Somewhere Near The Airport

Okay so where I went today wasn’t on my initial list of 4 spots, but I was anxious to get wandering so I improvised and chose somewhere a little easier, closer, and free-er. My best friend Shelby and I went to the Thomas A. Dixon Jr. Aircraft Observation Park, or better known as Friendship Park, which I think is much more appropriate.

By the way, I’ve also decided to use this project as a way to reconnect/spend time with friends and family. More often than not my friends and I will try desperately to come up with something to do. We either give up, say, “Welp there is nothing to do,” and don’t even end up getting together, or we settle for drinks at The Greene Turtle where we always go. I know some of my friends are considering moving away from our hometown, so might as well take advantage of it while we can.

Anyway, we took a delicious lunch of Five Guys Burgers and Fries to the little observation area, grabbed a bench, and watched as the planes came in. It was a cloudy day and we got lost on our way there. Just a heads up, when it looks like you are about to hit a plane with your car, you have arrived.

Pictures was the name of the game today. We tried to position ourselves into the perfect selfie with the landing planes. Every time we saw a plane coming in we would shout, “We got a live one!” or my personal favorite, “This one is literally coming in for a landing!”

It was a simple day of simple wandering, but it was wonderful. I could tell there was a moment of hesitation when I told my friend what we would be doing today. It’s not an activity or a place that one usually jumps at the chance to do. But to our surprise the day was filled with laughter and excitement.

Until the next time and place!

Erin

Hopeless Wanderer

I just finished reading All The Bright Places by Jennifer Niven. Ugh. Besides the fact that it was gut-wrenching and heartbreaking, it was the best book I’ve read in a long time. Not only did the book provide an entire new outlook on mental illness, it also inspired me to wander around my own state (and surrounding states) and experience what this world has to offer.

Since I graduated college my life has consisted of laziness and job applications. I’ll apply for jobs, then immediately get discouraged and go into a cocoon of Netflix. I desperately want a job, but while I’m searching for that perfect position why waste all this free time?

So I did some research and here are a few awesome sounding places within driving distance to start with:

1. Geppi’s Entertainment Museum in Baltimore, Maryland

2. Clarks Elioak Farm and The Enchanted Forest in Ellicott City, Maryland

3. Ladew Topiary Gardens in Monkton, Maryland

4. Hampton National Historic Site in Towson, Maryland

Let the wandering begin!

Erin

P.S. My juice cleanse lasted only a few hours in case anyone was interested.

Return From Vacation Bloats

As I predicted, four days in Disney World was not nearly enough time. I had an amazing time with my family and as a result I want to move there forever. There is something about Disney World that just makes me happy. I could probably sit on a bench in Magic Kingdom all day and feel completely content with my life. There really is something completely magical about being there and I could feel it every second.

Specifically where I could feel the happiness was in the immense amount of food I consumed over the past four days. Everything from hot dogs to falafels to cheeses in France. Everything was so delicious and I don’t regret a bite, but now I need to do something about it.

Juice cleanses are a thing, right? I was recently watching an interview with One Direction and Harry Styles was talking about juice cleansing after being on tour:

Harry, that is exactly how I feel. So I will be attempting a juice cleanse to feel less gross after consuming the entire Epcot menu. It will probably last a day.

Wish me luck!

Erin

The Night Before Disney World

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, I will be boarding a plane to Orlando, Florida. FINALLY. Although I am only going to be in Disney World for 4 short days, I feel like I am packing my bags and moving to the most magical place on Earth forever.

I haven’t always loved Disney World. When I was a rebellious teenager I probably would have scoffed at anyone who openly loved Disney. I cringe thinking about that time in my life. Then, during my 4 years in college I obviously realized that everything that has to do with Disney is amazing and I would try to visit the most magical place on this world as many times as I possibly could.

There is so much to do and see in Disney World, so on the night before my departure I would like to share with you my Disney World bucket list for the trip I am about to embark on.

