Summer Bucket List

Go hiking & visit a waterfall. - When Shawn and I first moved out here (8 years ago...) we were so excited to visit nearby parks and go hiking. And yet, here we are, years later, and we haven't gone on a single hike (out here anyway - we were more proactive that year we lived in NJ...) I keep coming across a post about all the waterfalls in Pennsylvania, and I've been meaning to get to one. So that's a goal - by the end of this summer we will have gone on (at least) one hike and seen a waterfall!

Visit Centralia, PA. - Speaking of visiting things, we've been talking about checking out this old mining town for a few years now as well. It's now a ghost town, after an underground fire forced most of the population out of town. It's one of those off-the-beaten-track tourist attractions, and I'm determined to make it there this summer!

Bike 25 miles. There's a trail that runs through the suburbs and into center city Philly, and a friend and I have been biking parts of it. I'm determined to make it all the way downtown by the end of the summer... from where we start on the trail, it's about a 25 mile roundtrip. So far we're doing about half of that! I think we can do it.

Buy a disposable camera, take photos. I read this post when I was initially coming up with this list, and felt inspired to buy a disposable camera and use it up. There's just something about the moments you capture with film that is so much more memorable than pulling out your phone and snapping a photo. Just sitting here right now, I'm visually recalling a catalog of photos from summer camp, school trips, good times with friends... I don't have that same memory/connection to photos I've taken with my phone. So, more physical photos, please.

Watch more TED Talks. There are so many fucking TED Talks out there, are you aware of that??? I feel like I've only skimmed the surface... and I'm determined to watch more. I mean, every TED Talk leads to another similar TED Talk, and then that one leads to more... and next thing you know, two hours have gone by and your eyes are strained and your brain feels fuzzy with energy. I've been trying to start the habit of taking notes when I watch, since I tend to be a pretty passive audience. It seems to help me absorb the Talk better, so let's keep that up!

Stop for ice cream. I'm determined to get some really freakin' good ice cream this summer. There's Franklin Fountain downtown, which I've only been to on one other occasion. And there's a creamery I remember going to after picking pumpkins three years ago; they had an abundance of amazing options. Anyways, I see plenty of good ice cream in my future.

Get more plants for the apartment. I know it's getting a little late in the season to be buying plants, but our apartment really needs some love. We moved all the indoor plants outside for the summer and now the apartment feels so empty! I enjoy picturing the balcony surrounded by plants on all sides, but we're not there yet. And Sylvester is a plant fiend... so that makes it difficult for us to have plants near floor-level.

Send more snail mail. I am the worst pen pal. I mean, really... I buy all the cute stationary and think about what to say, but then never actually write the letters. But I love getting letters in the mail, and I really enjoy putting together little packages for people! Just have to work on the actual writing part. And I need more pen pals!

Get my yoga website up and running. Doing this by the end of summer is a pipe dream. Realistically, I'll probably need until late fall... but a girl can dream! Hm... or maybe a girl can do yoga and design a website.


What's on your bucket list this summer?

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Currently...

Watching: Hulu. I signed up a free 30-day trial and we decided to stay subscribed. Shawn was getting tired of Netflix and wants me to cancel it, but I like some of the things Netflix has to offer that Hulu doesn't! I won't lie though, I have been thoroughly enjoying catching up on the latest season of New Girl, and having every single episode of Seinfeld at my fingertips. We also had an Arnold day recently and watched The 6th Day and Terminator Genisys. And, we've been watching Fargo, the tv show... I've only seen four episodes, but Shawn has been breezing through it. I like it so far though!

Listening: To the rain tapping against the windows. We've had the most summery summer weather lately - mid day rain storms and then the sun rolls back in. I love it, but I don't love the humidity that comes with it. We're trying our hardest not to buy an A/C this summer, but the constant rain & humidity are making this très difficile.

Eating: All the summer vegetables, veggie burgers, and slow cooker meals. If you follow my Instagram stories at all, you've probably seen my Wednesday Farmers Market stories. I get so excited about going to the farmer's market each week! It's fun to see what's new and to know that we're eating and supporting local produce. I've also started buying veggie burgers from Trader Joe's... they have so many good options! We like to cook those up and top them with guacamole, lettuce, and tomatoes on a brioche bun, with some chips on the side for lunch. And I've been using our slow cooker too - I usually don't think about it until winter, but it occurred to me that it makes more sense to use it in the summer when it's too hot to use the oven/stove. So far I've made brisket, and shredded chicken tacos.

Drinking: Beer. This is nothing new, except that my self-imposed goal for the month of June was to not drink any beer, mostly to check in with how my body felt without it. Well, I felt way less bloated and way less tired, but 20 days in I decided I was craving a beer and now I'm just trying to drink it less often. I will say this - I've been able to pick up on the subtleties in flavor way more since taking a break from it!

Making: Hair wraps. I've been inspired by some I saw on Instagram, so I pulled out my embroidery thread and figured it'd be a fun DIY to tackle while mindlessly sitting in front of the tv. I have all kinds of fun beads I bought at a little bead shop over ten years ago but never used - it's amusing to see what 20-year-old me was into. Now, if only I can motivate myself to reupholster our couch....

