make this place your home

 this month, i completed the most taxing & difficult project of my college career thus far. it was draining. literally. night after night in the library doing calculations & writing... i felt like a zombie for a week or two there. and i didn't procrastinate, oh no. it literally consumed about two weeks of my time. in between all of that, i got a cute tray from target for my perfumes, picked up my first "red cup" of the season from starbucks, and spent some quality time with my parents when they came into town for the texas a&m game.

they couldn't have picked a worse game to come for, unfortunately. it was our first loss of the season, and shot our national championship hopes out of the picture. but now, as i write this, we're back in the running thanks to kansas state & oregon losing. silly how football brings us all together, but here in alabama, it honestly does. regardless of the game, i had a wonderful time with my family and i'm glad they came up. they don't get to often enough.

last weekend i spent time in huntsville with corey. it's absolutely breathtaking up there, as you can see. the seasons are just now physically beginning to shift here. and, dare i say it, i'm actually kind of ok with all the christmas stuff popping up right now. i think thanksgiving deserves it's moment, don't get me wrong. but people already have trees and wreaths up, and it's not as ridiculous as it usually seems. the christmas music already playing in the mall? that's another story.

(the best) pumpkin spice cupcakes

i had some domain issues, so floralfrocks.net is now floralfrocks.me. if you've dealt with godaddy before, you'll probably understand. my blog is accessible via floralfrocks.me or floral--frocks.blogspot.com. as always, i post updates on my twitter and those following via google will not be affected. thanks!

 
i bake things besides cupcakes, i swear. in fact, last weekend, i baked some banana bread. to be perfectly honest i'm not the biggest banana bread fan, so it doesn't get its own blog post. but let me tell you... these cupcakes are where its at. i was expecting them to be so-so. pumpkin has never been my ultimate favorite autumn treat ever. i don't rush out to starbucks for pumpkin spiced lattes, i don't eat pumpkin pie and when i carved pumpkins earlier this month, i had to battle my way through the smell. but these... oh my goodness, guys. it's probably the best recipe i've ever baked. when i tell you to bake them right now, i mean it.

it's my opinion that baking with oil instead of butter always lends to fluffier, smoother and lighter cake as a result. these are #1 in that department - they're super fluffy, not dense at all. the spices in the recipe - cloves, nutmeg and cinnamon - smelled super strong when i measured them out. i was worried it would be a bit much. nope, just enough. can i continue to tell you how perfect these are? i wish i could.

i doubled up on the frosting recipe and was liberal with my vanilla because i love it so. but other than that, i made it exactly as i found it on annie's eats.

for the cupcakes:

• 2 & 2/3 cup flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 can or 15 ounces of pumpkin puree
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 4 eggs

for the frosting:

• 2 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
• 16 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 2 teaspoons (or a pinch more) vanilla extract
• 3-5 cups powdered sugar, sifted (this amount is totally up to taste - i used 3 & 1/2)

preheat your oven to 350 degrees farenheit. line a cupcake pan with cute wrappers of your choice. in a large bowl, sift together your flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. set aside. in a second large bowl, add your sugar, brown sugar, vegetable oil and pumpkin puree and mix with an electric mixer until smooth and cream. add the eggs in one at a time, beating after each addition. add the flour mixture in a few additions until the mixture is just combined.

fill your cupcake papers a little over halfway full, and bake for 18-22 minutes. allow them to cool completely before frosting.

for the frosting, mix the cream cheese and butter together with an electric mixer until smooth. add the vanilla extract. gradually beat in the powdered sugar until the frosting is to the sweetness you desire. i used a wilton frosting bag & tip.

candlelit autumn nights

♥ i visited fairhope during the first weekend of october and spent some time with my parents. the weekend included an early birthday dinner with my grandparents, hanging out at fly creek cafe with mom and dad, and saturday lunch with my grandmother and brother. i hadn't been home in a while and i had a really relaxing weekend, only to return to, you guessed it, crazy things to do! i won't get into all the work i've had to do - just trust me, it's lots. but aside from that, i've been enjoying the change in weather, even though it's minimal. it's getting into the 40s at night!

