6 Years

Today is my 6th anniversary with Kristobal. 6 years ago today, this man boy was walking me to work when he stopped in the middle of the pavement and asked me to be his girlfriend. (He tried asking me via text the night before, but I wouldn't have it so I told him to "man up" and ask me in person.) I took a chance on my then physics lab partner and said yes. It was the best decision I've ever made. I thank God every day for bringing him into my life and I can't wait for our future together.

I love him for more reasons than I can count, but I'll share some with you guys. What better way is there to celebrate than by airing your love out on the internet?

Why I love Kristo:

1// He cooks. Sometimes his culinary creations backfire (like the time he thought it would be a good idea to put cinnamon in scrambled eggs) (or the time his "croissants" turned out like pita chips), but at least he tries. Boy, does he try.

2// He thinks I'm funny He laughs at all my jokes(even when they're completely lame, which is all the time)

3// He wiggles his ears to make me laugh. I can't do this. Can anyone else do this?

4// He doesn't take my shit and he tells me when I'm being a brat.

5// He's patient when I don't understand rules of whatever sport we're watching and he never judges my choice of teams EVEN THOUGH THEY NEVER WIN

AND he buys me shirts for his teams when mine don't make the playoffs(which is always)

6// He doesn't think I'm nuts get annoyed that I've already picked a date for our wedding even though he hasn't proposed yet.

Last, but not least, he loves all of me and all of my weirdness all of the time.

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, KRISTO. I LOVE YOU.

I Didn't Graduate

I know you're thinking something really crazy right now, but it's actually not what you're thinking. No, I didn't flunk out. And yes I did really well on all my finals. But I didn't graduate.

Up until November, I planned to graduate in January. That is until I found out that the College of Health Professions and Social Work "will not be holding a winter commencement ceremony." However, I "may walk in the Spring commencement ceremony if [I] wish." Sorry, but I've been waiting for my diploma for four and a half years since August 2009, I'm not waiting any longer than I have to.

I understand that it's my choice to not wait until May, but it still sucks that I don't get to walk across the stage in front of my family and friends with a cap on my head and a rolled up piece of paper in my hand as they play a recording of Pomp & Circumstance.

Kristo's graduation ceremony was last week. (of course they held one for the college of liberal arts.) I was so incredibly proud of him and all that he's accomplished (2 Bachelor's degrees with distinction in the major for econ!!!!), but it was bittersweet in the fact that I didn't get to close my college career like everyone else.  That bratty voice inside my head kept saying "that should be me." But he's a really good boyfriend and he understood how I felt which led to this picture.

Every once in a while, you relearn the lesson that you can't always get what you want. It sucks, but it's a very concrete part of life. So how do you deal? You find a solution. If you can't get what you want, you find another plan. Which is exactly what I did. I ordered my senior portraits. They cost me almost $200 (HIGHWAY ROBBERY), but it's worth the fact that I can send my capped and gowned self to all of my relatives. And at least I can pretend that I graduated.

If all else fails, try to find the good in the situation. I'm lucky to have a job in my chosen field before I even receive my diploma, graduated or not. So here's to life lessons and keeping your head up.

What are some life lessons that you weren't so happy to learn?

Sh*t Men Say

Today I'm basically gonna make fun of Kris and the goofy shiz he says. Mostly because I can't help but laugh when he's talking to me, but also because I'm linking up for Shit Men Say.

This post could be a lot better written than this, but it's 12:22 and I have to get up for work in 6 hours. Since it's a monthly linkup, (as far as I know) I'll have the chance to redeem myself with some amazing material collected from the boyf. Let's face it, he's not gonna stop saying redonkulous things and I'm not gonna stop writing them down.

So here it in in all it's bulletpointed glory:

• Me: My chapstick isn't smooth anymore. Kris: Why? Cause I molested it with my mouth?
• Me: I don't want to know about (treasury) bonds. Kris: Why can't we ever have grownup conversations?!
• For the night is dark and full of swag.
• Those 3 girls have no butts whatsoever...that's what you get for not being American.
• I haven't seen Coburn hit anybody since Nam.
• I feel like if he was a dog, he'd chase his tail all day.

I guess I should come to expect things like these from a man who hangs around with guys like this all day.