Feeling: Sunburnt, and sad. I spent a few hours hanging out at a friend's pool yesterday and apparently didn't do a very good job of applying sunscreen to my back. Annnnd now I'm paying for it - whoops! And sad because one of my parents' dogs passed yesterday, and even though I didn't live with her for long, she still loved me unconditionally and was always excited to see me when I would visit. She was a really sweet dog, super smart, and playful as a puppy even in her older years. She had an awesome life and got to travel to more places than a lot of humans do. Luna, you are missed.

Stressing about: Work. We've picked up some new accounts, so our workload is a bit heavier than it has been. It doesn't help that every single week for the next two months we have someone on vacation, so I may have to work some extra shifts to help out. I don't mind the extra money (duh.), but I've found I can't physically handle working 6 days a week anymore. My job is incredibly physical, and it's easy to get burnt out. I also teach yoga on one of my days off, so when I work 6 days a week at the bakery, it's really really hard to find the energy to teach yoga on my only day off. But, I'll get through it! Always do.

Excited for: Incubus! Going to see them play with Jimmy Eat World on the 20th. I've been looking forward to this concert since buying the tickets in March! (Incubus is my favorite.) That's all I have lined up for July, but the Renaissance Faire starts in August and we already have a few Saturdays lined up to go! We love it, and we love that all the friends we've introduced to it over the years call us up each summer and say "Hey! We better be going to Ren Faire this year!" :) AND now that it's summertime, Shawn and I look forward to being able to spend some time downtown. Philly clears out on the weekends because everyone goes to the shore - it's my favorite time of year to wander around the city, because it feels so empty!

Busy with: Keeping up with friends, and yoga. I'm not very good at relaxing, and I tend to overbook myself, especially during the summer. But I can't resist spending time with friends when they're available. And I've been teaching two classes a week at two different studios, as well as going to at least one or two classes a week, so yoga keeps me pretty busy too. But these are all good things! I know I need to teach myself to schedule time to wind down, but until then, I'll enjoy the various brunches and adventures while I can. But, I am pretty thankful that this is the only weekend in July where I have things planned... though I know it won't stay that way for long!

What have you been up to?

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Snapshots

I've been slightly M.I.A. on the blog lately, but that's okay. (Funny, that's how my last snapshots post started too.) Honestly, I've been having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words lately - there's a lot I want to say but I want to do myself justice and say it like I mean it. So for now, a few photos from the past few months will have to do. My last snapshots post was in December... I haven't taken many photos since then. Mostly photos of Lloyd, as you can see. Something tells me y'all don't mind that though...

Lately...

• I graduated yoga teacher training! Approximately one month ago, and I've taught five classes since December. It's actually part of the reason I'm having a hard time focusing on the blog... I feel like I'm in a new chapter in my life and until I can find the right words to put the whole thing down on paper, I don't want to focus on writing much else. It's a work in progress. I'm a work in progress. (And it's also exciting as all hell!)
• Lloyd and Sylvester have finally bonded. They've been living together almost three years, and much to Sly's dismay, Lloyd had no real interest in being around him until recently. Now we've been catching them together regularly! It's adorable.
• I've been cooking so much more often. Potato, eggs, and spinach are lunch for me most afternoons (when you wake up at 3am, you kinda miss out on breakfast). But I've been making more elaborate dinners for Shawn and I most nights of the week. It's fun to be able to look through the fridge and come up with something on a whim! That's not something I was able to do before.
• I bought plane tickets!!! I'm going to France and Spain in November! I land in Paris and leave from Madrid, hopefully seeing some family in between. The tickets were super cheap so I went ahead and bought 'em. The plan is to go with two other girlfriends and spend a week exploring. I turn 30(!!!) at the end of October, so I'm considering it a birthday celebration of sorts.
• I also bought tickets to see Incubus in July. It will be my third time seeing them - they're amazing live! I'm still a little upset about leaving the last concert early, even though Shawn and I had a bad time because of some of the people that were around us. This time I'm going with a girlfriend and you can bet your ass we're staying for the whole show.

I only just caught up on the last 4+ weeks of my feed reader. What have you guys been up to?

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Snapshots

I've been M.I.A. for a little bit here, but no apologies! December always seems to be a busy month for everyone, myself included. Work has been heavier on orders these past few weeks, so I've been more exhausted than usual. Definitely looking forward to a three day weekend and a very relaxing Christmas. We're not going anywhere this year - the plan is to make brunch at home and watch a bunch of Christmas movies on Sunday! Here's a peek at the past few weeks.

Favorite things lately....

