Take Chances

A friend recently posted this on her blog and, after reading it, I couldn't help but feel as if a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I'm a firm believer in the saying "everything happens for a reason." So, this quote definitely resonated with my belief that we create our own destiny...

Fall Weather

'Tis the season for change. Every season holds its own reoccurring occurrences and, while I always miss the summertime, fall happens to be one of my favorite seasons.

The leaves begin to change, the air turns less humid and more crisp and fresh, football season has officially begun, a change in my wardrobe has come, the all important Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte becomes available (which means I, inevitably, make the switch from the slightly cheaper, iced coffee) and you begin to take on those fall-like activities. We lose those trips to the beach, the outdoor happy hours, our summertime schedules at work, backyard bbqs, sundresses and shades and, of course, the seemingly never ending day as the sun continues to shed light on our lives.

You leave each passing season with stagnant memories of what was; the people you've met, places you've traveled and resolutions you've made. I always find myself reminiscing to songs like, "Summer of '69", "Don't Stop Believing" or "The Boys of Summer" in instances like this.

Once the season comes to a fold, you realize so much of what you meant and so desperately wanted to accomplish over the past few months has somehow slipped right through your fingers. In pondering over this fact, stop quick enough to ensure your reality changes - The days of summer have not yet passed, so it's not out of reach.

So Beautiful

I love One Republic and I think all of their music is amazing; this song just popped up on my iTunes and I forgot how truly beautiful the music and lyrics are.

Come Home - One Republic

It Has Been a While

Ok, life as we know it officially took over my ability to blog. I find that I have a little time on my hands this afternoon after wrapping up a conference in Ohio and decided, what better time?

This Summer has officially been quite the whirlwind for me. In fact, I find myself looking at my calendar and wondering where the Summer actually went. With this and the fact that my birthday is tomorrow, I began to think back on the past year - the purchase of my puppy, moving to a new apartment, getting a new job - and I realize why not only this summer, but this entire year has been such a whirlwind. All of the above have dramatically changed aspects of my life and, seeing as how I'm just now really taking a step back to realize that, I can truly appreciate it.

Change is one of the hardest things to go through and something that isn't always embraced by others. However, change is not always hard to endure and shouldn't always be feared. Change, very simply, is a blessing in disguise.

The topic of change intrigues my thoughts on life and takes me back to something that was written by my favorite poet, William Wordsworth, "Life is divided into three terms - that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present, and from the present to live better in the future."

Sangria. YUM

I LOVE sangria. It's the perfect summertime drink and I wish I made it more often. I frequent eatingwell.com often and was just looking over my bookmarked pages and found this one from August '07: White Sangria I never actually made the concoction, so I'm really glad I found it. I usually drink red sangria, so this will be a nice switch.

A True Legend, Remembered

It is a sad day, indeed. I find that I am EXTREMELY nostalgic in learning about Michael Jackson's death. I grew up dancing to his songs and immolating the Thriller video at sleepovers. His music was ingenious, his performances awe-inspiring and his impact on the music business was revolutionary. Michael was a silent genius. I know he'll be missed by many, especially me.

I Keep Bleedin'

Another FANTASTIC interpretation. This one depicts a husband that works way too much and his wife is acting out against it because it's tearing them apart. I love the message and I love the moves. Tabitha and Napoleon are the choreographers (they're married, who'da thought?). I wish I could dance like this.