The 20's Project

The 20's project is a list of twenty things (I'm still coming up with 20) that you want to accomplish in your twenties, things that you can do solo meaning no like "get married" or "have a baby" because clearly, I need someone else to do those things. My list might change over time but this is me, putting it out there so who ever reads this will be able to hold me accountable and in 7 years, when I reach 30 (ahhh),  we can look back and see if I accomplished everything on my list. Whenever I do something on my list, I'll blog about it and repost the list with a line marked through the one that I did. 

The 20's project:

1. Shop at the Brooklyn Flea Market

2. Visit my Aussie mate, Becca, in Australia

3. Bungee Jump

4. Work with orphans in Africa

5. Ride an elephant in Thailand

6. Visit my roots in New Zealand

7. Get my nose pierced 

8. Run a half marathon

9. Compete in a Crossfit Competition 

10. Visit Harry Potter World 

11. Take a serious cooking course

12. Learn Italian 

13. Take a cake decorating class 

14. Be a waitress

So thats all I've got so far. It's a work in progress but it's a start! 

I would love love love for you to make up your own list and share all of it or just a few with me! 

Much love buttercups!

Happy May!

XOXO

Spring Games in Eugene

Today, I just realized how truly blessed I am. I am surrounded by amazing people, who offer me such grace and love that I am so undeserving of. 

Some friends and I, drove down to Eugene to watch some of the spring games going on. Our home-away-from-home, Eugene is a beautiful city, filled with a variety of people. We did it all. We caught the spring game (okay, only half. Girls gotta eat!), we went to campus, we went to the mall, got a bench at Papa Soul Food, hit up Sweet Life, and saw my old teammates in their new stadium. It was a bizarre feeling being back, yet still an outsider. Sounds weird and cheesy, I know. But my friend and I were overwhelmed with nostalgia. We had a few amazing years there, met some people who changed our lives and rocked our worlds and witnessed some of the best sporting events in the country. The past 5 years have flown by and took me places I could have never dreamed; I played collegiate soccer, I had 26 sisters (I may have cried when I saw some of them today), I graduated from college, I moved to Italy and now, I'm about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime: I'm getting married. My cup truly runs over. 

XOXO

Oatmeal, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Chip Cookies (whoaa)

Oatmeal. Peanut butter. (Dark) Chocolate chips. Just a few of my favorite things. In a cookie. I stumbled upon this recipe although I so wish I could take credit for it because its devine, but I can't. I might tweak the recipe a bit, play with it a little, make it my own-I'll keep you posted. But for the most part, these cookies are GOOD. Like, real good. 

I stole this recipe from Averie Cooks, a site filled with mouth watering eats and treats. So here's what I came up with! Not my prettiest work but tasty none the less. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter, softened to room temperature

1 1/4 cup of brown sugar 

1/2 cup of white sugar

1/3 cup peanut butter

1 egg + 1 yolk

2 tsp vanilla extraact

1 1/4 cup flour

1 cup old fashioned oats

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chocolate chips (I used dark)

Directions:

Combine soften butter with the sugars until it comes to the consistency of wet sand. Then add the peanut butter and mix well. I used 

Add the egg + the yolk and vanilla extract and stir.

Slowly mix in the oats, baking soda and flour, followed by your chocolate chips. 

I suggest refrigarating your dough for 15-30 minutes before baking it-this way your cookies wouldn't flatten out so much. Proceed to scoop small balls of cookie dough on to a greased cookie sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for about 10-12 minutes. 

BOOM. Deliciousness. The prep only takes about 20 minutes, its the waiting for the cookies to actually bake that is the hardest part. 

Much love buttercups!

XOXO

Realization

Right now is a huge transition period in my life. I'd like to call it a quarter life crisis, only I have a couple years to go before I reach a quarter and it's not really a crisis. Just an in-between period. A stage, if you will. I spent six months living in Italy, traveling the country, eating amazing foods and seeing beautiful things. And now, I'm not. I feel like I'm waiting for the next chapter of my life. Waiting for my career to start. Waiting for the part where I get married and things get really interesting. Like living with a boy. Yikes. But at the same time, I get these sudden realizations-this is my life. This is my life. Today is my life. And I gotta live it up now before I do live with a boy. 

Also, I'm really into cake right now. I don't know why, but I'm diggin' it. I've just decided that life is way to short to not eat cake. Or anything delicious for that matter. So my advice to you (even though you didn't ask for it), is to eat more cake. Do it. You'll feel better. Just make sure it's good cake. 

Told you I had a realization- I'm on a roll. 

Much love!

XOXO

file:///Users/codymiles/Downloads/pinterest-bfcbe-1.html

Lately via Instagram

Here's a little peek into what I've been doing with my life lately…

 

Birthdays, San Francisco, engagement photos, dear friends, juicing, Bend and much more in between. 

Much love buttercup

xoxo

Saying Yes To The Dress

So I was in SF for about two weeks and the last weekend I was there, my Mom flew down and we went wedding dress shopping. Yep. We did it. And I said yes to the dress. It was so much fun trying on gown after gown, each one was so different and yet so beautiful. But after two consultations, I was exhausted. Yes, I said two. Yes, I am fully aware of how pathetic I am. Here's a little recap of my last week in SF. 

We had to go visit AT&T park one day. It was a glorious moment for Jack. It was like watching a kid on Christmas morning. He was literally running around, singing, posing…living the dream. Above, my entourage for dress shopping. A lot of girls, a lot of dresses. Overall a great day. And I got a dress to walk down the isle in! 

XOXO

Valentines day lovin'

Happy day-after Valentines day! My Valentine is in Florida at the moment so we weren't able to spend the day together. Which kinda worked out because I worked all day, not to mention had a super fun Valentines date of my own! My main squeeze did send me a variety of treats-he know the way to my heart.

My friend Sarah and I went out to dinner together at this cute little Italian place in downtown Salem. Sarah is a gem. She's also a world traveler (she was an au pair in Switzerland for a year, lived in Fiji, as well as Africa for a bit!!!!) and we had the best time swapping stories and giggling over high school memories.

I wanted to share this video with you guys. It's too cute! hope you felt so loved this Valentines day! 

Kids Reaction to Valentines day

XOXO