• Pizza. Always pizza. We have a friend who has perfected making his at home, and they had us over for dinner a few weeks ago. I brought dessert (apple crisps), of course! And instead of going out for dinner, Shawn and I tried our hand at making homemade pizza to celebrate our third anniversary last week. It was really tasty, but I still have some work to do on that crust. Hm... looks like I'm just going to have to keep making pizzas until I get it right!
• I recently got the new iPhone 7s... I switched over from an android - I was skeptical at first but now I love it! The camera is amazing, and you can look forward to a ton more portraits of the cats. No seriously, a ton. Since, you know, I don't really take photos of much else. Do you follow me on Instagram yet? Get your weekly dose of Lloyd and Sylvester there.
• My friend hired me to make some sliders and dinner rolls for her sister's rehearsal dinner (see above). Pricing everything out and making sure our new apartment's oven was up for the task was quite the adventure. I delivered them in person and helped make veggie bouquet center pieces for the tables - they came out so cute! This was my first official catering order, and also my first time seeing my friend since we graduated high school (over ten years ago!!!), so it was a pretty eventful day.
• Watching the sun set with an airplane window view - wow! Cameras never quite capture it. My New Orleans experience wasn't exactly what you might expect - I walked a whole heck of a lot (with the wrong shoes for such a task... not sure why I didn't think I'd be doing a lot of walking), spent a lot of time with my friend's 7-year old son (we played War with his toy soldiers... that was definitely a first for me; apparently I don't have the imagination I used to have), and I ate more shrimp over the course of three days than I have in the past three years. Okay, maybe that's exactly what you'd expect a trip to New Orleans to be. Oh, and street music!
• I taught my first yoga class ever on Friday! I was equal parts excited and terrified. Eight people showed up! I knew all of them except one; not sure if that made it easier or more difficult. Everyone said I did great, I'm a natural, and they really enjoyed it. So, there's that! Hopefully the next few classes won't be as mentally and physically trying. It seriously took everything out of me - I went out to dinner with a friend afterwards and was ready to fall asleep on the bar top at 7:30pm. On the other hand, it's so satisfying to be able to say I've taught my first class! I'm glad that's out of the way.

Also! I'm not allowed to have my phone on me at work, hence why I don't ever take photos of anything I do there. But my boss recently took a timelapse of me making chocolate croissants - check me out in action! (If you're in a feed reader, you'll probably have to go to the actual blog to see it.)

Super Marine in action!💥 #phillyfood #frenchbakery #artisanbakery #realfood #phillyfoodie #phillyfoodporn #frenchbakery #frenchbaker

A video posted by Au Fournil Inc. (@aufournil) on Dec 13, 2016 at 4:00pm PST

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Snapshots

Lately...

• Hm, cats and food... food and cats. Those are pretty much the only things I've been taking photos of for the past month and a half. So, sorry if these photos seem repetitive. Actually, I'm not sorry. What? They're just so gosh darn cute!
• My family all pitched in and gifted me a brand new mixer for my birthday! So YES, OMG YES, to making cookies again. I mean... I could make cookies without a mixer, and just mix it all by hand, but who on Earth wants to do that?! So thankfully, there will be more lazy cookies and bread in my future.
• I fell in love with a jumpsuit. Not on me (never on me- these damn hips just get in the way)... but do you see that ridiculous pattern? Does it make you want to get up and dance? Does it remind you of all the terrible clothing from the late 80's/early 90's? I think it's amazing. And I plan on turning it into pants and a crop top. And I really can't promise I won't wear them both at the same time...
• A friend of mine hosted a succulent terrarium making party, and it was awesome. One of these days, I'm going to steal that idea and host my own. One of these days.
• I wake up at 3:30am for work... (yes, I know, that's crazy-sauce, but I live the life of a baker) so on my days off, I'm happy if I sleep in until 6:30am. The upside to waking up that early on my days off though? I've been able to watch the sunrise. Nothing beats those pink and blue hues! Also, did you spot the face?

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Snapshots

Lately...

• I booked a flight to New Orleans for a long weekend in December! My friend Jess moved down there a few months ago, and I snagged a cheap flight as soon as I found one. I've never been there before; I can't wait to explore!
• The new job is getting more and more comfortable. I'm still working at (what feels like) a slow pace, but everyone seems pleased, myself included. I'm so happy I made the switch!
• I rode seven miles on my bike the other day! It may not seem like much, but I can't honestly remember the last time I did anything other than ride around the neighborhood on any bike I've ever owned. A friend and I rode to get pizza and beer a few towns over - definitely have to do that more often. Side note: I know I'm "in shape" because of my yoga practice, but five minutes on my bike gets me super out of breath every time. I definitely need to start riding on a regular basis so that my muscles can get used to it.
• I bought myself a small sketch pad. I've been really inspired by the row homes across the street at work - I'd like to try my hand at doing rough pen illustrations of urban landscapes. I figured buying a sketch pad was the first step... now I just need to start using it!

It hasn't all been fun and games around here...

• My Kitchenaid mixer broke. I was making chocolate chip cookies for Shawn's birthday last week and noticed tiny metal shards in the dough... further investigation showed that a screw came loose at some point, which slowly shredded and tore through the metal rim inside the head of the mixer. Who knows how long we've been eating things with metal shards in them?! My warranty was only good for one year, and the mixer is over six years old. I don't know what to do! I'm really torn up because baking weather is finally upon us!
• Lloyd has a UTI... poor little guy can't catch a break this year! Hopefully it's nothing serious and clears up quickly. He is a trooper!

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