Friday Thoughts

I'm here on my phone with approximately 14 minutes left of my lunch hour. Here are some random thoughts to entertain you (hopefully).

- There was like no line at Dunkin this morning and they got my order right. 4 for you Dunkin Coco!

- Tomorrow is my family Christmas party. Yes, you read that correctly. A real life Christmas in July. My aunt's house is completely decked out. Summer is the only time all 75 of us can get together so tomorrow it is! I'm so excited because it's gonna be a blast, but I can't wait until the planning ends. If you feel so inclined, follow along with our shenanigans on my Instagram or check out #McGuckinXmas. Hopefully no one calls the cops for noise pollution while we carol...loudly...outside.

I'm gonna find a nice Christmas mani to dress my nails today and figure out what all needs to be done for tomorrow.

- I actually have to start my grad applications next week and it's completely terrifying me and making me anxious.

I will combat this anxiety by going to the beach with my friends on Sunday to celebrate my birthday a day early. Yay! This is makes me a little sad because it's almost August and I haven't set foot in the ocean yet this year. Woof, where has the Summer gone?

- Courtney gave me my birthday present 3 days early. I think the suspense was killing her. She really knows me for only knowing me for 7 months. I got a pretty journal and a pack of colored Papermate inkjoy pens (have you seen how smoothly the write?!), some adorable post-it notes and tiny gel pens, a purple double-walled mason jar cup, and MY FIRST ALEX AND ANI BRACELET! Eeep! It's a phoenix so obviously I'm naming it Fawkes.

I Didn't Die

Hey all, happy Thursday!

I think it's time to maybe make some design changes to this little blog of mine so I can get back to loving this piece of internet that I reside in. Soon.

Since I'm already here, I might as well tell you what I've been up to the past two weekends. When I wrote my last post, I was super excited to go to a concert the next day. I did not make it to the concert due to a miscalculation of the amount of alcohol I can handle on an almost empty stomach. I drank too much (1.5 cups) and proceeded to vom in the parking lot for hours. Awesome, I know. Won't be doing that again.

I did learn my lesson though: one piece of pizza and some pretzels and hummus doesn't stand a chance against a beer-vodka-lemonade cocktail. Not. A. Chance.

That lesson came in handy for the Dierks Bentley concert we went to on Sunday night because I didn't die this time! I really took it easy because A. the thought of alcohol still made me shudder and B. because Kristo brought bilgewater Bud Light Lime to drink. EW.

Highlight reel:

+ NOT DYING

+ pasta salad

+ a $10 Walmart grill that got the job done (once the boys figured out how to get it to stay lit)

+ borrowing angry orchard from our fellow tailgaters

+ and, of course, Dierks Bentley's arm muscles. and face. and voice.

Lowlight reel:

- rubber "hamburgers"

- being cold (WHY is it still 40 degrees in May?!)

- getting home at 1 am on a work night

So my first country concert was a success. Can't wait until we see Tim McGraw next month!

Hot Bloggers and Best Friends

Hey all, I've been slacking in the blogging department for the last few couple days so it's time to get back on track. I'm behind on the August Blogging Challenge so I'll abbreviate this post and give you a two-fer.

Day 11: Today's prompt is: Your 5 Favorite Blogs (a.k.a. blog crushes!)

Lord, I crush on everyone in Blogland. How can I pick just 5? Alright first, I love all the ladies on my sidebar. I click over to their blogs all the time. Go check'em out! 

Here are the five blogs I can't go a day without reading.

1. Erin at Two Thirds Hazel makes you feel like you're one of her friends just by reading her blog. She's so down to earth and her tweets make me laugh out loud all the time.
2. Erin's best friend Whitney blogs over at I Wore Yoga Pants to Work and this chick seems like so much fun to drink with. She probably has Fireball and Miller Light running in her veins and that's fine by me. Also, every Friday, you can #backthatazzup with her.
3. Adriana at Dog Hair is an Accessory is also hilarious (see a theme here?) She has a ton of awesome tutorials that helped me out when I started getting serious about this blog.
4. Sarah at Venus Trapped in Mars is like "ESPN for girls." Get your education on. Also, check out her Saturday Sessions. THEY'RE GOLD.
5. Shane at Whispering Sweet Nothings is adorable and I love that she understands the "not being able to gain weight" thing that I also deal with. And she writes a lot of lists! 

Day 12: Today's prompt is: What 5 words would your best friend use to describe you?

I asked 5 of my best friends to get some variety for this post. (And because I need some reassurance that people actually like me sometimes)

The most in-depth response I got was from my gingery cousin Greg so his gets the spotlight.

1. Compassionate - you're always considering others' feelings in situations 
2. Scholarly - you take school very seriously and are amazing at it (shut up, you are) 
3. Tenacious - you're so strong in your beliefs and what you want 
4. Spunky - you're very spirited when it comes to blogging and books 
5. Delightful - there's nobody else quite like you, definitely a pleasure to know

Peggy said I am musical, caring, giving, fun, and loving.

I had to drag an answer out of the boyfriend, go figure. He said beautiful, nerdy, smart, sarcastic, and loving.

Sarah said intelligent, supportive, thoughtful, goofy and fun. I'm hoping she means the good kind of goofy though.

Last but not least Amy said beautiful, smart, fashion-forward, silly, and (absolutely) lovely.

AW YOU GUYS MAKE ME BLUSH. I love them.



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

Hello, Summer!

I went to the beach yesterday!!! You heard me - sand, seagulls, and sunburn in Sea Isle! My pale butt made it down the shore before July for once.

We left around 8:30 after turning around because boyfriend forgot his shirt to change into for dinner. After yelling at him and making fun of him for forgetting his shirt, I quietly realized that I forgot to pack undergarments. Oops, I suck. Thank God I brought a chambray shirt to go with my outfit - it covered everything perfectly (if ya catch my drift).

Once we crossed the bridge over the bay, we stopped for breakfast at The Fractured Prune. This specialty donut shop in Ocean City, NJ has all kinds of delicious sugar-filled confections that no one should ingest that early in the morning. However, we stuffed ourselves and it. was. awesome. I inhaled a strawberry shortcake (bottom left) before digging in on my chocolate bacon donut (bottom middle). Yes, people. That's chocolate AND bacon ON A DONUT.

Every year I'm filled with awe of my first look at the ocean. This year was no different. The weather was gorgeous and the waves were picture perfect.

After lying around for hours, we lugged our stuff off the beach, got changed, and hit up the liquor store before we headed over to Mike's Seafood for dinner. I'm not really a seafood person so I ordered what turned out to be the world's largest eggplant parm. I ate half for dinner and brought the leftovers home. I've already made two meals out of the rest and there's still some left! It was so delicious, but I feel like I'll be eating it forever.

I almost made it out with no sunburn, but noooo, I forgot to reapply sunblock on my feet/ankles. It's a really bizarre looking burn, but I usually come home looking like a lobster so we'll count this as a win.

These day trips down the shore with our friends will be our only hope since neither of our families are going on vacation this summer. I need the seashore like a fish needs water.

 "I need the sea because it teaches me." - Pablo Neruda 

 P.S. - A ton of businesses and homes at the Jersey Shore were wrecked by Hurricane Sandy and they're still struggling to get their lives back to normal.

 Check out #STTS (Stronger Than The Storm) on Twitter and Facebook or on their website to see how you can help out!

XO - Monnny