You guys! Summer vacation is officially here! I had my last day of work last Friday and now it's easy breezy fun summer vacation ahead! I'm seriously so happy about it!
It's so funny that as soon as I stopped working I quickly reverted back to my teenage years. I instantly started staying up late again and feeling how I felt when I was a teenager! Just a few months ago, I was totally falling asleep on the couch while watching TV at 9:00 p.m. and Jeremy would have to wake me up and help me to bed. Now I'm just reverting back to my old night owl ways again, but I secretly really love it! I feel like a creative part of my brain gets turned on at night, and I really like that side of myself!
I think I just love the idea of having a summer vacation again! I haven't had a summer vacation for a few years so it's been a blast so far! I finally get to work on the creative side of my life more. I get to blog more, start up my vlogs again, schedule more photoshoots, and work on all the things I've been meaning to be better at.
I'm also so excited to be able to work on my garden more, travel around the country in my Fit, have more time for people, and just focus on the things that really matter to me.
It's so easy to get stuck in the routine of life and a full-time job, especially when it's one that isn't really fulfilling your dream, so it's nice to have that moment to re-evaluate your life and what's important to you. I'm re-assessing how I spend my free time, and what I truly want out of my life and it really is so refreshing and invigorating!
I've only been unemployed a few days, but I already feel so much happier and lighter! I know it won't last forever so I'm definitely soaking it all in while I can!
Yay for summer! And yay for refreshing life re-evaluations!
I went to the Hogle Zoo for the first time Sunday morning! I had been there once before for the Zoo Lights but you can't actually see any of the animals during that; I'm not even sure if the animals are there in the Winter actually. So this was the first time actually seeing the zoo and it was so fun!
For
being a relatively smaller zoo, it's still super fun, and it's laid out
nice so it feels bigger than it really is! About 10:00a.m. it started
to pour so we hid out under the awnings next to the elephants who were
also hiding out from the rain. It was fun to just sit for 15 minutes or
so and watch the rain, but especially watch the elephants play with each
other and hide from the rain too.
We
went to the bird show at 11:00a.m. and I'm so amazed you can train
birds to participate like they did! They fly in from all over and have
their little markers they know to go to for their treat. I especially
love all the beautiful tropical, colorful ones; they're just so pretty
to watch!
After
the bird show, we had lunch at the Beastro. Clever name huh? We got
pepperoni pizza slices and some macaroni and cheese to share. After
lunch there was a little ice cream stand outside the Beastro that serves
Dole Whip so of course I got that! I've been on such a pineapple kick
lately so my little heart flutters when I see pineapple treats. :)
Okay, gorilla hands are so
fascinating to me! This cute gorilla was laying on her back in the
straw, staring up at the ceiling, picking at this log next to her and I
couldn't help but just admire how human-like her little hand was! It
really just looked like my hand in a gorilla costume glove moving about. It was fun
to watch her be bored lying on her back just picking away pointlessly at
this log.
This is the closest I'll ever be to a polar bear and it was so cool to watch him play in the water just a foot away from my face! He had a red little plastic pool that he kept trying to climb up on but it kept flipping over each time he would try. It's just nice to watch animals so closely while still feeling semi-protected. I probably shouldn't feel too safe though because I'm 92% sure a tiger got out at that zoo like a year ago!
Okay, I just looked it up, a leopard totally got out of it's habitat last year when a guest found it sleeping!
We ended our zoo day with a ride on the carousel of course!
Go to the zoo, you guys, it's so fun! Unless you're against zoos, then just know in your heart that they looked happy. ;)
As much as I love traveling and being out and about, there's nothing like being home. I love home! It has all my favorite things, and it's such a comforting, safe place. Lately I've been adding more plants to my indoor plant collection, and all the ferns and moss really brighten my day!
There's something fun about coming home to your house after a trip because you get to experience your house how guests experience it. It's fun to walk into the space with fresh eyes, and see all those things again that make you happy. I love seeing all my plants all over the house, and my two fish, Kristofferson + Mordecai, swimming about their tank!
I'm so grateful for my home, and for Salt Lake City being my home for the past (almost) 4 years. Thanks for keeping me safe, and happy, and feeling ...well, at home.
*Plants from the beautiful Cactus & Tropicals!
www.cactusandtropicals.com
And Paradise Palm:
www.paradisepalm.com
Bonus, you can save 20% on your purchase at Paradise Palm if you mention "crazyplants"!
It's mid February and this is the first real snow storm we've had this winter. It's been such a mild winter with like 2 little snow flurries and they melted right away each time. So I definitely am very grateful for our mild winter!