♥ last week i went to birmingham and tried flip burger, and was pleasantly surprised. the whole concept is a "gourmet" selection of burgers - shrimp burgers, lamb burgers, and of course, the basic beef. i'm not really sure what i was expecting, but it surpassed my expectations. because of course, let's face it, gourmet burgers are right up my alley anyway. they put dry ice in their cocktails, which was sort of unnerving... but i'm alive, so i guess it's alright. i wish the summit weren't the only place around "these parts" with a chic array of eateries to choose from (check out my foodie speak...)

♥ sooooo... i got a starbucks card. this has been a long time coming. i've also learned to enjoy paying with my card via passbook, thanks to iOS 6. the starbucks card makes me feel special, but it also makes my marketing senses tingle. sometimes i hate buying into little gimmicks (like this) that really don't provide astounding returns for my unwavering loyalty, but regardless, i like aspiring to being a "gold member". see, it even has a nice ring to it. meredith, the gold member at starbucks.


♥ i turned 22 on the 13th. 22 is not an exciting age, it just means i'm one year older and closer to graduating. just a few of my birthday goodies - a new ID holder for my keys, a pumpkin buttercream (!!!) candle, a nintendo 64 (+ zelda ocarina of time, pokemon snap & mario 64) from my sweet boyfriend, beautiful flowers, a bracelet from bauble bar & a new watch! i have been dying to have a nostalgia fest and play the game console from my glory days - i'm already in love with zelda all over again, it's quite literally one of the most fantastic games ever created in my opinion.

♥ i carved a pumpkin! corey, charla and i got to work on saturday night carving pumpkins - it had been years since i'd done it and it was super fun. i love fall. speaking of which, i've got a fall baking list that keeps getting bigger that i need to tackle soon!

perfect & simple vanilla iced coffee

+ optional cinnamon roll.

but why would you want it to be optional?

i love iced coffee, and i will drink it well into winter until it's 20 degrees outside. and although i'll settle for a steaming latte or caramel macchiato every now and then when it gets chilly, something about iced coffee is really delicious to me. it's better, somehow. don't ask me how. similarly, i enjoy popsicles and ice cream regardless of the temperature. soups are also divine when it's 100 degrees outside. sometimes i don't make sense.

this semester has really sucked the life out of me so far. i'm staying up later and waking up earlier, which means i'm getting a lot less sleep. i am not a morning person, though i strive to be. when i do manage to wake up without feeling half dead, i thoroughly enjoy morning time. taking my time getting ready, browsing the news and making a nice breakfast (i know, it's like i'm sixty or something, right?) make all the difference in the world in terms of how my day goes. if i start on a tranquil note, i find it so much easier to relax and maintain that tranquility throughout the day.

needless to say, i've been drinking a lot of coffee. and waking up even earlier to trek to starbucks or mcdonalds (shudder) for a nice iced coffee was starting to add up in a lot of ways. i wanted to learn to make my own, at-home version. and i did!

it's really quite easy. i did a lot of reading about methods, and i decided to do the "cold brew" process instead of brewing the coffee hot and then allowing it to cool. don't ask me how, but it truly does taste better this way! making my own vanilla syrup was incredibly easy as well, but these, in addition to other flavors, can be purchased at starbucks, target and other grocery stores.

you will need:

• a large (at least 1½ - 2 gallons) jug/container
• 12 oz. - 16 oz. bag of ground coffee (i used starbucks medium roast!)
• filtered or tap water

and, if you'd like to make the vanilla syrup:

• 3½ cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons vanilla extract
• a container of your choice 

pour your ground coffee into your container, then fill with water. this depends on your container size, of course. i used a 12 oz. bag of coffee and i fit about 22 cups of water into mine; i'm not sure this detail is super important, as long as the coffee isn't watered down, but all of the grounds are in contact with water - stir to make sure! pop your container in the fridge over night, or at least 8 hours.

for the syrup, boil together your water and sugar for about 10-15 minutes, until the mixture thickens just slightly. afterward, put it an a container, allow it to cool, then add your vanilla extract and refrigerate.