They say weird shit. Gotta love'em anyway! Make sure you link up with these ladies!

Happy Birthday, Boyfriend!

Happy Sunday Y’all!

Sunday is my favorite day of the week and I’m not quite sure why. Maybe because it’s a day of rest, maybe because Kris has off from work every Sunday and I get to see him, or maybe because it’s the beginning of a brand new week and I get to start it at church. This Sunday is a combination of all three and it’s especially awesome because it’s Kris’s 23^rd birthday! Every year near his birthday, I joke that I probably shouldn’t be dating an older man. It’s lame, but it always makes him laugh.

So today is dedicated to Kristo. I’m going to church and then helping his mom cook his birthday dinner that we’re sharing with some friends. Then he’ll be in charge of the remote to watch the Bengals playoff game (booo!). It should be an awesome day surround by all his favorite people.

Kristo, I love you more than anything. You can always make me laugh, whether it’s reminiscing about when I thought you were just the weirdo that sat in front of me in 10^th grade chem class or when you’re just being incredibly quotable. I hope you have a fantastic birthday and I can’t wait to spend the next 80 with you.

Kristo Behind the Blog

Hey party people! I know I haven't been in the blogosphere much this week, but it's the end of the semester so I don't really need to say much more.

I'm here with a post that isn't even about me. Everyone please give a warm welcome to my boyfriend for the Boys Behind the Blog link up. Please save all your applause until the end of the Q&A segment.

Who is your favorite band/musician?
Not to cop out, but I don’t have a favorite band. I listen to tons of music of varying genres (aside from country, much to the disdain of Monica). The bands/musicians I listen to the most are (in no particular order): Skillet, Halestorm, Avenged Sevenfold, Pink Floyd, Lindsey Stirling, Paramore, and Muse. If this was solely judged on amount of concerts attended, Halestorm would be number 1 with 12 concerts.

*Halestorm (2013 Grammy winners for best hard rock/metal performance!)*

What was your first CD/tape?
Unfortunately this question is one of my darkest secrets. My first CD was Oops!...I Did It Again by Britney Spears. Yes, you read this correctly. I won this CD in a machine in Disney World.

*I didn't know this.*

Who was your first concert?

 My first concert was Paramore in the Hammerstein Ballroom in NY with The Swellers and Paper Route as opening bands. Hayley was amazing in person, especially considering she was battling laryngitis at the time. The amount of passion and energy she brings to the stage is hard to match.

*my first concert was The Click Five*

What is your favorite Thanksgiving food?

Mashed potatoes would be a sure fire number one, but since I have them on a consistent basis, I’m going to choose Monica’s uncle's mushroom soup. Every other year when I attend Thanksgiving at their house, I am excited for it. Coming in a close second is pineapple stuffing and sweet potato casserole.

*mashed potatoes are my fave if anyone cares to know*

Finish the sentence: I am thankful for...

...having so many people that can be called my family. This includes my mom’s boyfriend's family who I have known for almost all my life, especially my aunt Lynn. In addition to them, I am thankful for Monica’s large family, providing me with something I never had. As an only child of a small family, I never had the experience of a large one. From her immediate family to her extended family, over the last 5 years they have accepted me as their own. 

*we're pretty awesome*

Kris and his mom // Kris, his cousin, and his grandmom // Kris and Greg "dancing" // Kris and my uncle...idk

Hope you enjoyed getting to know him a little better!

XO - Monny

Saturday Shenanigans

Happy Monday, Blogland!

Are you ready for my weekend shenanigans? (The correct answer is yes.) I was a good blogger and took pictures this weekend so I would have something to talk about when today rolled around.

I was in a crappy mood for pretty much all of last week. Luckily, I didn't take a nap Friday morning which meant I got to watch Paramore perform on Good Morning America and get my dad's birthday post done. It was the perfect way to get back into a good mood and it totally made me feel better.

After class, I went to work which sucked as usual, but at least no one told me I look like a 16 year old this week.

On Saturday morning, we woke up an hour before Jesus started handing out blessings and headed to south Philly for the Philadelphia Heart Walk. It was warm enough that I didn't need my winter coat (Yay!) so I rocked my school hoodie since I was walking for Temple Health anyway. When we got into the stadium the first thing I saw was Temple's mascot and I yelled "Hey Hooter" before skipping happily into his arms asking for a picture. Go owls!

