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!

easter weekend.

i hope you all felt the easter spirit alive in yourself & the world around you this weekend!

this year's easter officially marked my first holiday away from home. & to be honest i felt more sad about it than i thought i would. i got scheduled to work this weekend & on easter sunday. why old navy needed to be open on easter sunday is beyond me but looking at the positives in life money is well needed for this broke college student!

i made the most of my weekend alone, though. all of my friends & my floor went home for the weekend so it was literally me, myself, & i. i enjoyed the peace considering i had time to tackle homework & have a few solo dance parties in my room.

on friday i went to good friday mass. every year it is such an overwhelming feeling to wrap my head around the fact that jesus died for my sins! it reminds me of how underserving i am of this. i worked later on in the day & then spent the night watching the movie labor day. i love kate winslet! saturday was spent in the library on campus trying to plug out as much homework as i could. it always seems like the to-do list gets longer & longer every time i look at it. my evening though was what i love to do most: shopping by myself. i had a gift card left over from my birthday from my very best friend for target. so, i filled up my cart with as many things as i could, only for the fun of trying things on! i walked away with a mini haul & felt energized from the time by myself. sunday was such a wonderful day! the lord was risen & there was such a beautiful service at church. i felt reborn & ready to walk better in my journey with christ. work went by fast too, so there was definitely no complaining!

i gave soda up for lent this year. i'm a sucker for a cold coca-cola & today i splurged & bought the good kind. going without soda for 40 days (okay, yes i had it once, i got stressed ya'll!) was a challenge, but i think the purpose of lent is to teach you that you don't always need what you think you do. i'm going to try to keep it healthy & stick to water, water, water from now on! soda is only for emergencies, new rule!

dressing room snaps.  the cutest little lace top. 

i dance when i'm excited, apparently.

 // if you confess with your mouth that jesus is the lord & believe in your heart that god raised him from the dead, you will be saved//romans 10:9//

may the joys of easter & the new spring season bring you peace, hope, & happiness. xoxo.

a whole new world.

update! i got glasses! finally! no more shaky screens & squinting eyes in lectures! and my eyes have finally adjusted, thank goodness! i think this is the first official sign that i'm getting old, too. i also think with the temps in the high 50s yesterday it's an even bigger sign of spring! my mood is always a little brighter this time of year. one of my many resolutions was to start finding happiness daily, even if it was in the littlest things. i will admit this has been a little bit of a struggle at times. it's much easier to look at the negatives than the positives. i believe being happy is a choice you have to make daily. today, nice weather & good vision has put an extra bounce in my step. can you blame me though? i hope it's not a minnesota tease & will be here to stay! here's to the rest of the week to being as great as the beginning!

ketchup round two.

i haven't been here in over two months. i'm not happy about this either. i think i haven't felt like there has been anything worth blogging about in my life recently. i am still plugging away at school, this semester i took less credits but still seem to have just as much work. i am napping a lot more lately which i haven't figured out if this does more harm than good. i am trying to push through today without hitting my pillow. we will see how that actually turns out.

life actually is flying by. it's hard to wrap my head around the fact that freshman year is almost over. five weeks left, folks! where did the year go?! i really don't want to think about the end yet. i'm not ready to leave this campus, my friends, & my cute little room yet. i'm very surprised i am not sick of this small space. i am usually one who likes my time alone. i think having a closet & dresser that fits all my clothes has something to do with this. don't get me wrong, i am so ready for summer. it will be a much needed break. i hope i will be able to get through my list of things i want to do. thinking about the sunshine, ice cream, and shorts is helping me push through, though.

spring break has already came & went. i spent the week at home with my family & puppies. it was kind of a bummer that most of my friends didn't have their spring break until the week after mine, but it was so nice to be at home & in my own bed. i recently just got hired at old navy, too! i am so happy because this is my dream job. sadly, yes this is true. if anyone knows me they know i'm obsessed with old navy, i pray that i will not blow my whole entire paycheck there either. god, give me the strength! 

i'm also very happy to say that my weather report has been nothing but sunny skies the last couple of weeks! i am finally at a place in my life where i have wanted to be for a long time! 

spring is here, summer is around the corner, life is very good!