30 day blogging venture: Day 21

Day 21: a photo of something that makes you happy
I couldn't just put up one picture when it comes to my friend, so there you have it. These are just a few of my amazing friends who know me very well and still seem to stick around. Some days I don't know what they're thinking, but most of the time I am just very grateful to have such spectacular people around me. Without people like this in my life I would never be able to make it through the ups and downs that life throws my way!

30 day blogging venture: Day 20

Day 20: the meaning behind your blog name
Inspirations is one of the bases of my blog. Inspiration comes in all shapes and forms, from magazines & songs, to window displays & other blogs, to recipes & photographs....

To me inspiration is creativity and bliss is also one of my favorite words. Bliss is ultimate happiness so it makes sense that I combine these 2 words to create the title of my blog.

30 day blogging venture: Day 19

Day 19: another picture of yourself + a personal update
The past few days have consisted of moving boxes and bubble wrap, lifting desks and trying to assemble furniture.

No, it's not me who's moving it's my sister. It's my older sister whom I have shared a house with for the past 21 years. I am trying not to dwell on the fact that we will probably never live together again and focus on how happy I am for her. She has a 2 bedroom flat above an adorable flower shop in the down town of our city. Even though we have very different tastes when it comes to color schemes or decorating preferences, it will be perfect for her 1st apartment.

I think we've made about 5 trips so far and that hasn't even included 1/2 of her clothes or a few important things like her bed or 2nd desk. There are still loads of things to do, but slowly and surely she will get moved in to her new space. There's not enough time to show pictures now because I have to quickly put this post up before we continue on the packing, but there will be many to come!

30 day blogging venture: Day 18

Day 18: something you crave a lot
There is something that is always good, that I never get sick of, that I couldn't live without, and that I always crave: ice cream. No matter what the day or the weather outside, ice cream is always my favorite comfort food.

30 day blogging venture: Day 17

Day 17: a photo of you and your family
Here we all are! It may not be the most flaterign picture of us all bundled up, but this is the most recent one. Starting from the left, there's my sister, dad, mom, me, and 'lil sis'.

30 day blogging venture: Day 16

Day 16: your celebrity crushIf you would have asked me this question a few weeks ago there would have been a totally different answer. A few weeks ago I might have chosen someone like Rupert Penry-Jones or Channing Tatum, but ever since I saw Marc Blucas as Riley Finn, in Buffy, there is no comparison.
He is the ideal guy: a gentleman, funny, easy on the eyes, sweet, manly, muscular, and did I mention in uniform? He's a member of this super secret military combat group and I can't get enough of him. A girl can dream, right?

30 day blogging venture: Day 15

Day 15: something you don’t leave the house without
If there are 2 things that I never leave the house without it would be #1 a spray of two of my favorite perfume or body sprays. I have quite a few to choose from and each seems to have it's own memories and moods. I use different sprays for not only the different seasons of the year but according to how I feel that day.

My #2 thing that I never leave the house without is one of my favorite possessions, my favorite ring. It's my class ring that I got in high school, but it's not your average class ring. It is made of white gold with a light blue stone surrounded by cubic zirconium. It is engraved with 'Immanuel' on one side and '2008' on the other. I never let it out of my sight!

30 day blogging venture: Day 14

Day 14: a TV show you’re currently addicted to
This is all my sister's fault. Well, I should also blame her boyfriend for getting her hooked, and therefore getting me hooked as well. I have always been a fan of the shows and book with supernatural elements in them {Harry Potter, Charmed, LOTR, the books I am reading at present} so it didn't surprise me that I would get hooked to a show like this one.

It has supernatural elements in it, along with some pretty funny characters that always have my laughing out loud through each episode. The show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer and I am into the 3rd season with all it's twists, turns, and unexpected plot lines. For better or worse I am addicted to it and enjoy it for a good laugh.

30 day blogging venture: Day 13

Day 13: your favorite musician and why?

This is an extremely hard decision for me to make because I love so many types of music and therefore many different musicians. I listen to just about anything from rock, to country, to punk, to pop.