1. Eat the most delicious pancakes in the universe (my diet starts when I return from vacation).

2. Eat everything else available (I’m serious about that diet though).

3. Rekindle my love affair with Tigger. In this picture we are clearly hugging. He wouldn’t let go of me when I tried to end our hug. That’s how I know it’s real.

4. See something having to do with Frozen. I know all the lines for Frozen-related attractions will be 100 minutes long, but maybe I’ll get lucky and get to meet Anna and Elsa.

5. Drink (somewhat) around the world. I’ve never been to Disney World as a 21-year-old and I would like to experience Epcot the way it was meant to be experienced.

6. Try not to cry when watching the Wishes fireworks at Magic Kingdom.

Wish me luck!!

Erin

Welcome To The Real World

Hello again blog!

The last two months of my life have been the absolute craziest. After completing all of my final projects and receiving excellent feedback from my professors, I graduated from college. What? It still doesn’t feel real. Basically because I don’t know what real is.

My entire life up to now has revolved around school. Even when school was out for the summer or winter break, it was always in the near future. Relatives and friends would ask me how school was going or if I was looking forward to the upcoming semester or if I was enjoying my break. Now all of that has disappeared and I don’t know what to expect.

It is scary, I guess. But for the most part I’m just curious. I have absolutely no idea what I want to do with my life. On the contrary though, I do know that I do not want to settle. So many of my friends are itching to get a job and accept the first offer they receive, but I am certainly not one of them. I want to do something I am passionate about and be proud of what I am putting out into the world. I want to be creative and challenge myself every day. Unfortunately, I haven’t found an entry level job that meets those requirements yet.

Until I find a job that I am really interested in or a craft that I am really passionate about pursing, I will focus on figuring out all things life.

In the mean time, I’m excited to write on this blog again 🙂

Bye for now!

Erin

Friends is Always There For Me

If you read my March Favorites post, you know that my go-to show was Parks and Recreation last month. Naturally I finished the entire series and needed to find a new show to shamelessly watch nonstop during the month of April. Spoiler alert! That show is Friends.

I vaguely remember watching Friends with my parents when it was on NBC every Thursday night, but around my sophomore year of high-school I began purchasing the seasons on DVD to watch. That is when my obsession truly started. Each year for Christmas I would get a few seasons and finish them in a matter of days. The episodes are so effortlessly hilarious, but at the same time full of interesting plot developments. I really do feel like I’m missing out when I watch a random episode out-of-order.

So I had been watching Friends religiously for about 7 years when I found out all of the episodes were being released on Netflix. No more getting out of bed to switch the DVDs. Hooray! Although I am one of the people who notice the little lines removed from the episodes on Netflix. Regardless, my obsession has grown and Friends has been my go-to show this month probably for the 20th time in my life.

I want to share with you my top 5 favorite episodes. These are the episodes that when they are over, I literally watch them again and again. These episodes might be the cliché top 5 best episodes, but each one is specifically special to me and I am going to tell you why. Oh and I guess I should say SPOILER ALERT for the entire series of Friends. I assume most of you have watched it, but if you haven’t I will be giving some things away. It still baffles me that there are people existing that haven’t watched a single episode of Friends.

5. The One With Monica and Chandler’s Wedding (7×23,24) – The first memory I have of watching Friends with my parents was this episode. I always cry at the end when the camera pans to Rachel’s face and in that moment you know she is the one that is really pregnant. Ah I’m getting goosebumps just thinking about it. When I watched the series again in high school I felt such a sense of nostalgia watching this episode. Now, whenever I watch it, it gives me the same nostalgic feeling of being 7 years old and watching this moment with my family.

“Maybe he’s writing to tell her he changed his name. Like “Tell Monica I’m Sorry”.”

