Quiet Time

While my husband was at work last Saturday I went for a lovely walk around my neighborhood. I absolutely love walking by myself, and there is nothing better than getting some exercise while looking at beautiful houses and fully flowered yards. It gets me in such a melancholy mood. I often dream about my future. Will I ever have such a beautiful front yard? Its fun to daydream. I love the quiet of an empty street. It's just me and the squirrels, the wind, and the distant smells of afternoon BBQ's. I took a few photos to document my beautiful scenery. I have such a wonderful area to walk in, full of parks and flowers, there is just so much to look at!

Obsessions

close up of the painting currently in our living room-by me

Holy 3 month blog break, Batman!

 I feel like I go through stages or phases of liking things. Like hummus. I was eating hummus for weeks straight. Trying every flavor out there. Eating it with turkey slices, ritz crackers, and carrot sticks. But now, I have half a container in my fridge, just waiting to be touched again. I almost feel bad for my hummus obsession...but then I turn to my new one( blueberry bagel with cream cheese, ERMAHGERD ) and I just don't care about hummus anymore. Sorry, bro. You're done to me.
I've noticed this characteristic in me, not just with food, but with anything. I'll obsessively wear an outfit combo and then I'll just switch to a new one. I'll be obsessed with a show on Netflix and all of a sudden it will be done, and I'll switch to something else. I am definitely a creature of habit, but I also like to try new things...but when I try that new thing, I'll just keep getting it, because I just want THAT thing...yeah, I know, I totally make sense right now...

But I guess what I'm trying to saaaay is...this blog has taken a back seat as of late, because I've been really working hard on a big art project, which has been taking up most of my free time at home. But I love being able to spatter my thoughts and feelings onto this virtual diary of sorts, and it's reassuring to know I can always come back to it.

So, in case you were wondering( of course you were ) here are some of my current obsessions :
- Game of Thrones, holy crap! That show is a mind-twister. Also Doctor Who and Teen Mom( don't judge me ).
- Bananas! I used to hate them. Like, never ever eat them, but now I love them.
- Walking everyday. Now that it's nicer outside, I can't handle not going out into the sunshine for some exercise...
- White chocolate raspberry iced mochas. I allow myself one every Thursday at work, because if I didn't control my addiction to these, I would have one every shift. They are that delicious!

I hope everyone has a fantastic week!

~ Grace Abigail

Alot Happening...

Hello friends, I'm sorry I've been absent for so long! Nothing horrible or life changing has kept me from this blog, it's just that life happened. Sometimes I get so caught up in the day to day process that blogging gets pushed out of that process.
I've turned 24. It's funny but, now I feel like I'm finally at the age that I feel the most comfortable at. Maybe I've always been a 24 year old at heart. :)
I went to Chicago for my birthday to visit my sister and her boyfriend. That city is so beautiful and overwhelming at the same time. It's such a magnificent man-made city that I get so filled with awe whenever I go there...
My friend and I are starting our own children's book! I am unbelievably excited/anxious about it! I am doing the illustrations for it and sometimes I wonder if I can do a whole book... But it's always been my dream to make a beautiful book for kids, so it must be done. It has to be done! I cannot go to that place of self-doubt. That place your mind wanders to when you feel you just cant measure up to the professionals. But I can't do it. I have to keep telling myself that...
Kyle and I are amazing. Not to get all gushy or anything, but we've reached the point in our marriage where the best thing to do is to be around each other. He's my very best friend and I can't believe I got so freaking lucky. We're definitely thick in the honeymoon phase, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Well, that's it for now guys! I hope everyone has a great week! And I will try to write more in here... Please keep coming back :)

~Grace Abigail

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Hello everyone, sorry I've been away for so long on here. Things have not been that busy or stressful or anything, I've just been enjoying friends and the husband. And I've been doing a whole lot of reading, cleaning, and thinking up ideas and illustrations for the children's book my friend and I have been working on! Oh it's going to be cute guys!
Well, I hope everyone has been having a good week! And don't forget to do what you love my friends, I've been trying to live by that motto this week.

Sexy librarian anyone?...

