip ideas.

1. This is one of the trips was discussed yesterday over lunch: Austin, TX  to Tennessee, with a couple of stops in between on the way there & the way back. The idea is for us to get to see both Graceland & Dollywood in TN and then stop in Baton Rouge on the way back. So naturally, there will be lots of making fun of Dolly Parton (while secretly loving her), BBQ, sweet tea, and fried peanut butter & jelly sandwiches.

2. The second option we discussed is: Austin, TX to Taos, NM. I'm a little nervous because I hear that this drive consists of several dirt roads and unmarked highways, but hey - that's what road trippin' is about, right?

So this trip would be completely different than trip #1. I'm guessing this one would consist more of scarves and boots, amazing Mexican food, picturesque mountains and spiked hot cocoa and apple cider!

You really can't go wrong with either one.

Any suggestions out there?

(original 30before30 list here)



happy fridays call for happy lists

i am in a wonderful, wonderful mood today. and have been consistently for the past week or so, which of course means there needs to be a happy list posted.

and i hope you'll share yours too! 

7 random things that are making me happy right at this very moment:

1. the fact that my one year anniversary is now less than one week away! i really can't believe how quickly this year went & i'm so excited to celebrate.

2. the realization that getting rid of negative energy in my life is much easier than i thought: simply avoid the people who bring it. i know that's a 'duh' statement to most, but it took me too long to do it. too. long.

3. i'm feeling healthier than i have in a year...(i got in my best, healthiest shape before our wedding last year)...it's a great feeling. (i'm having my first cup of coffee for the week this morning and it's only 1/2 cup! and i haven't even missed it [that much]! that's an accomplishment)

4. there's lots of planning going on. sometimes i rebel against too much planning, but lately i've been loving it.

5. i get to see my niece, nephew and brother & sister-in-law in less than a week! i'm one of those really lucky people who has an amazing in-law family and i happen to have THE cutest niece and nephew in existence. it's true. i'll show you pictures when i come back from our anniversary trip!

6. this super hilarious blog. i'm serious, check it out. it's called 'Maddie on Things' and it will make you want this dog: http://maddieonthings.com/

7. being exactly 2 months away from seeing the black keys and one month away from seeing the naked & famous in concert!

care to share? what's making you happy right this very minute?

motivated monday: tradition edition

It is Tuesday today. And I'm going to post my Motivated Monday post without any shame at all. Yesterday got away from me, in the best way possible. I got a lot of work done, I had a lot of great conversations at work, I did a lot of planning [trips, health, life, etc], and I got a one-on-one yoga session that was so needed and so wonderful. So, even though I know you guys were just sitting on the edge of your seats waiting for a Monday post, it's coming a day late, but it's themed! There are several things on my list that tie in to starting/having traditions with friends and/or family. For example -

 #7: start a movie night tradition with my husband & kids, #10: start a camping tradition, #14: start a sunday night supper tradition.

What traditions do you have with your family or friends? Or what traditions do you want to start with them?

Growing up, my family & I didn't really have very many traditions. The one that sticks out in my mind is the grapes at midnight on New Year's Eve. Anyone else's family do that? You eat one grape every time the clock strikes (so a total of 12 grapes, duh) and with each grape you eat, you say a resolution to yourself. We haven't done that in years, but I'm planning to bring that back.

I have a friend whose boyfriend goes on a ski trip every year around his birthday, with a huge group of friends. Now, I'd imagine myself to be a terrible skiier but I'd be great at sitting inside a warm lodge next to a fireplace with some spiked hot cocoa! Anyone with me? Either way, the tradition sounds like a blast.

So for this Motivated Monday, I'm sharing some images that have made me think of those 3 things on my 30before30 list that I hope turn in to traditions with my favorite people.

Camping! Good friends, a good brew, marshmallows, campfires, sunburns. Count me in.

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Movie Nights! I've always loved movies...to the point where I could spend an entire day wrapped under blankets watching one after another.

So when I say start a movie night tradition, I don't mean just order a pizza and watch a movie every week. In my head, there are themes involved and food planning and the task of creating the most comfy layout ever.

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And lastly, starting a Sunday night supper tradition. In my head, this one involves sitting outside on our deck, grilling, summery drinks and such. So, perfection.

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So, are there any traditions you and your family/friends do that I should consider adding?

they get paid to do what???

Let's talk about jobs. Have you ever met someone or heard about someone who has a job where you react by saying: "excuse me, they get paid to do WHAT?!" And I don't mean that like the way that I admire garbagemen because they do a job that I could never do myself. I'm talking about people that are, for example, interior design decorators and photographers. Just throwing that out there because that's my dream job.

Tell me - what's your dream job?

