the christmas countdown begins!

  Every year me, kaitlyn van hoff, brittan tehan, and kim mott (my best friends in the whole world) make a christmas countdown list of fun holiday things to do! But this year is going to be extra special, crazy, fun, madness because after the holidays we're all going our separate ways for the first time since we were all like 5 years old! It makes me sad to think about but at least we still have the holidays together!! :) can't wait you guys!

ski
sled
hot tub
ice skate
reindeer run
christmas card
fireplace s'mores
make holiday treats
cut down a christmas tree
listen to christmas music 
christmas movie mondays
feed the hungry/volunteer
make homemade hot chocolate
go down town and see the lights
drive around random neighborhoods to see lights
snuggle
cuddle
laugh

Sun Kissed. - Sunday

Remember when I said I was going to some how make it to greece (here) ? Well I found a way!! I'm going on a 20 day trip through italy and greece with some friends, (with this group) it also includes a 5 day cruise through the islands of greece. Lets just say I started freaking out when this all came together and I got the OK to go! So for Sun Kissed. Sunday I thought i'd share a few pics with you guys of where I'll be going in June

I hope this brings a little sun shine into your day

Sun Kissed. - Sunday's

Ok, I've started a few new things on sun kissed. those being -simple goals for the week and -sun kissed. Sunday's! The simple goals for the week are just little things I can do to help me be a happier person to myself and others! The sun kissed. Sunday's are meant to be pictures, quotes, ...etc that will help keep the feeling of being outside on a blissfully sunny day with you no matter where you are.

To kick off sun kissed. -Sunday's I just got back from visiting my mom in Hawaii and here are a few pictures from the trip!

Top: jack johnson tree north shore, north beach on kaneohe bay marine corpse base

Middle: my brother's surf board, reading at kailua beach

Bottom: little gecko I found at my moms, dodging the waves at sunset beach

things appealing to my eye

photos can be found on pinterest

little bit of summer fun

This is a cute little diner that one of my good friends Andrew took me to! 

We got there a little to late for dinner, but good thing they serve dessert

late! :) because that old fashion strawberry shake was so worth it!

                                       

This summer has been really busy, but in a different sort of way than most of my summers! Lets just say it's a little more business and a little less play... but who said you couldn't have fun while your working?

Summer Clothes!

It's finally Summer weather here in good o'l Draper and I don't think anyone is happier than me to break out my summer clothes! :)

MORE FUN WITH MY FILM CAMERA! 

Hopefully I'll be able to find a place to develop all the summer pictures I plan on taking!! 

So those of you out there that are close and have a dark room, I'd be so happy if you let me in on it!! :)

Something New

I am now a Pescetarian... no this is not a religion :) for those of you that don't know what it is, it's basically vegetarian except I eat fish / sea foods. Reasons: Well to begin I wasn't one to eat red meat, and then I slowly started eating less and less white meat. So I guess you could say pescetarianism (if that's even a word! ha) chose me! But I think when I really decided to "become" a pescetarian was when I saw this video meet your meat. It's so sad :(  and just an FYI... this vid is not for those with weak stomachs! (check out my friend kaitlyn's blog while you're at it!)

Gotta love film

As some of you might already know, I love my film camera! So here are a few photo's from my latest role of film.

This is my darling little sister Diana! She's one of my favorite people to photograph, probably because she's a natural in front of the camera! 

hmmm...

THINGS THAT MAKE ME UNCOMFORTABLE

1. when someone says they like something, and then you disagree,  then all of a sudden they agree with you?
2. when you don't respond right away to someone's text and they get upset... I'M SORRY I'M NOT ADDICTED TO MY PHONE!
3. when you can feel someone's breath while they talk to you... ew
4. when you tell someone to change the subject and they keep the subject going because they think it's funny to see you squirm (boys...)
5. when someone says something gross because they're trying to be funny 

Why Wouldn't You?

-Good Weather

-Lovely Friends

-Live Music

-Organic cafe's

-Photography 

+and to top it all off... oreo's dipped in milk!

Tonight is just a prelude to what my summer adventures are going to be! But I haven't had one of these nights in a long time, so it felt amazing as you can imagine :) And that's when I came to this brilliant conclusion!!! I am GOING to do a study abroad in Stantorini, Greece!
Random right? I was just sitting there perfectly content with my oreo's and it hit me! Honestly though that's how most of my greatest ideas come to find me! Random and Spontaneous! 

