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.

goodbye 2012 & hello 2013!

visiting bellingrath gardens christmas lights in mobile, rollerskating double date in birmingham, my awesome wrapping skills, 2012 memories, my favorite b&bw scents, my parent's christmas tree, my new juicy pizza charm (after christmas sales, yes!) & my new bracelet.

long time no blog! after over a month, i've finally got the time to sit down & write. i never intended for this blog to be a routine, scheduled thing - after all, i am a busy student & i have to put other things first. but i still love writing, & it makes me really happy when i have the time to do so.

the end of the fall semester was the most stressful of my life. i shed blood (literally, thanks to my clumsiness & nearly taking a finger off with an x-acto knife) for the sake of my classes, but it all paid off! my grades were awesome, and i'm going into my final semester of college excited & optimistic. i've spent the majority of christmas break relaxing and recuperating - trust me, i needed it - and focusing on me. it always feels good to say that. last semester, i let my health slip for the sake of time & convenience, but i've done a wonderful job getting back on track and taking care of myself, which i will undoubtedly continue in 2013.

anyway, it's 2013?!?! how did that happen?! 2012 was a major learning year of my life, full of fun, love and adventure. i learned a lot about myself & about other people. 13 is also my lucky number, so i've got good feelings about the year to come. i'm not normally one for resolutions, but i'll summarize, briefly, what i hope to accomplish in 2013:

• graduate in may with my bachelor's degree, of course! but before then, focus on my classes & enjoying my last semester of college.
• get a real job. oh boy.
• remind myself who my true friends are & give them my all.
• keep negativity out of my life & maintain my health.
• i don't want to jinx it - but i'm planning a big, important trip this spring, & i'm crossing my fingers that it works out. i don't even want to talk about it because i'm scared of getting too excited & then it not going as planned - BUT LETS BE HOPEFUL!

i miss baking, y'all. i just bought THE cutest cupcake liners the other day, & i'm so excited to use them. this weekend i'm going to visit some old friends before i go back to tuscaloosa after the national championship game. i hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season & new year, happy 2013!

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.

happy holidays!

i love christmas. i do the same thing every year, but i look forward to it so much. on christmas eve, i whipped up a quick batch of my go to red velvet cupcakes to take to my grandmother's. christmas morning, i opened gifts with my family, then we went to my grandmother's for lunch. mimosas, beef tenderloin & the most AMAZING mashed potatoes ever = the meal i look forward to all year, every year. i got lots of presents that i'd been wanting, including some things from my holiday wishlist! i am so in love with the coach poppy scent, i'll probably go through half the bottle before the new semester starts. my other obsession is the steve madden annie booties - i can't wait to wear these on new year's eve!

this week i'll be spending time with friends, working out, watching netflix, baking & doing a little shopping with mom. during the upcoming weekend i'll be back in tuscaloosa to ring in the new year with my boyfriend & spend some time with him! hope everyone had a wonderful holiday.

the biggest october recap ever

my little toshiba pc finally bit the dust. i had an affection for it, i'll admit. it was the first computer that was mine. it got me through 2 years of college & there were plenty of memories attached, but it was time for him to go. he had been running poorly, & quite literally falling apart. the screen was totally detached from the base & i had to prop it up against a wall or other objects in order to use it. it was a sad, sad sight. one night i was watching katt williams videos with my roommate, & just like that, he was gone. screen black. dangling wires protruding from cracking strips of plastic. no lulling hum of the hard drive, no flashing battery light. rest in peace, dear friend.

but not really, because you were not a very nice computer to begin with. i made the mistake of doing no research prior to your purchase. i waltzed into best buy & picked out what was shiny. it's my fault. but, i digress.

so you can imagine my utter joy when this baby showed up on my doorstep. the transition is complete, i'm officially a mac person. bye bye pc.


a recap of the second half of october: i turned 21 at last on october 13th, & i had a great birthday weekend with my family & friends. my first legal drink was a tropical cosmo. typical, right? i asked the bartender for the girliest concoction he knew to make, & that what i got, complete with an orange slice. of course, it wasn't my last drink of the night. i found myself with way more wristbands than i had intended to collect. i got some great gifts, including gorgeous pearl earrings from my grandparents, betsey johnson perfume, MAC goodies, vs pink sweatpants (those were a need, ok?) & the fun of baking my own cake with my mother. my best friends also surprised me at midnight & brought cupcakes to my apartment! my incredible roommates got me the philosophy microdelivery peel kit (review soon!), a vanilla candle & some bath salts. they know me all too well.



the next week, i drove to birmingham to have dinner with someone special & fell in love with pf changs. why hadn't i eaten there before?! i've been dreaming about it (& the person i ate with) ever since. i don't like to get too personal on the relationship front, but let's just say i'm crushing hard.

the weekend of the 22nd my parents drove up to stay with me & go to the tennessee game. the next week was fall break! i had wednesday & thursday off from class, so two friends & i went camping at cheaha state park down in talladega national forest. IT WAS SO MUCH FUN. we did tons of hiking all day & it was so exquisitely beautiful, oh my gosh. we picked the perfect time of year to go, just when the leaves are changing & the air is cooling down. i'll be posting the film photos from that trip in a later post!

i'm honestly surprised i was able to put this entry together, because the past month has been so busy. i'm only taking 12 hours this semester, how is this possible? my agenda is packed! i'm excited for the holiday season & i've got lots to look forward to. also, how did i forget that having butterflies in my tummy 24/7 was so fun? it's the best feeling. the things that have changed in my life in the past 3 months have been for the better, & i'm so happy that my life is headed down a different road.