2k17 & auld lang syne

Quite a trip, 2016 has proved to be.

Thankful for a chance to relax and reflect upon the mayhem of the past year - oh, how quickly it has come and gone, taking with it extraordinary and brilliant people, robbing the world of innocent lives from malicious attacks and natural disasters, and instilling a great sense of unrest and insecurity with the new US President Elect.

However, 2016 has brought with it many joys as well. As we struggle to accept those things which we cannot change, we can celebrate personal accomplishments and not let the hatred of the world consume or change our hearts. {Plus, I'd rather remain non-political for the sake of sensitivity}

Took a last two days of the year to see friends and hold Loki bear close {despite his initial resistance, he loves snuggles}. 

Regardless of one's position of the world, we can all agree this is not always a bright, sunshine-y world in which we live. May 2017 prove a more loving, tolerant year. In the meantime, hold your loved ones close, as much as you can and don't be afraid, but remain steadfast and resilient among the chaos.

Part of growing up is having an inevitable revolving door through which many people will circle with the good ones choosing not to head back out. Grateful for being able to make memories with wondrous people. Boys and faux friends come and go, but friends {especially Katie} always have your back. As Bey would say: tell 'im {or 'em}: boy, bye.

Looking forward to a year of not only promoting love and acceptance, but of self-love and self-care - we have to learn to take care of ourselves in order to continue take care of those we love.

Working on my self-esteem one day at a time and this body-hugging wrap dress certainly helps with that. Intermittent fasting and pushing the envelope on my social anxiety in order to tackle the gym one sweaty session at a time - social anxiety does not have to define you nor detract from your goals.

At the end of the day, when the noise of daily life in the world is too much, love bugs such as Loki are there to share the burden of the accumulation of too much stimuli and strike a lovely look of disdain for the camera to emulate the necessary need for a cool-down and unwinding. {He could also be upset with the current Netflix binge....}

Looking forward to more snuggle sessions with my favorite bum and more side shade.

Happy New Year!

xxx

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

Days Gone By: An Autumnal Hymn

Another month gone by in the blink of an eye as day after day blurred their lines between work, school, and {some} play. Wishing I had more eloquent words for such the beautiful {and my favorite} month.

Thankfully, I was able to see friends, hang out with kitties, destroy my hair try out a new hair color....or a few....amid the chaos of trying to pack up my life to move in with my favorite person by the end of the month: my sissy.

My iPhone 6 is holding up for the most part, so at least I can provide a highlight of October's song in pictures...

A night on the town with beautiful friends: much needed.

As much as I was digging the lighter locks, my hair was beyond brittle and threatening to snap off {and some even pulled off as I attempted to comb it}. 

A purple-y hue: much better.

When in doubt, get your thigh-highs out. Oxford paired with high-waisted shorts and my trusty thigh-highs for a night of people-watching at the bar.

Mr. Theo was thrilled for one of our last family portraits before he went back to my Gramps.

A breather in between hauling my stuff...new mirror: new selfie.

A housewarming gift to brighten up the new place :)  ...soon eaten and massacred by Loki. 

Loki, settling into our new home. My handsome guy took the move quite well; as more and more things left the old apartment, he had more space to roam around with Theo.

Early birthday gift from sissy, which came in handy for enjoying an ice-cold beer from Hoegaarden. We'll be making use of these!

Birthday adventures soon to come {with more bravado and imaginative narrative}. While I truly am loving school, it does keep me busy and leaves less time for the extracurricular hobbies and sleep.

xxxx

BigCityDreams

You say we're both little people and you like it that way
But in time I'm gonna put this body to shame (and grow old)
Wear a suit like my old man
Pack up all my things and get my ass out of town

Growing up is and, at the same time, is not what it's all cracked up to be....bills, work, insomnia, and figuring out health/dental/renters/car insurance.

Yet, it's full of late night laughter, nursing that last beer so you'll be able to drive home in an hour, driving wherever the hell you want at 11AM on your day off, and considering a handful of Oreos an acceptable dinner at work.

This whole concept of "growing up" is but a figment in our minds.

