Soundtrack for a drive

Specifically my drive home from the gym today.
I was blessed with a beautiful sunset and some of my favorite songs on shuffle.

Happy accidents.


Elliott Smith - St. Ides Heaven


Jimmy Eat World - Believe in What You Want
(fun fact: I made a hoodie out of stencils and buttons in high school that said "What you ignore is priceless to me", a lyric from this song)


Pinback - Grey Machine

Pinhead, unplugged.

In making 25 my year, I've decided that I'd like for things to be simpler. More natural. As a step I'm taking to do this, I've vowed not to use any of my iPhone apps (ahem, instagram) for an entire week. Like a digital detox. I've noticed that I waste a lot of time on my phone. While it is visually and often mentally stimulating, sometimes it becomes too much. I'll spend entire lunch breaks, hardly paying attention to the foods I'm eating and the flavors I'm tasting and what the meal in front of me even looks like because I'm catching up on news feeds. I also read an article in Women's Health (which might sound dorky, but is totally one of my favorite magazines) about how using your phone before you (try to) fall asleep at night (guilty) can actually mess up your natural sleep cycle because of the amount of stimulation your brain is getting and the way your phone light affects your eyes. So this experiment started as a way to improve my sleep habits, but it's made it's way into my every day routine. At least for a week. So I can stop and smell the roses (or daffodils! they're all in bloom around here!) instead of being glued to my darn phone.

I feel like my last entry was kind of a foray into this kind of thing. Because I love blogging. I love blogging for the opportunity it's already given me and for the wonderful people I've met and continue to meet while doing this. I feel like I get to see the world through the eyes of girls (rather, women) my age whenever I log into my Bloglovin'. It's all so inspiring and has evoked my interest to travel more, and create more, and see things from a whole different perspective. Sometimes I get so caught up in making the right decisions for myself that my priorities get all out of whack. But they come back together. Less idle time, more productivity. More "being there". That's it, that's the way I'd like to live.



Another new thing I've been doing is receiving acupuncture treatments from the doctor that I work for, who is obviously an acupuncturist. We started for my cervical spine (neck) and shoulder pain, but every session the doctor adds a new needle to a new acupoint on a new meridian. Acupuncture promotes the body's natural healing ability and is believed to help promote the flow of your Qi (pronounced "chi"). Some beliefs in Traditional Chinese Medicine "are that health is achieved by maintaining the body in a "balanced state" and that disease is due to an internal imbalance of yin and yang. This imbalance leads to blockage in the flow of qi (vital energy) along pathways known as meridians. It is believed that there are 12 main meridians and 8 secondary meridians and that there are more than 2,000 acupuncture points on the human body that connect with them." It's all holistic, but patients at my office swear by it and since I've received my third treatment I'm feeling less pain in my neck and shoulders, I'm sleeping better, and I feel more calm. My favorite thing really about the whole procedure is the meditative aspect of it. Laying on my stomach in a dark room listening to soundscapes and waterfalls, feeling a little bit of pulsating from the electric current attached to a few needles (which you don't feel at all), and clearing my head has become an extremely relaxing part of my week and I look forward to it. And this may sound weird, but the doctor has been placing one needle on my head (the governing vessel meridian) which is believed to cure low energy and improve overall balance in life. Let's see just how "balanced" I can get ;)

If you've been thinking about trying acupuncture, I would definitely recommend that you go for it. I leave the office feeling almost euphoric at the end of a session, and while it might not be a permanent cure for chronic pain - it's certainly helpful for those little emotional issues and imbalances we find ourselves having in our day to day lives. For more information, click here.

Aside from all that - Andrew is moving tomorrow! He's heading off to start our new life in Nashville a little bit early, since he got a job transfer from Whole Foods. I'm so excited for him. I'm so excited for US, and I just can't wait to go. But I'll be home for the next few weeks, saving up a bit more and beginning to physically move everything (how did I get stuck with the dirty work?!). I'm unbelievably pumped to start our future. To start traveling and experiencing so much more, and to grow with Andrew as our relationship takes a big leap - not only with living together in our own place (yay!) but living together in an entirely new city where we're going to discover so much and do so many cool things that we never would have had a chance to do if we decided to stay. People say we'll miss it, and it's true that there's "no place like home" but I'm not going to let that stop me or scare me. I cannot wait.

I'll end this really wordy post (what's gotten into me?!) with an excerpt from Life of Pi, that I just had to repost from Kait Payne:

Weekend Update: St. Patty's & * Thoughts *

St. Patrick's Day weekend was a beautiful one to have my family home and celebrating. As you can see, we celebrated the "traditional" way. McSorley's was my grandfathers favorite beer, and it's very good, and we've been drinking it in his memory since he passed. I don't think he'd really have it any other way. Joking around with my dad and endless hugs from my mom made for a really nice time. I miss them so much when they're in North Carolina, but it makes their homecoming that much better, and it's going to be great when I'm in Nashville because I'll be about ten hours closer! We've already chosen a meeting place in Gatlinburg near the Old Smoky Mountains. I cannot wait for the family weekends to come.

Source

I've been doing some thinking about this here blog, and it's content. It kinda hit me tonight when I realized that I do not have the time, nor the desire to become a real "blogger". I thought I did, and I would feel like I was letting myself down when I'd go weeks without a real post, but once I realized that it's because I'm living my life.. I let myself off the hook. Julie at Orchid Grey wrote a great entry about this same thing recently. And I've decided that I'm going balls to the wall, starting right now, to work hard at all of my goals again. I've lost some focus. I'm going to get my body in the shape that I know it can be in (started day one of my new fitness regimen tonight! Feels good!). I'm going to create, for me, and not just to have something to share here (though I will still be doing that, I haven't been drawing or writing as much as I wish I was. I feel I've actually dumbed myself down to make my content universally reader friendly and that sucks). I'm not going to post just to post. That's silly and if I were aiming for success here, that's not the way to do it. I'll post an outfit here or there, like I have been. I'm going to share my thrift store wonders and my favorite songs and things I make with my hands.. but when there's some quality behind it, when it's not forced, and on my own time. And I'm not sure why I felt the need to publish this thought, but at least it's honest and really that's all I'm going for. That's the point.

