Weekend Update

The weekends seem to fly by!  Especially when there is so much going on.  Never a dull moment.
Friday: - initially we were going to a fish fry w/ Andrew's mom; instead went to Soon's for sushi - i had the house salad with ginger dressing; veggie tempura; & shrimp tempura roll {also had a bite of a yellowfin tuna roll}...so stuffed!  eyes definitely bigger than my stomach! - stopped by Marshall's...looked at every inch of the store.  wanted everything!  try to avoid this place as much as I can...too much temptation!
Saturday:

This is me.

Just some random facts for you about yours truly,

1. I love  am obsessed with turquoise (obvi.)
2. Pecksniff's England Gardenia & White Peach - my new hand lotion love.  Thanks Marshalls!
3. I am old fashioned (relationship-wise) and when all the little girls were kissing boys in elementary, middle, and high school...I had a rule: I only could kiss a boy if he was my boyfriend (with the exception of Andrew...I must have known he would be my forever love ♥.)
4. I did shot put in middle school and was on the Varsity team starting in 6th grade.
5. I wish I enjoyed running and cardio, but I despise it.
6. I've driven several times from Wisconsin to South Carolina on vacation with my boyfriend and his family.
7. I've never broken a bone.
8. I am in love with dahlias and zinnias.  My favorites.
9. Speaking of driving, I hate it.  It makes me want to take a nap.  Even being a passenger, I'm bound to end up sleeping before we get to our destination.
10. Elvis and Elton were two of my first music loves (Presley and John, that is).
11. My mom took me to see Lisa Marie Presley when I was about 10 or 11 - what I took away from that: a rowdy woman in the crowd who took her shirt off and was dancing in her bra.  Strange. 
12. I can remember things all the back when I was 2 years old.
13. As #11 shows, I have a freakishly good memory.  It can be bothersome when I just want to forget.  Good for studying, though.
14. As a kid I didn't really enjoy sitting and playing with toys for hours, I'd rather play pretend and make up a game or play tag/baseball/hide & seek.
15. I've eaten raw eggs when I was a child (thanks Dad!) and a couple years ago - just to prove to Andrew that I would do it.
16. Also, when I was young my favorite snack was fried fish & Chicharrón (pig skin).  Again, thanks Dad and Filipino roots.
17. I'm half-filipino, yet I do not know my dad's native tongue.  I've tried, but it is difficult.
18. My grandma (maternal) died the year I was born; she never met me; my middle name is her name {elaine}; I still feel a connection with her despite never meeting - she's with me when I cook and bake. 
19. I cry like a baby when I watch The Notebook and PS I love you.
20. I want to move to Portland or Seattle.
21. Andrew and I make up songs about the most random of things and make up words; of course we do this in funny voices.
22. I was born in Long Beach, California and moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin when I was 2.
23. When I was in elementary school I bragged and bragged about being Filipino and being born in California.  Seriously, I wouldn't shut up about it.
24. I have scarring on my kidneys (recently discovered) and the doctors have no idea why, BUT they do think it is the cause of my high blood pressure!  One answer down, one more to go!
25. I can't french braid my hair.
26. I have hated hair for most of my life and in middle school I thought it would be a great idea to pluck my eyebrows to the point that one of my eyebrows was [almost] gone!
27. Belle was my favorite princess growing up and now my favorite is Snow White.
28. My favorite pastry is a tie between an apple turnover and blueberry scone.
29. I haven't finished the Harry Potter series because someone spoiled the 6th book for me, so I stopped reading.
30. I can be OCD - I count things or have to do something a certain way or certain number of times.
31. I'm pretty sure I might be tone deaf, despite being in choir from 6th grade till 10th.
32. I met Dana White (President of the UFC) after a weigh-in in Milwaukee a few years ago.
33. Hank Aaron was my commencement speaker at Marquette.
34. I'm a perfectionist | loud | outgoing | quiet | reserved | pensive | hesitant.  I'm a contradiction.
35. 5 & 6 are my favorite numbers (mostly because those were usually my numbers in elementary school - alphabetically I came 5th/6th in class - and it just stuck).
36. I've had a size 10 shoe since I was 10.
37. I have horrible motion sickness - in cars, planes, trains, boats, roller coasters, you name it.  The last time I was on a plane I almost got sick, so I took a 2nd dose of Dramamine and once we got off the plane I was so tired I slept through dinner (at a restaurant - literally head down on the table) and through a two hour car ride around town.

This was fun!  Not only was it a way to share a little bit about me, but it was also cool to go back and remember some things that I don't always think about.

What kind of weird | interesting | fun | exciting facts do you have to share?  

Share a post with random facts about yourself & let me know {via comments, email, twitter, facebook}.

Just Because.

My love surprised me and brought home some beautiful flowers!  He must have known I was upset and getting frustrated as I tried my hand at designing a new Blog header.  Ahh well.  These beauties perked me right up and out of that stinky mood!

a hot oven & raw dough.