4. The One Where No Ones Ready (3×2) – This episode takes place entirely in the apartment, which is one of the reasons I love it so much. Being a writer myself, I have such an appreciation for the amount of character development that had to occur in order to keep 6 people in a room without a change of scenery for approximately 22 minutes. This episode is just so perfect and is definitely one of the only ones that I could put on randomly and be completely entertained.

“Look at me, I’m Chandler. Could I *be* wearing any more clothes?”

3. The One Where Everybody Finds Out (5×14) – I love the sequence of events that this episode goes through in order to get to the big moment where everyone finds out. It is dramatic without feeling like a dramatic episode. Phoebe is one of my favorite characters and Lisa Kudrow freaking kills every line in this episode.

“They don’t know we know they know we know.”

2. The One With The Prom Video (2×14) – IN THE BEGINNING OF THE EPISODE RACHEL SAYS NO AND YOU THINK THERE IS NO HOPE FOR THEM BUT THEN SHE SAYS YES I JUST LOVE IT. That pretty much sums up how I feel about this episode.

“He’s her lobster!”

1. The One With The Embryos (4×12) – This episode is full of quick punch lines that make me hysterically laugh every time. I think I love this episode so much because through the course of the game they play each character is summed up perfectly. Every single line is so classic them. If you want to watch an episode that precisely captures the spirit of the show it is definitely this one.

“Actually, it’s Miss Chanandler Bong.”

Thank you Friends for always being there for me. What are your favorite Friends episodes?

Bye for now!

Erin

Let’s Talk About Thrifting

I am a thrifter. I started going to thrift stores about 5 years ago when I was a senior in high school. Then a few years later I started going to yard sales, estate sales and vintage flea markets and became obsessed with secondhand shopping. Everything I found was so unique and I loved the prices (obviously). Sometimes when I tell people I go thrifting or I bought something cute at a thrift store they tell me, “I’ve always wanted to go to a thrift store,” or “I wish I was good at thrifting.” To that I say two things: You should definitely check out thrifting. And you will have good days and bad days at the thrift store. This doesn’t mean you are “bad” at thrifting.

In the above picture I am holding 8 pairs of jeans that I purchased from various thrift stores in the past couple months. Whenever I find a pair of nice Levi jeans I tend to buy them because I can make them into shorts or do a fun DIY project with them. The problem with this habit is I tend to hoard vintage Levi jeans because I keep buying them. Not everyone is a perfect thrifter, including myself. If you are having trouble finding awesome items at thrift stores or have been debating checking out your local Goodwill, I have compiled a few tips I have picked up over the past few years.

1. Make a day of it – If you walk into a thrift store and look around for 20 minutes, I guarantee you will leave disappointed. To really be successful at thrifting I would suggest making a day of it. Thrift days are my favorite days. I wake up really early, get Starbucks, and arrive at the thrift store right when it opens. This is also a good tip because you will have first dibs of all the clothes if you get there before anyone else. Once I’m at the thrift store I take my time looking at everything and listen to music or a podcast. Also if you are asking yourself what day would be a good day to go thrifting, everything at Goodwill is 50% off on the last Saturday of the month!

2. Look in every section – This goes hand in hand with the first tip. Looking in every section will obviously take some time but it is worth it in the end. I have found some awesome old band t-shirts in the men’s section and even the kid’s section, so it is important to broaden your horizons and literally look at everything. I also look at clothes in all different sizes. You have to remember that these clothes have probably been washed before so they could have shrunk and not be true to size.

3. Wear your favorite pair of jeans – Because things could be weirdly sized, I always try everything on. If you have a go to pair of jeans (or a skirt or shoes or something else you wear all the time) it is a good idea to wear that item when you go thrifting so you can see the outfit you would probably put together. I basically only wear two pairs of jeans ever. So when I’m shopping for shirts at the thrift store, I always wear my jeans because I will most likely wear any new shirt I buy with those jeans.