Life Lately and Resolutions

Hello friends! It's a new year and so far it's been a good one. I've been working for what it seems like a whole week long( not really... ) but I am in much need of a break. Today is my day off so I plan on getting things done and also having some nice relaxation time with the hubs. And I might just dye my hair light blonde. Who knows?...

A new year calls for resolutions. As I was at work on the first day of the year, a customer really got under my skin. I got really upset and I didn't handle my emotions that well... So I thought one of my primary resolutions for this year would be to..
Change My Attitude:
I've been really emotional and quick to anger at my job lately and that is just not me. I want to work on my patience and focus on seeing the good in people. I also want to...
Produce More Artwork:
I made a goal for myself to put at least ten things onto my Etsy shop this year. I need to get myself out there and make more things to keep me busy and my creative mind working. Which brings me to my last resolution. I need to...
Get Off My Ass:
I've probably mentioned before that I have a problem with laziness and it really gets in the way of productivity. Duh. So I am actively trying to get off my butt and do things! Go for a walk, paint a picture, draw, call friends and go to dinner... It's time to live haha.

Well, those are my resolutions and I hope I can stick to them. With my wedding being over and not being in school, I'll say I haven't really felt a lot of purpose. But this year, I really want to get back into the mindset of productivity and positivity. So if I get whiney and you don't hear from me in a couple days, yell at me and remind me, guys!

Everyone have a good day! Love you!
Grace Abigail :)

Joining the Technology Savvy

I'm so excited you guys! I got my first smartphone yesterday and it's a pretty white iPhone. So far I've been enjoying all sorts of apps and just marveling at the fact that I can look up Pinterest and Facebook on my break at work haha! Looks like I'm just like everyone else now...Well, I hope everyone has a great and relaxing Sunday night. Enjoy your New Year!

Christmas Christmas...

 Oh Christmas Tree.

Our stockings. Kyle left, me right.

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope everyone had a wonderful day full of love and family! It was such a nice and relaxing day for Kyle and I. We celebrated Christmas with my family on the Saturday before, and Christmas Eve we went to visit Kyle's family and opened presents with them for that night. So all we had left was our two stockings to each other in the morning. Since it was our first Christmas as a married couple, I kind of wanted us to have a morning to ourselves, and it was nice to create a little tradition just for us. We are our own little family now.

It was so relaxing. I got up before him( what's new? ), and I prepared french toast( while almost burning the house down...) and it was the most perfect day ever! Later on that night we went over to my rent's again and  watched the Doctor Who Christmas special. Eeee! It was good. Did anyone else watch it?

All in all, it was such a wonderful day yesterday. I felt so blessed to be able to spend the Holiday with my family. Not a lot of people get to do that. And just being with my husband all afternoon was so relaxing and sweet and much needed that it gave me so many warm fuzzies that I almost couldn't believe it. I am very thankful...I can't wait for the Holidays when we will be setting up all the presents and eating the cookies left out for Santa for our kids. Someday soon....

I hope everyone has a truly blessed day!

Grace Abigail :)

Winter Wonderland

All photos from Pinterest. Don't these make you want to cuddle up under a blanket?

Well, the Holiday season is almost over! The winter weather has just started though! I thought it was appropriate that our first snow of the season was on the first day of winter. Now there are patches of white and a sharp chill in the air outside. As much as I complain about the cold, I actually do think snow is incredibly beautiful. Nature is a true artist.
 Christmas Eve is tomorrow, and I am relieved. The last Friday night I worked, I was so tired. I know that working in retail, you can just expect a circus sometimes. But it was extremely busy. People would not stop asking questions. I felt like I had no room to breathe. It certainly has been a tiring month of work.
 As tiring as it has been, it's also been a really sweet, comforting, and love filled time. Kyle and I have had some much needed quality time now that he's done with school for the semester. We've watched TV shows we love( How I Met Your Mother, 30 Rock..), we've spent some time with my family, and we've had a lot of late night cuddle fests. Spending quality time is mostly how I show my love for someone, so whenever Kyle and I get to hang out together for long periods of time, it's always good for the soul. :)

What I am really excited for coming up is our presumed trip to Florida! Since Kyle and I didn't get to see his Dad for Christmas, we are thinking of spending a week down there with them before he goes back to school. I am just dreaming of warm breezes, sunshine, and lighter clothes! Eeeeeeeeeee!!!!!

