[ONLINE] LOCATION SCOUTING for DONUTS.

I have been quite the slacker this month at blogging, so many other things to do. I am coming down the home stretch of studying for the LSAT, only one more month of study time so I've been cracking down even more. Panic mode will be setting in any day now.

I ordered a donut pan this morning after seeing James' donut post yesterday and immediately took to the web to find the best recipes out there to try. Can't wait to try these.

1 /// Pecan Pumpkin Glazed Donuts by Purely Twins
2 /// Birthday Cake Doughnuts by Sweet C's Designs
3 /// Pumpkin Spice Baked Donuts by The Lemon Bowl
4 /// Donut Macaroons by The House That Lars Built
5 /// Baked Double Chocolate Donuts by What the Fork

Photo Credit: The House That Lars Built

CHAMPAGNE GIRLS LIVING ON A BEER BUDGET.

I haven't gotten the chance in the past (almost) month to thank my wonderful family and friends for a great birthday celebration. My office took me for a fun lunch out. Greg took me to my favorite restaurant, Eva, here in Salt Lake, for dinner, where I got to have my favorite Brussel sprouts and rosemary garlic fries (ahhhh so good!), followed by a small little group of us having after-dinner drinks. My parents then had us over for dinner the following night to celebrate, followed by a day at Causey Reservoir with Greg, kayaking for the last time this summer. My wonderful friends, Alexis, Maeve, Nate, and Mason threw me an amazing birthday brunch to top it all off on Sunday. I am one lucky girl. I wish we could do this every month. ;-)

Alexis and I showed up to my birthday brunch wearing the same outfit. Fashion minds think alike. Thanks to Maeve for the wonderful title of this post, I had never heard that phrase before until I was bitching the other day that every wardrobe statement that I'm on the hunt for ends up being $1,000. Why did my mother have to give me such expensive taste?

24 HOURS IN COLORADO.

From left: Greg's mama, Greg's stepdad, his sister Whitney (Don't he and his sister have the same smile?)

As I mentioned a couple of posts ago, Greg and I got the opportunity to go for a quick 24-hour trip to Colorado last month with his wonderful family. Although it was for his grandpa's 80th birthday, it turned into a sort-of family reunion. Greg hadn't seen his cousins for over ten years! His sister and grandparents don't live in Utah so we don't get the chance to see them often enough. And I finally got the chance to meet his aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was a fabulous few hours, although too short!

I hadn't been on a horse for longer than a couple of minutes since I was a kid until this trip. I was a little nervous at first but after a few minutes, I became comfortable and had a blast. I wish I could do that more often. We went on a gorgeous 2-hour ride through the mountains around the property. I will admit though, I was feeling it for a few days afterwards! And I thought post-bicycle riding was bad! This little trip was also the beginning of Greg's new fly fishing obsession. Hey, it could be worse. ;-)

HOT RODS AND HOT DOGS.

We decided to head up to Boise this past weekend for a hot rod show at our friend Weston's tattoo shop, Devotion Tattoo. We need to make the most out of these last few weekends of summer, especially because I'm pretty sure they are all that's keeping me going in my mentally/physically exhausted state. I'm going to have to take up a new hobby this winter in order to keep my mind off of the anticipation of getting into school.

We went on the most beautiful 150-mileish ride on Saturday. The scenery was amazing the entire time, made me so thankful that I didn't have to pay attention to the road! We only had a couple of tiny issues along the way, including Greg's exhaust pipe deciding that it had had enough and fell off. Whoops.

I can honestly say, people in Boise are some of the nicest that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, not to mention some of the raddest. They ride, they swim, they own rad vans (their cars are pretty awesome too), they are down for anything fun. A big thanks to Weston and Nicole for their hospitality. So happy that we came up and met so many new friends. Now it's your turn to come visit us!

HAPPY LABOR DAY!

 

 

We were the lone swap-meeters until a couple of our friends showed up later on. Hahaha.

 

This guy, Jeff, is out at the races each year with this old Velocette. He wants everyone to ride it, I can't imagine being so calm about a ton of kids riding my prized possession but he's the raddest dude.