We sat in the good seats for the opening ceremony while the Phillie Phanatic made fun of friends with the NBC peacock and generally disregarded all ceremony etiquette. He is the best mascot with the most personality and I want him at my future wedding reception. This is not a joke.

After the walk, we headed to my Mom-Mom's. On the way, we passed a place called Burger Bar and I asked my mom what it was. Her response? "Oh it's good, they have alcoholic milkshakes." Thanks mom, but I was asking about the food. With an explanation like that, we had to go in.

Apparently I really like bourbon. Like a lot.

When we got home, we (mostly Mom) made my dad his birthday dinner. It was a filet mignon roast and it. was. awesome. After dinner, we sang happy birthday to Dad who refuses to sit still or look at the camera, which resulted in 47539287 pictures.

After dessert, Kris and I went to see Pride & Prejudice. You know what's not fun? Explaining the whole plot to your boyfriend at intermission. You know what is fun? When he gets riled about the characters and wants them to live happily ever after.

Sunday was pretty dull, but mom and I made Apple Pie Cake. It didn't turn out as pretty as this, but it tasted like a dessert prepared by the magical cake fairy from Heaven. I will definitely make it again!

I hope you all have a great week!
XO - Monny

Halloween Came Early

Annnd we're back with Part II of the weekend recap!

After the Light the Night walk on Saturday night, Kris and I headed over to Peggy's coworker's house with Greg and his girlfriend Katie for a Halloween party.

*sidenote: In the 5 years we've  been together, I've never "celebrated" Halloween with Kris so I got really excited and had to find the perfect couples costume. When I found it in my aunt's basement, everyone was appalled to discover that Kristopher had never seen The Wizard of Oz. Can't be the Tin Man if you've never seen it so I borrowed the DVD from my cousin. And we watched it. And he liked it. BOOM NOW WE'RE READY.*

While I was changing into my costume, Kris tried his on and imagine my disappointment when one size didn't fit all. Luckily, he had a grey shirt he could turn inside out and I pinned his heart on and made him wear the boner hat funnel.

                                                                                                         

The house had the creepiest decorations and the food and drinks were the bomb dot com. I was feeling goooood after all two of my Angry Orchards, which resulted in some awesome dance moves and lots of giggling with Peggy.

We all had tons of fun and our "first" Halloween party was a blast!

I can't wait to see all of your costumes this week!
XO - Monny

P.S. - Thanks to Margaret for the advice on turning black pumps into ruby slippers!

P.S. - Even more exciting than ruby slippers is the fact that Allie and friends are hosting a Target or Starbucks giveaway on their blogs! Just tap your heels together 3 times and say "There's no place like Target."

Seasons of Love

Hello my loveys!

After bawling my eyes out at last week's Glee with Sara last night, I decided that I need to write a nice post about something that makes me very happy today - "my person" - my boyfriend Kris (boyf, Kristobal, Kristo).

This guy has been through everything with me for the last 5 and a half years and I've learned a lot about relationships since we first started dating. Without further ado, I present

THINGS MY RELATIONSHIP HAS TAUGHT ME

Some people like other teams.
It's weird and it makes no sense, but it happens. Kris was born and raised in the Philadelphia area, but he loves the San Antonio Spurs, the Cincinnati Bengals, the UNC Tarheels, and the Detroit Tigers. He's never even been to any of those places. Whatevs. I'll probably never understand, but I now have a soft place in my heart for his teams when mine are sucking, which happens a lot. For an example of the weirdness that is Kris's love for the Tigers, you can watch this video of a news interview of my Philly boy wearing a Detroit jersey while in Boston for the playoff game this past Sunday. He's the one wearing the goofy sunglasses at 1:19

ABC6 - Providence, RI and New Bedford, MA News, Weather

It's okay to be ugly(sometimes).
Kris doesn't care what I look like. He doesn't care how big small my boobs are or if I wear makeup or not. He says I look nice whether I'm wearing yoga pants or a cocktail dress. He still loves me when I'm crying, even if it makes me look like Farrah from Teen Mom (which it does).