the next morning, or 8 hours later, take out your mixture and prepare to strain. here's where it's tricky. i didn't have cheesecloth, so i used paper towels. if you have an extra fine sift, this might work as well. take another large container to collect your liquid, place your paper towels over the top and begin pouring the mix in, separating the grounds from the liquid. this took me about 10 minutes and i had some help, but paper towels ultimately work if you're patient. when you're done, you've got your perfect iced coffee!

i put mine back into the large container and keep it in the fridge. i've read various accounts about how long this is supposed to keep... a week, a month, who knows. i'll find out. to make mine the way i like it, i put 3-4 spoonfuls of vanilla syrup into the bottom of the glass with ice. i then add about a cup or cup and a half of the iced coffee, then top it off with 1% milk. usually i shake it up to make it frothy!

enjoying this coffee has made my mornings this week go a lot smoother. cinnamon rolls help too.

welcome changes

 celebrating my best friend charla's 21st, tango videochatting with corey, deliciousness at cheesecake factory, opi's coney island cotton candy + seche vite topcoat (current favorites), returning my empties via back to mac in exchange for my free lipstick - 'hue', the 161 miles between rival universities that make my relationship long distance, building pokemon decks, my new hair!, cupcakes from twist cupcakes for my grandfather's birthday, chicken salad at mary anne's, & my new dress from kintage.

at the beginning of august, i went to six flags in georgia with corey and we had a great time. i surprised myself. i'm kind of a theme park wuss (though i've gotten better in recent years), but i ended up riding four rollercoasters, including batman! needless to say i didn't carry my phone around so i have no photos, but it was a great way to celebrate classes being over. also, ALWAYS get the flash passes - waiting in the 90 degree heat in half a mile long lines would have been a waste of a day.

ok, as lame as this sounds... this is the biggest change in my life recently. i guess i'll start at the beginning. in highschool, i cut my hair into a pixie cut after having long hair for my entire life. i grew my hair out to my shoulders, then cut it off again. having short hair is positively freeing, by the way. i could make it look awesome with minimal effort and it never got in my way. well, after experiencing these extremes, i vowed to grow it out during my senior year. and that's exactly what i did - until now.

i grew my hair as long as it would go. i loved it, but it was beginning to become a drag. too much upkeep, too much shampoo/conditioner, just too much hair. so, i decided to get a trim to my shoulders and add a few longer layers. it's the biggest hair change i've made since i was about 18. i love it so far. for a few minutes i kind of felt like it made me look 16, but i got over it.

i've just recently gotten back from spending a few days in auburn and fairhope. i visited corey from the 15th to the 18th, then headed to my parent's house for family time and relaxation. classes start on the 22nd, and though i'll regret saying this when i have a mountain of work due next month, i'm welcoming the change.

chocolate cupcakes with raspberry icing

i love raspberries, and i love chocolate. thus, its one of my favorite combinations. you can take the chocolate raspberry love a step further with these cupcakes and fill them with raspberry jam, but i couldn't find my tiny decorating tips and had nothing to pipe the filling with. this cake is moist and the icing is pretty unique. i found 6 cups of sugar in the frosting to be a bit much, but modify it to your tastes!

for the cupcakes:

• 9 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 & 1/2 cups flour (or cake flour, which i didn't use)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 & 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 cup milk

preheat the oven to 350 degrees farenheit. line cupcake pan with cupcake liners of your choice. combine the cocoa powder, flour, salt, baking and baking powder in a bowl and whisk or sift. in another large bowl, combine the sugar and butter and beat with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about five minutes. add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition.

brew your coffee and combine it with the milk. add half of the dry ingredients to your butter, egg and sugar mixture. next, add the coffee and milk mixture. add the rest of the dry ingredients and turn off the mixture just after all ingredients have combined. divide the batter in the cupcake pan and bake for 20-22 minutes. allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

i chose not to fill my cupcakes, but if you desire to do so: heat up some seedless raspberry jam in the microwave for 10-20 seconds, then put it into a piping bag with a thin, circular tip. simply poke a whole in the top of the cupcake and pipe some filling inside. 

for the frosting:

• 16 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
• 5 cups powdered sugar (to taste - i only used about 4 1/2)
• 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
• pink food coloring

combine the butter and raspberry jam and cream them together until smooth. gradually add the powdered sugar, and finally, the pink food coloring as desired. garnish with a raspberry!

