so freakin' excited!

have you ever seen this video?

that's me.
that's me thinking about Thanksgiving.
that's me thinking about Thanksgiving this year in Pittsburgh.
that's me thinking about Thanksgiving this year in Pittsburgh with all of my siblings.

I'M SO FREAKIN' EXCITED.

it's funny how as we all get older, somehow the less time we spend together, the more we like one another.
I'm not saying that we didn't love each other back when we all lived permanently under the same roof, but I think once we all began to grow up and move out, we get along a lot better. Probably the whole maturity thing helps some too :]

for Thanksgiving this year, we're road-tripping it out to Pitt to spend a few days with my broja, Tommy. and the 4 of us have not spent more than 15 hours together since Tommy left for his summer internship in Germany in May. I graduated, moved back home, and about 3 days later, T left for Berlin...then when he came back in August, I was home visiting, but by the time his flight got into Chicago, we all had 15 hrs (8 of which were spent sleeping) before I headed back to CU. Bummer.

BUT from 11/21-11/24, we will all be together once again. Huzzah.

and I'm excited.

STL, pt. 2

part 1

upon returning to our vehicle, we headed to THE ZOO! so.excited. and since I'm assuming we've all experienced zoos, I won't bore you with the details...

I may or may not definitely was "that person"

funny story about the lemur...I had been chompin' on an apple when we walked into the zoo and the first animal house we encountered was the monkey house...easily my favorite. I LOVE monkeys.

but so I had this apple and was trying to get the animals to notice my apple and maybe act funny or something...well, I had no real success until we got to this little guy's cage and HE.WANTED.THAT.APPLE. it was hilarious...he was jumping all over the place and the little kids all around were pressing up next to me trying to get a better view...and I was moving the (by then) core back and forth and not only would the lemur move along the glass with the core, so would the children. eventually, the lemur became disinterested and put his back to me and so we moved along...with a number of children on my tail, just waiting to see what I would do next! 

I felt like the Pied Piper....but instead of rats, children followed me.

my dream.

soooooo then after the zoo, we headed out in search of Oktoberfest. I have to say, I was excited!

...but then I realized that this is OKTOBERFEST. aka crowds of drunk people wishing they were German.
which I am, btdubs.

aaaanyway, Jordan and I pressed on, paid the $5 cover and ventured into the polka pit that was Oktoberfest. wellllll we lasted, what would you say, Jordan? maybe 15 minutes? perhaps closer to 20...

we stuck around long enough to take a couple of pictures for German-clad folks, listen to some really-not-German music, watch people polka horribly, and realize that there was no way we were going to stand in the 50+ person line for some gross Coors Light.

so I took some pics...

...and a video...

...and we polka-ed our way outta there.

luckily, when we got to our hotel, it wasn't shady at all...oh wait, I should tell the truth, yes?
I think the fact that our non-smoking room smelled entirely like smoke, the window we actually did want open somehow broke and wouldn't close, and this smoke detector pretty much explain it all. And yes, I'm 67% sure that the stains on the floor weren't blood....

But after checking in, we found a sports bar in which to eat (delicious) and called it a night.

Our second day in STL was pretty chill and mainly just consisted of sleeping as best we could through the car alarms and gun shots (juuuuust kidding....), grabbing a quick bfast at Dunkin' in which I waited entirely too long for my caffeinated beverage, and headed to the Cathedral Basilica. gorgeous.

who wouldn't want to be Catholic? I mean, really.

post-mass we stopped for gas at a station that was (if you can believe it) even shadier than our hotel. wowza. It seems like we're almost magnets for shadiness. Like trees or something. See what I did there? hardy har.

Overall, a great weekend! Lotsafun :) Check out Jordan's post for a better picture of our trip ;)

fun facts

• I love trashy television...think The Bachelorette and Keeping up with the Kardashians
• I hate waiting...especially if I'm waiting for someone for more than 5 mins
• I really don't like the smell of cigarette smoke...cigars and pipes are OK, but not cigarettes
• I whistle. Very well and a whole lot. Usually when I'm happy.
• I have fun causing trouble. Especially when I'm back home with my siblings
• I've sewn a couple of dresses from scratch
• I really do feel naked when I don't have nail polish on. And when I forget my rings.
• I hate eating soup with a non-soup spoon.
• I love babies. Like, a lot. A lot, a lot.

