Ten on Tuesday | 10 things because of him

With our anniversary approaching in a few weeks I've been getting a little sentimental thinking about my guy, so for this week's "Ten on Tuesday" I wanted to write something related to him.

While I'm primarily self sufficient and entirely mostly stubborn there are some things that Sammy has taught me. A lot of little, and not-so-little lessons have crept in. A lot of silly and meaningful things.

He has...

// expanded my movie horizon.

I was dragged to see Taken 2 when it came out thinking I would hate it and I've never been the same. Liam Neeson is just the most bad ass. Ever. I've spent years watching Rocky {over and over again...} and now love it just a much as Sammy does. I get emotional as hell during sports movies. & I'm officially a huge Marvel nerd. The Avengers are kind of my shit. And you can bet we've been counting down to the release of Batman Vs. Superman {this weekend!!}. We're nerds. It's been embraced.

 Now, if I can get him to turn into a Nora Ephron nerd we'd be in good shape.

//  always let me finish the popcorn.

I'm kind of a barbarian when it comes to popcorn. I'm also not the greatest sharer when it comes to food in general. {God I'm really painting myself in a lovely light so early in this list...} But Sammy always bows out about 1/2 way through the bag and lets me finish it without a word. This sounds like not a big deal but to someone who loves popcorn that much it's easily one of the most romantic things he does.

{my soul while I eat popcorn}

// shown me the importance of working out.

Ugh.
This is not to be confused with "has shown me how to enjoy working out" 'cause no one will do that. {Except maybe Cassie Ho because she's a delightful pilates wizard} But he has shown me time and again how important it is to stay active and dedicated to something if you want to see results. Logically, I'm with him. Executing that logic is where I run into trouble. I'm working on it.

// taught me to take food out of the oven five minutes before it's done.

We both love food lightly, lightly browned. That means we like cookies chewy, pizza dough kind of doughy, and brownies gooey. So basically under cooked is what I'm saying. We like food under cooked, OKAY?
Just kidding. Not every food. But most foods. ;) This is seemingly simple but I'm a rule follower so when a recipe gives me a cooking time I stick to that time frame. But once Sammy suggested taking things out five minutes earlier it changed everything.
Like I couldn't think of this myself? What happened to me?
 Now I do it whenever I'm baking/cooking anything.
Lucky for Sammy I'm the Queen of burning things {although this^ advice is helping}, so he's eaten a lot of "surprises" I make for him that have charred edges and concrete centers. But he eats them every time. Romantic thing #2.

// taught me to act a little tougher & work a little harder

I'm a very sensitive person meaning I take a lot of things personally. When I was a kid and I'd get hurt my dad would console me, make sure I was okay, and then say, "you're tough, you're tough" so I would keep playing or doing whatever I was doing. Associating the word "tough" with who I am has helped cement a vocabulary about females. Men aren't the only people who can be tough. Females are tough. My dad always reminded me of that and Sammy has been someone who has pushed the "you're tough, you're tough" mentality as I've gotten older.

I'm also a determined person. I work hard and get things done, but as much as I hate to admit it I don't always go that extra step like I know I should. I don't know anyone who is as determined as Sammy. He's been knocked down countless times and gets up time and again to keep pushing forward. When I start to feel lazy I think about what Sammy would do and I force myself to ask someone at work if I can take on an extra project or do one more rep in the gym.

Sammy is the most determined person I know. He's also pretty damn tough in all definitions of the word.


// explained to me what a down is in football about fifty times.

I mean, that's all. He's explained like fifty times. And yet, the only time I've gotten it is when he was coaching nine-year-olds. I can't follow those NFL guys. I just can't. So now I've lost it again. Also, I don't care.

{needing this for football and hockey "watching"}

// taught me to let it go.

As I said, I'm very sensitive. Things often bother me more than they should and I have a hard time letting things go. Sammy always reminder me that holding on to that crap is toxic and gets in the way of enjoying so many other things. I'm normally giving other people the exact same advice but can't take that advice for myself. Somehow, Sammy gets through.

// taught me to have a better sense of humor about myself.

AGAIN. I'm sensitive. Omg, I'm annoying myself now. So when people make fun of me {in a playful way} I sometimes shut down and get self conscious but Sammy has taught me that people are only having fun and they don't mean it to be hurtful. Plus, it's more fun to be around people who can laugh at themselves.

//  always made me laugh.

