A little inspiration...

To anyone who might be reading! (and anyone who may not be having the easiest week)-- Just wanted to share a little something about how I get through my toughest times! 

So... on Sunday I was sitting in my bed attempting to read for my next unit in class.  It never looks like much..until you open a book and realize that one of your assigned chapters is 60+ pages, and that you also have 4 other chapters in different books to read as well. Then all of a sudden you feel extremely overwhelmed...sentences run together, and you cant even understand what you're reading about. I mean how on earth am I supposed to memorize a combined 150 pages on diabetes and 20 different types of Insulin ...and the actions and mechanism of all the drugs...and the adverse effects...and the side effects... and the contraindications...and how NOT to kill someone...and the proper way to answer a patient when they ask you if they are going to die...

and then all of a sudden. The most beautiful woman in the world flashed into my head... 

And I just felt so relieved. and humbled. 

Before my mom was diagnosed with cancer, she raised my brother and I on her own, worked full time, and put her self through college at the age of 35. And she never stopped...until she was 43 with a Masters degree and a diagnosis of a terminal illness. And the truth is...I know she never would have stopped if she had the chance... she helped so many people, she would have done so many more great things.

So just like my momma, I am going to help everyone I possibly can, and treat others the way I want to be treated, I am going to do great things...

you are going to do great things...

and you are going to do them to make the ones that matter most to you proud...

you are going to do it to make yourself proud...

and you are never going to stop.

Cause what's the point in life if we all just stop? 

So next time...we feel like stopping...just hang tight onto the ones who we love the most...and remember why we started in the first place.

And i'll try to remind myself that in the real world... there is a drug book in every nurses station. So I will never have to remember 20 different types of insulin...

Hope everyone has a great rest of the week :) ! 

‎"The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen...." -Elizabeth Kubler Ross

I win the award for.....

WORST BLOGGER EVER! I can't believe its taken me a week to get back on here. School really snuck up on me! BUT ...to recap I had a great weekend with my girls. They ended up getting caught in a bunch of traffic and made it to my lovely abode around 7:30 pm. We made a FANTASTIC Italian dinner :) Pasta with ground turkey and garlic marinara sauce, a HUGE salad, lots of bread ( which almost burned the house down... long story, and half cooked brownies ( put them in the fridge for about an hour...they are sinful...just sinful.) We went and rented a redbox movie (Friends with benefits- not too bad- even the BF stayed and watched with us :) ) then..we all passed out. Probably because of all the excitement & food. Success.
We had reservations the next afternoon at a local tea room in my hometown, Berlin. Berlin is actually a great little place in MD if you are ever passing through... Runaway bride and Tuck Everlasting were both filmed there. My mom owns a fine jewelry store right on Main St... so we spend a lot of time in town.  It was pouring rain when we woke up ..but still had a great time shopping and drinking tea! Maggie found a great scarf at a local boutique, TaDa, and I even scored a black mudpie tunic I've had my eye on for a while ( finally on sale! 20 bucks! ) Here are some of our pictures from tea... excuse us for looking a little wet... like I said...pouring outside! Enjoy :)

ME! So excited to be with my girls

We ate all of the food shown here...every bite

Victoria & Maggie :)

I got tagged!

I was tagged by the fabulous blogger at Sweet, Sassy, Southern, and Classy!


The rules:

1. You must post the rules.

2. Post eleven fun facts about yourself on the blog post.

3. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post, and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you've been tagged.

4. Tag eleven people and link them in your post.

5. Let them know you've tagged them!!

About mee.. Let's see! 

1. I am actually pretty young for almost being a senior in college! Only 20, and trying to enjoy it instead of wishing away to next December already! 

2. As I've mentioned before I love sailing - racing, leisure...just everything about it! ( which is the only justification for my nautical/anchor/knot obsession. 

Me and Victoria, my skipper :)

3. Logan is the first guy I have ever seriously dated.  Of course in high school and my first year of college I hung out with guys and went on dates...but Logan was different. We have been together for almost a year and a half and boy it's been an interesting adventure! He is totally my person.

4. My friends and I love to dress up and have fancy dinners- I believe we called this one Future NRA wives, an evening of pasta, hahaha 

5.  I am obsessed with Grey's Anatomy. I'm not sure if it's because of nursing school or Mcdreamy. I'm gonna go ahead and assume it's because of Mcdreamy. 

6. Reading blogs/pinterest are my guilty pleasures- but i'm going to assume they are everyone else's too! 

7.  I had really long hair...then chopped it off. Still can't decide to grow it out..or cut it off...grow it out....cut it off. It's my ongoing battle, ha ha! 

8. I'm really into this blogging thing- I'm still pretty new, but I think i'm getting the hang of it! 

9.  After I finish nursing school, I would love to get my Masters. One day I would love to be a midwife- or a nurse educator! 