Compromise is key.
I want the lava cake for dessert. I will always want the lava cake for dessert, but I can't always have the lava cake for dessert because I compromise. Sometimes, I have to let Kris order a limoncello cheesecake because that's what a relationship is about.  

He's got my back.
It's awesome having a person who has your back no matter what. It's also awesome that he'll agree with me even if he has no idea what I'm talking about. He's got my back for everything.

Beer is better.
I honestly never thought I'd say this because I used to hate beer. Boyf and his expensive tastebuds have introduced me to a world I probably would have left unexplored. I'm a fan now. I'm not saying I hate all the other alcohol, but beer is the only adult beverage that doesn't give me a hangover so yeah, I'll keep drinking.

Last, but not least.

I'd love to know what you've learned from your relationships!
XO - Monny

RIP Cory Monteith

The Boy Behind the Blog

Happy Thursday(almost Friday)!

I forgot to do this the last 2 months so this month I actually put it in my calendar. Boyfriend was all ready to put up some answers last month but I was a slacker and never checked to see when the questions went up. Now that I'm on top of things, I present

THE BOY BEHIND MY BLOG

1. If you were an animal, what animal would you be?
A Siberian tiger

*he loves the Bengals and the Detroit Tigers EVEN THOUGH HE'S NOT FROM THOSE PLACES*

*Look at the fancy tiger slippers I bought him...fierce*

2. What is your favorite meal?
Filet mignon because I love steak and it's the best kind.

*yes and yes*

3. Do you use any forms of Social Media? What is your favorite?
Twitter because there are only 140 characters and it breaks news for sports first. But I never tweet anything.

*he never tweets anything...ever*

Watching the Flyers with @littlemonnny wut wut
— Kristopher Cramer (@Krispy_Crame) September 15, 2013

*I tweeted that on his phone*

4. Beer, wine, liquor, other, or none of the above?

Beers and liquor are my favorite, expensive taste for both. I'd rather buy a better, more expensive glass of either and sip it rather than chug something cheap.

*once upon a time, Kris accidentally ordered and drank an $85 glass of scotch...good times*

*at least he looked good  doing it*

5. Complete the sentence: "Never have I ever..."
...seen the  Wizard of Oz.

*I don't get it either*

Hope you enjoyed meeting my boyfriend, can't wait to see what he can come up with next month! 

XO - Monny

Gratitude: week 5

This week has been crazy, with getting ready for school to start and failing trying to get back into the swing of things, I haven't been posting to Instagram with my usual enthusiasm. Also, this post is a day late (blame the interwebz). Better late than never, amirite?

I love doing this prompt every week or so because it helps me to appreciate the little things in my life. Even when I think I don't have much to be grateful for, I can look back and realize I'm being a spoiled brat and quit it.

One. Old school diners with soda fountains and wall postings being snarky...and bacon pancakes. BACON. PANCAKES.

Two. Grateful for the fact that I'm actually really good at painting my own nails. It saves me a ton of money, not having to get a manicure every 2 weeks.

Three. My sister and I can look like idiots and still have the best time. Also grateful for 25 cent mustaches from gumball machines. HOLLA.

Four. After 5 and a half years, this guy still likes me no matter how many times I make this face/yell at him. True love.

Five. Friends who stick around for 16+ years no matter how often we see each other.

Six. Late night trips to the diner with my favorites and for bread pudding, which never fails to disappoint.

Find your peace of mind.

XO - Monny

It's My Birthday! 22 Things

Happy Sunday! I hope you're all having a good weekend! I know I am. I've been celebrating my birthday since Thursday night, but I'll save that for my weekend shenanigans post!

I've learned a lot since I turned twenty-one 365 days ago. Most importantly, I've learned to eat before I drink so that I don't puke everywhere. I'll just leave this post here before I return to the festivities.

22 Things I've Learned in My 22 Years!

1. Not everyone is meant to stay in your life forever.
2. If something is causing unnecessary stress in your life, let it go.
3. If you find someone who puts up with your shit no matter what you do, hold on to them.
4. Eveything tastes better covered in hot sauce, chocolate, or cheese.
5. Sitting on your feet is bad for circulation.
6. Tell people when something is bothering you - bottling it up only causes major problems later.
7. Nervous breakdowns can result in huge life decisions.
8. Sometimes the weird guy from your science class ends up being your soulmate. 

