Adulthood

 

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I feel like this All. The. Time. Sometimes I look around and wonder who thought it was a good idea to let me live by myself, pay my own bills, and teach children when I still haven't figured out how it is that people save money instead of spending it on clothes. Happy hump day!

xoxo,

E

 

Do You Believe in Soulmates?

 I read this great blog post the other day that I found on (where else?) Pinterest. In it, the writer says that her husband isn't her soulmate. At first, I thought it must be a pretty cynical take on relationships, but as I read on, it was really eye-opening. I love this part:

"I love my husband. I think he’s pretty awesome or I wouldn’t have married him and had some babies with him. He makes my life more interesting, makes me better, and loves me even when I’m not very lovable (which is a lot of the time). I picked a good one, for sure. And I’m glad he’s in my life.

But if I hadn’t met him, I think my life would still be pretty good. I wasn’t waiting for someone else to come along and rescue me from my horrible existence. I had a good existence before him."

I love that! She talks about how the idea of a "soulmate" is a lot of pressure to put on one person. And she's so right: to me the idea that one person out there is supposed to fill some sort of void not only puts a lot of pressure on any relationship I might have, but seems like an unfair burden to place on myself. How am I supposed to be good at my job, nurture relationships with friends and family, create a complete life for myself if there really is one person that my whole future is supposed to revolve around? If that's true, I should be actively and exhaustively searching for this person around the clock because there are a lot of people out there.

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You always hear that you are supposed to stop looking for someone and that's when someone will appear in your life; I've always thought that sounded like when people tell you not to think of a pink elephant...what's the first thing you think of? It makes a whole lot more sense to craft a life that you actually want and love than to end up with a life built around one person because, let's face it, people aren't always around forever, but you have to live your life for a pretty long time.

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The post gets a little religious at the end, but if that isn't your thing, there is still a lot to be gained from it. In my opinion, this is an excellent message for us to share with girls, not to make them cynical, but to encourage them to seek their own life, rather than half of one so that someone else can swoop in and "complete" it. Rather than taking away the "magic" of love, I think this pulls back the curtain and reveals something that is, to me, is more desirable because it actually looks and sounds real.

What do you think? Do you believe in soulmates?

xoxo,
E

Songs and Memories

I know they say scent is the strongest sense tied to memory, which I can totally understand, but I really think that certain songs can bring up stronger memories for me.

 

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Do you have songs that bring up memories or certain times in your life?

Here are a few of mine:

"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella
-This always reminds me of my dad because he used to sing it to me before bed time. I've always thought that this would be the song we would dance to on my wedding day. It kind of makes me weepy just thinking about it :)

"Sweet Baby James" by James Taylor
-My dad again. He has a really good voice and loves to sing...it's funny, when he comes home after work, you can often find him sitting in the car in the driveway or back in the bedroom singing (loudly) to whatever song is on the radio or his iPod. I just remember him singing this song growing up.

"#1" by Nelly
-High school basketball games/high school in general. The team would enter the gym to this song, and it just has such a confident vibe. This song came out my freshman year, and I remember singing it in the car with friends. God, we were cool.

"Nothing Better" by Postal Service
-Pretty much any angsty time in my life. This is my listen-to-it-on-repeat-until-I'm-crying-too-much-to-sing-along song. Break-up? Crush on someone who doesn't know you exist? Moderate to severe panic that comes with almost any life change? Break out the Postal Service and thank me later.

It's interesting to think about a person from your past (or present) and think of what song brings them to mind. I had a crush on someone in high school that comes to mind any time I hear "The Middle" by Jimmy Eat World or anything by New Found Glory. So weird, but those types of things make me smile every time, even if it's bittersweet.

Now go dig through that CD book you know you had in high/middle school! There are some serious gems in there ;)

xoxo,
E

Gatsby Would Like You to Throw His Green Rhino Toy Immediately.

Seriously, it won't throw itself.

xoxo,

E (& G)

Vacation Ready

Happy Monday! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! Does anyone else have an "Orange is the New Black" hangover?? SO GOOD.

I'm going on a few big trips this summer (including a three week trip to England! Yee!!) and have been in need of a nice piece of luggage for some time. I know that a suitcase doesn't sound like the sexiest gift ever, but my parents got me this for an early birthday present:

I hate how my iPhone pics never do anything justice...probably has to do with the extreme lack of natural light in my apartment.

Isn't she beautiful? I knew I wanted a hardshell suitcase in a color that would be instantly recognizable coming down the baggage claim line. I really wasn't expecting to fall this hard for a piece of luggage! Here's a better picture from the website:

 

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It's still sitting in the middle of my living room because it makes me smile every time I look at it. I may or may not have actually hugged it several times. I'll definitely report back on how it does when I take it on a trip...a three week trip to England should put it to the test!

xoxo,
E

Pretty in Purple

Quick post today...because today's the first day of summer (for me, at least)! Woo hoo! I'm celebrating by getting a new cable box, cleaning my apartment, and shopping for supplies for the summer camp I'm running next week. I know, I know, way too much partying for day one; I'll try to scale back in the coming weeks.

Even though I might not be beaching it, I can still feel summer-ready with my pretty summer nails!

 

This is Essie's "Play Date" and the icky iPhone picture doesn't do it justice. It's bright and cheerful and everything I'm looking for in my summer nail polish!

Happy hump day!

xoxo,

E

Greek Craving

I went to a Greek festival a few weeks ago with friends and have had Greek food on the mind ever since. While I had my doubts that adding Greek seasoning to fries makes them "Greek fries" (an item on the menu at Greek fest that I giggled at for a minute or two), I love the unique flavors of Greek/Mediterranean foods. They can also be light enough in flavor to be perfect for a summer meal, especially if you do them tapas-style and share with friends!

 

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There is, however, nothing light about (or more delicious than) a doner kebab. I may or may not has existed almost exclusively on these bad boys while studying abroad in Germany. Related: street meat leads to satisfied taste buds and tighter pants.

 

After going out for wine and Mediterranean food with friends last week and eating the most delicious braised lamb shanks on pita, I knew I had to find some ideas to recreate these tasty bites in my own kitchen.

Here are a few recipes that I've pulled together that would definitely satisfy my Greek craving. I'll make sure to update y'all on the ones I actually make!

Clockwise, from top left: Greek Burgers, Braised Lamb Shanks and Melted Onions (I can't even handle how good this looks!), Baked Lamb Meatball Gyros, Quick & Easy Tzatziki Sauce

OK, so now my mouth is watering. Which one looks best to you? I'm thinking the baked lamb gyros are going to need to happen immediately. Have a happy Tuesday!

xoxo,

E