10. I lost my mom to cancer when I was 12. I miss her  so much every day! But, I know she is watching over me. 

11.  Andddd lets see! I fed a giraffe at the state fair this year- and this picture is just awesome! 

Btw..Im totally not a priss! His tongue was SO long, haha!

Questions from Sweet, Sassy, Southern, and Classy:

1. What is one thing on your bucket list you're dying to do?

I would LOVE to travel to Spain. Hopefully when school is over...2. Are you a "glass half-full" or "glass half-empty" type of girl?

Glass half-full for sure! 3. What's your favorite perfume?

Hot- by Ralph Lauren4. Tell us something super embarrassing... a story or a trait you have!

Sometimes when I meet someone knew..I can be really awkward. It only happens about twice a year, and I have no idea where it comes from! Everyone has their moments, I suppose! 5. What is one of your favorite quotes?

Love all, trust few, do wrong to none! - Shakespeare

6. What's your favorite beauty tip?

Moisturize! Moisturize! Moisturize! 

7. Describe your idea of the perfect day.

Ohhh raining! Or snowed in! And chinese take out!  Ha! 8. What are you scared of?

Staying alone in my house, and the dark! I know it's silly9. What's one of your favorite memories from your childhood?

Spending time with my momma! 10. Tell us one of your favorite beauty tips!

No tanning beds! & less is more

The questions I am going to ask are: 

1. What are you passionate about ? 

2. Cat or dog? 

3. What is your dream job? 

4. Who is your favorite author/ what is your favorite book? 

5. What is your pet peeve? 

6. Night owl or morning bird? 

7. What beauty product do you swear by? 

8. Why did you start blogging? 

9. What is your dream job? 

10. What is your family like? 

I am tagging: 

      Brooke 

..sweet southern drawl.. 

     Sophie

{av} {long distance loving}

Unless of course yall have already done it!! 

Happy birthday to my beautiful big sister!

Okay so technically her birthday was yesterday- but we celebrated tonight at a small Italian restaurant perched on the inlet in OC,MD. Her favorite restaurant...and yearly choice for her birthday dinner. She scored some pretty sweet gifts- a plane ticket to visit friends in FL from momma, lots of money, and a big buddha bag from yours truly! So to wrap this section up, Happy 22nd birthday, M! I love you!
Now, some big news! Two of the greatest people in the world are coming to visit me Friday and Saturday :)
A little background on these fabulous people- Maggie, Victoria, and I all met when we started sailing our freshman year of college at Christopher Newport. We have spent many  days, nights, and endless hours of practice/ traveling to regattas together.  Basically, we are past friendship. These girls are like my sisters. So the worst part about transferring home to start the nursing program was not being able to take them along. We pretty much are in a long term distant relationship, and every time we are reunited (whenever the girls aren't sailing on weekends, and when I can take a small break from studying) our relationships get so much stronger.  We have nights full of catching up, eating, and laughing till we just can't breathe.  It's just perfect. So basically, i'm so excited I can't control myself. Pictures to come- fo sho.

My attempt to bake a fancy cake for M 

It literally poured on her b-day, then this beautiful rainbow appeared! 

At Adolfo's for dinner :)

Me and my girls! Can't wait for them to get here! 

A soiree and a doggy day...

Soo this week has been low key since we returned from our vacation. I've babysat and even surprisingly gotten ahead  on some pre-reading for school.  My cousin, Kristen, sells thirty-one products so Saturday night my family got together at my aunts house for a little shindig/soiree to buy some bags and enjoy each others company. I found myself constantly drifting towards the dessert table ( I don't know whats happened to me since Mexico..lol) and spent some time with my older sister as we instagramed pictures of every food dish at the party ( we know..we are lame). It was a fun night, and I even snagged a new lunch box to bring to school/clinicals.

And then...Sunday came.  Since the BF and I aren't huge football fans ( but we are marylanders... so GO RAVENS) we decided to celebrate something a little more near and dear to our hearts- the birthday of Logan's black lab, Gunner :). We took him to the family farm, played fetch, and let him indulge in an endless supply of dingo bones.  Talk about the good life... Here are some of my pictures from the weekend ! Enjoy !

Me and my beautiful sister

Fattys photographing food

and more...

anddd..last one

Birthday boy, Gunner :)

My Logie 

Happiest dog alive

A little winter getaway...

This past week my boyfriend, Logan, and I took a trip down south to Mazatlan, Mexico.  It was our last chance to get away before I start school again next week... (So long winter break :/). We definitely had a great time! Logan duck hunted in the morning while I spent some time reading and relaxing by the pool. I definitely made enough vitamin D to get me through the rest of the winter, and seriously ate SO much food.... My favorite  part of the trip was a tour we took zip lining through the Verano Mountains. When we finished our tour we had the option to take a Lexus SUV back to our taxi driver...or a donkey and horse.  Of course we chose the donkey :) Here are some of my favorite pictures from our little winter getaway, Enjoy ! 

My donkey ride, and cute new friend :)

After dinner

A Pintail duck Logan brought home to be mounted