4. Don’t buy something you won’t wear – This is my biggest problem. Sometimes I see something that I could potentially wear and I buy it anyways because I think it is priced so reasonably. This could result in a major hoarding fiasco. To avoid this problem, set a realistic budget for yourself before you walk in. It is very easy to get overwhelmed by all of the clothes.

5. Look for inspiration – Something I love doing at the thrift store is buying clothes that I wouldn’t normally buy for full price to try out new styles or trends. When I see something with potential, I have my Lookbook app handy to see how other people are wearing it. You don’t have to copy what you see directly, but just seeing a completed outfit on someone else can inspire you to come up with your own outfit!

Do you have any other tips for thrifting? Let me know in the comments below!

Bye for now!

Erin

The Most Beautiful Jumpsuit In The World

Attention! Attention! This beautiful jumpsuit comes with a fantastic story and I’m excited to share it with you. A few weeks ago I stumbled upon Lucy and Lydia’s YouTube page for the first time. I’m a huge fan of British YouTubers so I was surprised to learn there were a pair of adorable twins I had not heard about. Anyways, I was watching their Disney World vlog because I’m obsessed with Disney World and I noticed a very appealing pattern on an article of clothing. I stalked every inch of their social media pages until I found a lookbook video they did featuring the jumpsuit. It was a Black Floral Printed Jumpsuit from River Island. I had to have it. After researching though, I was horrified to learn it was no longer available. So I check Depop. Nothing. Then I moved to eBay. One seller had the exact jumpsuit I wanted in my size for $40 cheaper than it originally was on sale for. I immediately purchased it and am now blessed with this amazing jumpsuit. Now, I realize this post might seem a bit braggy because this jumpsuit is no longer available. And I have to be honest, I am bragging a little bit because I love this jumpsuit so much. BUT I have provided you with a few alternatives that are currently available for purchase. Pieces like this are absolutely perfect for the spring time! The best thing about them is they are so convenient for lazy girls like me. Pop one of these babies on and you are good to go. Satin Floral Jumpsuit from Forever 21 – This jumpsuit is so similar! What I love about the one that I have is the synched pant leg and the black background which really brings out the floral print. This jumpsuit has both of those aspects and is super affordable. I love the colors in this floral print though and the thin straps. Blurred Floral Cami Jumpsuit from Forever 21 –  This jumpsuit features the same synched leg as the one I have, but is so much more bright and girly. I could wear this on a cool summer day because the colors are so summery. This one speaks for itself and would barely need any accessories. Keiko Floral Print Jumpsuit from Missguided – This one is definitely classier than the others. I’m not sure if I would wear the others (including mine) to work, but I would certainly rock this baby in an office setting. Especially with the cute belt modeled in this picture. All of these alternatives to the most beautiful jumpsuit in the world are incredibly well priced and are making me consider purchasing another one for myself. If these jumpsuits aren’t quite your style, hopefully they give you some inspiration for some of the beautiful spring clothing that is available now 🙂 Do you have a favorite piece of clothing?

Bye for now!

Erin

April Look Forward Tos

Everyone posts monthly favorites, including myself. I really enjoy reading people’s monthly favorites to get inspiration and discover new things and I enjoy writing my favorites because it allows me to sum up my month in a short little list that makes me feel like I accomplished something and didn’t just watch Netflix for 4 weeks straight.

So I thought it would be fun to start an ongoing kind of prediction, goal setting post called “Monthly Look Forward Tos.” Whether it be an event in the upcoming month, a product that I really want to try, or a goal I want to set for myself. I want to document all of that stuff in this post. Here are my April Look Forward Tos:

1. Game of Thrones – Game of Thrones is no joke in my household. We take it very seriously. The premiere is April 12th which is only 10 days away!!!!!! Last year, as you can see in the picture above, we did it pretty big. We bought plastic, styrofoam swords. We went to Joann’s Fabrics and purchased some black fur. I put my hair in little braids and my father wore a crown. We were basically House Stark. This year we will try to top ourselves. Our goal is to complete this wonderful work of art. Either way, I am so excited.

