River Girl.

One major perk of completing my practicum at the Watauga County Wellness Center? I get to work with the BLAST summer camp and go on fun field trips with the kids. That, and unlimited peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.

Today, we kayaked the New River! I had never been kayaking before. Honestly, the thought of having my legs confined in a skinny plastic vessel while paddeling down a rocky river didn't exactly appeal to me at first. But then I got the hang of it, and relaxed. I bet you that by the end of this camp, I'll be ready for some class 5 rapids! Today's were about class 1/2. It might be a slow process.

Carolina Beach Camping.

Mountain camping and beach camping are two completely opposite experiences. After this weekend, I'm not sure which one I love more. A group of my friends from college and I road-tripped halfway across the state to Carolina Beach for a full day of beach bummin' that overlapped into the next morning. It was one of the most enjoyable weekends I've had lately. Although, you might not think that after reading what happened..

First lesson learned? Beware of getting a spray tan 3 hours before you drive to the beach. It doesn't matter if your roommate is a spray tan technician and she sweetly offers them for free. You might end up looking like an actress from a gatorade commercial after you leave the water.

Lesson number two? There is no need for high speed when you are driving on the beach. Note picture number 4 - air born! I have a bruised eye and lingering headache to prove it. Whiplash aside, it was actually a fun ride. We laughed a lot.

Lesson number three? Make sure you check your tent before packing it up. The bag might be missing directions, plus a pole or twelve. Consequences? Sleeping in the 4runner. 

Lesson number four? Don't necessarily trust your camping neighbors. Kelsey and I woke up at 3am to a shaking car and a knife fight ourside our doors. Cholos vs. Rednecks. I'm not positive they knew we were sleeping inside, but that really doesn't matter. Please picture me looking out the passenger side window, half clueless and crying. We locked the doors, called the police and flashed our hazards at them. Take that, bullies!

The entire ride home was spent laughing at the weekend. Luckily the happy moments outweighed the life threatening ones. I could definitely get used to waking up to an ocean sunrise everyday (last pic). I am so blessed to have amazing friends.

Playlist.

No day is complete without a soundtrack.

Here are some of my old and new faves.

Mindy Gledhill - "All about your heart"

Keane - "Somewhere Only We Know"

Fleet Foxes - "Lorelai"

City and Colour - "Little Hell"

Rosi Golan - "Think of Me"

Peter Bradley Adams - "The Longer I Run"

I was about to star my absolute favorites, but then I realized that I am obsessed with each one of them. They all get gold stars. I promise that you'll feel the same way. Stay awhile and have a listen...

Joy.

Bud and I spent a full day at Bass Lake this weekend. We wrapped ourselves in his hammock, tied between two trees rooted beside the lake. Then, we forgot about our worries and everything else for a couple of hours. It was our kind of perfect.

We have no right to ask when a sorrow comes "why did this happen to me?" unless we ask the same question for every joy that comes our way...

Little joys in my life:
Having faith, being in love, my wonderful and supportive family and friends, little artsy towns, adventuring, working with kids, afternoon naps, DIY projects/crafting, chocolate hazelnut anything, nail polish, vintage bicycles, painting, jewelry making, antique shopping/thrifting, snail mail, the Blue Ridge Parkway, kittens, picnics, the Food Network, wildflower bouquets, collecting quotes, diet coke, candles, farmer's markets, typography, documenting, etc.

Wedding fun.

There must be something in the water. I can't decide if I am simply getting older, or the typical age to get married is getting younger. Probably a mix of both. I am in my 20s. What?! Can't be. I still enjoy a good pop disney song from time to time and sleep with a stuffed animal. (Shhhhh. Mr. Scruffles was a present from Bud, so it doesn't really count).

Regardless, I made a list the other day (I love lists). I realized that I have atleast twelve close friends that are either engaged, or just recently got married.

Twelve. That's double digits, people. Granted, some of them are marrying eachother - but still, that is a whole lot of weddings. This weekend, it was Emily and Ace's turn to tie the knot. A month from now, my best childhood friend, Kelsey, is getting married. Another one of my favorite Kelseys is getting married in April. Also, my big sister from my sorority got engaged last week. I am a bridesmaid!! The list goes on and on, so it's a good thing I love weddings. I am excited for them all!

This weekend was such a good time thanks to the union of two lovebirds plus a REUNION with my best college friends. I miss them entirely too much. Also, thanks to mirror pics... but really, what did you expect from a girl that still listens to cheesy pop disney music? Please don't take me seriously.

Highlights from the week.

It's been a very stressful week, to say the least. I honestly can't remember the last time that I had an emotional breakdown due to school work, until a few days ago. Tests, papers, lab reports, quizzes, emails, internship finalizations, presentations, paperwork, and even more tests.

Let's just say this..

You know that you homework is too difficult when the all-knowing word processor "review" feature thinks that you misspelled half of your lab report. Thanks for you help, but Isocitrate Dehydrogenase IS a word! I promise.

I've valued every little bit of my free time throughout this entire summer school session. I spend most of it in the sunshine, for a little vitamin-D therapy. Studying outside. Patio lunch dates at Vidalia. Downtown strolling and window shopping. Green bench sittiin'. Farmer's market perusing. ENO hammock laying. Most of these things have become routine, and I just can't complain..