This weekend has been a blast. The vintage motorcycle races out at Miller Motorsports Park has always been our favorite summer tradition since we met and each year, it seems to get better and better. This year we ended up just sleeping in our van out there, rather than either missing out on half of the races or going back and forth from Salt Lake. We ended up spending most of the weekend with the rad guys from Salt City Builds, who we had only met a couple of times before this weekend. It was awesome getting to know them and watch them put together a kick ass bike show. Hopefully more people will participate in the swap meet in the future, we need more events like that around here.

Sunday morning everyone got a chance to donate some money to a local cancer charity and in turn, ride their bikes on the track. Greg was so happy, to say the least. He and one other guy were the only kids with choppers, amongst a lot of race bikes! The announcer thought it was pretty funny. Greg wanted me to ride on the back with him, but they wouldn't let me because I forgot closed-toed shoes. :-( Maybe next year.

Happy Labor Day! Don't forget to retire your white wardrobe. Black looks better anyway, FYI.

"I'M FOUR!"

Karen the cat turned four years old last week and has been strutting around the house ever since. Maybe it's in my imagination but we will never really know. Everytime she pauses and stares at us in her oh-so-regal pose with her head held high, Greg says, "I'm four!" as if she is so proud of it.

We have had lower temperatures in the city that past week (it feels so damn good) so we have been keeping the windows open more often. You can't beat free AC. She loves loves loves sitting in the window sills with the air coming in and the noises of outside. Some of the windows are a little higher than she expects and she ends up clinging on for dear life with her nails and hangs there while Greg points and laughs at her. Mean.

Life has been quite busy with work, studying, and fun-filled weekends. Last weekend we flew to Colorado and spent time with Greg's extended family at the most beautiful ranch you have ever seen, fly fishing, riding horses, and all of that fun stuff. It was so nice to see his grandparents and his sister, as well as to meet his aunt, uncle, and cousins. They are such a great group. (Blog post coming soon.)

This coming weekend we will be camping out at Miller Motorsports Park for the annual vintage motorcycle races. We haven't missed this event for the 4 years that we have been dating. It's one of my favorite traditions. You can see last year's photos here. We haven't ever camped out there though, we normally just go for the day. It should be a fun time.

[ONLINE LOCATION SCOUTING] FOOD PHOTO ALERT.

But look how delicious it looks, guys. Banana and peanut butter toast has become my favorite morning routine these days. We have gotten so much rain this August in SLC and I'm loving every second of it, minus the fact that my hair seems to look like Monica's when the gang goes to Barbados. I have been over the heat since the first day that it hit 80 degrees this year. Helloooooo, fall!

Here are links to a few of my favorite things at the moment. Enjoy.

1 /// I am so happy that someone pinned this Tumblr page. Could these posters get any more beautiful?

2 /// Fall is in the air and I'm craving everything pumpkin. Breakfast, dessert, I'll have it all.

3 /// I am dying for one of these mods from This Is Ground. So cool, yet so handy. And the inserts? What an amazing idea.

4 /// I am wanting to try all of these at-home spa treatments, especially the anti-redness facial. I love being able to treat myself with random ingredients that I already have from around the house.

5 /// My mom loves ginger ale and naturally, she has passed that on to me.

6 /// I am IN LOVE with this camper. Imagine how fun it would be to travel around in.

7 /// Adding all of these to my reading list.

8 /// And I think everyone needs to read this one.

"YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE DEAD".

Finding this beautiful piece was exactly what I needed this morning. It was both pleasing to the eye and calming to the mind. Designer Allison Supron creates gorgeous work, possibly some that you have seen without knowing. Check out her latest experimental typography showcase here. 

Photo Credit /// Allison Supron

I'LL WORK FIRST AND PLAY LATER, I GUESSSSS.

This photo describes my life right now perfectly. There is no amount coffee in the world that can keep me alive, alcohol maybe, but unfortunately that doesn't make for the best studying. I will, however, say that I have learned a few things over the last couple of months while studying my ass off. I haven't always been the greatest studier, and I'm an even worse test taker. I know, definitely some things that I need to improve if I want to go to law school. But hey, I'm working on it!