When I think about music in general and as a whole, there is one band that comes to mind that I couldn't live without. These 4 musicians released their first record in 1963, and in the next 7 years produced over a dozen more. They created a new wave of excitement all the way from Liverpool England and are still one of the most famous and beloved bands of all times.
I hope you all can guess who I am talking about by now and if you guessed the Beatles you are most certainly correct. I was first introduced to their music pretty much as soon as I was born because it all started with my dad's influences. He was a Beatles fan from the beginning and was actually at their last concert before their broke up. He always told me the story about how once the Beatles started singing, all he heard was the sounds of the screaming fans.
When I visited my sister in England 2 years ago, we were fortunate enough to be able to see a Paul McCartney concert in Liverpool. We also took a day trip on the Magical Mystery Tour that took us all around the city, showing us some amazingly famous Beatles landmarks. This included the Cavern {pictured above} where the Beatles first performed, Strawberry field and Penny Lane {2 of their songs were named after them} and the McCartney house where Paul grew up.

It was definitely a once-in-a-life-time experience, one that I will never forget.

30 day blogging venture: Day 12

Day 12: a photograph {or 3} of the town you live in
This is a moment captured last fall on one of my fall photo shoots. The colors were so splendidly amazing I couldn't resist taking over 240 pictures!
I can never resist a brick building.
One of our beloved bridges in my city!

30 day blogging venture: Day 11

Day 11: what is in your makeup bag?
Here's a peak into my typical make-up bag. These are my basics that I use every day.
Face:
Sonia Kashuk hidden agenda concealer palette - my favorite concealer ever
Neutrogena Healthy Skin liquid makeup - great for summer coverage, good for the skin
Homemade eye and face primer - keeps makeup in its place
Maybelline Dream matte powder - great for oily skin, stayes on for hours
Eco Tools kabuki brush for face powder - so soft and great for travel

Eyes:Micabella cosmetics lose powder in diligence - amazing shimmer
Covergirl eye enhancers in the lilac palette - love using purple shades with my brown eyes
Maybelline expert wear eyeshadow in sun-baked neutral - perfect for summer
e.l.f cream eyeliner in jet black - great quality for their price
Maybelline expert wear eyeshadow in sapphire ice - amazing pigmentsRevlon eyelash curler - pretty basic but changes your whole look
Maybelline Colossal volume express mascara - one of my all time favorites
Covergirl lash blast fusion mascara - really defines the lashes

Cheeks:
Wet n' Wild Mega glo illuminating powder in starlight bronze - amazing coloring
Physicians Formula multi-colored blush in blushing peach - perfect summer flush
Maybelline Dream Mousse blush in peach satin - goes on like a cream, dries like a powder
N.Y.C. blushable creme stick in plaza pink - stays on well through the humid days
N.Y.C. color wheel mosaic face powder in pink cheek glow - perfect rosy pink color

Lips:
Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss in double truffle - smells amazing, love the color
Covergirl wet slicks fruit spritzers lip gloss in raspberry splash - all time favorite
Revlon super lustrous lip gloss in nude lustre - perfect neutral color
Victoria's Secret beauty rush lip gloss in cherry bomb - amazing pink summer color
Covergirl true shine lip stick in delight - goes great with cherry bomb for the perfect summer lip

Brushes:
First 4 are Eco tools: blush brush, medium eyeshadow brush, concealer brush, angled brush
Next 3 are Sonia Kashuk: brow brush, large crease brush, angled eye liner brush
Last 1 is e.l.f.: contour brush
My bag: It's the perfect size for all my make-up whether I am off the the gym or on vacation!

30 day blogging venture: Day 10

Day 10: a photo of your favorite place to eat
Honestly, I am a pretty simple girl.

Don't get me wrong, I love to go out to a fancy restaurant once in a while, but I am most content in my sweats with mac & cheese or some pizza. When I am in the mood for a fancy restaurant though, Red Lobster always comes to mind. Growing up in California I was raised on seafood, so you can see why I would love Red Lobster so much! It's making my mouth water just thinking about it.

30 day blogging venture: Day 9

Day 9: a photo of the item you last purchased
So I thought I would take this opportunity to do a little double feature. Last week I went shopping with a friend and also went to the cities over the weekend. In the cities we happened to take a little trip to the Mall of America, and while that place can get a little crazy at times, we kept it to a few hours which helps. So here's my opportunity to share what I got, while doing the blogging venture of the day at the same time.

I have been trying to restrict myself from buying things, but it has been ages since I went shopping, plus here's the bonus: everything I bought was on sale for under $12 each.

{1} canvas tote bag with lime green handles from American Eagle
{2} yellow strapless dress with white embroidered flowers from Forever 21
{3} gold pearl ring from Charlotte Russe
{4} long gold necklace with pearls, pink beads, and sparkles from Charlotte Russe
{5} dark blue scarf with white flowers and white fringe from American Eagle
{6} peachy flowered scarf from H&M

30 day blogging venture: Day 8

Day 8: a song to match your mood

Don't know much about your life.

