New York, I Love You But You're Bringing Me Down

I am so glad Russell and I got to spend a few days in NYC. It is by far my favorite city in America! So much to do and so many people, I think it's impossible to not find something you love.

We did tons of walking, eating, and absorbing! We bought a couple Groupon deals for our dinners, which I highly recommend. The food was good and so much cheaper than it would have been otherwise. We hit the Statue of Liberty, central park, times square, 5th Ave, Rockefeller center, Chinatown, and Chelsea.   

Central Park - West Side

Times Square

30 Rock

Rockefeller Center

Traditional Phoebe Run in Central Park 

Hot Dog in Central Park

View of 5th Ave from Central Park

Traditional Breakfast at Tiffany's Homage 

Free Beer from our Groupon Deal @The Long Room 

Chelsea Pier 

The Dreamy Chelsea Borough 

The LCD Soundsystem title is only due to me having to leave the city. Nonetheless it's a great song.

Pt 1: Washington DC

What a success!

Our trip went off without a hitch. Well... I did get a little food poisoning in NYC but I still consider it a success. We drove strait through the night (I'd like to formally thank Nicki Minaj and RedBull for their support). It wasn't bad at all. I think I was born to be a trucker, it perfectly explains my love for driving and beef jerky.

We got fantastic quality time with my parents, ate like sophisticated pigs/discovered my undying love for tapas, walked my feet to nubs (cute>comfort), and saw a ton of old significant stuff. Let the pictures begin...

Big fluffy cherry blossoms

White House

Jefferson Memorial + Potomac River

Lincoln Memorial over the WW2 Memorial

Korean War Memorial

Ole Abe 

Grainy picture of Washington Memorial and the Capital from the Lincoln Memorial

Chinatown

Inside the Library of Congress. 

Went a little crazy with the fisheye! 

Being a handsome tourist

View from Post Office Tower

Roofs in DC are more well groomed than parks in OKC

Pop culture display in the Smithsonian of American History and Culture

I want this in my living room.

All photos were taken with iPhone.

Lake Trip

Last weekend at Lake Tenkiller with the girls was just what I needed. Something relaxing and awesome before I drive to DC then NYC and walk and walk and walk some more.

Hiking. Hookah. Tanning. Four Loko. Feeding fish. Getting sold expired snacks from the marina that were clearly left over from last summer. Livin the dream.

So. Hard. To. Open. Eyes.

Hiking to the lake

I also finally attempted the sock bun. It ain't pretty, but seeing how I was 21 before I could curl my own hair, this is an accomplishment.

Healthy Shmealthy

I did my first cleanse...but maybe it wasn't a cleanse after all. I did the 3-day Shakeology Cleanse. I ordered chocolate and got stuck with green berry (I guess they were just asking my opinion), which wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I was allowed 3 Shakeology shakes, 1 piece of fruit, and 1 salad with grilled chicken or fish. It wasn't hard, I was never hungry, and I saw no change in weight, energy, or anything for that matter! But it was a fun test of will power! I did miss chewing my food. I'm so happy I get to do that again.

I have also been trying some new workouts to keep me sore. I'm not sure about my strategy but I like being sore so this is how I choose to do it.

These are the things I've learned:

• Jillian Michaels likes to torture women.
• Tony Horton is annoyingly chipper.
• My gym doesn't believe in AC. 

My attempt at making it look more enjoyable

It's not all bad of course...

I got this gorgeous souvenir from Germany!

Sir Elton John snuggled with me

Making My Own

In late January I made myself a home office. I'm still so in love with it, so I thought I'd share!

I was coming from an awesome corner office in an old refurbished mansion in downtown OKC. It overlooked this amazing magnolia tree. It was REALLY the only thing I liked about my old job. I had to make my home office just as inviting for me, if not more so.

This was my old corner office. It was always full of natural sunlight. Not really my style but that tree was the best!

I wanted a fun cork board but didn't have the money to buy something big and framed. I decided to paint my own. Painting chevron is actually much harder than I thought. I just made a tape template to guide me (I'm sure there is an easier way out there) which ended up being very messy! It was fun though. 

I found this really affordable bookshelf at Ikea. It was very plain and I wasn't thrilled with the super light color. I decided to get some vintage wallpaper off Etsy. With the help of Russell, I used PVC glue to secure the wallpaper to the back (the rough side not the glossy fake wood side) of the cardboard backing. It added so much without over powering the simple bookshelf.

Here is the finished product! I love my home office. It fits my personality perfectly. It's practical, simple, and completely mine. Well mine and Elton John the Bunny's. 

Road Trip

I finally booked my vacation to visit my parents! Ok, it sounds less exciting than it is...

They live close to DC and when my boyfriend (Russell) and I go up there in a few weeks the Cherry Blossom Festival will be in full swing! I love flowers and festivals and America and my parents. It was a no-brainer.  

Russell and I are going to drive the whole 21 hours after we get off work Friday. Thank the Lord for energy drinks! We'll spend the first few days in DC then we're taking a bus up to New York City. I booked a cute little hostel close to Central park. So. Excited. 

If any of you know of any free/cheap and awesome things to do in NYC advice would be lovely.

Spring Forward

I think I have finally gotten over my heartbreak of not getting a winter. I am actually excited for the (prematurely) warm weather.

Not only does it mean I'm closer to weekends at the lake, swimming, and picnics, but with the thought of more skin my mind has been occupied with tattoos and fitness.

I got my first tattoo last year and I am by no means addicted! I just like the idea of adding something beautiful to a blank canvas. I don't want to be covered but I wouldn't hate having a few more in discrete places.

Fitness is a totally new concept to me. I have rarely worked out on purpose. Running is the most miserably boring thing ever! My metabolism and activity just kind of did the work for me until recently. Now yoga, zumba, the gym, and naturally occurring food (if only there were Diet Coke rivers) are my focus. Wish me luck cause I need it!

Standard Process Picture

Shiny and New

Single-minded

I am in the traveling mindset and it cannot be tamed! 

This spring I’m going to Virginia to visit my parents. Then in June I get to go to the Dominican Republic with some great people.

The only way I wish to spend money is to explore the world. The feeling of seeing something completely new and experiencing the vibe of a new city is mind-altering. 

So... I decided to dig up my travel pictures from the last few years and share my favorites.

Ocean City, MD:

 ArtScape in Baltimore, MD:

 Free Cold War Kids concert!

Civil War Reenactment in Gettysburg, PA:

 Virginia Beach, VA:

Washington D.C.:

 NYC:

 Chicago, IL:

 Telluride, CO:

 London:

 Covent Garden

 Old Bailey

 View from St. Paul's Cathedral dome.

 Wembley Stadium

Westminster Abbey 

Dublin:

St. Patrick's Cathedral. 

Shortly before a bird pooped on me.