Lake Erie Monsters' Game

Hello! I know it's been forever since I've blogged, but I've been painting at the new house almost every single day from around 9 or 10 in the morning until 5 at night. So my days have been really uninteresting and not worth photographing. Plus my painting clothes are about the least flattering pieces I could be wearing. Then when I get home all I do is shower, eat dinner, and lay on the couch. Really boring days. Yesterday my family and I went to the Lake Erie Monsters' game. We went to dinner at Market Garden by the West Side Market. I had mushroom tacos and french fries :). The fries were really good! The tacos had a sauce on them that I wasn't a big fan of, but everything else on them tasted really good! When we tried to get to the game, the protesters for the Tamir Rice case had shut down the main entrance to the arena. It took us about 40 minutes to get around the protesters! I don't really understand why protesters have to shut down the daily activities of people who had nothing to do with the case. I feel like they can get their message across without trying to ruin people's night. Just my opinion there. But once we were in the arena, the night ran smoothly :). The Monsters won, and they had Snicker's ice cream bars. Yummm! Overall, it was a good night minus the protests :/.

Sorry I forgot to take a picture of my food before I dug in haha. Here's what remained.

Hugs <3

Cleveland Museum of Art

Hello! Yesterday I spent the afternoon at the art museum with Ryan. It was really fun! I love the art museum. They currently have an exhibition on Impressionism called Pianting the Modern Garden: Monet through Matisse. The exhibit focuses primarily on Monet's work, which I loved because my favorite artist is Monet.  The Impressionist movement is definitely my favorite style. The colors are soft and beautiful. And the way the light plays across the picture is just stunning. Impressionists were amazing at capturing the softness of the sunlight and the way it reflects on the water. I wasn't able to take any pictures in the special exhibit because it's just one of the rules. However, the first photo here is one of two Monet's from the normal part of the art museum. I took Ryan through the modern art portion of the museum first. Modern art is really something you have to learn about to understand. It's more about the concepts behind the art than the art itself. For example, Picasso attempted to show the objects in the painting from every aspect. This way he would create an experience for the viewer, not just a pretty picture to look at.  Ryan wasn't a big fan haha. But neither was I until I understood modern art. I took him to the armory where the museum has a room dedicated to medieval armor and weapons. Then we looked at the neoclassical portion of the museum with the large historical paintings dedicated mostly to scenes from the Iliad and the Odyssey. Ryan enjoyed that because he really likes ancient Greek mythology. It was a really fun trip through the museum :). I can't wait to go back.

By Monet

Neoclassical depiction of the Muses and Apollo

By Pablo Picasso

By Georgia O'Keefe

The Atrium at the art museum

This was actually done by the son of the founder of Tiffany and Co.

 And here was my outfit from the museum.

Sorry for the photo bomb, but there were just so many great pieces of art.

Hugs <3

 

Plaid Scarf

Helloo! This morning I went to yoga with my sister at the gym we just joined. For me it was much needed. I always feel so relaxed after a good yoga see ion. It just releases so much tension in my back and shoulders, and stretches my legs. I also get to center my mind and just focus on breathing. It's nice to just let things go, especially since in our lives we are constantly going and doing things. So refreshing :). I also like how our teacher today included some challenging ab exercises. That's definitely something I've been slacking on lately :/. This break I am determined to improve my arms and my abs. So lets go!! Haha I'm getting motivated even before the new year.

This is an outfit from last week when my boyfriend was nice enough to take some pictures of me :). I was really happy with how they tuned out! This scarf is soo cuddly and warm! I can't wait until it gets cooler because it feels almost like spring right now. Then I'll be able to wear this out more! Mine is from Lulu's if you want to go and purchase it as well.

 Hugs <3

Straight No Chaser

Good morning! Last night I went to see Straight No Chaser at Playhouse Square with my family. They are an all guys acapella group. They were really good! It's amazing what you can do with just voices. They were a really funny group of guys as well, especially with the newer songs they covered. They did the song Marvin Gaye and their dancing was hilarious! They dance like your average white guys haha. They have such a good humor about it though. Their soloists were amazing too! The baritone that sang Take Me to Church was amazing!! There was this family behind us though that kept singing along to the song. And it was really kind of annoying. We paid for these tickets to hear the group Straight No Chaser, not you... Please save your show for people who want to hear you. Sorry, I just had to say that. It was only for that song though, thank god! Overall it was a really great evening! I definitely recommend seeing their show if they come to a theater near you :).