Alright, this is a little corny but it's true. He always makes me laugh and he tends to do it most when things are only funny to us or when he's quoting a movie we both love. We have a lot of little things that are kind of like inside jokes/mannerisms we do around each other and they always make me laugh. God, we're weird.

   {example: we died laughing at this primarily because it's got Willy Wonka in it and we love Willy Wonka}

// gotten me hooked on Lost, overwhelmed by lost, and then we never finished.

We don't know what the black smoke is. We don't know what the hell John is doing. We don't know how it ends.
We're on the LAST season and can't get it together. We binged for a few months and toward the end of the series the episodes started to get so overwhelming for us we had to take a break and then every time he wanted to watch I just couldn't bring myself to get back into it just yet. Now I'm ready! & he's boycotting it because I "took too long".
We'll get there. We'll get there.

*

I've known Sammy for seventeen years and in that time he's taught me a lot about growing up, about being a good person, and enjoying life. He makes this life a lot of fun.

xo

Ten on Tuesday | Ten things i'd rather be doing than finals

For those of you who don't know {meaning anyone other than the three people that read this blog} I'm currently working toward getting my Master's degree in Writing & Publishing. It's been an intense ride so far, but I've loved it {on most days} just the same.
Despite enjoying the program {because I'm a nerd through and through} there are plenty of days when I want to throw in the towel and this quarter has definitely pushed my limits.
As winter quarter comes to an end it has brought the inevitable "Finals Week" which has been kicking my ass.
Suffice it to say, this list could very easily consist of twenty or thirty things, but I'll keep it at ten for interests sake.

// Organizing my Pinterest boards 
Anyone who knows me knows how obsessed I am with Pinterest. Like scary obsessed. I currently want to rename all of my boards because I'm tired of how they look. Tired of how they look. Because I've somehow rationalized that this is important in life.

// Paint my nails
My Cupcakes & Cashmere "Latte Run" polish has started to chip, so it's time for a new coat. I may go with "Peach Tea" this time around.

via

Oh, stop talking about Cupcakes & Cashmere for like one post, you say?
Never. & how dare you.

// Baking and then devouring this cake

I found this on Pinterest last night after 2 am {shocking, I know}, googled where in the actual hell I could get maple syrup in a cute ass can like that {answer: Quebec, Canada}, put three cans in my cart, talked myself out of paying $27 in shipping, got pissed, looked at these pictures again, got pissed I can't take beautiful pictures of food, and cursed this beautiful wizard of a baker. So yeah. I really want this cake. 

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// Stalk houses on Trulia

I'm not in the market for a house, shouldn't even be buying 90% of the things I buy, and have separation anxiety from my family, and yet here I am stalking Trulia like I'm ready to make an investment. 

Also, there's nothing out there remotely as beautiful as this Home Alone stunner. 

Since my part-time salary is going to get me in this ballpark real quick.

I'm "Bye, Felicia"-ing myself, don't worry. Also, I just started saying this phrase and people hate me for it primarily because I just say "Bye" {without the Felicia} in a different voice and expect people to know what I mean. They don't. 

// Watch House Hunters

And also Scandal {I'm behind, yet again}, and those TLC shows I can't look away from, and also The Office for like the fifth time in the last three months. Straight killing the social interaction game with all my tv time.

// Talk weddings with my bff

My girlfriend is getting married in June of 2017 and all I want to do is stalk her secret wedding board on Pinterest.

She's been sending me pictures of the dresses she's tried on and I'm obsessed with what she's loving so far. 

Like okay bye most gorgeous, romantic bride that's ever lived ;) 

// Organizing my closet

I have been itching to do this again for the past month or so, ever since I bought more things from Old Navy which seems to be like a weekly occurrence since their sales are the realest. 

I bought some staples recently and realized how much I could donate from my closet after purchasing these pieces. So, I've been itching to get in there to do some spring cleaning. It would be lovely if I could have a functional closet at any point in my life, but I try and fail, and end up looking like this:

// Read

I've embraced the 42 piles of books I have stacked all around my room. I've given up trying to contain them. Why should I? I've been forcing myself to read more this month instead of using school as an excuse for being "burned out". Books are too lovely to be put on the back burner. 

buy it here

The 576 page bible that sits on my nightstand every night. The ultimate of queens. 

// Buy Brooklyn on dvd

It comes out today, so realistically I'll be doing this before my finals are completed. It's SO good, guys.