2. 29th Annual Annapolis Cup Croquet Competition – This event is something I have never been to, but I am insanely excited for. This event, besides the Kentucky Derby probably, combines everything I love about spring. Warm weather, sun dresses, a cold glass of white wine, and men in uniform. I don’t know why I’ve never been before…

3. Treat Yo Self – The official “Treat Yo Self” day is in October, but I have decided that I will be participating in this joyous occasion in the month of April. Sometimes you just need to spend money on things to make yourself feel better and I have a feeling that with finals and projects and papers coming up, I am going to need a “Treat Yo Self” day desperately at some point this month. I’m already looking forward to it.

4. Fishing – My family just purchased a boat to have at our shore house and I can’t wait to go on it for the first time this season. I didn’t always enjoy fishing growing up. Probably because my dad would drag me out of bed at the crack of dawn to sit in a freezing cold boat only to catch nothing. But now I have learned to appreciate the hobby and how relaxing it is. The picture above is me last summer holding the only thing we caught that day. I think it is a sea cucumber. Sorry Kevin (SpongeBob reference).

5. Make more of an effort to do things – This might seem weird to some people, but being in college has sort of made me a boring person. I feel like I am so consumed with my grades and going to class that I never really want to socialize with my friends at the end of the day. Being a commuter student also contributes to that attitude. I drive 45 minutes to school and back and it really exhausts me. This month, I will try my best to accept every social offer I get and make an effort to do things I wouldn’t normally do on a weekday.

What are you looking forward to in the month of April?

Bye for now!

Erin

Liebster Award Nomination

Thank you so much to cuteandconfident for nominating me for a Liebster Award! I haven’t been blogging long, but I know this award is awesome and I’m really excited to be nominated. Alyssa gave me some pretty tough questions, so I will try my best to answer them truthfully.

1. Where is one place you want to travel in the world? Why? Galway, Ireland. I studied abroad there last summer and absolutely fell in love with the town and the country of Ireland. If I could travel anywhere in the world right this moment, it would be back to Galway to walk down Shop Street one more time.

2. Heels, Boots or Flats? Probably boots because I can wear boots in every season. I would like to say flats, but every time I wear them my feet smell (don’t pretend yours don’t).

3. Favorite blog post you’ve ever done? I really enjoyed the March Favorites post because I love everything featured in that post so it was just really fun to write about. Also, it was the first time I was able to use my DSLR camera, which I think really makes a difference.

4. Who’s your celebrity crush? – I mean.

5. What is your most embarrassing moment? Oh god I have so many. One in particular that stands out is the time a pair of underwear fell out of my shorts at a party because I had just grabbed the shorts out of the dryer…

6. All-time favorite book? Bossypants by Tina Fey. She is my role model as a woman, writer, creator, comedian, and human being. She is also my cat’s namesake. This book is perfection.

“If you retain nothing else, always remember the most important Rule of Beauty. Who cares?”

7. Chocolate or Vanilla? Chocolate flavored candy, vanilla flavored ice cream. Hershey’s Kisses are my guilty pleasure treat. Every member of my family knows this and I always get at least two bags for each holiday.

I nominate weardaisywent, mascara on the run, TAYLORED, all these little things, and Peppermint Girl

Here are your questions:

1. What is your favorite thing about blogging?

2. Which three novels would you recommend to everybody you meet because you couldn’t put them down?

3. If you could pick one food to eat for the rest of your life, what would it be?

4. If you could have lunch with anyone dead or alive, who would it be?

5. Dogs or cats?

6. What is one thing that you can’t leave the house without?

7. What is one goal you have for the future?

Thank you so much again for this nomination. I feel like I just started this blog and already I am enjoying it so much. Thanks everyone for reading!! 🙂

Bye for now!

Erin