STL, pt.1

gotta love adventuring.
you're welcome in advance for this first part of the detailed story of my trip to STL

a couple weekends ago, my friend Jordan and I went off to St. Louis...just cuz.

it was great.

we left Saturday morning in a car full of the wrong cds and sugar-infused snacks for STL and got into the city a little after noon at which time we headed straight to the Arch and parked on an extremely precarious incline that should one slip or trip on the bumpy cobblestone (a VERY likely possibility), one would tumble into the river. 

so naturally, I felt completely safe.

we took a couple snapshots and headed underneath the Arch in search of restrooms...but before we could "relieve ourselves" we first had to go through airport-worthy security checks. it's a good thing I kept all my explosives and switchblades at home...

after confiscating all of our contraband, we were allowed into the underbelly of the Arch and discovered a mini-museum! huzzah!

and what is a museum without totally creepy robot narrators?

he.looked.right.at.me.

upon finishing our 7 minute stroll through the museum, we ventured back out into the sunlight and discovered a gorgeous walking path! I freaking love fall. All of the colors make me so happy and grateful that we have a God who loves us enough to give us so much beauty.

this is where the story gets good.

upon finishing our walk amongst the colors, our tummys were a-rumblin' so we scavanged for a place to eat and in the meantime, paid about $1.50 in quarters on a meter which is free on weekends. doh.

Jordan thought that she'd heard about a 2 for $10 deal at Fridays so we went there first to see if that was legit...and the hostess confirmed. score.

buuuut once we sat down and opened the menus, we realized that while there is a 2 for $10 deal, it's an appetizer and entree for $10...bummer. so we skedaddled out of there real quick and went down the street to Panera ...I'm sorry, I mean St. Louis Bakery (can they DO that?!)

so we ordered, got our food and sat down...I had noticed right away when we walked in that there were about 5 guys sitting and talking in what sounded like German...I figured that it wasn't too weird because Oktoberfest was this weekend...immediately after we finished praying and began to eat our lunch, the oldest gentleman of the group, decked-out in what looked like traditional German dress, came up to our table and said to me something along the lines of "guten eatten?" (but upon further investigation, I bet he said "schmeckt gut?" aka "tastes good?) ...and I responded with a very polite "....I'm sorry?" and he repeated himself, this time with hand gestures at which time I replied with "...it's good!" while holding up a piece of bread....and he walked away.

aaawkward.
Jordan and I sat there totally stunned and proceeded to crack-up...very stealthy-like as to not embarrass our German buddy...when we realized that this preteen boy was freaking out across the restaurant...what we gathered from his squeaky utterances is that the German man is a famous singer/entertainer who was in town for Oktoberfest (which we were going to!!!)....but upon a quick Wikisearch, we couldn't find him on the interwebs so I have to assume that maybe he's not THAT famous. 

we finished our lunch whilst eavesdropping (pros, fosho) and then headed a couple blocks down the road toward the Cards stadium. NO I'M NOT A FAN. buuuut it is a sight to see, and well, since we were being touristy, I think you catch my drift.

pink fountain!!!

mixin' patterns. totes fetch.

look at all that shrubbery! in the middle of the road!!!

and who could have expected that we would find such entertainment at a baseball field?

selfie fail

we then turned around and walked back to the car...but not before coming across a bridal party! So cute!

stay tuned for part 2!

Quick Takes (10): Hermit Edish

Hola once again.
Venturing out of my rabbit hole for another stab at some quickies.

[1]

The past two weeks have been insane, and I'm seriously considering becoming a hermit just to relax for awhile. Within the past week, I've been to Chicago twice so that in and of itself has been taxing. Which is why these quickies are a day late....also because I may or may not have slept until 2:30 this afternoon....

[2]

My roomies and I had a Halloween par-tay last night and it was a lot of fun...we, along with one of the guy missionaries, were Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Hilar.

[3]

In order to be the aformentioned bears, we had to massacre a few teddy bears...so sorry, buddies.

the donors

[4]

It was awesome to see my friend Jordan again....and yes, I am still working on a recap of our weekend in STL, complete with pictures. IT WILL HAPPEN!

a nurse and Mama Bear :)

[5]

I have yet to listen/buy TaySwift's new album. And it's pretty much killing me....cause I've listened to this song and I.love.it.