So this weekend consisted of a couple things: a hot oven & raw dough...as the title suggests.  To explain, I spent a couple days this weekend cooking (i.e. a hot oven) and also mixed up some cookies (i.e. raw dough).  Now I know some of you out there take pleasure in eating raw cookie dough and cake batter and if you don't - you're missing out.  Some days I would rather eat the dough than the actual baked good!  Just sayin'!
Also, I live in Wisconsin so I don't just cook and bake for pleasure...I do it for warmth!  Even with the heat on our house can be a bit drafty and if all I'm doing is sitting on the couch then I freeze.  Solution: make something!  Anything to do with turning on the stove or oven provides instant heat or "Insta-Heat" as Andrew would say when we start the car on a winter's day, praying that the heat will turn on instantly!  At one point this winter, it was so cold that I actually turned the oven on and left the door open in order to warm up the house a bit without maxing out the thermostat! 

April Goals.

I'm constantly writing lists of goals and to do's on sticky notes, pads of paper, and in notebooks.  The thing is I rarely ever feel like I completely accomplish everything I set out to do.  I want to be realistic and keep myself accountable.  Seems like I'm really only half doing about a handful of things - I'll start out on a project and then just before its finished...on to the next project.  I'm so all over the place!! So many interests/projects/ideas and I'm trying to tackle them all at once!
I was just visiting Jess over at the Foreign Room and read her newest post A New Month//April Goals.  This is the kick in the butt I need to start setting and achieving my goals.  I wrote out a list of almost 50 or so goals I want to accomplish this year, but looking at it...its quite daunting.  Jess' post has inspired me to keep it simple - have a few monthly goals and review them the following month to make sure I'm finishing...or at least attempting to cross of my goals.

>>April Goals<<

# Make blogging friends.

I've been reaching out to a few bloggers lately and it's been great!  It is really fun finding people who have similar interests!  I find that its a great way to find inspiration - it really pushes me to better myself, as well as give me great ideas for projects & blog posts.  I definitely want to expand my blogging community.

# Read one book.

I am no longer that reader who can read a book in a day or two.  After college, I've struggled just sitting down and immersing myself into a book - just because well a) reading all those textbooks and required readings burned me out and b) I have other interests too - like sleeping and Netflix, can you blame me?

# Clean out the clutter.

So, my dresser and side table are a wreck.  After work, I get home and empty my pockets onto any free counter space - scattered about are crumpled receipts, chapstick, change, name tags etc.  On top of that, I have a supposed craft room that is serving as storage space for not only craft supplies, but unopened presents from Christmas - wine glasses, a Star Wars clock, glass kitchen containers - that I just haven't found the time to put in their proper places.  Clutter = stress.  I just feel so much more relaxed and happy in a clean, spotless home.  These days its impossible to relax when all I see is mess!  This must change, for the sake of my sanity!  I'm a clean freak who doesn't like to clean. *le sigh*

# Live healthier.

I'm not trying to train for a marathon or have an six pack.  All I want is to eat healthier - not for every single meal (I still want dessert every now and then & to indulge in chips!) - but to make overall better choices.  I used to follow a Beachbody program (Chalean Extreme) - which I loved and it did wonders for me - but I don't want a strict 'diet' to rule my life.  Basically, I need to cook at home more, incorporate more veggies, and drink more water.  Not just for the sake of my weight, but for my health (and my face! - eating better and becoming more active should help combat this wretched acne!).

I believe four goals should suffice - these are fairly doable goals.  I have faith that I can accomplish these and hopefully more by May 1st!

What are your goals for this month?  Do you have any exciting planned?

Feeling all the feels.

 Post inspired by: itbritt's "Taking Stock: March"

Making : the world a happier place, one smile at a time :)
Cooking :  nothing.  already ate dinner an hour ago [leftover ribs and beans. yum.]

Drinking : iced passion tea with honey.

Reading: happy wives club. got a slow start to it - need to get into it more!

Wanting: to dance!

Looking:  to plan a vacation!!

Playing: 24 hours of happy : i wanna dance around the streets of la right now! so happy!

Wasting: time browsing the internet when I should put clothes away...oops!

Sewing: NOTHING! wish i was...i've been meaning to start learning.  

Wishing: Wisconsin could be done with winter already.

Enjoying: my warm Ikea throw.

Waiting: for my master's program to start in May! 

Liking: the fact that i have the next 2 days off with my love.

Wondering: what is going to happen next season of the walking dead! (my prediction: cannibals)

Loving:  Boyfriend.  He is a good guy!

Hoping: to be productive tomorrow. 

Marveling: at how fast life has flown by; & how much i've accomplished.

Needing: groceries - i want key lime chobani. delish.

Smelling: the stinky puppy!

Wearing: socks, sweats, a long sleeve - comfort is key.

Following: ELSIELARSON - absolutely love her photos and a beautiful mess updates!

Noticing: I need to start spring cleaning!

Knowing:  I really should get back to my workout routine, badly.

Thinking:  about moving out of Wisconsin.

Feeling: happyyyyyyy! because i'm happy! #clapalongifyouknowhappinessisthetruth

Bookmarking: Jess at the foreign room!  her photographs and style are thebomb.com

Opening: a new tab to read itbritt's newest blog post - check this girl out!

Giggling:  at this:

Feeling: surprised at how happy i'm feeling! had a semi stressful day & my eye would not stop twitching, so the end of my day is actually pretty good! :)