Yeah, I guess that's my church

Two days. Two concerts. Several great artists.

Part of Sissy's 30th birthday prezzie in April was a screenshot of the tickets purchased to see her all-time favorite artist: Keith Urban. She's met him, seen him countless times, and this time, he was taking the stage again, and with Maren Morris and Brett Eldredge.

Girl has some pipes! Played my faves and some I didn't know :)

Mr. Eldredge had some great visuals, but nothing over-the-top, keeping the show primarily about the raw talent he possesses. Strong performance!

Oooooh yes! Sissy and I were singing/screaming along when he took the stage.

Stupid boy...my sissy's favorite song and his concluding piece.

I love the hype at country concerts. {Hate me if you must.} People are typically quite pleasant, a bit rowdier, and overall makes for a great time.

The next night, Superman and I were Baltimore-bound to see one of my all-time favorites: The Pretty Reckless!

They performed at the Rams Head Live with openers: Them Evils and Holy White Hounds. The room was packed with people, but we managed to get some decent floor space and had a lovely view when Taylor took center stage.

My gurrrrrl!

Superman and I were a tad bit tired the next day, but all worth it. Taylor put on quite the show and I was feeling good in my attire, dressed to the nines for this babe.

Looking forward to future adventures as I've missed Baltimore!

xxxx

Marathoners and their spectators

Richmond, VA

I was ecstatic to be cheering on my uncle at his most recent marathon in the quaint little town in Dixieland.

We stayed at the Quirk Hotel downtown, v. mod former department store-turned decadent night quarters {posh yet?}.

It was, indeed, quirky {too much?} with its character-rich building and minimalistic décor. The shower was pretty rad, too, with the European-style half open, half glass-enclosed and it had a nice, warm stream with just enough pressure that it felt almost like a light massage on my ever knot-infested shoulder blades.

For more info.

Unc did well - he kept his pace steady, not pushing too hard for any record, but wanted to complete for another inked tally. Man's got ambition and a strong self-will for his running...it's his way of breaking free from the world.

We all have our methods of sanity retention...

Such a beautiful day out! A tad brisk, but minimal wind and so many people cheering on loved ones and strangers! I love the atmosphere of everyone coming together to support others.

Naturally, I was all bundled up in flannel & style. Not pictured: two pairs of socks, heavy scarf, gloves...all of which were stripped off after having to run back to the run at the conclusion of Tom's run so we could hold the room while he showered.

Best of traveling: seeing new places and knowing my love bug is waiting for snuggles when I return.

xxxx

Sass and Class

Sometimes, a girl needs to treat herself, particularly when life begins to get a little hairy {metaphorically speaking, of course}.

Shop Priceless had a great sale on some of its items, which, naturally, entailed a wee bit of indulgent spending on a few wardrobe-enhancing pieces. Their ribbed dresses are the bees' knees and I quite fell in love with the pointed, reflective-toe flats I had selected and a simple choker.

Taking myself out for a nice quiet lunch at one of my favorite restaurants for a late-birthday treat provided an excellent occasion to show off the hard work I had been putting into the gym, as well as aid in the enhancement of body confidence, an ever-going practice I have been forcing myself to continue.

Similar design: Sandy Basic Dress Set

I'm diggin' the olive green color, which stands out well against my vampire tan. I much prefer black, but a little bit of color won't hurt...I guess.

Mummy hooked me up with this lovely green cardi from Old Navy, as well as different styles in charcoal, black, and white - four new cardis = 4x happiness.

My love of cardigans still remains strong after many, many moons. Simple and cozy. Dressed up or down, one cannot go wrong no matter the season.

A little bit of sass is not inherently "wrong," especially when it is this particularly sassiness that is holding your sanity together while the chaos only intensifies with the increasing burdens which come along with going to school while working both a full-time and part-time position.

My little lunch with myself offered some loner loser time of self-reflection on my mere 24 {relatively short} years and how I want to shape the upcoming year{s} of life in order to be more positive and achieve the goals for which I have set for myself. I've also come to the epiphanous revelation that my level of sass has only increased/improved with age.

With time slipping away too quickly, long days at work often becoming more challenging knowing that I have a pile of projects due professionally and academically, sometimes it's that tongue-in-cheek attitude that can truly carry us through the day and be the stones upon which we depend to see us through the crumbling positive outlook.

xxxx

Snuggle Bunnies

Those who know me well know there are two things of which I cannot get enough:

Kittens & snuggles

When it comes to my particular fur baby, his love is what sometimes gets me through a tough day, realizing I will be coming home to his sweet cuddles and warmth at night. As the outside air chills with the season, these cuddles are going to be extra cozy come bedtime.

Loki and I have had quite the adventure in our short 5 1/2 months together, but one can get to know someone particularly well, especially when spending the majority of our time together, whether it be conscious or snuggled up in dreamland.

Loki has taught me patience and has granted that firsthand experience of being responsible for a being other than myself {goodness knows I'm much better at taking care of others}. It's rather fascinating how each of the sweet kitties I've helped raise have their own personalities and tendencies.

Loki is always down for a little photo op!

Loki was thrilled about my lame attempt to give him substitutes in my stead while I had to go to work for the better part of the day...

While I know I never want to have human children of my own, I can't imagine a home without my Loki poo waiting for me to come home...I'm sure most pet owners can relate in regards to their fur babies.

xxxx

Halloweenie Birthday Girl

I've made a commitment to myself to do something crazy for every birthday since my 21st in Paris. For my 22nd, I treated myself to a{n early} bday prezzie of seeing Christina Perri onstage when she opened for Demi Lovato. Nobody likes you when you're 23, so I hiked it to Chicago and Nashville for a long, solo bus adventure. This year: skydiving.

As much as I would have loved to have gone to some exotic far, far away place, but, alas, had to be somewhat practical and realistic with the pile of homework and being short-staffed at work, which all added up to something more local.

Loki waited up with me to ring in a new
year on planet Earth at midnight

Woke up early after a late night {like I was going to catch more than a few winks of sleep anyways} and drove the hour, hour and a half to the plane hangar where the aircrafts and professional skydivers were awaiting to fulfill the rush the adrenaline junkies were craving.

I did a free fall of 5 stories; what was jumping out of a rickety plane over 2 miles above ground?

The wait was well worth it! The view was incredible and quite a smooth ride as we glided down in tandem. Definitely recommend doing it at least once!

Afterwards, Superman and I went out for Halloween - I was super pumped to wear my Sweet Pea costume and embody the BA character from Sucker Punch. My thigh-high boots were a nice touch, albeit I wasn't bleaching my hair again...

Miss Athena McFee, warrior princess kitty

Halloween is my favorite holiday. I love playing dress up and people watching to see some of the creative ensembles put together. It all adds to the fun!

On Halloween day, I had the morning off, so Loki and I were both kitties until I had to wash my nose off to go back to the work grind...

Loki was eating up allllll the love and snuggles he was getting! He was also digging my kitty cat bodysuit from Meowington's since it gave me better mobility to chase him around the apartment and play to his little kitty heart's content.

All in all, great weekend - a tad sad as we head into November and are one day closer to hearing dreadful Xmas music long before it's appropriate and the inevitable PA snow.

xxxx