[6]

I'm about to break out of my hermit shell and go out with some buddies from college. #excited

[7]

check out Jen for better takes!

sorry I'm not sorry

I know its killing you waiting for me to finally return with daily posts buuuuuut that might not happen for awhile. Cause I'm exhausted, yo.
I was in Chicago yesterday and today AGAIN hanging out with supa cool Loyola and Northwestern kids and when I got back, I realized that not only was it only 5pm but its also ONLY WEDNESDAY. And to make matters worse, I'm out of rum "WHY IS ALL THE RUM GONE?!?!"
What a nightmare. And to give you an even further idea of how tired I am, I'm laying in my bed trying to get the motivation to get up and put my laundry in the dryer. Because I'm basically out of all my regular clothes and completely out if some necessities, if you know what I mean. TMI? Get over it.
I'll leave you with this pic and a promise to return asap. Perhaps this weekend.
That's some "Punking" beer, that is. Delish.

Alveterzane!

7 Quick Takes (9)

Joining up with Jen for the second week in a row (woah now. gettin' craycray up in here)

1. Being an adult is hard. I've been totes busy this week prepping for the annual conference we hold...and its gonna be fab, but all of the last minute preparations plus my normal responsibilities might just kill me.

2. Because I've been so busy it warrants taking up 2 takes. Exhibit A: I was at work until 11PM tonight. Wowza.

3. Have extra time to pray for me? Great. While you're at it, ask St. Anthony to find my husband for me? Cause I'm having no luck.

4. Loving all of this pumpkin flavored stuff! Didn't want to jump in the bandwagon, but my fav coffeeshop has a "Frosted Pumpkin Mocha Latte" that is to.die.for.

5. College kids are funny. And loud. Didn't really notice until today...must be the whole "outside-looking-in" thing.

6. Its official: my brothers are in a contest for who can get the most injuries. No seriously. Tom just got out if his knee brace after 3+ months post-surgery, and Mike just dislocated his good knee. That's right, he's got a bad knee that's already been dislocated and surge-ified. Oiy.

7. Heading up to Chicago for the aforementioned conference at which I'll be MC-ing. Wish me luck!

Check out Jen for more quick takes!

a century

Hola.

So sorry that I've been absent for what must seem like a century...I'm working on a recap of my super duper awesome weekend in STL with Jordan but this week has been insanity because of prepping for our conference this weekend.

But had to pop in and say

HEY EVERYONE! YOU SHOULD CONGRATULATE ME 'CAUSE THIS IS MY 100TH POST!

Congrats, self. I'm so proud.

Til next time...

Quick Takes (8)

Joining up once again for 7 Quick Takes hosted by Jen at Conversion Diary...aaaaand I'm horrible at these.
Enjoy.

[1]

This evening will begin the epic Weekend of Fun with Jordan! She's coming down tonight and we'll leave in the morning for STL. Super pumped for nice fall weather and adventuring.

[2]

I now know why men like powertools so much.
I borrowed a powerdrill from my friend/new neighbor Pat and ohhhh mama! I love that thing!
There's just a certain feeling of accomplishment that comes with creating something new.
AND THE POWER! purely awesome.

[3]
I loooooove this cardigans-and-tights weather!
I hate freezing to death all the time, but other than that, it's great! :)

[4]
On a slightly less up-beat note, I'm probably going to have to buy a new laptop.
Either that or invest in a new battery, but I feel like it might just be worth it to go all the way.
Ugh.

[5]
Have you ever seen this movie? Very strange.

[6]
Umm can we talk a little bit about how immature Joe Biden's behavior was last night during the VP debate? I mean, could he have shown Ryan just a little bit of respect? Apparently not.

And him claiming to be Catholic and that his faith is very important to him? I'm truly not one to judge, but as they say..."actions speak louder"....yup.
I'm also not super happy with Paul Ryan's stance on abortion with all of those "exceptions", but I have to believe that it's a step in the right direction.
Better to have restrictions on abortion rather than the free-for-all killing spree under Obama's regime.

[6.5]
And Biden lied about the HHS mandate, btdubs.
Catholic hospitals, schools, etc. WILL be impacted by it.

estupido.

[7]
Sorry...I'm just not done with this politics talk...but let's move onto Obama.
I didn't watch the initial Presidential debate, but I listened to it today...and I'm just a leeedle sick of hearing "if I'm elected for another term, blah blah blah" ummm we're hearing the SAME PROMISES that he told us FOUR YEARS AGO! What the heck.
He talks about getting stuff done, but in reality, he's had a whooooole lotta time to "get stuff done" and what has he done so far? Nothing.

thaaaaaat's all folks!

go ahead and try to have a better weekend than me. I dare ya.