1 /// Put all distractions away. In order to keep myself from checking my Instagram or Twitter feed fifty-seven times during practice tests, I have had to force myself to put my phone in a land far, far away and only check it once I'm done. I have even had to use a little old-fashioned thing called a watch to time my tests.

2 /// Have delicious, healthy snacks within arms reach. Not to mention, enough of them to last an entire study sesh. And never EVER forget water.

3 /// Set up an area entirely for studying. The hardest part of this is finding a good balance between comfortable and too comfortable, you don't want to go falling asleep mid-test prep but you also don't want your butt to be numb within 3 minutes of sitting there. I also like to set up an area strictly for studying so that I don't have to clean it up at the end of each day or each time I take a break. You waste time if you have to set it all up each time you want to focus on your work.

4 /// Take mini breaks. I like to take small breaks every half hour or so and walk outside to stretch, put the laundry in the dryer, whatever, as long as my brain gets a rest for a couple of minutes.

5 /// Don't overdo it. There is such a thing as too much studying. I feel like I do it the majority of the time, or at least I used to. There's a point where it's okay to step away, de-stress, and breathe.

I GOT YOU, BABE.

WARNING /// MUSHY, GUSHY MANIFESTATION OF LOVE AHEAD

I've recently had a bit of an epiphany about my relationship with Greg, what love is, and how those two relate with one another. The first three or so years of our relationship were sometimes complicated, filled with a rollercoaster of ups and downs, however, we stuck through it. For so long, I wasn't sure why everything in our relationship had gone the way that it had. I was always wondering, "The first few years of a relationship aren't supposed to be the hard ones, are they?" I had this false perception that it was supposed to be fun, carefree, and romantic and that the hard times would come later once things settled down and we got more serious. But through the stress of us both going to college full-time, jobs, friends, partying, and many other factors in young lovin', this wasn't the case at all. There were multiple times where we had to take a step back. Times where we each, or both of us, had to take time to reevaluate and figure out what exactly we were doing. There were times that were, well, pretty miserable.

But here I sit, after a year of pretty smooth sailing, and look back and realize that every minute of the hardships that we faced was worth it. We now know each other inside and out, we have experienced the best and worst of times together and know how each other handles them. We have seen each other fail and we have seen each other succeed. We know when one another needs you to be silly or to be serious. We realized that neither of us are ever going to be right one-hundred-percent of the time. We learned how to effectively communicate with one another. What a concept, right?

Last week was a stressful one for me. I was so worried about my future schooling and how I was ever going to pull it off that I had no idea what to even do with myself. Once the weekend came, Greg's stress level hit a high point, too. As he sat there and described exactly how he was feeling about life, every single worry and stress of my own started to fade away and I was only worried about one thing: him. I wanted to do anything in my power to help him figure things out and feel better about things. The last thing that I wanted was to see him upset or unhappy. I talked to him, tried to encourage him, showed him the love that I felt that he needed. I just wanted him to be happy and to realize that he can do everything he sets his mind to. He always has and always will, I know that about him.

I can't honestly tell you if the things that I said and tried to do to make him feel better actually worked, only he can determine that. But I can tell you that this moment of clarity changed my life. I realized that I love an individual so deeply that I let all of my own thoughts and problems fall aside for a while in order to concentrate on this person and their happiness. I would rather see myself go through hardships than him, I have the confidence that I'll get through anything that I have to, even if it means putting it on the back burner for a minute or two in order to help him.

And this isn't a one-way street. At the first of that very stressful week, I had tried my hardest to keep everything in and to myself, because that's the way that my stubborn ass is, until one night right before bed I couldn't do it any longer. I exploded in tears, frustrations, and hid my little discouraged face in his arms, only to hear him tell me exactly what I needed to hear. It's amazing that someone else can have complete confidence and faith in your abilities. My worries dissipated and I woke up the next morning with a whole new confidence in myself and in my future.

So this is it. This is where we are. Treading through the shitty troubled waters of life together. And there is no other place that I'd rather be.

Photo Credit /// Natalia Sicsu.

CAMP IN THE WOODS, BEAT THE HEAT.

