Days Off

I don't think anyone else loves days off more than I do. Probably, but whatever. I love them so much! I use a lot of my days off to reflect on life, love, jobs, money, writing, etc. Other days I sleep twelve hours of the day. Who's judging? Not me, well sort of cause I didn't do anything all day. 

Today, I waited and waited until my mom got out of bed because we were suppose to go to lunch. Come noon, she was still in bed not feeling well. I got up and starting lettering in my planner. Anyone ever heard of bullet journaling? I'm obsessed with what people can do. I am too lazy and just buy a planner and write in it what I need or want to letter. 

Today, I lettered about vacation. Drew's family and I are going to Gulf Shores, Alabama in a week and a half. (Eight more sleeps!) I am so ready and in need of another vacation. Get away from everyday life and work, mainly work. I am excited too cause this is where we will be getting married next summer/fall.

I am looking forward to visiting the houses we're looking into and just really being back on the beach we haven't been on in about five years. As soon as we get back we get to FINALLY start planning our wedding too! ...I guess working out too. UGH!!

Drew and I don't have any set plans for this vacation and I can't really think of anything to do besides drink on the beach and parasail and that's really all I want to do. Besides spending time with him. He's going to fish a lot and I'm okay with it. I just want to, one day, go parasailing cause I haven't done it in probably ten years. 

I cannot wait to spend our first vacation together as an engaged couple (besides the vacation I got proposed to on)!! Hopefully we will make this a really good one!

Growing

Well, I just finished addressing my first set of wedding envelopes. I have told myself probably fifteen times that I would never do it again. Will I really never do it again? I probably will. It was easy money. I just get easily bored and think it's "time consuming". Or so I said it was. Probably because I did five, got up and watched whatever my mom was watching on tv, went and sat down and told myself to do the rest and did ten more and stopped. Repeat the previous statement ten times.

Almost a year a ago, I started getting into writing, calligraphy, pens, markers, the whole nine yards. I am OBSESSSSSED!... to say the least. It has been one of the craziest, most fun hobby I've ever had. Drew actually is the one that finally made the purchase to get me the good markers! I am forever grateful cause I sure as shit didn't want to spend the money. I could have used the crayolas for all I cared.

I started out making calendars. Dry erase calendars, that is. Well, not really dry erase, I made them out of picture frames and the glass that comes with the frame. Whatever. I sold and made a couple of those and thought "Oh! I should really open up an Etsy page and sell them!" I opened that and closed it as quickly as it opened. 

I took opening and closing that page and making those calendars into a broader horizon and just started writing and making canvases. This is where my "business" started booming. Who am I kidding.. I do it whenever I want to do it and just make a couple dollars here and there. It's not a business. I totally wish it was though!

I have become totally obsessed with the idea of writing. Ahhemmm, why I started blogging again. And thanks to my old pal for make me start back up. (Shout out to Sarah)

Calligraphy and writing is just so relaxing. I go into my little happy place and enjoy the noises the markers make or just the silence. I focus so much on what it looks like (thank you OCD) that I don't think about anything going on around me, in my life, etc. It's a great get-away.

I couple weeks ago a little girl asked me for my advice on pens and markers and how to do calligraphy. This was one of my proudest moments because I am my worst enemy and think I am not very good. To hear from her that she wants to learn from me made me the happiest. I am looking forward to teaching her and watching her grow in the calligraphy world. I too and excited to learn more as I keep writing.

First of Many Firsts Together

There are plenty of beautiful places here on earth and I've had the opportunity to visit the immaculate state of Michigan, twice. For the second time this summer we visited Traverse City, Michigan. Hands down, one of the best trips of my life. Drew asked me to marry him, and I said YES!! And of course cried like a little baby.

Through this journey of Michigan we fished, laughed, drank very good craft beer, swam, talked, walked miles and miles, shopped, drank more beer and just enjoyed our surroundings. We loved pretty much everything that Michigan had to offer and I will never forget this trip---EVER! I would recommend a Michigan trip to anyone I talk to and I look forward to going back.

I had this crazy, stupid idea to go on this sail boat in Michigan because why not? I've always had a thing for nautical things and I've never been on one so I thought it would be great. In my head I was thinking "Drew would never do this with me, why even ask?" but I did. SURPRISINGLY he loved the idea. I tried talking him out of it probably six or seven times but he was pretty adamant on going on this sailboat. I wasn't going to complain. Deep down I was totally fan girl-ing.

I kind of dropped the subject of going on this sailboat trip and the day after we arrived Drew brought it back up. Of course I wanted to go but I kept saying "No, we don't have to go." Ten minutes later, we had our tickets for that evening's sunset cruise. Why did we pass up the booze cruise? I'm not sure either. It turned out to be a booze cruise as well and I really felt it the next day. 

We really enjoyed our time on the boat and met a bunch of new people. The couple next to us were from Cleveland, Ohio and had their own sandwich shop. They were a ton of fun! There was a couple in the nets in front of us. I don't remember their names or where they were from, just remember them getting in trouble for bringing a bottle of wine on the boat. Ooops! (They still were able to drink the rest of it, no worries.) Drew and I took in the waves, people, stories, and scenery and just really enjoyed ourselves. We sat and talked about how chilly it was getting and how Drew was shivering. Or so he said he was cold. 

He got up from his seat to walk around, get warm and get more cat nip (the deadliest drink on the planet). I then turned around to find him kneeling down on one knee to ask me to spend forever with him. First thing that came out of my mouth was "Is this real life?" I'm a romantic. I of course said yes after the fact and I could not stop crying. I could not fathom that I was about to have the opportunity to marry the man I've spent 1/3 of my life with.

I could not have been happier and I still am to this day. I always look down and stare at the ring like "Damn, he did good!" (I did give him ideas, but he still picked an amazing one.)

We were told we were going to the bar afterward with the couple next to us. We did. We ran into another couple and they said they were going to buy us a celebratory shot and drink. They did. We talked to them for a long time, even closed down the bar with them. There are some amazing people in the world. I was truly blessed to have these kind-hearted people to celebrate strangers getting engaged and to take such great pictures of the beautiful moment we had together.

The rest of the week I pretty much lived on cloud nine and took in every moment I could possible because I was the luckiest girl in the world. 

We were able to go back to Empire Beach, a place where we stayed last year. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip because it reminds me of the ocean. The waves, sand between my toes, tan lines (burn lines), cold beer and good company. 

We visited a couple breweries. The food and beer down there is really good. We tried some cherry beer. GROSS! Drew liked it, I did not. Cherry brats, those were alright. Again, Drew liked them, I didn't care for them. More firsts though. I will pretty much try anything. We shopped for a couple hours and spent way too much money, of course. We don't have self control. 

We had a blast the entire week and I wish we could go back now. We leave in nineteen days to go to Gulf Shores, Alabama and I could be any more excited. 1. I haven't been down there in about four years, I need my ocean fix. and 2. This is where we will be getting married next fall. I look forward to many more firsts, adventures and rides with my FINACÉ.