The Good Life

Hello again, world! What a refreshing couple weeks of regrouping it has been. I can already tell that this summer has great things in store. For starters, my creativity has suddenly blossomed since the conclusion of the school year. The span of time since I arrived home until now has consisted of a significant amount of me time, largely involving reorganizing my room/closet, thrifting at Goodwill, and remaining by my sewing machine. Of course, there’ve been the chunks of time devoted to spending time with friends and taking trips here and about. But back to the creativity thing… I have been re-inspired! Final exams take up all of one’s focus, how can a girl do any real thinking about the finer things in life? My brain is now making up for lost time by stimulating my senses in an overactive “awareness.” I’ve metaphorically spent some time alone in the wilderness, alone with my thoughts. After contemplating life and its many nuances, I’ve reached conclusions on various aspects and come out a stronger person, I believe.
I may be blowing this out of proportion a bit, there have been no MAJOR life changing events. It’s just been one of those personal revitalizations, you know? I’ve reevaluated ideas, determined goals, and changed my perspective on things. It feels good.

 

I’ve gone raw/organic/vegan, that’s a change! Now, before I continue any further, let me explain the circumstances: my parents are on an all raw and juicing diet due to health concerns. I’ve been consumed by all the benefits (not to mention the simplicity of eating!), and decided it was something I wanted to jump on board with. We’ve grown up eating very healthy as a family, but college doesn’t exactly cater to the needs of the health conscience. I’m not as strict about absolutely everything I eat %100 of the time, I'm not against eating meat or the occasional splurge of "less healthy". I know there will be times where I cannot conveniently eat the way I want to, but I think going into it knowing that has only made it easier to keep on the right path. Because, let’s face it, eating organic is AWESOME!! I have absolutely no problem being vegan as long as the resources are available; it’s fabulously tasty and makes you feel great about yourself.

In the mornings, I make myself a fruit and vegetable protein shake. They usually consist of an assortment of almond milk/some kind of juice, kale, spinach, lettuce, banana, blueberries, strawberries, mango, pear/apple, avocado, carrot, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, vitamin powder, etc. For lunch or as a snack I alter between natural Greek yogurt, granola cereal, fruit, or something like that. Then dinner is whatever yummy goodness my mother concocts for that night. Endless varieties of soups, bean dishes, and salads fill that category. People ask how I’m not hungry all of the time, to which I reply, “how can I be??” I’m totally satisfied after eating the amount I do.
On a similar note, I am literally OBSESSED with lime, avocado, and cilantro. Just the SMELL of cilantro makes me wild, it is so delicious! We grow it in our garden, and I go out there simply to rub it all over my fingers so I can inhale it daily. Luckily, they're a three-way paired match made in paradise that go together in nearly every dish I eat lately. One of my favorite meals which includes the above obsessions is a Mexican inspired vegetarian taco salad. It's made with lettuce, corn, beans, tomatoes, lime, avocado, cilantro, and tempeh (or a soy based tofu). So simple, so delicious.
I promise this isn’t going to turn into a blog about nothing but food. Even though there’s nothing wrong with that, it’s definitely not my forte. However, you can bet you’ll get updates on this organic meal lifestyle of mine.

 

 



Today was one of those days when I woke up to a text from Erin asking if I’d like to accompany her around town for no particular reason other than wasting time and exploring. Clearly, this was a-ok with me. It soon became a very typical summer day outing: thrift shops, antique stores, froyo, and driving around with the radio blaring.
This outfit doesn’t really have any cool stories. It’s kind of one of those ensembles that can be combined with a lot of looks and still works. The shoes are kind of interesting, I literally found them one day in a box in the attic, and no one claimed them. Score! My shirt was purchased from A'GACI a few years ago, but since then I have removed the sleeves and taken out the elastic in the bottom to make it a freer flowing top. I threw on my repurposed “mom jeans go high-waisted shorts” with it. I seriously love those things, and I’m not saying that to pat myself on the back for creating something phenomenal, it just happens to be that way. They’ve become a staple, versatile part of my wardrobe. Most any shirt looks good tucked into them or hanging over the waist. There’s been something so rewarding about putting on a pair of shorts with a breezy top and being outdoors recently. I’m not one to be wimpy in the heat of summer, I love the warmth of the sun radiating off my skin, so maybe it has something to do with the fact that less is more in the sense of clothing. Sometimes I compare myself to a lizard on a rock, basking in the sunny temperature, and I’m completely at peace with that.



Top: A'GACI, (altered),
belt: Forever 21, purse: Cotton On,
sunglasses: Altar'd State, shoes: vintage

As we walked around Tullahoma, trying to find somewhere interesting to investigate as well as a place to shoot some photos, I was hit by the overwhelming feeling of summer. Maybe it was the strength of the sun’s beams through my sunglasses, maybe it was the fruity smell that lingered from Erin’s froyo, maybe it was the combination of cheesy radio songs I had stuck in my head… I’m really not sure why. But ultimately, that “feeling” of summer had sunk in, and I realized that I want to make sure I take advantage of all the summery-ness that I can afford to bestow upon myself. There may not be a lot of things to do in Manchester to aid in this goal, but I want to make it happen. I'm talking road trips, picnics, bon fires, lakeside visits, hiking, tanning, water gun wars, anything. Granted, I'm limited on money and free time... but when there's a will there's always a way.