I don't even know if Stantorini offers a study abroad program... but i'm willing to do anything! I'll sign up for some sort of, I don't even know? As long as it gets me there and gives me a place to sleep, running water isn't even a necessity! ha ha :) 

Sun Kissed

ok... So lately there has been a lot of changing of things here and there on my blog! And as you can tell I now have a new title! Don't plan on me changing it anymore, because this one is a final change!
     For the last couple of days I have been debating whether I was going to change it or not. And as you can tell I came to the conclusion that I would! My old title "So We Can Hear Thunder" related something to my older brother Marco ( best friend, amazing human being, the one who kept me going!) and I. We have had this theory... well basically life style that we live or lived, based off of THUNDER STORMS! It may sound weird but, it's hard to explain and most people wouldn't understand it anyways! (that's just another reason why Marco is like my identical twin, there is no one in the world that can understand me when I come up with my weird analogies, except him! How's that for a run on sentence?)
    But then I decided that I wanted this blog to be for me, and something that was 100% new and mine! I guess you could say a fresh start toward being a more independent me.  So I hope you like my new title, feel free to let me know what you think!

A healthier life, is a happier life

        Have you noticed how much our lives are based around FOOD!? As American's we LIVE TO EAT, NOT EAT TO LIVE.  EX: wake up, "What am I going to have for breakfast? I wonder what mom packed me for lunch?" then after lunch around the end of school we're all complaining how hungry we are! get home, eat an after school snack. "What's for dinner? Is there going to be dessert?" Not to mention all the time we spend snacking in-between that.
    So recently (one week ago today actually) I started a full body cleanse! Basically it breaks the addiction ALL of us have, to artificial sugars and junk food. Well really it breaks the addiction to any sugar seeing as how it calls for no fruit for a while! I can already feel a difference in my body! :) I have more energy and can focus on things better! Although it's been hard... really hard, it has been fully worth it! :) and I haven't caved yet!

Tonight's Dinner.... :)

DETOX CLEANSE 

( glycemic, Mediterranean science ) 

  

WEEKS 1 & 2: 

               Meats: Chicken, turkey, fish, eggs. No red meat, dairy or pork, ever.

               Veggies: All, but potato's (excluding sweet potato's) lots of wild yams, mushrooms, leafy greens,

                             broccoli, cabbage, Brussel sprouts, turnips, kale, collard, water crests, tomato's,  

                             cauliflower.

               Nuts: All unsalted/seasoned nuts (no peanuts)  

               Salad Dressing: "Bragg's and or garlic, olive oil, tarragon, vinegar, pepper.

WEEKS 3 & 4:

                Add a new FRUIT each day; best = grapefruits and berries. 

                Drinks: dilute odwala, bolthouse, pure pomegranate (best), organic fruit juices (100% fresh  

                             squeezed)

WEEKS 5 & 6:

                 Add a new legume each day; best = beans, peanuts (unsalted), peas, soy, soy milk  

                (unsweetened), and lentils.

AFTER THAT:

               Add organic cereals, whole wheat breads, whole wheat (brown) pastas. Also add a Whole wheat every 3 days; corn, brown rice, wheat.          

So what I have written down is what I get to eat for the next 8-9ish weeks. I'm just finishing up week one so I have just one more week until I can eat GLORIOUS fruit!!

spring-spring-spring

 I was out in my back yard today standing in the warm sun! 

When i looked down and guess what i saw!?

 This BEAUTIFUL little flower!!

I just wanted to take a minute to say how much I love warm weather!

It makes you feel like running around and screaming, and it's so much less depressing! 

With the warm beautiful sun out shinning down on you! ah, i can't wait for SUMMER!! 

things i especially can't wait for:

shorts, tank-tops, swimming, traveling, beach, thunderstorms, sunsets

I need spring to come quick because these random spurts of 

good weather keep getting my hopes up! 

(so keep growing for me little guy, I'm desperate for the sun!)

Photography

                                           SMILE-REAL-BIG

          its not snapping the pictures that makes photography so great for me, its what comes right before! being able to look at the giant world through that little lens for just a few moments...

i feel like it simplifies everything. when you look at a boy slurping his shake from a straw that's what you get, he's not a boy that is scared of not fitting in or saying the wrong thing. i guess what i'm trying to say is, focus on the BOY not the annoying sound he's making by slurping his shake. :) we can all learn a lot from photography because it  makes you operate in the present, focus on the little things, and remember the good times.  learn to live in the NOW, take a big deep breath and focus on what's around you now, so you don't miss it later.  

   

I'm officially blogging..... hmm how do i feel about this? neutral. ha ha :) i've never wanted a blog because i don't use the computer enough to keep up on things like this but here we go!
 


          p.s.. KAitlYn VANhOff if your out there, i need your help on how to work this thing!