A Thanksgiving Photo Shoot

Good evening to you and a happy Thanksgiving!  

  With the exception of Christmas, Thanksgiving is a day I look forward to all year.

 I love it because it's pretty much an excuse to spend the entire day with family and eat a whole lot of really yummy food without feeling guilty. These are two things our culture does not do enough of!

My day began with a Starbucks run (naturally), then on to doing puzzles with grandma, eating more food than I'd like to admit, doing a little photo shoot with the sis, making a trip to the movies and ending with a little early Black Friday shopping!

Here's a little look into the shoot I did with my younger sister, Kara. 
How gorgeous is she?!

I hope your day was spent surrounded by those you love and filled with delicious food!

Good night,

P.S. Let the countdown to Christmas begin! 

I believe in a cup of coffee...

I believe in a cup of coffee. Perhaps it is the rich aroma or even just the complete joy of the dark drink filling your body with an enjoyable warmth. I love that in the morning I can always look forward to starting off my day happily with a nice hot cup of coffee. I love that even if everything in my day is going wrong, the coffee is somehow the one thing that goes completely right. And even though I could go on and on about my fondness for the drink itself, (I am completely guilty of this fact), what I love most are the conversations shared over a cup of coffee. 

Happy Sunday!

Early mornings

"I love early mornings when it feels like the rest of the world is still fast asleep and you're the only one who's awake and everything feels like it isn't really real and you kind of forget about all your problems because for now, it's just you, the world and the sunrise."

In one of my classes, we were assigned to take pictures of typography around town. I took full advantage of this by turning it into a little early morning adventure! Waking my roommate up much earlier than she would probably would have liked, we headed downtown to grab coffee and breakfast at Nichole's Fine Pastry.

After we were caffeinated up, we wandered about and discovered a quaint little house with a yellow bench and lending library in the front yard. The only rule... "take a book, leave a book."

It was such a lovely morning and even better, was the cool, crisp essence of fall in the air!

Have a great Tuesday!

Transitions

As I was sitting with my cup of coffee this morning, doing some photo editing on a shoot I did yesterday, it finally hit me that I would be leaving for school in a week. I'm not quite sure why it hit me at that moment, but I guess coffee brings out the nostalgic side of me! Any-who, I realized just how many big changes are coming up for me. Soon I'll be moving back to school, then back home for a bit when the semester is over, then all the way to Italy for a semester. I am so grateful for the opportunities ahead of me, but it's also a little scary! 

"Coffee solves everything."

To be honest, I used to hate change. I was someone who always wanted things (and people) to stay just the way they were. Nevertheless, I am starting to welcome change and believe it can be good for a person. It gives us the chance to grow as people and experience the wholeness of life. Transitions put us in new places in our lives where we can experience a great amount personal growth. Life experiences build our character and define who we are. It can open new chapters in our lives and create memories and experiences that we'll never forget.

So don't be afraid of change. 
Welcome it, embrace it and enjoy all it has to offer you.

Go ahead; treat yourself.

I’m a strong believer in the importance of appreciating the little things in life. 
It can easily turn an ordinary day into something special.

Sometimes, I think we tend to put others before ourselves. And while there is certainly nothing wrong with that, we need to remember to do things that make ourselves happy too! That being said, treating yourself every now and then is a wonderful thing and will leaving you feeling happy and content.

My challenge for you this week; find little ways to treat yourself.

One:: Go ahead, order that sugar-filled drink from your favorite coffee shop.
Don’t worry about its’ calorie or fat content!

Two:: Chocolate for breakfast? You betcha!

Three:: Pour yourself a glass of wine and settle in to watch hours of your favorite TV show. 
My current favorite: The Vampire Diaries

Four:: Buy yourself that thing you want but are always putting off. 
Just do it and don't feel guilty. You earned it.
(Still saving up for a new one of these!)

Five:: Take a spontaneous day or weekend trip!
My favorite getaway: Minneapolis.

Six::Treat yourself to some new music! 

Currently loving...

                     Midnight Cinema                           Ben Rector                         Brendan James

Seven:: Spend time outside. It's August, which means our warm, sunny days will soon be coming to an end. Enjoy it! 

Have a great week!

My morning consists of...

Happy Sunday!

Signs You May Be A Coffee Addict

My best friend once said to me,

“I could write a book on your coffee addiction.”

I’ll admit it; I have a difficult time going a day without at least two cups of coffee. 

To me, coffee is so much more than a caffeinated beverage that gets me out of my zombie sate every morning; it’s a way of life.

Signs you may be a coffee addict.

1. You pregame before heading to a coffee shop with coffee or other forms of caffeine.

2. You make it a rule to have coffee before any important happening, 

because you want to already be wide-awake and perky in advance.

3. You look at your expenses for the month and find out you spent more on coffee than clothing or food.

4. You have strongly considered hooking yourself up to an IV filled with coffee and carrying it around with you at all times.

5. You're not sure if your headache is from too much coffee, or not enough.

6.You would marry coffee, if coffee were a person.

 But when you realize that's not possible, you settle for a barista instead so they can get you free coffee.

7. When you say you need a coffee, you say it like it’s a matter of life or death.

8. You secretly don’t see the point of tea.

9. You are on a first-name basis with most of the baristas at your local coffee shop.

10. You don’t remember how you got through life before you drank coffee.

Now for the love of caffeine, go pour your self another cup!

Coffee, Chocolate and Comics

Day 4

To kick off our last full day, we hopped on the train and headed downtown Chicago once more.

After making a Starbucks run, Dani and I navigated the streets and met up with my cousin, Alicia, for lunch at Caffe Baci. She has lived and worked in Chicago for quite some time now, so it was a lot of fun talking with her and getting insight on the city.

Hugs and goodbyes were given before Alicia headed back to work, then Dani and I went in search of a bakery to fulfill our dessert cravings! 

We stumbled upon Toni's Patisserie and Cafe; I delighted in a chocolate dome and an iced latte, 

while Dani enjoyed a chocolate éclair. It was heavenly! 

Leaving the cafe, our stomachs quite happier, we walked only a couple blocks until we reached Millennium Park. Here we spent time taking pictures at the bean (shocker, right?) and cooling off by The Crown Fountain.

 

 Before heading back to the train, we found a cool comic book store which reminded me a lot of the one in 

The Big Bang Theory!

We took the train back to Dani's cousins house in Winnetka, freshened up a bit, then hopped in the car and headed to her other cousins house in Hinsdale.

A wonderful meal was prepared for us, along with delicious s'mores to end our last night in Illinois.