Hugs <3

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Yes, I am a Star Wars nerd/fan. Last night, my family and I went to see the new Star Wars movie, and to me it was better than I thought (wayyy better). I'm usually really skeptical when it comes to movie franchises wanting to make a new film out of an old series because most of the time they are just in it for the money. However, Star Wars was actually a really good film! I'm going to try not to leave any spoilers, so if my explanations are vague I apologize. I loved the new characters! Although to be honest, give me a kick ass heroine and I'm happy any day :). The new characters differed from the original movies in personality, and were introduced in a way that made the plot flow not randomly inserted. The heroine's backstory wasn't very original, but it did have it's twists. I thought the plot deviated from the original trilogy enough to make it exciting and not a copy cat, but had enough of the old plot line to satisfy nostalgia. It was a good mix of new story with some history repeating itself. I also enjoyed how the old characters (Leia, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker) didn't play their younger selves all over again. For example, Han was still super sarcastic, but he had matured somewhat. I find this is what happens in a lot of movies that create another sequel to old films. The original characters still play the younger version of themselves, and it really doesn't suit the actor's age. I am really excited for the next one to come out to see if they hold up the precedent they set with this movie :).

Shirt from Francesca's Collection, pants from Nordstrom, shoes from Target.

Hugs <3

Green Smoothie Recipe

Good morning! This was my breakfast today, and doesn't it look super yummy?? I wish I had a cute straw to put in it for a prettier picture, but it still tasted good haha. I love smoothies because they are so filling and super healthy! And homemade smoothies are so much healthier than store bought ones. Usually I'll have them for lunch rather than breakfast just because I'm not a fan of big, filling breakfasts early in the morning. But I had a bunch of bananas and some avocados I needed to use up so a smoothie was perfect for today :). They also make for really pretty pictures too haha. I don't have a blender at school (although I really need to get one), so noe that I'm home I can finally try out some new recipes! I can't wait to try and make an acai bowl over break! They look so pretty, taste so good, and are really good for you too! I love experimenting with flavors and the just right ratios of all the fruits and veggies to make an amazing smoothie. It really is hard sometimes to get that perfect blend, and I've messed up more often than not haha. But I promise, this one is good! You'll need banana, pineapple, avocado, spinach/kale mix, soy milk, lemon or orange juice, and ice.

- 1 ripe banana

- a large handful of pineapple

- 1 handful of spinach/kale mix

- 1/2 an avocado

- 1 1/2 tbs of lemon/orange juice 

- 6 ice cubes

- 1/4 cup soy milk

Pour it in a glass or bowl and decorate it however you like! I used a fresh slice of pineapple :)

Let me know what you guys think if you try it out!

Hugs <3

Lunch Date with my Sister

Hey there! So today I went to lunch with my sister. She's still at college taking finals, but she had the day off from exams today :). We went to Stir Crazy, which is an Asian restaurant that has a create your own stir fry. It was really good! (much better than the stir fry at college haha). I hadn't been there since sophomore year of high school, so it was nice to go back. Alyssa and I just laughed a lot and talked about stupid things. Just the usual. It's sort of weird how you become better friends with your sister when you get older. I mean we still never agree on anything, but we just have our own tastes. When you're younger, the differences seem to cause arguments, but the differences don't matter as much when you're older. So all of you who don't get along with your sister: I promise it gets better. My sister and my mom are actually the two people who get my humor the best, so it's always nice feeling funny haha. After, we walked around the Legacy Village for about a half hour when we found a Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. They make the best carmel apples! That store is where this cute little penguin apple is from. I thought he was so cute! Although, I ended up getting a carmel apple with a coat of peanut butter around it instead. It was soo yummy!! I'm a little full for dinner now, but it was totally worth it haha. I would've shown you today's outfit, but I managed to spill stir fry sauce on my white vest so that was really cute haha.

Hugs <3

My Tea

Hello!! I'm currently just sitting and editing a few photos while watching Phineas and Ferb (yes I am five at heart and still enjoy cartoons). I finished my sister's Christmas present this morning! I am so excited about it! It looks really good, if I do say so myself haha. I won't post it until after Christmas though because I don't know if she reads this. She probably doesn't but there's always a chance haha. I think she'll really like it :). While I was painting, the roofers came to drop off some things so they could start fixing the roof. The dogs were baring like crazy! Oh my gosh it was crazy! My dog, especially, wouldn't stop barking. I thought he might loose his voice haha. That would've been kinda funny/sad. After all that commotion, I made myself a cup of tea and decided to take some pictures outside. It was actually really warm out especially for winter! I am loving the weather!!

