life, according to my iphone

[finding new recipes to love]

highlights from the past week: i started/finished an art project i'd been putting off, T and i finally got to see deadpool 2 (loved it! i couldn't believe it could be as funny as the first movie), i tried out a new lunch spot, i whipped up the first ice cream flavor of the season - strawberry (so good), my nephew has gotten into a fun game with me about who would eat more (hint: he always thinks it will be piranhas), and T's infamous mojitos have made their seasonal return. 

[farewell dinner; family cookout]

[babies and puppies]

[cocktail hours]

[spa day]

[tuna time]

[baby shower fun]

[classic summertime treats]

[friyay local date]

[sampling local sweet treats]

[cute pups alert]

[wine-ing down]

[funky watering hole; favorite bath goods shop]

[office fiesta; celebrating the end of the semester]

binging with babish

after receiving binging with babish's book from T, i figured he should have first pick of what recipes and movies we should try out. after looking through the book, he decided on two recipes - one from a movie he hadn't seen, and one that contained one of his favorite movie scenes. the first movie and recipe we tried out was breakfast at tiffany's chicken and mole with saffron rice.  

[wishing you guys could have smelled the heavenly mole]

[saffron water]

it had been awhile since i'd last seen the movie so, it was interesting to see it again through T's eyes. i can't say he's a fan of it, but he was a fan of audrey hepburn (i mean, who wouldn't be, she was a total babe). thankfully, he and i were big fans of the recipe. it was really tasty, and i'm glad it didn't blow up all over our kitchen like it did in holly golightly's. 

our second recipe to tackle was pulp fiction's big kahuna burger. as far as movies go, this had to be one of the most iconic moments for burgers. plus, we were curious if this recipe would live up to the hype. 

[just like the photo! but, we of course had to have fries with it]

[T recreating his favorite moment]

and just like jules said, "this is a tasty burger!". honestly, it may be one of my top five burgers i've ever had, and that's saying something. 

owen's warriors

last saturday, T and i drove up to tulsa for a quick trip to support our friends matt and julia at the cystic fibrosis walk. it was their third year to raise funds under team owen's warriors which placed third after raising $13K! plus, our team shirts for this year's event were modeled after owen's favorite dinosaur, the triceratops.

[gents (above) and ladies (below)]

as always, we had such a great time sweating it out during the walk with our friend gang over loads of laughs while bringing awareness to an amazing cause. here's to next year's walk and the hope that cf one day stands for cure found!

first third

[tasty donut misadventures]

may 1st marked the end of the first third of the year. isn't that wild to think about? i'd never thought about breaking apart the year this way until i came across a social media post that made me think about it. it may sound somewhat strange, but i actually like the concept. if you break up the year, you can actually take a moment to reflect on what occurred during that time...what went well, what didn't, how you may be doing on a certain goal you had in mind, etc. it's hard to completely remember these moments when you look back on their entire year. but, looking back months at a time can give you the ability to make changes and adjustments where needed. any difficulties experienced can become moments to reflect on growth and wins can be fully appreciated. 

personally, i'd set out to work on several aspects of myself with no specific end dates. some were simple, like my goal to drink more water (i'm at 120 ounces a day now), and others were more complex/would take more time, like my goal to practice more compassion with myself (slow, but steadily getting better). but, having the opportunity to look back on my progress in the last several months was really motivating. being able to reflect gives yourself a kind of personal check-in which can also help when it comes to difficult moments...they are simply that, a moment, and not the entirety of your year or life. 

what do y'all think about the thirds idea? i'd love to hear your thoughts!

[cute wedding date]

[breakfast tacos for out of town guests]

[dance, dance, dance off]

[surprisingly tasty new recipe]

[celebrating amanda's little one to be]

focus

have you ever thought about who you focus your energy towards? i'd seen several insta posts about the idea, but hadn't really taken to it until several months ago. i started to notice a bad habit of overextending myself in friendships that weren't reciprocal. i would consistently excuse it and never ask for the same courtesies in return...even though i was the one left feeling frustrated. so, i found myself at a crossroads - either continue to allow the pattern, or, change it. i decided to let go of my old habit and only spend my time and energies on relationships that were returned. life is far too short to waste time in friendships that are uneven. there is no reason to expend more of yourself to those who refuse to return effort. 

ever since taking a back step in that friendship, i felt a huge weight lifted off of my shoulders. i no longer sit wondering about my status with that person or worry about coordinating everything in the relationship. so, for any of you who may have a friend that causes you to feel this way, take a step back and evaluate the level of input on both sides. if it's not equal or close to it, leave it be. set your focus on those that give equally in the relationship which will lead to a much more content you.

cositas

[puppy love]

first semester of grad school is in the books! still can't believe i've made it through a crazy busy season at work while getting back into the swing of things school-wise. it kind of feels like intense juggling. but, i'm feeling much more settled into my new routine and ready to keep going. although, i'll be honest, i'm looking forward to the brief break :) 

happy monday!

[funky drink combos]

[a sweet moment while waiting out the storm]

[family]

[hint: stop paying attention to this mat and pay attention to boba]

[a great wine rec]

check in

whew! these past two weeks have been an intensely packed amount of work and school that, at times, made me wonder how i could get it all done. and then, suddenly (or at least it feels like it), i've come out on the other side still kicking and with my brain intact. without y'all being in the mix of the past two weeks of chaos that was going on, it was the perfect collision of exhaustion from all sides with no time to recharge. thankfully, i am past the worst of it and only have a little bit left to go before completing my first semester of grad school - what! 

because most of my time was jam packed with work and school, not too much else happened. but, i thought it would be fun to share what few moments kept me pushing through. enjoy!

[springtime tart]

[rainy mornings and all the dots]

[one of the best bar signs]

[breakfast for dinner]

[tree transport]

[cute concert date]

[blood orange margarita break]

[girls night and dancing]

[rest and relax]

[farewell boren]

[a certain salmon loving pup begging for a plate]

[finally!]