But for now, I will make due with this wintery weather. All I need to relax is hot chocolate, a hot bath, and a good show to laugh at. Sounds like a good night to me!

Have a happy happy happy Christmas everyone! This will probably be my last post until after the Holidays! But you never know, I might be able to find the time between stuffing my face and watching funny Holiday movies to catch up with you guys. ;)

Grace Abigail :)

Monday Update

Looking fierce in my kitchen. Herm...

Twas the week before Christmas, and all through the house, not a present was wrapped, not even the smallest....

Okay so that part didn't rhyme very well. Sue me. But it's true! I am a serial Christmas buying/wrapping procrastinator. I still have a few more gifts to buy, but I still have a lot of long shifts at the mall to get through...So hopefully, I will find the time between everything to be ready for Christmas. It's going to be an interesting Holiday this year, considering my sister won't be here on the official day. But I am looking forward to making some happy memories with my husband. It's our first married Christmas! We've tried to combine traditions from both our families in the past years so we both feel " at home " but it's still a fun and new experience. What we have established so far is watching Home Alone( because he does not appreciate old black & white movies like 'It's a Wonderful Life'), and eating cinnamon rolls for breakfast on Christmas morning! That's something my family did, and I don't think I will ever give it up...

I've been thinking a lot about the future lately. The weather in Illinois has been less than " picturesque " this Winter. It's been almost 70 degrees here! Which I loved! But we haven't had any snow, a lot of rain, and a lot of just bitterly cold days. It hasn't really been worth it to me. What's Christmas time without snow? I feel like I'm getting cheated.
My hubs and I have always talked about moving to Florida. I know I JUST said that what is Christmas time without snow, but if I was in a place that I knew I wasn't going to get snow, then I think I wouldn't be disappointed! Plus, it's warm almost all the time. That would be better for my arthritic joints. I have aunts and uncles and cousins down there, and also my husbands Dad is down there as well, so it's not like we will be completely alone....
The thought of it is so exciting to me. I've lived in this little college town all my life, and I feel like 2013 will be the year I leave. I know I'm ready to start a new chapter in my life. I just need to experience living in a new place, have an adventure, grow more with my hubs...the list goes on on why I should go.
Anyway, I'm glad you've listened to my ponderings of the day. It's just something that's been on my mind for awhile. Basically ever since November.

I hope everyone has a less than stressful week before Christmas! Don't stress about last minute shopping, just think, it will be over soon! Haha.

Grace Abigail :)

Happy List Thursday!

Hello everybody! It's Thursday! Or well...almost the end of Thursday. It's almost Friday! Yay!

Today I went to work, and then came home to my Hubs and watched American Dad, ate food that was horribly bad for us( butsogood ), then he started studying for his final, and I started to browse the internetz. As I do when I am abandoned and I have no one to throw my extra energy at.

Question: Does anyone turn into/make the noises of a certain animal when they get hyper? Because I usually turn into a cat. I pounce on whoever( Hubs ) is near. It's oddly fascinating. For me at least, I don't know what it looks like to other people. Probably hella crazy.

Meow.

Anyway, I have collected various things from the internet that will hopefully make you as happy as it did me!

AND SO HAPPY LIST THURSDAY WAS BORN! Commence.

 This is hilarious.

 Don't you want to just Nom that all day? Ugh.

 Yes. Indeed.

 This picture is very cool. All photos from Pinterest.

That beautiful picture is from I think...um, well..maybe four years ago? Not sure, but it's adorable. My sister Claire, my baby brother Peter, and me, Grace Abigail. In the flesh. Or in the picture...

- This print is so cute!
- I want this dress! It makes me think of summer. Is it bad that I'm already over cold weather and it isn't even officially winter yet?! Lord, help me.
- I'm really liking this DIY.

Well, that's it for now. I hope everyone has a happy Friday! And stay energized out there while you're Holiday shopping. Or you could stay warm inside where all the cool people are. Or warm people...heh.

Grace Abigail :)