CarissaCarissa

project life: may 6-12

a while back i decided to take a project life break (you can read more about it here).  i needed that break.  i was in a slump and needed some time to figure out what was going on.  while on my break i missed it so much.  i kept taking photos and picking up random papers from places i went- but i didn't have any place for them.  i missed it.

the thing about project life is that it's great to have these scrapbooks for the future- but having them for the present is even better.  i've realized that lately i'm in a big rut.  i keep looking back when i need to start focusing on the present and future.  the thing that project life does is makes you stop to take a look at your life now.  take a look at the beauty surrounding you.  beauty in nature, friends, family, being alone.  beauty in the every day.  and so, i'm returning to project life- and am so looking forward to it.

this week brought my birthday, a new job, an ice cream social, and a budding photographer.

i don't know that i had ever seen a pomegranate flower before.  they're gorgeous + they are attached to delicious pomegranates so double love them.

i started my new job this morning and love the progression of the first week's fashion.  i started out on day 1 with no idea what to wear so i went with polka dots + blue pants + leopard shoes (obviously).  by my last day of work i had switched to polka dots (they're a staple) + jeans + tennies.  

the ice cream social was awesome.  there was music, dancing, bubbles, and more ice cream than you could ever want!  it was at an awesome spot in vegas called springs preserve.  i 100% recommend a stop if you're in vegas and want need to get off the strip.

looking through my photos this week and found a series of "photos by daphne"  i love seeing the beginning, when she was by herself, to the end, when her parents slowly came into the photos.  she's a pro, this one.

another photo of the cutest niece.  we spent part of mother's day together while her ma and dad went to a movie.  she's way in to animals right now and this is what a monkey does.  she's 10x better at it then i am- i can't get rid of the duck face.  i'm working on my monkey though.

 

 

on what you're looking for

what we see depends mainly on what we look for. -john lubbock

i read that quote yesterday and then spent the whole day thinking about it.  going over and over in my mind.  i don't think of myself as a negative person but i am more cynical that i would like to be.  i spent the day thinking about situations that i've been in in, people i've been with, things i have or haven't done, etc.  trying to figure out if i had made choices based solely on what i was looking for.  a friendship that lasted too long because i was looking for something that wasn't there anymore, a relationship that ended because i was looking for a reason to end it, even seeing random people on the street!  how many times have i judged someone about one thing and then used that single judgement to nit pick at everything about them?  what's to say that they weren't the coolest person ever and would have made the best bff.

obviously, we can't completely stop seeing what we're looking for.  we can, however, make a conscious decision to not judge so quickly, stop being so critical of everyone and everything (including ourselves).  there is not one single perfect person on the face of this earth.  even prince harry gets into trouble!  accept people for who they are and then decide if they're who you want to spend your time with. 

as for the past- leave it in the past.  stop dwelling over it and move forward!  are you happier/ healthier/ less stressed?  sometimes the negative things you're looking for is what is actually there- simple as that.

cuurently: 5.14

Digging: the new a beautiful mess iphone camera app 
Drinking: coffee + water.  getting ready to make a green monster smoothie
Eating: i made some cabbage salad yesterday and i'm a little bit obsessed with it.  i'm starting a week of being vegetarian today so i'm looking up recipes to eat!
Listening: the today show
Wearing: target yoga pants + a target tank top
Reading: the girl who kicked the hornet's nest + (listening to) great gatsby
Feeling: excited and nervous
Weather: currently 80* with a high of 102*
Wanting: to watch silver linings playbook again.  I finally watched it last night. so good.
Needing: to get my ass off this chair and go work out
Wishing: that i could be one of those people who can survive on 6 hours of sleep
Thinking: about exciting new things ahead
Enjoying: hanging out by myself and recharging
Loving: all of the positive messages that are making their way around the internet and great female role models (i'm looking at you, mindy kaling, jennifer lawrence, & kerry washington)

28 things

i mostly failed at my 35 before 28 list and i'm okay with that.  it had some lofty goals on there and i just couldn't do/ didn't want to do all of them.  i'm pretty sure that a main problem was that it was too long of a time frame.  to be honest, i forgot about it for awhile and when i remembered it, i wasn't interested enough to work on finishing it.  my goal for this year is to have fewer big things, more achievable things.  after all, i'm 28 now.  time to buckle down!

i'm excited about this one.  some things are big, some are small, some are new, some are ones that i didn't do on the last one that i still want to attempt/do.  i'm pumped, you guys.

 

27 things learned

can you tell that's my favorite photo of the year?

today is my 28th birthday!  i don't care what anyone says, i love my birthday.  i don't believe all the haters who tell me that one of these days i'm just going to want to ignore my birthday.  i am one year older and that's sort of amazing. 

so, since i am 1 year older, and obviously a whole lot smarter than i was on my 27th birthday, here's a list of 27 things i learned (or relearned) this year.

 

1.  there are male peppers and female peppers

2.  sticking up for yourself is always the best idea

3.  lighter fluid cleans everything (and i don't mean by setting it on fire)

4.  if you have a big problem that you can't seem to get a handle on- step away and wash your face

5.  if something has good word of mouth, there's a good chance that's for a reason (the walking dead, the girl with the dragon tattoo, homeland, etc)

6.  be open to anything. don't automatically say no

7.  being nice will take you a long way

8.  going after what you want will take you even further

9.  13.1 miles is a lot farther than i originally thought

10.  27 is not that old (neither is 28)

11.  in small amounts, leopard is a neutral

12.  leopard is sort of amazing (again, in small amounts)

13.  it's not a sign of weakness to ask for help

14.  write things down.  you will not remember them later

15.  chicken and waffles are legitimately the best food combination of all time

16.  failure doesn't have to be the end

17.  moving away from iowa was probably the best decision i ever made...

18.  ...but i'm ridiculously proud to tell people that i'm iowa born and raised

19.  yoga is the shit

20.  ask for what you want

21.  never settle

22.  don't give 2 seconds thought to what other people think of you.  you're the one who has to be with you all the time.

23.  some things are worth spending the extra money on

24.  airport security checks top buns but not low buns (i still don't know why though)

25.  cosmo is the stupidest magazine out there

26.  throwing things is an amazing stress reliever

27.  running totally effing sucks , but it's the best thing ever at the exact same time