I really, really love my current job. I really do. And I'm so thankful for it. I get to do something really fun, meet new people regularly and I really do leave my job feeling like I've accomplished a lot. With the exception of things that have come to light in the past few months, I don't have a complaint about it!
That being said, I still think about those dreamy, swoon-worthy jobs that I think would be so fulfilling and fun. Some of the things on my 30before30 list are on there because they'll help me (hopefully) eventually get somewhere close to that dream job of being an interior design photographer/stylist, things like:

*owning an original art piece

*plant a thriving, picture-worthy vegetable garden

*master taking photos the way i picture them in my brain

*decorate our "forever" home to reflect both my husband & i perfectly

*become crafty

I spend a lot of time seeing pictures of beautifully styled and photographed homes and just get more and more inspired, pictures like the ones below (styled by the married couple I have a crush on, The Novagratz), make my heart skip a beat!

So, what about you?



guest post: 30before30 list

I have a very special guest post for you today. This inspiring 30before30 list belongs to none other than my amazing Man of Honor at my wedding: Frankie Galindo. Frankie is easily one of my most favorite people in the world and he put together this here list for you all to see. This is a list very close to my heart, as it contains a lot of travel goals. We've already discussed the fact that Frankie will probably be involved in 90% of the travel goals on my list, because he's part of the family! So I've invited myself along on his travel, too.
Without further ado, I present to you the Great Galindo List!

1. to travel to europe

2. to scuba dive with whales

3. to travel to easter island

4. decide if i want to go to grad school

5. make $70,000 or more in a year

6. get my own apartment

7. pay off my school loans

8. go to tokyo

9. travel to the southern tip of africa

10. go to california

11. go to new york

12. move to a new city

13. get a job as an E! news correspondent

14. go to alaska

15. climb up the corporate ladder at Aetna

16. figure out what i really want out of my life

17. learn to play moonlight sonata on the piano

18. start a fashion website for festival wears

19. decide by 30 if i want to move back to my hometown

20. own a piece of land that is in my name

21. go to crater lake national park in oregon

22. travel to australia

23. help my parents remodel their home

24. reach my goal weight

25. go for a weekend in napa valley

26. help save sloths in costa rica for a month

27. write the book.

28. go back to hawaii

29. get that feeling back; the feeling you get when you know you are doing something important

30. start the adoption process when i turn 30.

Give Frankie some motivation in the comments! I absolutely love, love his list. Number 29 is what this blog is all about, yes?

(see my original 30before30 list here)

motivated monday

This is a slightly delayed Motivated Monday! I've tried to post these in the morning so that we have time to get motivated for the week, but it escaped me today. I'm waist-deep in Valentine's Day treats that I'm creating for work, and chocolate covered pretzels proved to be slightly more important this morning.

That, and the fact that I may have spent about an hour or so looking up Bahamas FAQ's....birthday trip has been determined! One of my favorite things in the world is having a trip to look forward to, so these next 4.5 months will be really fun. Except the whole gym part.

Please disregard the fact that this post starts off with 2 things that may be taken as Valentine's Day themed. This is not a Valentine's post! I'm not one of those people who talks about how much they loathe this "holiday" (I kind of like it!), but I'm also not one to create a post about it. Although it has reminded me over and over that the husband and I are celebrating our 1 year anniversary in just over two weeks! Which means that we leave for New Orleans in just over two weeks, and hopefully I can work on taking pictures the way I picture them in my brain (which is on my list!). Speaking of list, let's get to the one for today:

I love this top! Yes, you can wear it on V-Day but you can also wear it any other chilly day and look super cute.

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Marriage tips. This blogger listed 10 things that she & her husband do on a regular basis that strengthen their marriage. Things like asking weekly questions, keeping a journal to leave random notes, and spending enough time apart. There are some tips that just won't work for everybody, but overall, it's a cute read. Click 'source' below the picture for all 10 ideas.

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Quinoa cakes with Lemon, Olive and Parsley. We've realized that spending our Sundays cooking meals for the week helps us eat healthier (and eat earlier!), and I think these quinoa cakes would be a great addition. Recipe in the 'source' link.

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You guys. Annika Aschberg. She's where it's at.

She is an absolutely amazing, inspiring photographer whose style I would love to be able to emulate. Just take a look at these two photos below. They're both so simple but full of emotion and the lighting is perfection.

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How great are these?! We are hosting a party sometime in May, as I've mentioned before, once our deck and backyard are completely done. You better believe these fruity ice cubes will make an appearance. You can just call me Ale Stewart...as in Martha Stewart. Get it? I'll accept Martha Norris too, either one.

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I have all the elements that make up this outfit: now to actually put it together.

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And, of course, for me:

Whether you love Valentine's Day and are spending it watching girly movies, drinking wine, and/or spending it with a loved one, or despise the day and are throwing darts at your ex-boyfriend's pictures, I hope you have a motivated Tuesday.

(originaly 30before30 list here)