recipe adapted from annie's eats.

naps, naps & more naps

captain jack sparrow, view from green mountain in huntsville, nothing but noodles!, pinkberry in birmingham, nails of the weekend, the stadium at night viewed from my friend's new apartment, neutrogena naturals purifying facial cleanser (a supposed dupe for philosophy's purity), starbucks x 1000 to keep me awake at work, dinner at california pizza kitchen, my new headboard (!!!!) and sephora buys.

class class, work work, study study. that's all i do these days. i spent the past two weekends with my boyfriend; the weekend of the 13th, i drove to huntsville and was pleasantly surprised at how beautiful it was. i had never been before, and i wasn't sure what i was expecting, but the mountains were breathtaking and the view from the area around my boyfriend's family's place was gorgeous. oh, and they have a nothing but noodles there - another first, which was delicious. on my list of places to try again.

on monday, i drove to birmingham with michelle with the intention of picking up a new id mini wallet thing for my keys, since the one i have currently is pretty dirty. but no such luck, so i grabbed a new urban decay primer potion (i've been out for months and i have no idea how i've gone without it) and a new philosophy bubble bath, cabana girl, which smells just like a cocktail. SO GOOD. i also stopped by the apple store to see if i could get my phone fixed... the top button has been broken for a few months now. if i had known it was as simple as walking in, having my phone under warranty and simply getting a brand new one, i would have done it a long time ago. warranties are awesome.

when i got home my headboard had been delivered! i'd been patiently waiting and was so excited to receive it. i meant to get one when i first moved into my apartment, but i never got around to it. it completes my bed, and practically my entire room. it's plushy, comfy and gorgeous!

i'm honestly ready for summer to be over... i want football, a regular class schedule and my senior year to finally be here. i've become so pro at napping it's ridiculous!

instagram's impact on blogging

i'll preface this post by saying that i love instagram. it's fun, interactive, user-friendly, creative, and operates seamlessly. most everyone i know loves the app, or wants a smartphone just so they can use it. obviously, facebook saw what was up and purchased instagram a few months ago for $1 billion dollars - and after that, it absolutely exploded. it's likely worth more than $1 billion by now (don't quote me, i'm no business major)! i've used the app since spring of 2011 and i still have fun with it.

while instagram has its perks and i won't stop using it, i've realized that it's changed the way i blog, and the way others blog too. but for better or worse?

as a veteran blogger of nearly a decade, i've seen the "phases" of blogging and expression fluctuate. from livejournal's photo-less, emotional posts to tumblr's reblogging insanity, the way things are shared has evolved.

i remember when i first entered college and began blogging publicly - creating a post was an event. i'd spend a while setting up shots of makeup i'd bought or food i had made, just to get it perfect and beautiful for my blog. i'd carry my nikon d3000 in my handbag (so heavy!) and snap photos of my food, the setting, or what i was seeing. often, i would come home, look at my shots and decide they weren't good enough, thus i'd have no post. because posting without photos? who does that anymore?

then instagram happened. at first, i just used it to link to my twitter instead of using twitpic. putting filters on photos to make them look pretty was a lot more fun than just a boring old twitpic with sub-par lighting. but then, i watched instagram move from the app itself to blogs. it began taking the place of photos from dSLRS or film cameras. and soon, like many other bloggers, my daily life was being documented through my phone, and not my camera. i don't remember the last time my nikon left my apartment.

i remember being the girl who wanted to sit by the window in restaurants so i had good lighting for the shot of my salad, but now i just whip my phone out and instagram will brighten it up if it's too dark ('rise' and 'nashville' make everything look great!) i realize that the entire process of taking photos of your everyday activities is disputed as a little weird and ridiculous, but it's no different than the thousands of vloggers on youtube or bloggers around the internet. we all want to share, we all want to connect, we all want to let everyone see a bit of our world. i just miss putting more thought into it.


the fact is, instagram hasn't changed blogging in a good or bad way. but it's definitely changed it. while i praise instagram for it's convenience and i actually enjoy reading other bloggers "my life via instagram" type posts, sometimes i wish for the days where it didn't exist. as a busy student with a job and classes, i find the ability to take quick photos that look great for a post incredibly appealing. but in the future, i don't want to forget about my camera and an aspect that makes me love blogging : taking great photos and learning about my camera.

