memorial day weekend.

3 day weekends are my favorite kinds of weekends. it's official. especially ones that officially kick off summer! unfortunately this years memorial day weekend was spent inside working, but i still enjoyed laying in the grass for a while on saturday & all of the red, white & blue around town on monday. 

i think it's so special that this country has days set aside to honor those who served & who are currently serving in the military. they make the ultimate sacrifice for us & deserve all the support we can give them! 

                                           ^^ donuts are 100% necessary when you're 

                                                     running on 5 hours of sleep^^

 

                                                          

this week in pictures.

& it was a good one.

my top ten.

in case any of you were wondering, (which i know you weren't) here's a list of the top ten things i think you should know about me (in no particular order) 

1: i'm the worst morning person to ever walk the planet. i would stay in bed every day until 11:30 cuddling with my puppies if i could. when i was in high school, waking up before 10 was an absolute no-no. now that i've grown up a little, 9 am's aren't as dreadful (still aren't preferred, though).

2: one of my biggest dreams is to hold a monkey. one of those cute cuddly ones that seem like the worlds best nap partner. i will accomplish this before i die.

3: i'm an over analyzer & thinker. i often scare myself from doing things from thinking about the worst possible outcomes that could happen from them. working on living in the moment, currently.

4: i'm cheating on my polka dots with stripes. i bite my lip as i write this because i never thought this day would come. but as i look at my recent purchases, 8/10 of them were stripes. oops. i will always love a good polka dot, though.

5: when i find a new song i like, i listen to it on repeat for days until i know the words front to back. right now it's "where does the good go" by tegan & sara.

6: curly fries are my weakness. if only a curly fry a day could keep the doctor away.

7: i'm a thrifter & bargain hunter. my savers & goodwill runs often turn into day long trips. i can't seem leave without flipping through every single object in the store! you never know where the perfect find is hiding!

8: you will never see me without my nails painted.

9: my mind wanders heavily. i think this it's the pisces in me. i often imagine these huge dramatic scenarios that could happen to me. day dreaming should be my second job.

10: mannequins, clowns, & mascots really creep me out. i will avoid them like the plague. 

sunday funday.

sundays in the summer are my favorite day of the week. i love how life slows down a little bit on a sunday afternoon & i don't have hours of homework to sit down & tackle. this means the only thing i have to do is spend as much time outside enjoying the sun. (if we're lucky enough to get some sun.) i wish it was this warm all year. the sun does magic things to my mood, ya'll.

a little part of today's afternoon was spent on the lake with the fam. it was a little more cloudy & windy than expected so the boat ride was cut a bit short. we still got a little taste of the lake though & i can't wait to spend hours out here this summer getting my tan on!

^^ the rest of day was spent on the deck painting my nails & catching up on some very 

important reading ^^ 

here's to sunny sundays for the rest of summer! have a great week!

you scream i scream.

today was a very good day. the beginning of this summer is all about reuniting & these girls have always been a favorite of mine. no matter how long it has been since we've last seen each other, the conversation is never lacking & is impossible to tell how much time has past since i've last seen them. can't wait for summer with them! also can't wait for next semester when katie will be joining brea & i in mankato!

olson's is without a doubt in my top three favorite things about my hometown. homemade ice cream all year round, it really doesn't get better. it's so true that you don't realize a good thing until it is gone. the cravings for that delicious cotton candy confetti haunted me for eight months while i was in mankato. going to be consuming large amounts of that stuff this summer. with no shame, of course. if you're ever in the 715 area, you definitely need to make an olson's stop on your way through. 100% worth the trip! (& no, i'm not getting paid to say that)

                                                    ^^ aren't they cute ya'll? ^^

freshman year equals finished.

wow. when they tell you college flies by they aren't kidding. freshman year is officially over. as i write this cuddled up on the couch in my basement at home for the summer, i can't help but wonder where the last eight months went. to be honest, i didn't want to leave. it was the bittersweet-est (is that a word?!) moment of my life. finishing my first year with good grades was such a sigh of relief. it's exciting to be one year closer to my dream job! so i'm happy that i have a three month off break from books, note-taking, & lecture attending. but, i'm definitely not happy leaving campus, my dorm room, & wonderful friends.

contrary to popular belief, i loved living in the dorms. it was like an eight month long summer camp. everyone was so close & it was impossible not to appreciate the endless outfit options. i got blessed with the comfiest futon thanks to the roomie, i'm going to miss those mid-afternoon naps after class. it's also kind of amazing how close you can get to know a stranger in eight months. i met the some of the best people i think i possibly could have. there are so many memories i won't forget & some i simply can't remember. (you know how that goes) i am however, so excited to be able to shower without flip flops & not having to climb down from bed every time i need to go to the bathroom (which is a lot).

 ^^ see you later, 305A ^^

                                      ^^ the last view from my room, ahhh-mazing ^^

i truly believe god only gives you what you need & this year was a true testament to that. one year away at college was exactly what i needed to put my mind & body in the right positive state of mind. it wasn't always happy-go-lucky, though. it was hard being on my own & making decisions without my parents for the first time. i learned soon enough that staying up until 3 am writing procrastinated papers is not a great decision. but, sometimes staying up until 3 am watching movies & laughing with friends can also be the best decision.

^^ some black & white bff selfie action. blessed beyond words to have meet someone

as wonderful as danni to spend my first year with. love her & her heart SO much ^^

it's so sad to say goodbye to freshman year. which was the best year of my life. but for now, let the summer of 2014 begin!