2009: At a glance

As I begin the obligatory end-of-2009 post at home in Florida, I can hardly believe how much this year has held. A year ago, I would have never imagined that a year later, I would be where I am -- in a completely different city, hours and miles away from everyone I know and love. 2009, I've found, has been nothing short of pushing myself to the limit, testing my own personal boundaries to find any innate resilience. It's hard to believe that a little over six months ago, I was still in undergrad with little idea that I would have my own D.C. apartment in a few months. And now, as a new D.C. resident, I'm so frequently asked the question, "Why did you move here?" And besides the cliched hope of following my career dreams, I don't have much more of an answer other than, "Why not?" What better time to push yourself and explore the world than in the moments after graduating college, where energy and excitement for the future still pervade your life.

So, now as I look into what 2010 holds, I think I've found the perfect New Year's resolution: To stop over-romanticizing the next steps in my life and enjoy where I am. Or, in the words of Ida Scott Taylor:

"One day at a time--this is enough. Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone; and do not be troubled about the future, for it has not yet come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering."

Hope everyone enjoys their last few moments of 2009!

In a beachy state of mind

Maybe it's the chill in the air or the fact that for the first time in 10 years, I'm living hours away from the beach, but lately I've developed such a penchant for driftwood-themed crafts. Now if you know me, you know I love anything nautical, but there's something so comforting, yet creative and crafty about using driftwood in your home designs.

I can't wait to have my own little, nautical-themed home.

A personal favorite, driftwood boats
Via The Lettered Cottage

Via Visual Streak

Via Freespirit

Driftwood lamp (above) and mirror (below) via Completely Coastal

Maybe I'm just celebrating the fact that in FOUR days I'll be in Florida! So ready for homecoming at UCF with the bests.

A weekend in review: cupcakes and ball games

Despite the dreary weather here in D.C., I had an extremely productive weekend. The rain and 40 degree weather made it a great time to play catch up on all things domestic - including taking time to try out the pumpkin cupcake recipe shared by KAG. I have to admit, they turned out very well!

Also this weekend, I spent some much needed time cleaning up all my social media outlets. Oddly enough, when I started this little blog here, I registered with my hotmail account. Not a good plan, friends. So, a year later, I finally figured out how to switch everything over, officially, to my gmail account, which makes my life a lot easier. But, this also means that I'm needing to spend time adding everyone's blogs to my other account, which is taking some time so bear with me.

Saturday evening I met up with the UCF alumni group here to watch the UCF vs. Miami game. Although we didn't win, I'm happy to say it wasn't a complete blowout. But it did make me nostalgic for the days of tailgating as I watched everyone's Facebook statuses as they headed to the game. As the favorite UCF adage goes, "We may not win 'em all, but we never loose a tailgate party."

Also, I found this cartoon this week in the Ft. Myers newspaper. So true. Oh, Florida, some days I really miss you.

The News- Press