Later tonight I'm going to see my high school show choir perform with one of my high school friends. I haven't seen the show choir perform since I graduated, which is probably bad because I was in it for three years haha. Time just gets away from you sometimes when you're on break, or I'm just not home when they're performing :/. Their theme this year is The Breakfast Club. So I'll definitely tell you how their show is tomorrow. It sounds super cool!

Hugs <3

Vegan Mac and Cheese Box Review

Heyyy! So for lunch today I decided to try some vegan mac and cheese from the box. I bought two different kinds, and I used the Daiya brand today. I'll save the Earth Balance brand for another day. To be honest I was pretty nervous about trying these because vegan and mac and cheese are completely opposite from each other haha. But there are a lot of really good vegan dupe recipes out there, so there was hope! It cooks pretty much the same as regular mac and cheese from a box (which was great!). I boiled the water, then added the noodles in and cooked those for 7-8 minutes. The noodles tasted like normal mac and cheese noodles. After the noodles were done, I strained them and added the 'cheese' sauce. It came in a packet like Velveeta mac and cheese. I will say, it didn't taste exactly like the normal cheesy sauce, but it wasn't bad once I got used to it. It was definitely more tart/sour than the normal cheese, but for a girl who loves sour things, it was all good. The consistency of the sauce was on point though! Haha it was super creamy and gooey. Mmm yumm!

This morning I ran some errands for myself and my mom. It was so nice to get everything accomplished by 11:30! I love getting things done ahead of schedule :). Today I think I'll take some pictures so I'll have some for this weekend and a few days this week. I got some new stuff over Thanksgiving break that I meant to show you the past week or two, but finals just sort of killed all my free time :/. It's pretty overcast out today so the lighting won't be the prettiest, but it'll have a 'winter vibe' right...?

Hugs <3

Sunrise and Life Update

Hello! It's been almost a week since I've updated the blog! This is almost unheard of for me since I've been blogging seriously haha. But finals week got the best of me, and my mom has been having me work on her new house all weekend. She bought a house a cute little house a few months ago. It was built in the late 1950s and nothing had been updated since! Ugh the kitchen was soo nasty when we saw it! But since I've been away at college, the kitchen has been completely gutted along with most of the house. The stuff that's been picked out is really nice! I love the drawings and fixtures in the kitchen, and my sister's and I's bathroom is going to have a super cool mirror and shower! But there's still a whole bunch of work to be done. So this weekend and today, I've been painting, sanding, and washing walls. It's pretty tiring stuff actually, but I can't wait to move in and see it all finished! And finally be back in a room that's all my own :). So that's why I haven't been taking pictures, unless you really want to see me in nasty painting gear haha. Hope you all had a lovely weekend!

These are some pictures from the sunrise this morning. I thought it was really pretty! (Also, can anyone appreciate the fact that it's December and I was able to wear short and no shoes outside?!)

Hugs <3

Raise Boys and Girls the Same Way

Hello! Today was another day of studying. Although to be honest, I couldn't even really tell you what I read. Text book reading is really hard sometimes... Ugh. Sociology is a really fascinating subject though! It makes you think about things in a way that you never would have, or questions things that we simply take for the way things have always been. Such as, why are boys not allowed to play with girls toys and vice versa, when both boys and girls will actually play with anything when they are young? It's just cool to think about. We are socialized to play with gendered toys when we are young; girls with dolls, boys with sports. There's a sort of popular t-shirt that says 'Raise boys and girls the same way'. And I never really thought about how differently we are raised as kids based on our gender. I do actually agree with the t-shirt that says we should raise boys and girls the same way because I think it really would solve a lot of problems. We would be able to understand each other as human beings, not as just boys or girls. It's a really fascinating thought. I didn't mean to go on a rant about that haha. But maybe it'll spark some thoughts in you as well??

Tonight's sunset was beautiful! I'm so happy I was able to capture it on camera! Oxford seriously has some of the prettiest sunsets I've ever seen. It's sometimes better than the ones on a beach... sometimes.

Hugs <3

Flowers

Heyyy! So this morning I took my organic chemistry exam (that's why I've been MIA all weekend). I have the next two days free from exams, and then two on both Thursday and Friday. Organic chemistry was my really hard exam for the semester, so really I'm just glad to have it over with. It's a bit of a relief. The rest of my exams are manageable :). But I went to work off some of the stress by running on the treadmill at the rec, and they had people giving out these cute flowers! It actually did brighten my day haha. They are so cute! It makes me happy :) The bright, sunny yellow is a great addition to my room as well haha. At least my desk will look nice when I'm working on it. That's my quick update for the day. I'm sorry I really haven't been doing anything interesting with my life. But finals, they really kill your free time haha. Have a great day!

Hugs <3