Derailed.

The past weeks have taken me by storm. I've worked quite hard recently and this weekend as provided me with all the sleeping in, outdoor adventures, and time with my boo that I can enjoy. The only things missing: the beach, my family, and an endless supply of money for shopping and dining out.

A few things that have gotten me through the past weeks.

Marshmallow Eggs: They're perfectly bit sized, melt in your mouth, and are only $1 for a carton. The only down side is they only show up around Easter. Oh, don't you worry. I've stocked up.

Henri Bendel Vanilla Bean candle: I usually hate that "vanilla bean" smell, but this candle is like no other. I found it on sale at B&B Works and bought four without hesitation. Its intoxicating scent puts me right at ease.

Dunkin Donuts coffee: Don't get me wrong, I kill for a good Starbucks brew every so often. But when it comes to consistently great coffee (at a much more reasonable price), I'm a DD girl all the way.

Chakra #6 & Ralph Lauren Hot: These are the only perfumes I own and I'm sometimes under the impression that I like the way they smell more than the general population. A few sprays and I feel pretty and balanced.

Outside: I basically work inside a box with a door and no windows. Since it has warmed up, I've gotten into the habit of working with the door propped open. It helps those annoying days I find myself glued to my desk.

Lastly, my bed: I bought a memory foam mattress about 6 months ago. It. Has. Changed. My. Life. Coupled with my collection of feathered pillows and 500 count sheets, I could accurately say it is the only thing that could prevent me from being a productive human being.

So, here I shall sit, on my fantastic bed, wasting away the wonderful hours of this day, staring outside my bedroom window, eating marshmallow eggs, drinking coffee, and dreaming about some other day when I get to this all over again.

I Don't Have Much Time...

And that always seems to be the case, but I just wanted to say I'm excited about a few things:

I'm flying home tomorrow and staying for three. whole. days. It's a small trip but at this point I would flipping swim home if I had to.

On Sunday, we're headed to Disney World. When I was a wee little lass, our family had annual passes which basically meant I spent an easy 42% of my childhood riding magical rides and hanging out with the Disney characters. Stellar. I have so many favorite childhood memories at that kindgom of vacations, it's ridiculous.

Austin and I have made a pretty awesome habit of watching the NatGeo Wild channel whenever we're craving some T.V. time. Well, that, AFV and The Office. Anywho, I saw the commerical for Human Planet the other night and didn't know why I was just now becoming aware of its existence. It began airing on Janurary 13 and I haven't seen a single episdoe. I assure you, my friends, this problem will be alleviated quickly.


So, that's pretty much it. I mean, I am excited about more than just three things, but right now I have a one track mind. See ya, Livingston. Hello, Sunshine State.

The best part of the year

FYI: It's this lady's birthday today!!! Yaaaaaaaaaay!
She's pretty much the coolest Mom ever. And as time goes by it becomes more and more apparent to me that we are one in the same. So, thank you, Mom, for being understanding and loving and unwaivering and goofy and stylish and always fun and willing to help and kind-hearted and awesome. Even though I know you're working, I hope today is a great day.
I love you!

From There To Here

Last week I was in Washington D.C. for five days for the National Athletic Trainers' Assoc. Educator's Conference. It's strange to me how sitting for eight hours at a time, simply listening to others speak can make your brain feel like an orange being made into a big glass of O.J. Needless to say, I came away with a renewed sense of professional purpose as an Athletic Trainer and as an educator. All good things.

The entrance to Chinatown

The American Gallery of Art

Pennsylvania Ave.

Lady Gaga's tour bus in front of the Verizon Center. Just missed her.

Our hotel was a only few blocks from Chinatown, which provided me with more than a few opportunities to see the bright, the weird, and the scary. For meals, we would find ourselves walking up and down 7th Ave crippled by the amount of options. Livingston kind of narrows it down for us. I think we did a good job of trying a little bit of everything.
And, of course, the one day we get to visit all the Smithsonian museums and classic D.C. monuments I forget to load my camera with its battery. Just my luck.

Someone Like You

Adele's first album, 19, is in my top 10 favorite albums. Her second album, 21, releases today in the states. Thank the Lord.

I watched her perform this beautiful song at the Brit Awards the other night and by the end of it I found myself melted into the couch cushions.

She can sing things I'm not even sure how to say.

What I'm Wearing Today

Sometimes, less is more. And today felt like one of those days. It may seem understated, but never underestimate the beauty of comfortable, conservative work-wear.

What I'm Wearing Today by WhitneyMSmith featuring engravable gold pendants

"You think you're easy? Compared to what, the Hundred Years' War?"

What I love in a Saturday/Sunday combo:

1. Great movies: The Way We Were & The Social Network. Both equally awesome in completely different ways.
2. Great food: Chinese from our local China Dragon, Tammy Enriquez' yellow rice and chicken with plantains, and brownies.
3. The great outdoors: The temperature reached 61 this weekend, allowing me and Austin to walk anywhere and everywhere all day Saturday.
4. A great purchase: Our local antique store, It's All In The Past, has had this old print I had been eyeing for, oh, about 2 years. I finally snagged it.
5. Great laughs: Not having any worked related responsiblities on the weekends simply makes it easier for me to let go and enjoy things.
6. Great company: I have a great boyfriend and a great roommate. Enough said.

But back to The Way We Were. This movie will be tucked away in my memory along with The Bridges of Madison County. Both movies left you with a similar feeling when the credits started rolling: unresolve. Ugh, I swear there's nothing worse than wondering what could have been.

The only thing preventing me from becoming an emotional basketcase while watching this film was having to pause every 5 minutes to say, "Oh my gosh. She looks gorgeous. Look at that outfit! That's ridiculous. I want it."

In 1973, the film won Best Actress, Best Costume Design, Best Original Score, Best Original Song, Best Art-Set Decoration, and Best Cinematography. And if that doesn't compell you to see it, maybe these will.

It was difficult finding images of the costume design, but don't worry. The film is not in black and white. And in great Oprah fashion, she recently had a reunion of Barbara and Robert on her 1,000,000th season special that consisted of nothing but goo-gooing and gah-gahing over this film.

To be honest, Jack and Rose ain't got nothing on these two.