does anyone else feel this way? what are your thoughts on instagram and how has it changed your blogging or interactions via social media?

my perfume collection

from left to right (kind of): juicy couture's 'couture couture', juicy couture's original scent, juicy couture's 'viva la juicy', marc jacobs 'daisy', dior's 'miss dior cherie', vera wang 'princess', coach 'poppy', betsey johnson's original scent & chanel's chance eau fraîche.

 if you know me, you know that i adore perfume. maybe some don't find it necessary to have an array of scents at your disposal - but i totally do. usually, i wear a different scent daily, and sometimes i'll go through phases and wear the same one for weeks at a time. i've collected these perfumes over the years, and have usually gotten them as gifts. my very first bottle of perfume nearly ten years ago was clinique's 'happy'.

my two absolute all-time favorites (which are easy to spot because they're both nearly empty) are juicy couture's viva la juicy and dior's miss dior cherie. i plan to re-purchase one of them soon, because i don't wear either anymore because they're almost gone. i'm conserving the last few drops of each for a special occasion!

i love the bottles, the scents, and how pretty they look on top of my dresser. i've been searching for unique ways to display my perfumes and i'm looking for some antique-ish silver trays to line them up on. since i don't feel like i'll ever have too many, my current wishlist includes michael kors 'hollywood' and dior's 'j'adore dior'. 

what's your favorite scent?

hello july!

 where has summer gone? it's already halfway over for me, and i've completed my summer term 1 class. for july, i'm taking 2 classes in addition to working, so i'm afraid i'm going to be even more busy. the same classes every single day is not fun. at all. however, i'm looking forward to the end of the month because my boyfriend and i are planning a trip to six flags! rollercoasters are ok with me but i'm still kind of a baby when it comes to theme park rides. but i can do it. i think.

my brother's 18th birthday was june 26th, so i drove down to fairhope for the weekend to spend time with my family, cook and relax. my parents made a killer blackberry margarita and it was delish - i seriously envy their recent cocktail making endeavors... it's almost worth moving back home for! my boyfriend came down and spent the last weekend of june with me; we got hibachi and saw a friend's band at a local bar. and now? i've got 4 days off work and no class, so... roadtrip anyone?

in thrilling (ha) garden news, i got a new basil plant. it's just way too hot to grow a single thing. i'm watering twice a day sometimes! if you didn't know, it's getting up to 100+ degrees in tuscaloosa daily, aka i never go outside anymore.

more and more, i'm thinking of what i want to do once i graduate. and you know what? i have no idea. i want to do everything, honestly. before, i had decided i would stay in alabama and work, but now, i'm not so sure. i could literally drop a pen on a map and see where it lands, i am totally open to going anywhere and everywhere. i've got lots of research to do before i graduate next spring (!!!) and it's dreadfully scary, but so exciting at the same time. ok. i can't think about it anymore, because it's only july and i've got lots to do before then.

decadent chocolate lava cake

how in the world do you make chocolate lava cake? i imagined it to be some divine, unreachable feat only achieved by accomplished chefs and bakers. but why? was it really that difficult for me to imagine that lava cake, simply, is under-baked cake? lava cake still rests on a pedestal of divinity in my mind, but for reasons aside from it's supposed difficulty : the taste.

this cake is rich, and that's an understatement. if you're baking for a romantic dinner for two, i'd suggest baking one. i made two and neither my boyfriend or i could finish ours, though we tried. depending on the size of your ramekins, this recipe could make 2, 3 or even 4 cakes.

special thank to chef john of foodwishes for this recipe. i've been watching his videos non stop.