Don't know much about your world, but
Don't want to be alone tonight,
On this planet they call earth.

You don't know about my past, and
I don't have a future figured out.
And maybe this is going too fast.
And maybe it's not meant to last,

But what do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

I just want to start again,
And maybe you could show me how to try,
And maybe you could take me in,
Somewhere underneath your skin?

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?

Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

And I had my heart beaten down,
But I always come back for more, yeah.
There's nothing like love to pull you up,
When you're laying down on the floor there.

So talk to me, talk to me,
Like lovers do.
Yeah walk with me, walk with me,
Like lovers do,
Like lovers do.

What do you say to taking chances,
What do you say to jumping off the edge?
Never knowing if there's solid ground below
Or hand to hold, or hell to pay,
What do you say,
What do you say?

Don't know much about your life
Don't know much about your world

Here's my favorite version of this song, from gLee!

30 day blogging venture: Day 7

Day 7: your dream weddingNow this is a post that I have been very excited to do ever since I first saw this blogging venture. My dream wedding is an ever evolving string of ideas. It seems that my 'dream wedding' has changed dramatically over the years.

When I was little {about 5 or so} I imagined my wedding taking place in a huge cathedral and following ceremony with a lovely reception near the beach. I wanted it right out of a fairy tale: super fancy with bows and frills. Wow has my taste changed, and thank goodness for that.
Fun, bright, classic, happy, spring, spunky, fresh, creative....

These are all words I would use to describe my dream wedding. I love the idea of having a spring wedding with bright colors like yellow and turquoise!

Fresh daises, lemonade, and a cool breeze under large white tents lit with candle light. Dancing to our favorite songs and having a blast with our family and friends. I have so many ideas popping into my head, I could be a wedding planner! Well....now there's an idea!

p.s. most of the pictures are from my favorite wedding site: theknot.com

30 day blogging venture: Day 6

Day 6: a photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a petEver since I was a little girl I always wanted a horse. Now I know it seems like every little girl wanted a horse/pony but I wanted it more than anything I could think of. I saved up my money, I read every book I could find on horses, I looked into places to board my horse, I thought up names, and even estimated how much it would cost to buy, feed, and house my horse. I went to horse camps, read fictional horse book, took riding lessons, and pretended to gallop around on them when I was getting from place to place.
It wasn't until I was older that my dreams were crushed and I realized that it would take a rather larger income, than my allowance, to keep my horse healthy and happy. My ultimate dream is to own a horse one day, but that dream is far into the future. I don't think there could ever be a pet that I have wanted more.

p.s. pictures from weheartit.com

30 day blogging venture: Day 5

Day 5: a photo of yourself two years ago
If I could choose a place to go at this moment it would be where I was 2 years ago.

In the summer of 2009 I took a little trip down south, to Mexico and wish I could go back to those warm sandy beaches. Those hot days filled with jet-skying, relaxing, swimming, exploring, and hanging out. Even though I got stung by 3 different jelly-fish on 3 separate days it was all worth it to spend time with my second family!

30 day blogging venture: Day 4

Day 4: your favorite photograph of your best friendSo I am not really a fan of using the phrase "best friend." My mom always taught me that I should never call anyone my best friend because I don't want to leave anyone out. So I am playing it the safe and sharing you the person who isn't just a best friend. She is also my sister, complete dork, and torturer {well at least when we were little}! And yes, that is a onesie that I bought for her, complete with monkey footy slippers, for Christmas a few years back.

fill in the blank friday #5

1. If I had to use 3 words to describe why I am undoubtedly a....Ryan....they would be....compassionate, adventurous, and a little crazy.

2. Something that happened to me in life that initially seemed bad but turned out to be good was....when my mom got very sick and was in the hospital for 2 weeks. It made my never take life for granted and also made me want to go into the medical field.

3. Something I inherited from my mom is....her organization.

4. Something I inherited from my dad is....his very protective nature.

5. My goal for this summer is....to get in shape, travel as much as possible, take a risk and let my guard down.

6. The best thing about this week is....getting to see so many of my friends!!

7. Something I couldn't give up if I tried is....I'm going to be shallow and say chocolate because I just have some and it was soo amazingly splendid.

30 day blogging venture: Day 3

Day 3: your idea of the perfect first date
For me, the idea of a perfect 1st date would be spontaneous, romantic and adventurous. Now this is sort of a fairy tale post so I would never hold a guy up that these standards, but this is just a fantasy.