   

   yes, we're doing the prom pose

9. Making your bed makes you feel like your life is together
10. Booths are always be better than tables
11. When your grandfather tells you the same story you've heard a million times, listen to him. You're gonna miss those stories when he's gone.
12. Always pour the hot water over the tea.
13. Push-up bras don't do anything if you don't have boobs to push up.
    
14. Write it down now or you will forget it.
15. Carry your phone charger everywhere.
16. Most people suck, but there are still some who can restore your faith in humanity.
17. Dust from top to bottom, then vacuum.
18. You sleep better with a clean room and fresh sheets.
19. Taking vitamins actually keeps you healthy.
20. Withdrawing from a class does not mean you're a failure.
21. Beer causes fewer hangovers than vodka.
22. If you work in a grocery store, you will get hit on by creepy men.

Retail Robin always understands

Time to go get ready for my fancy shmancy birthday dinner!

XO - Monny

"Their Subway is as Dirty as Ours!"

Happy Monday, bloggy peeps!

Did yous have a good weekend? Try not to judge my use of that 2nd person plural - it's Philly's equivalent of y'all so I think I'll keep it.  Anywho, after last week's record-breaking heatwave, it's finally a cool 75°. I was a busy bee this weekend so here's a a kind of picture-heavy recap

Friday was a busier than normal night at work. I got a real workout lifting heavy-ass milk and egg crates to stock them in the fridge. Picture a 100-lb girl lifting shit that's 40% of her weight and you have me. Basically, I'm a beast. I stopped at Wendy's on the way home and got a chicken sandwich and an sweet tea. This was not one of my finest ideas due to the fact that I woke up in the middle of the night and NEVER WENT BACK TO SLEEP.

10:40 pm - eat sammich and drink tea

12:30 am - lay down in bed, look at the clock

2:15 am - roll over, look at clock ---> hate life

3:47 am - wide awake ----> still hate life

count sheep-->meditate-->take Benadryl-->drink warm milk-->pray

4:08 am - tweet about hating life

5:50 am -  look at clock ---> contemplate banging my head into a wall

6:30 am - alarm goes off ---> cry

Saturday after pulling myself together, I got out of bed to figure out what da hail I was gonna wear to the Phils - Mets game in NYC. I was told not to wear Phils gear because my dear old dad was worried for my safety and  "there's lots of nutjobs out there." Okay, I would've been fine if I wore a red hat or my Utley jersey. Yeesh.

So we get to Penn Station walk to Times Square and hop on the subway to go to Citi Field. I'm sitting on the train and I realize it's about as dirty as the Broad Street Line at home, which is comforting. However, we don't have mariachi bands playing for money on our public transpo.

We get to the stadium and people are super friendly and offer to take our picture in front of the Mets Big Apple.

Everyone is so nice. Apparently the shitty Mets fans everyone talks about aren't so shitty. The new stadium is beautiful and the food was fan-friggin'-tastic.

Exhibit A:

Exhibit B:

'Shroom Burger (vegetarian) Crisp-fried portobello mushroom filled with melted muenster and cheddar cheeses, topped with lettuce, tomato and ShackSauce

When we got to our seats, it was cool because we weren't in the sun, but then the devil sat his ass crack next to us.

So we went down in the shade to walk around where I got these pics of Delmon Young batting and my boyfriend Cole Hamels pitching.

 Getting on with things, we left early due to heat exhaustion and the Phils getting their asses handed to them where we refreshed with cold drinks at Starbucks between Times Square and Penn Station. Then we got on the train home, ordered BBQ from a delish place around the corner and I watched HGTV with my mom for about 8,434,234 hours.

On Sunday morning, I sang at church at 10:00 and then headed to Kristo's house for breakfast and stayed til dinner. I made him watch Pitch Perfect (which he ended up liking) and he made me watch Dark Shadows (which I did NOT end up liking).  THE NEW CATCHING FIRE TRAILER CAME OUT. And I had 2 beers, which meant I was not writing this post last night because I am a lightweight. Yes, I'm useless after a couple drinks, but it does mean I'm a cheap date haha!

Ignore the goober next to me. He likes to awkwardly ruin my selfies. ;)

XO - Monny