Boone summers are perfect. Temps in the low-mid 80s + beaming sun + cool breeze = happy girl. I can wear shorts and long sleeves and be perfectly content.

*Third picture from the bottom is my new bauble necklace, handmade from vintage beads found at  The Bead Box. I love it.
*Bottom picture is from a trip up to the top of Howard's Knob with my mom and her BFF, Kathy! I spy my tiny little yellow apartment through the trees :)

A proper celebration.

I love...
- A new(ish) restaurant transformed from an old jailhouse, also seen here
- Drinking from mason jars
- A dinner of chicken and waffles, quiche, swiss mac n'cheese, green beans, and corn bread
- Daisies
- Lemon slices sprinkled with sugar
- Southern hospitality
- Chocolate cake with RC cola flavored icing
- Secret gardens
- Red brick walls
- Any reason for a celebratory dinner date (even if you're simply celebrating the fact that it's dinner time).

Thank you, Proper, for delivering. You make me smile every time I visit. And you make me stuffed.

*The real reason? I landed a fall internship in the outreach development department of Carolinas HealthCare System! I did three cartwheels in my apartment out of excitement (it's been a tedious process). I would have probably done four, but I landed on the coffee table after the third one and hurt my toe.

Con"graduations"!

Little sis is officially a high school graduate! We are proud. I celebrated for her with a peach bellini martini.

I'm pretty sure that she was still in preschool yesterday with her squeaky little toddler voice, so I'm not sure how this happened. I can't believe how fast times flies - it feels like yesterday that I was walking across that stage myself. Apparently it was over four years ago. In fact, I'll be walking across another one in a few months. I'll be moving back home for a while to save money, and she will be leaving. I'm sad. Who is going to sing with me in the bathroom every morning while I get ready? Caroline - promise me that you'll set aside one meal each week for a sister date and/or a family dinner.

I'm trying to picture myself with my big girl panties on - drinking coffee to stay awake in the morning, and wearing high heels to the office. I might even start reading the newspaper...

Actin' a fool.

Don't sweat the small stuff. Laugh it off. Laugh so hard that you cry. Happy tears are better than sad tears. Remember - making goofey faces will always result in smiling faces. What the world needs now...is more smiles (and love, sweet love). It only takes one muscle to smile, while it takes a bajillion and three to frown. (Try it - seriously, it's actually kind of hard to frown. You'll just end up looking like a looney with a muscle spasm). Also, friends are like family and they make the best therapists when those small things accidently become a great big deal.

Put a smile on. You'll feel better. Trust.

Ps. These people are the best. Ross, Rachel, Phoebe, Chandler, and Monica. We're looking for a Joey. Any takers?

Vino.

What to do when the popular Childress Vineyards is just too far away for a day trip? Google local winerys and be thankful that you live in the Yadkin Valley.

On a whim, my roommate and I decided to celebrate my birthday by going to a wine tasting. We googled. We found. We left. We forgot the name. We winged the entire rest of the trip. We didn't care. We had fun! We also invited one of my favorite people, ever.. who happened to live 20 minutes away!

Thank goodness for a reliable GPS. We arrived at Hanover Park Vineyards at the perfect time of day. It didn't take long for us to fall completely in love. Acres of baby grapes. Southern hospitality. Sunshine. Bumble bees. Turquoise picnic tables. A rustic house with distressed charm, a front porch, and a cute pup named pearl. We sat in the rocking chairs for hours, just talking and catching up. Then, we each tried 5 different wines. After this tasting, my trip to Biltmore's winery was put in the back of my mind. A small, family-owned and operated vineyard is the way to go. We were more than happy to support them. I walked away with a smile on my face, a bottle of blueberry vino, and another trip planned in my head.

Birthday highlights.

Yesterday I was The Birthday Girl!

22nd Birthday Itinerary:

6:30am - Woke up. I started my day off early - partly from excitement, partly because of Exercise Phys Lab at 8am. I didn't do any exercising, because birthdays are for indulging, not working out. Right? Also talked to my parents and some friends. I had birthday cake for breakfast (compliments of my roomie)!

10:15am - Bud picked me up from class and surprised me with brunch - Boone Bagelry sandwiches!

10:30am - Passport renewal appointment.

11:30am - Walked into my apartment to see the most unexpected of surprises...

True story. Every single time I go to Walmart, I shamelessly ride this cruiser around the sports section of the store. That is, until I noticed that it was missing a few days ago, and my heart sunk...until, SURPRISE!! I'm in love with my new beach mountain cruiser and my wonderful boyfriend. I can't wait to buy a basket for it so I can ride to the farmer's market and bring back goodies. Or, put a kitten in it. Yes, I will be that girl...

12:00pm - I was anxious so we went for a bike ride along The Green Way. My legs got sunburnt, but the breeze was nice.

3:30pm - Nap time/getting ready/reading the sweet messages that my friends and family left me.

7:30pm - Reservations at Casa Rustica for dinner. Italian loaf with olive oil, herbs and parmesan. Bleu cheese potato soup and a caesar salad. Tiramisu (my absolute favorite dessert)!

9:30pm - Fell asleep before our movie date could even begin. Oops. Thanks, food coma.

Best 22nd birthday of my life! ;)