• 2 large eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 3.5 oz. dark chocolate - i used gharidelli 60% cocoa
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 4 teaspoons cocoa powder - i used nestle
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract
• pinch of salt

1. combine eggs & sugar in a bowl and beat with a whisk or electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. slice butter into chunks for easier melting, and break pieces of chocolate up as well. combine in a bowl and microwave until melted and creamy. combine butter and chocolate mixture with eggs and sugar.
3. add sifted cocoa powder and flour, whisk together.
4. add vanilla, pinch of salt and combine.
5. butter your ramekin dishes sufficiently, or spray with cooking spray. fill your ramekins as desired with lava cake batter. cover with plastic wrap and let chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
6. after chilling, preheat your oven to 425 degrees fahrenheit. place your ramekins in a casserole dish spaced apart, then fill the casserole dish with warm water; the water doesn't have to be boiling, i got mine from the sink. i filled the dish until the water was halfway up the sides of the ramekins.
7. put the dish in the oven and bake for 15-18 minutes. your cooking time will vary depending on your oven. however, the desired result is just a crusted outside with gooey interior, so don't worry about it too much! i baked mine for around 17 minutes.
8. let your lava cakes cool in the casserole dish for 10-15 minutes.
9. once they've cooled, you might need to use a knife around the edges of the cake inside to make sure it slides out easily. put a plate on top of your ramekin, flip, and you're done! sprinkle with powdered sugar as desired. adding a raspberry or caramel sauce on top would also be a great addition.

may favorites

♥ ok, so foursquare just might be soooo 2009, but i recently started using my account again and i'm kind of addicted. i refuse to be the foursquare user who checks into their own home and labels it "DA CRiB!" - because foursquare is already waaaaay too TMI as it is. but the badges make me feel special. do any of you still use foursquare?

♥ aviator sunnies! i've worn my marc by marc jacobs oversized sunglasses for over two years, but i decided i wanted to try something different and picked up a pair of cheap aviators. i really like the shape & they feel so much better than oversized glasses. my mbmj glasses hurt my face because they're so big. haha.

♥ cheap face masks from ulta, specifially the freeman brand. i picked up the strawberry chocolate and mint & lemon scents and i've thoroughly enjoyed both. they smell great and are a wonderful way to unwind at night. kaolin clay, one of the main ingredients in these masks, has always helped my skin with blemishes in the past.

♥ i go through phases where i drink tons of lemonade, then none at all. this month was a lemonade month. i might even fancy myself a lemonade connoisseur. simply lemonade (+ raspberry is good too!) is my favorite, followed by minute maid's pink lemonade. 


♥ water marbling is super easy and looks great with pretty minimal effort. i tried it for the first time a few days ago, thinking i'd test the technique on one finger just to see how it looked. i ended up loving it and did it to all my nails! don't be intimidated by it at all - it's a super easy way to have a unique manicure without crazy tools and precision. i'm interested to try an entire rainbow of colors next time! here is a helpful youtube video that shows you how.

♥ of course, no summer is complete without fruity drinks and friends to share them with. although i'm going to be busy this summer, i'm looking forward to getting away for a few weekends to escape to the gulf, fish river or a few other stops... fruity drinks included.

heavy glow

may has been a fabulous month. finals and starting work have kept me busy! i mean, that's halfway true. when i'm not working i'm cooking or being totally lazy. summer classes start at the end of may & i'll be working, studying and trudging along on my way to graduating on time. i finally finished mad men seasons 1-4 & i'm in the process of watching 5. can i just say... why does season 5 feel so different/weird? or is it just me? i could be completely imagining that.

more importantly... I JUST GOT BACK FROM HANGOUT FEST! for those who don't follow my twitter, hangout fest is a music festival, similar to bonnaroo, held on the beach in gulf shores, alabama. this was my first year attending & the lineup was incredible. i didn't make it down in time to see yelawolf and coheed & cambria on friday, but i saw chris cornell, skrillex, red hot chili peppers, edward sharpe & the magnetic zeros, the flaming lips and dave matthews band. 