{Whatdoesitevenmean??}

Sure, we're affected by circumstances and surroundings, but we're also very much a part of the way our lives and futures are sculpted. Take charge, be picky about your beer but regard Pizza Rolls as a treat, do what makes you happy.

This little guy has helped keep me fairly sane whilst the Tree is off making a ruckus with the band. Cats can seem judgmental or hold grudges, but when it comes right down to it, they know the finer things in life {aside from eating hair and coughing up hairballs yuck}.

Taking care of them has granted some extra responsibility and also gave me company when I've felt a little alone or anxious....amazing how much pleasure and joy one can give from giving it to another! Petting this furry baby brings a sense of calm and relief in this crazy, hectic world...

4 pagers + 2 cell phones + 1 ASCOM phone = no funny business

{and it made going to the bathroom difficult}

Hobey Ho, let's go!

He called me beautiful

The first time I heard those words uttered from his lips, I felt this odd sensation, this slightly elated, yet just as equally apprehensive, feeling. Those years of being consistently at odds with myself having left their mark and yet, another human being besides my Mum {sorry, Mummy} saw something in me that I have rarely noticed....

We all have beautiful souls despite our various backgrounds....okay, I lied, some people are rotten to the core some people do and have done atrocious things, yet I don't believe we're inherently evil. I like to think so anyways. Maybe. Maybe I'm only a half-believer...

Anywho....who I see in the mirror {when I actually take the time to look at myself, and not nitpick at my face or smooth my hair} is someone with multiple facets - our pasts, present, future all forge who we are, as well as those with whom we surround ourselves.

In looking through pictures of this weekend, I see a little bit of that person he may see....when I'm with one of my favorite people, it certainly shows :)

My big sis and I went to see Annie after a long day at Hershey Park the day before....oh, happy days indeed!

Front row - can't complain ;)

Turkey, avocado, + roasted red peppers

A nice walk downtown took us to the new crêperie, Au Bon Lieu. 

PB + chocolate = a little slice of heaven

Maybe that boy was right....maybe there is something beautiful about me, the way the light catches at just the right angle.

Could he be the crux to my journey of self-love? Who knows....my eyebrows look pretty fierce at least.

Cat sitting these two monsters certainly makes me feel loved indeed....cuddly kitties have a way of making one feel wanted and appreciated.

Cats can be quite fickle creatures. If you win their hearts, you're pretty golden, mates, especially if they allow you to pet the most sacred of sacred cat petting spots: their bellies!

We're all on our own path of growth and potential self-improvement. It won't be all rainbows and fully groomed brows, but it makes life an adventure.

Happiness is what we make of it...we can choose to be content in our misery, or we can fight tooth and nail to claw our way out of the darkness. The black hole is not a fun place so I'm choosing not to sink back and allow it to swallow me whole.

Y'all are beautiful creatures and we're destined for greatness.

And I drink to that.

Party of 1 in Loserville

One seems to be the typical number of heads in the parties I attend anymore. By party, I mean dancing in my dreams as I attempt to catch up on much needed sleep in order to combat this sleep deprived body fueled by Monster and Rockstar.

I comfort myself into thinking they're not all that bad as they are sugar-free, but it's only a matter of time before my body catches on and refuses to accept this substitute for a full night's amount of rest.

Tree leaves in only a few short days before he embarks on a journey with his band to magical faerylands [I don't like the modernized "fairy" spelling]. For more details on the talented hotties, visit here, here, or here. In all honesty, the band is leaving soon and as ecstatic I am for them and as wonderfully life-altering this band tour may prove to be, I'm still going to be a supportive yet slightly saddened...

On the plus side, I'm likely to be accumulating significant overtime so perfect timing! Win-win: keeping busy, making money whilst doing so, and keeping my mind preoccupied whilst the Tree is wooing crowds and shaking his beautiful rump on various stages around the East Coast.

I've been a lame-o in the sense that I've hardly traveled and June is nearly depleted, but I have a few trips up my sleeve, just you wait. Oh! and I've spent some quality time with kittens too cute for their own good...

Sleep, snuggles, work, and reading. How I spend my days anymore.

Jax being a perfect little cuddly tease.

Max making my maladies feel alllll better with tummy rubs.

Jax: at least I look good for this selfie.