Next time my email disappoints me because there aren't any new comments from the blog to read, I'm going to slap myself.

See you soon :)

Clear eyes, full hearts.

Let's hope that's true, because lately I feel all I do is work. But it'll pay off soon, when I'm in Nashville, starting the next chapter of my life. It bums me out when I can't spend all of my time creating and day dreaming and then creating again.
But soon enough, I can do what I really love.

Some things I am really loving at the moment:

♥ Friday Night Lights on Netflix.
I've been waiting for the next show to really grab me and this one has, for some reason.

♥ Victoria's Secret Bombshell perfume.
I can't stop spraying it, it smells so pretty.

♥ My birthday gift from Amy.

♥ Chobani Greek yogurt, especially peach.

♥ Sunny days with the people I love the most.

♥ Popcorn & M&M's, always.

♥ Leaving work before it gets dark, which is still a rarity..
but at least it's a possibility now.

♥ This upcoming weekend that I'll get to spend with my sister and my parents!
They're all home, we're all Irish, it's almost St. Patrick's day. Fun will ensue.

There's a story behind this belly laugh, but I'm going to save that one.
Let's just say I'm the butt of the joke.

xo, cg

Music Monday v.11

I listen to this song by Real Estate a lot. The whole album Days is so very good and makes me excited for springtime. Some songs/albums have a feel to them and this one definitely has a warm weather, beachy feel to it. Also, the video for this single (It's Real) is a lot of fun.

Shoe Over

This DIY is so simple, that I really don't need to write out the steps. I was feeling bored of the wrinkly ribbon shoelace on my oxfords (that as you can probably see - I wear A LOT). I decided to switch it up with some lace that I had laying around. The first spool I used didn't really work right once it was laced in the shoe, but the photos are pretty anyway. Zoe and I had a nice morning just sitting in the sun and crafting/lounging.









Then I ordered a pizza and gave this baby a nice amount of the crust.
We're having a nice, lazy Saturday, Zoe and I.

25 and I'm still alive

If you're like me, you don't just celebrate your birthday. You celebrate birthday WEEK.

In my case this year, it's a four day celebration that began on Thursday, when I had the day off from work and Andrew treated me to my birthday tattoo. We drove into Queens and I got my thigh finished by Christian at Top Shelf.

A quick before picture. I've had the outline since last spring.


Also a quick after picture. Before we wrapped it up.
Once it's all healed and shiny, I'll take some more photos. I am IN LOVE with my left leg. I have seven tattoos but the only one that has any color is the cactus flower on my foot, which was my first tattoo that I got with two friends on a trip to Arizona when I was younger. But now I get to look down and see this bright, beautiful traditional tattoo whenever I'm wearing shorts or a dress and it makes me smile. The bald eagle is for my grandfather who passed away. Christian gave it a brown head because that's the color of the females feathers. Pretty empowering stuff. Because to me, the eagle's got this. That snake doesn't stand a chance.

And can I comment on the ORANGE?! Because that's like the best part.

Yesterday, my boss bought Mexican food for the office in honor of my birthday. Which was really nice of him, and also delicious. Last night a bunch of my friends came out to Ichiban in Port Jeff for birthday sushi and tofu and combo plates and then we went out to my favorite bar, The Velvet Lounge, and did just that. We lounged. I had a really great night. I'm lucky to have such great people to call friends.

Here I am, drunkenly enjoying some of my sweet little gifts.

So, it's safe to say that I had an AMAZING birthday. And tonight I get to go to my Amy's and celebrate her Jonathan's birthday, which is on the same day as mine - March 8th! I like to think that we're all soul friends based on that little coincidence.

I'm really excited about everything at the moment. Andrew and I have a move in date for our apartment in Nashville (it's gonna be May 15th!), and everything is looking just peachy. I was almost bummed about turning the big 2-5, but it's looking like one of the best years of my life already and it's literally JUST begun. Permanent smile.

:)

Music Tuesday?

Like I said.. a little off this week.



Ali showed me this video while we were getting ready to go celebrate her birthday on Saturday night. I am absolutely obsessed with the song, the direction, the stop motion, the entire video. Maybe it's because bed is one of my most favorite places? But definitely because it's all so pretty.

In like a lion, out like a lamb

It's been quiet on the blog front this week. A lot of it has to do with ten hour work days in front of a computer at my job. When I get home, the last thing I want to do is sit and stare at a little screen. I've been crocheting bows, making pen pal presents, and spending a lot of quality time with friends. On Sunday, I got my hair colored. I couldn't wait for it to grow out to try the ombre thing. Photos of Alexa Chung and Drew Barrymore helped me lock in my decision for the change. We're going to go lighter with it in a few weeks. I've been having blonde fever for a while.

Andrew and I have been spending a lot of nice time together too. We walked around Port Jeff the other day, got iced coffee and sat by the water for a little, and he made dinner for me on Friday night. It was really nice. I'm kind of holding onto my time with him with a tight grip because... he's moving! To Tennessee. In three weeks. And then you know what...

I'M MOVING. TO TENNESSEE. IN MAY.

So as you can see, I've been a little bit busy lately. With Nashville daydreams and crafts and yarn and what not. And I'm really excited for Spring. My birthday is on Thursday, daylight savings is on the 11th, and there's so much good to come. <3