sending postcards from a plane crash

i've recently re-discovered my love for fall out boy, ok? don't say you don't secretly listen to them too. & sending postcards from a plane crash is probably my absolute favorite song of theirs.

wow, where to begin? this post is probably better organized in bullet points, but hey, let's switch it up a bit. corey & i celebrated valentine's day the weekend before the date, and i cooked my very first steak! i know its hard to screw up a tenderloin, but i was nervous. i made a red wine reduction with mushrooms and mashed potatoes as a side, of course. i'm pretty damn proud of myself!

since around the holidays of 2012, i've really stepped up things in the health department. college got the best of me, guys, it really did. and while i enjoyed every second of late night pizza and hoping my metabolism would return to its preteen meredith level of endurance, i knew i had to make a change for the better. with graduation looming, i figured it was better to get fit now rather than later. i'm happy to say it's been a wonderful, empowering success. i've lost weight, i have more energy, i feel happier and at peace. truly, one of the best decisions i've ever made. and these cheesecake cupcakes i've made a few times now definitely helped (no, really, they're not that terrible for you!).

i've missed baking and cooking not-so-great for you things... let's be honest, usually because they're prettier. protein powder doesn't have the same finesse as a red velvet cupcake in a floral wrapper, you know? i'm still cooking, just different things now. maybe i'll start posting recipes again.

along with my lifestyle changes, i've tried a few new things, one being juicing. i'm still not sure if its for me. i tried a cucumber, celery, lime and grapefruit concoction and was definitely not sold on the idea. i think i'm ok with getting in fruits & vegetables in solid form. i am not a big vegetable fan, so i figured this would be a good way to eat more, but i just didn't like it that much. is the taste supposed to grow on you?

i've been relatively busy this semester, but corey and i managed to get away to fairhope to spend time with my parents this past weekend. we went out saturday night to meet up with some friends and caught up on movies on our 'to watch' list. we're planning to head back down in march for the arts & crafts festival - corey and i also signed up to run in the spring fever chase! honestly, i'm not a big runner... but i just figured why not?

i'm ready to graduate. i'm ready to move on with life. i love you college, and it's been an incredible 4 years, but i'm ready to let go (watch me totally regret saying this a year from now). i've got spring break coming up... and i am SO ready.

laissez les bons temps rouler

♥ the semester has gotten off to a great start, & i'm both happy and sad to say its my last. i have a lot of great plans for spring that i hope come to fruition, and i'm really thrilled about all of the positive changes in my life recently. i feel pretty awesome.

♥ i traveled to fairhope this weekend! as you can see from the photos of tulips, azaleas & mobile bay, fairhope is as beautiful as ever. it's rough growing up somewhere so lovely - you have THAT to compare your future homes to forever, haha. i still can't get over how gorgeous it is.

♥ my reason for traveling to fairhope aside from visiting my parents was to attend the order of osiris mardi gras ball with my friend nick. if you don't know anything about mardi gras culture, i'm sure it looks pretty strange from the outside. mardi gras has been a part of my entire life, so the parades, krewes, secret societies and moonpies are a pretty standard part of early spring each year. for those in the united states who might be familiar, here's a fact: mardi gras was not first celebrated in new orleans, louisiana. in fact, it originated in good old mobile, right across the bay. mobile is truly home to the original mardi gras celebration, thank you very much! we had a great meal in mobile and then made our way to the ball for cocktails & dancing. it was a great night & i'd definitely like to attend another ball next year!

♥ soooo i'm really into blazers now, boyfriend blazers specifically, and i want one in every color! i snagged this black one from urban outfitter's on sale, and i'm really eager to pick up a teal, white and pink one for spring. they're very comfortable & versatile. lets hope i don't try to wear one every day and become "blazer girl" (which might happen).

♥ i picked up two new juicy charms at the outlets while i was at my parent's place. i got both for $20 - how could i say no?! the key is really beautiful & very lightweight, so it's certainly a charm i'll get a lot of wear out of. so many of them are way too heavy. the pave hummingbird was also too beautiful to pass up!