We have a couple of camping trips in the works for a couple of weekends from now and with the heat that we have had here for the past month, I can't wait. I feel like I am permanently hot right now. I just want to swim and drink beers with friends for a couple of days.

I love hot dogs as much as the next person buuuuuuut when we go camping, that's ALL that Greg brings for food so after a couple of days with only hot dogs and chili to eat, I begin to get a little annoyed. I found a great book and some fun links on campfire cooking and wanted to share them with you guys in case you have the same frustration. I think I'm definitely going to prep for some variety in our food this trip. ;-)

Campfire Cuisine: Gourmet Recipes for the Great Outdoors by Robin Donovan, $12.79 on Amazon
Some ideas from good ole Martha Stewart.
Ziplock omelets, these would be perfect to make ahead and just dump in a skillet.
And some delicious twists on foil dinners.

WHEN LIFE GIVES YOU LEMONS, ADD VODKA.

The past week has been quite the stressful one for both Greg and I. I found myself trying to talk him into a better mood, reminding him of the things that we are very fortunate to have and the supportive people that we are surrounded by, only to sit back and realize that I need to remind myself of these things, too. I think that it's so easy to explain this to someone else but somehow we tend to forget to apply it to our own daily lives.

Although it's tough to realize it at the time, every time that something unfortunate has come along, I've figured it out. We all do! I feel like I need to tattoo it on my forehead so that I don't forget. "You'll figure it out". Sometimes it may not be easy and most times it's not exactly what we want but it's life. Nothing is the end of the world. Well, unless it's actually the end of the world, I guess.

At the end of the day, I'm in a healthy relationship with someone who I love to the moon and back, I have a supportive family, great friends, a fluffy kitty, a roof over my head, a job, and a future that holds great things. Some days, especially a few this past week, my future and goals seem overwhelming and impossible to reach. They aren't and I know that, but it feels like it. I've found that the easiest way to get over that feeling is to make lists. Make lists of goals that you want to reach in different periods of time. I started lists for one year from now, five years, ten years, and twenty years. If you break it up, it's not nearly as overwhelming. It almost becomes exciting.

I only have one major goal for the next year and that is getting accepted into law school. At first, my overly-ambitious self thought that I needed to have more goals on that list. Then I realized that it's okay to only have that one because A) I need to work harder than I've ever worked to make it happen, and B) that one goal will help shape the entire rest of my life. Now that I defined my goal for the next year, I have a spot on my To-Do list for every day with one item that'll help me achieve that goal. Bada-bing! Now calm down, breathe, and get to work, Ady.

OUR FOURTH OF JULY WEEKEND.

We partied for America and we did it right. Aaaaall weekend long. The heat was too much though, we went up on a last minute trip to East Canyon on Saturday night to swim for a minute, followed up with the sprinkler dance party and sailing fun at the Great Salt Lake that you see below. Yes, that's our friend Nick dancing to surf rock in our sprinklers in short shorts. Like I said, it was a party.

I haven't spent much time out at the Great Salt Lake in my lifetime and after this weekend, I don't know why I haven't. It's a blast to swim/float around, as long as you don't get the salty water in your eyes. Yikes, made that mistake. Not to mention, it is really beautiful, as are most areas in Utah.

Thanks for taking us out on your boat, Matt!

WHY I LOVE SUMMER.

This. Right here. That's why.

BORN FREE 6.

California knows how to party. And they throw a damn good motorcycle bash. If you need to experience your year's worth of boobs, beer, and face tattoos, Born Free is your place. Oh, and there's a sea of bikes, too.

Greg keeps getting more and more obsessed with vans so I can't even explain to you how excited he was that there was an entire area at the show dedicated to them. Whenever we go anywhere these days, he points and gets excited at every. single. van. It's like driving around town with a 2-year-old but I can't help but smile because it's pretty cute/funny that he gets so excited over the small things.

I even camped for three days without complaining, that's a record y'all. I bought new camping gear for the summer and it has made a world of difference. I can actually sleep at night while camping now. It's a great time but I hope that Greg doesn't completely take advantage of this and expect me to go every weekend though. Not gonna happen, I like hot showers too much and cooking in my kitchen rather than roasting chili dogs over a fire.

HAPPY MONDAY!