"insert creative title here"

Just like other parts of the country, CU has begun to get a bit chillier as the days go on, and so this Sunday I took the time to go looking for a reasonably priced fall-type jacket. Being the cheap thrifty person that I am, I went to more than one store (try 3) to find a jacket that was not only within my price-range, but also one that I like. Because as Leigh Ann Tuohy says in The Blind Side, "If you don't absolutely love it in the store, you won't wear it."

True dat.

But that's not the point of this post...

While I was in TJMaxx (where I eventually found the lovely PURPLE jacket which I would purchase), I began to hear a canned musical (rap-ish) sound and turned around to see a couple of guys walking down the aisle...one of whom was carrying his phone that was playing music.

Now, I'm positive that I'm not the only one who has thought about how great it would be if life came with a built-in soundtrack or if life was a musical a'la:

orrrrrr like this:

(side note, but that second video always reminds me of OOTI...maybe its the Caribbean feel...)

Aaaaaanyway.....

I obviously like musicals...but that's not the point. So I'm in TJMaxx...there's this guy jammin' out to his phone...and it got me thinking. Go figure.

But I started thinking about how you see so many people on the street with their headphones in, Bluetooths on, etc...and yeah, would I love to break out into song and dance at any given moment, yes. definitely. BUT we as a society, as a culture have become so "plugged in" that I wonder if we've lost a sense of what it means to just be.

I mean, to just sit in silence. To listen. To experience quiet. To feel peace. To be.

Have we lost this? I hope not. 

For me, I find peace and that silent stillness of the soul when in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but I've definitely felt it in other ways. Like in my quiet neighborhood, or really, anywhere in nature. But I'm afraid that with the way our culture has become: constantly on the go and connected, that we're starting to drift away from the awareness of quiet.

As much as I'd like to claim that I am always able to concentrate fully on finding peace in front of our Lord in Adoration, I'm guilty of getting antsy after a measly 2.4 minutes and checking my phone.

But I think that finding that inner peace and learning to be in silence is essential for our souls...it's something we all should strive for.

But if you ever want to choreograph a flash-mob musical set, let me know. I am SO there.

la la la laaaaave it.

going on a few trips the next couple of weekends. #excited

this weekend I'll be trekking to good ol' BloNo for Friday night....hanging with some of my very favorite people and staying with my very favorite engaged friend.

and NEXT weekend I'm heading to St. Louis with my favorite new friend, Jordan (who's hilarous, btw...checkcheck check her ouuut!)....just cause :) Excited to spend Saturday and Sunday acting like tourists...so far, our "must do" list includes touring Anheuser-Busch, going to the FREE zoo, celebrating being German at the Oktoberfest, checking out the Card's stadium (boooo), and going to the Arch, obvi.

big plans up ahead, and this week just flewww by!

have a happy autumny weekend! :)

whaaaat?

oh em gee. everything looks different.

yup.

I felt like it was time for a change...the "hanging on for dear life" slogan or whatchamacallit doesn't really apply anymore...at least for the moment, my life is in a pretty good place. I mean, God is constantly challenging me and throwing me for a loop, but the image of me hanging onto a cliff by my fingertips doesn't really feel like a reality anymore...

buuuuuuut yeah.

that's all.

Because I'm lazy and everyone loves music.

Follow links to hear a myriad of perfectly linked notes that will thrill your earbuds like sweet wine on the tongue.

New favorites:

I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons

Restless - NEEDTOBREATHE

Hey Mama - Mat Kearney

All My Days - Alexi Murdoch

Ones that have been making me happy for awhile:

White Knuckles - OK Go

Little Talks - Of Monsters And Men

Mind Games - Leagues

Helena Beat - Foster The People

Paradise - Coldplay

Hold On To What You Believe - Mumford & Sons

And one I'm-Sorry-I-Just-Can't-Help-Myself:

We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift



I'm sorry.

Why I love having a car: Part 2

...because I no longer need to use the emergency hairspray and deodorant that I have in a drawer at the office on a daily basis (though it's probably good to have...just in case...)

...because I can do my hair in the morning and not have a helmet crease when I get to work (and no, I don't wear the helmet while I'm driving)

...because when I get to work it doesn't take a good 15 minutes for me to stop sweating.

...because I can finally wear heels and skirts to work.

...because I no longer have to depend on anyone other than myself to get around!

And since I know y'all have been waiting with bated breath for pics of the little beauty, heeeeeere you are!

You're welcome.

Any and all suggestions of what I should name her will be taken into consideration.

dueces.