RHCP was probably my favorite show of all, but i was a little disappointed that i didn't hear a few of my favorite songs. RHCP has so many hits that it's impossible to play it all in a 2 hour set, so i got over it. we got a condo right on the beach and the weather was textbook perfection for the entire weekend. i also tried my hand at making some homemade mojitos with fresh mint, & i think i did a decent job! the key is homemade simple syrup and fresh ingredients. i could not have asked for a better experience for the weekend, and i'm definitely hoping to return to the festival next year.

spring awakening

blood orange cocktail at hot & hot fish club, going to the fair, hiking to the falls at chewacla state park, tiger blood sno cone (in auburn, boo) & recent ulta buys. finals, studying & enjoy the last few days of my spring semester have taken over my life. see you in may!

one year anniversary : april 27th, 2011

i cannot even express in writing how much has changed in a year. i haven't decided how personal i would like for this post to be, so i am just going to write and see what comes out.

april 27th, 2011 is a day i will always remember. it was a day like any other day. i was out applying for summer jobs. the sky was dark and the traffic was heavy as it was late afternoon. the wind was intense, and i had to shove my application to a newly built greek restaurant under the door so it wouldn't blow away. 30 minutes before the storm hit, i was driving down 15th street listening to the radio. i got a phonecall from the manager of the greek restaurant. he had stopped by to pick up the applications that had been turned in that day.

"they say the weather is going to be bad, you should probably head home. we can set up an interview next week."

had i not decided to heed the warning i heard about weather and give up my job search for the day, i would have been right in the thick of the tornado. my only regret is that i didn't look around me and take in the scenery one last time before i headed back to campus. little did i know, it would be the last time i saw any of it.

to this day, my friends & i still struggle with what happened. i don't like viewing pictures of it, and video is far more frightening. although other towns and communities were devastated by storms last year as well, i feel that everyone has their own personal horror story - none are more terrifying than others, each holds its own devastating weight in someone's heart.

that day, i learned who my true friends were. the people i can count on were there for me and we saw each other to safety. we cried together, held each other and watched it all unfold. i will never forget waking up on april 28th, 2011 and wondering if it had all been a dream.

as i write this a year later, i still can't find a "point" to this post. my intention, i suppose, is to show that there is life after disaster. time heals and the world keeps turning. but nothing is ever forgotten and the pain is a scar now that is still visible. it's still there. april 27th is something i still think about, and always will. i cannot bring myself to say something like, "it happened for a reason" because no, it didn't. there was no rhyme or reason for the lives lost that day. it was a "one hundred year event" - something so colossally incomprehensible that it only happens once a century.

please remember to heed the warnings given by your local weather station. never again will i ignore a siren or an order to find shelter. while i imagined that day would be like any other, it changed my life and the lives of my peers. i am grateful to be alive, i am grateful that the people i love are alive, and i am grateful that my community is coming back. the mcdonalds on 15th street opened yesterday after being completely rebuilt from the ground up - i don't even eat mcdonalds, but i have never been so happy to see one in my life. there is lots of progress still to be made.

"mostly it is loss that teaches us about the worth of things." - arthur schopenhauer

hello april

♥ last weekend i drove to auburn to spend some time with the boyfriend & we saw the hunger games. i meant to read the books for the longest time but i never got around to it - i did know the basic premise though. i enjoyed it, but i guess it was a little more brutal than i expected? a game where children kill each other... yeah, i am not entirely sure what i was expecting it to be like, but i was surprised. it was very well done & i'm still interested in giving the books a shot.

♥ on tuesday, i went shopping for patio furniture for the balcony at my apartment. my roommates & i have lived here for almost a year, & our balcony was totally empty! i picked up 3 chairs & a cute little table. i'm looking to get some decorative pillows too.

♥ i'm definitely no gardener, but i purchased a chocolate mint, strawberry plant & begonias for the balcony. the chocolate mint will make a great garnish for desserts, & the strawberries are more of an experiment, so we'll see if i'm totally lacking in the green thumb department. any tips?!

♥ everybody loves funfetti, right? right. making cupcakes mid week was awesome... & my roommates ate them all. goodbye temptation.

♥ i finally got the naked palette!! this has been on my wishlist forever, & i went back & forth between whether or not it was a worthy purchase. i have a lot of neutral shadows, but i'm really not crazy about any of them, & i've hit pan on most. i went to ulta intending to buy a single shadow, but i got sucked in... & i definitely don't regret it. i cannot wait to experiment with this palette! even shades i wouldn't normally purchase, like gunmetal, look like they'd be a lot of fun to play around with. i also got a cute cupcake bath fizz, just because.

♥ i've got a lot of studying to do this week because i have a huge exam coming up, but other than that, you'll find me poolside or binging on mad men.