// Spend time with my Grandma {!!}
Now that my Grandma is home from the hospital and rehab center all I want to do is spend time with her at home. I've been staying with her the last two nights and I'll be so sad to switch with my brother tonight since I have to work tomorrow. We've been staying up late talking, doing a little cooking {she sat and cut garlic today for the first time in months and it made my heart soar}, and watching Johnny Carson clips on tv. She is one of my very favorite people in this life and it's been such a joy to spend this time with her.
Finals can take a back seat to that.

xo

Linking up with the lovely Karli!

mid-week weekend recap

I'm here today pulling a classic Alex-couldn't-get-it-together-on-sunday-to-post-a-recap post! I know the world is waiting on breath that is baited (to quote Aleksandr Petrovsky's pretentious friend that one time in Pastis) for my recaps, so here it is ;):

Sammy had plans to go downtown for a guy's night on Friday night, so I stayed home finishing up some editing and revisions for a class and had a visit with my grandma. I can't begin to explain how happy I am that she's doing so much better. Her spirits are amazing!

Always love documenting her artwork ;)

As I mentioned in my Friday post last week, I had plans with some girlfriends to go to a wine tasting event near her house. I had so much fun spending time with them {and her fiancé!}, but to be honest I had no idea just how much wine would be there and how much it would affect me. There was a moment where I fell down on the floor of a motorcycle showroom. In all fairness to me this could very well have happened if I was sober as I have terrible balance. {but also why is there a motorcycle showroom in a quaint little downtown area? don't blame me for your mistake, village of Libertyville} Clearly I still have anxiety about it because I'm normally overtly aware of my behavior and had to leave the premise {and move on to the next tasting obv} immediately.

Anyway, here are some snaps my sober, and eventually not-so-sober, self thought was important to document. All in various snapchat filters, of course ;)

      

Eee! A wedding countdown at my girlfriend's house! // Pre-tasting snap

Some favs! {the one in the middle is the one getting married!}

      

I felt it necessary to document {at the weirdest angle} a bakery we stopped in // books I thought would look artsy

      

Mid-tasting snap // peace sign hanging in a pizzeria 

      

Chelsie // Sammi 

{always looking far better than me}

      

We stopped in like 18 {okay, two} art studios.

Random paint splatters I thought would be cool on my snap story // Sammi signing up for something she "felt she had to".

      

Chelsie with our new best friend {at this point in the day all I wanted to do was sit on the ground and stay with this dog} // easels to prove I have a keen eye for art

After the tasting we made it over to Firkin to have something to eat. Sammy was able to meet us there for dinner and I couldn't have been happier to see him. Based on my reaction to him you'd think I hadn't seen him in weeks but it had been like six days haha. If we're being honest again, I remember being really about my veggie burger and the tortilla chips we got for the table, so I'm not a great judge on the food beyond that although I'm sure it was good! I just wanted to eat and go to bed, so we headed home around 6 pm like the 87 year olds we are.

Sammy spent some time visiting with my mom and brother while I laid on the couch next to him singing the song from Spacejam because my brother mentioned Michael Jordan…. 

clearly a really classy day for me

Sammy then made himself an ice cream sundae and we went to watch Matilda before we both fell asleep. Naturally this is how our evenings go. This is who we are. 

On Sunday, I spent the day with Sammy running some errands {per usual} and then having dinner by his house since his mom was making pizza and pasta which is clearly everything to me in life.

I mean, really. 

& of course, this is the week I got back on the Weight Watcher's bandwagon. I'm also wearing my Fit Bit again. 

I already dislike me. 

      

I also watched him be cute as hell ironing his uniforms // & took pictures of recipes and apparently griddles I'm obsessed with in Bon Appetit 

So, there ya have it. That was my weekend. 

On today's front, I woke up with a charlie horse, forgot my computer for class tonight, and there's a winter storm warning for today, so current mood:

Things could be much, much worse Sophia. 

xo

Friday Five

This week has felt really productive but I think that's partly due to the fact that I finally got around to folding laundry that's been sitting around for weeks and weeks. I'm so great at doing laundry, but folding and putting it away is a totally different story. Anyone else like this?! 

Anyway, this week at school was a heavy writing week, and a heavy project-based work week, but class was also cancelled on Thursday night which was such a nice break. It's amazing how restorative one night off is!

I have a random mash-up of Friday Favorites this week but all good things! So let's get into it.

// One // 

I made pizza earlier this week with the leftover cheese and fresh basil Sammy and I had from our Valentine's dinner. I used organic frozen pizza crusts I had from Trader Joe's, but I think I waited too long to use them 'cause it cooked rock hard haha. Flavor was good but I was basically eating a slab of concrete with sauce and basil on it. Definitely want to try them again but this time I'll use them much sooner!