It dumped all Sunday night, all day Monday, and it's been snowing all today. I shoveled the sidewalks mid day on Monday and in a few hours it looked like I hadn't even done anything in the first place! So much snow. Despite not super loving snow, I do enjoy shoveling the sidewalks. There's something very satisfying about clearing it all.
Monday was my first time driving my Fit in the snow and it did super well! I was pleasantly surprised. It always baffles me that Salt Lake isn't good at taking care of the roads in the city. I usually take State street to work, but that day I told myself to definitely take State because I figured that would have been the most clear, but nope! They had barely plowed it. Luckily I was going downhill, but I saw a few cars struggling going the opposite way up the hill. I always feel so bad when I see people's wheels just spinning in place on them; I know that feeling all too well and it's awful!
I've said it once and I'll say it a million times, I honestly wouldn't mind the snow as much if there was a way to just magically keep all the streets clear. That's what gives me all the snow anxiety.
This kind of snow also makes me super want to watch The Shining! I keep walking through patches of untouched deep snow and I feel like the wife at the end of the movie trudging through the snow in the hedge maze! I've been wanting to watch it all week, but I keep getting overruled by Mama and Forrest. Maybe tonight is the night!
Happy snow day, Utah/Idaho people! Take a night this weekend to have a fun movie night to watch The Shining. Or just The Bachelor Winter Games! :)
What a funny blog title for anyone who hasn't heard of that podcast.
Last night I went to see My Favorite Murder at Kingsbury Hall here in SLC! You guys, it was the funniest show! I've listened to this podcast for the past year or so and it's honestly the best podcast! Well, if you like true crime and comedy it is.
These women are so hilarious, and witty, and feel like my best friends when I'm on a long drive, or ignoring my co-workers at work, sewing skirts in my shop, or doing dishes at home. Their podcast seriously cracks me up, and last night I got to see them live! It was so fun, and crazy, and my cheeks hurt most of the show from laughing so much.
It sounds so bizarre that talking about true crime and comedy can even go together, but Georgia and Karen blend it together so effortlessly.
It was such a fun show, and
I'm so excited that I get to see them again TONIGHT for the second show!
I originally bought tickets for tonight (Friday), but they sold
out so quick that they added a second show the day before, and then I
last minute decided I wanted to go to the first night show too! Luckily I
found some tickets on KSL for even cheaper than they were selling
online, and we totally lucked out with the seats! We totally got Lincoln
seats up on the side of the theater which was perfect! I'm so short
that I hate when there's a tall person sitting in front of me so it was so nice to not have anyone blocking our view!
We honestly couldn't have lucked out any more! Even when I saw the listing for the tickets, I called the girl like 10 minutes after she posted it and she said 4 people (including me) all called in a 2 minute span and mine was the only call she answered! It was just all meant to be! I love when things come together like that!
It was seriously such a fun show! Who knew murder/true crime/serial killers could end up bringing a whole crowd of truly lovely people together!
Yay for night 2 tonight!
I love a good rainy day! Who doesn't though, right? I just love the overall mood of a rainy day. The world seems to slow down even if just for a little bit. As much as I absolutely love sunshine, I always think how I wouldn't mind if each day started overcast for an hour or two. There's just something about an overcast, drizzly morning that I love!
For Christmas, I got these Matte Red Hunter Rainboots from my Mama that I'm really loving! I've wanted some Hunter boots for a while but I never think to just splurge and buy myself some, so I'm so happy my mom did! They have so many fun colors to choose from, and I secretly want like 3 more, but these Matte Red ones were my absolute favorite! I just feel like I'm meant to stomp around puddles in London when I wear them and that's a fun feeling!
This grey sweater is also new and so naturally it's one of my favorites at the moment! It's from H&M and was on sale for $12! 12 dollars, you guys. It's seriously the softest sweater, and I love the slouchy, cozy aspect to it.
Hunter Rain Boots: www.hunterboots.com/rainboots/red
Sweater: H&M: www.hm.com/ladies/knitwear/grey
My cousin Wes came to visit for a few days so we went to Temple Square to see the Christmas lights! It's always so crowded and busy but it's still worth it to go. It's so pretty and it's fun to see the performances in the little church. After walking around Temple Square, we got hot drinks from Publik across the way in City Creek and then walked around City Creek for a bit. It was a fun night!
Right now, Publik has a super yummy holiday drink called Burnt Honey Mocha which is sooo good! You can get it with or without espresso but it's super good both ways! They put ginger salt on top which sounds so strange but all of it works so well together! I suggest trying it, it's yummy!
I love Christmastime! It's such a happy time! And I love getting to spend time with my family.