// Two // 

These are some cute umbrellas my grandma colored the other day during therapy! She's making such great progress. 

I had such a great visit with her earlier this week and was asking her a lot of questions about St. Joseph's Day {an Italian holiday coming up in March} for the essay I was writing. She perked right up talking about our family's traditions. I can't wait for her to be home. I have such a new found appreciation for her which I didn't think was possible since she's always been my favorite human. ;)

// Three // 

Like I said earlier this has been a writing week for me {I can't wait until every week is a writing week} and this was my set up on Tuesday afternoon. A messy outline + an intrinsic need to live exactly like Olive Pope was the inspiration for this writing session. 

// Four // 

We had some awesome news this past week on my Dad's side of the family. My cousin {picture on the left} sent out announcements last week that her and her boyfriend are expecting a child! & then on Valentine's Day he proposed to her! AND my cousin and his wife announced they're going to expecting as well with this sweet announcement {picture on the right}. Couldn't be happier for these couples. They've dealt with their fair share of hardship, so they deserve all this happiness. 

// Five // 

Tomorrow I'll be attending the "Wine About Winter" event with a few of my girlfriends and I'm excited for a little girl time! From 1-4 pm we'll be walking around downtown Libertyville where several participating shops and restaurants will be providing wine tastings as you shop around. I have a feeling I'll be spending a few more extra dollars than I need to ;) 

Looking forward to some fun this weekend! Can't wait to read everyone else's Friday Favs. 

xo

Friday Five {Valentine's Edition}

Hi, hi!

I've been looking forward to Valentine's Day this year. I love that it's an opportunity to acknowledge all the different kind of love in our lives. I like getting to celebrate in a variety of ways like I always grab mini boxes of chocolate for my parents and siblings as little v-day surprises. I love the idea of "Galentine's Day" #ThanksKnope to celebrate how great our girlfriends are. & even though that extra hint of forced romance makes Sammy and I more awkward than anything else, I still love spending some quality time with him, too. ;)

I love a holiday themed "Friday Five" so I thought I would post one this week with a roundup of outfit, drink, movies, food, and date ideas.

One // The Clothes

via / via / via

Casual / I love the idea of a heart accented sweater or simple t-shirt to wear for a comfy night in.

Dressy / This blush dress would be so lovely to wear out to dinner.

Sexy / Eberjey makes such lovely lingerie and would be perfect for an intimate night. 

Two // The Drink

via / via / via

Alcoholic / A strawberry mimosa would be great morning, noon, or night {in my book}.

Non-Alcoholic / A fizzy sorbet mocktail would be so fun.

Something Warm / Pink hot chocolate would be a festive spin on a cozy drink. 

Three // The Film

For the classics / I mean. Come on. It's Harry and Sally. 

For the candy enthusiast / I try to drop Willy Wonka whenever I can, so the candy aspect of this holiday has me rationalizing. Plus, Gene Wilder. Like let's be real. 

For the romantics / I am begging everyone, for the love of God, please watch Brooklyn. It is so lovely and deserves all the awards. 

Four // The Food

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Breakfast / A lovely Valentine's Day Brunch spread courtesy of Little Baby Garvin as usual since she's Queen.

Lunch or Dinner / I think pasta is so romantic and I could eat it for every meal, so that's all I have to say. I think Sammy and I are going to have a pasta making date night to celebrate Valentine's this year. 

Dessert / Strawberry, brownie, and marshmallow kabobs. BYE. 

Five // The Date

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Long walk / Taking a long walk while sipping on something hot with someone special sounds so nice.

Dinner & a movie / For all my classics. I will never grow tired of dinner and a movie.

Spa day or night / Whether you're spending the day at a spa getting a treatment together or having a DIY spa night at home… you really can't go wrong. 

*as a disclaimer: I'm a big believer in that all of these things can be {worn or watched or drank or ate or done} enjoyed ALONE. You do not need someone to validate your existence or worth. You want to wear lingerie and make yourself dinner and watch a rom-com? Do it {please watch Brooklyn!}. You want to dress up and go out for dinner? Take yo self out, girl. Go for that walk. Get the massage. Do, eat, and wear all the things for yourself. & enjoy. 

Valentine's Day should be spent celebrating the people we love and that includes ourselves. Loving who we are is so important to our individual journeys. Let's love all the people! Our partners, family, friends, and ourselves. 

xo