In my mind going out to a fancy private dinner or anything where there can be awkward silences and pauses....not for me. I like events where there is something to focus on and do together. For me, something fun like bungee jumping, going to a sporting event that neither of us have seen {like lacrosse, cricket, or hockey}, sky diving, going horseback riding, or renting a boat out on the lake would be an amazing start.

For dinner I like to cook, and even better I like cooking with other people who like to cook. Creating something together would be amazing and it doesn't have to be fancy. Even roasting smores and hot dogs over a fire would be perfect in my book.

Last of all there is always one thing that comes to mind when I think of a perfect date scenario. Something that I wish every date could end with: taking a walk on the beach at sun set. It does sound a little corny, but I don't care, this is a fantasy after all!

30 day blogging venture: Day 2

Day 2: a photo of something you ate today

Now while I don't have an actual picture of the food that I ate this afternoon {because I was without my camera} I do have a picture of the sauce that I ate. A few girlfriends {from school} and I had a nice little late lunch in between classes this afternoon. I was craving boneless wings and so excited to eat at one or my favorite restaurants.
I tend to venture into the spice sauces but have never gone past the caribbean jerk sauce {it's the one with the arrow on the right side}. Today I kept it on the mild side with some spicy garlic/parmesan garlic sauces. Maybe with a little persuasion I will venture even farther over onto the wild side!

Due to a little hic-cup with the blogging system shutting down last night this post went up a little later than expected, but in the blogging world it's about going with the flow, right?

30 day blogging venture: Day 1

New blog project. I have been starting so many new projects lately, its crazy. This one I've seen done on a few different sites, so I thought I'd give it a go. It's a 30 day blogging venture. We'll see just how in shape I am for this little blogging marathon.

Day 1: a picture of yourself and a description of how your day wasMy day has consisted of the dreaded homework. The ever consuming vortex of time in a students life that will be done in 6 weeks time. I simple can't wait till I can pick up my fictional books without the stabbing guilty feeling that I should really be reading one of my medical books. My day did brighten with a visit from this little girl! This is a picture from last week's visit because it was just too dismal outside to take any pictures today.


Here's a little preview for what's to come....

Day 1: a photo of yourself and a description of how your day was

Day 2: a photo of something you ate today
Day 3: your idea of the perfect first date
Day 4: your favorite photograph of your best friend
Day 5: a photo of yourself two years ago
Day 6: a photo of an animal you’d love to keep as a pet
Day 7: your dream wedding
Day 8: a song to match your mood
Day 9: a photo of the item you last purchased
Day 10: a photo of your favorite place to eat
Day 11: what is in your makeup bag?
Day 12: a photograph of the town you live in
Day 13: your favorite musician and why?
Day 14: a TV show you’re currently addicted to
Day 15: something you don’t leave the house without
Day 16: your celebrity crush
Day 17: a photo of you and your family
Day 18: something you crave a lot
Day 19: another picture of yourself
Day 20: the meaning behind your blog name
Day 21: a photo of something that makes you happy
Day 22: a letter to someone who has hurt you recently
Day 23: 15 facts about you
Day 24: a photo of something that means a lot to you
Day 25: what’s in your purse?
Day 26: a photo of somewhere you’ve been to
Day 27: a picture of you last year and now and how have you changed since then?
Day 28: your favorite movie
Day 29: something you could never get tired of doing
Day 30: a photograph of yourself today + three good things that have happened in the past 30 days

the summer of travel

"Remember that happiness is a way of travel....not a destination." - Roy M. Goodman

"We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment." - Hilaire Belloc

For some people summer break is just on the horizon. The summer break I am talking about is school. For so many people they have a few finals left, or 13 days {my mom and lil sis are counting down} and some are even done already! For me, I am in my 6th out of 12 weeks, so I still have 6 more weeks to go. This will inch way into my summer but I will not be denied of vacation or any sort of adventure just because I have school. I am packing so much into these short months it is making my head spin.

1. Even though it may not be my break, I'm starting off the summer with a little road trip {leaving in 3 days} to get a friend from her semester studying over in Colorado.

2. So along with the papers, presentations, getting ready for my internship, and finals I am also playing on a softball team. Not one of those super competitive ones {thank goodness, because I am not the most athletic person in the world}, but just a group of us getting together and having a blast.

3. There are also 2 other road trips planned so far, one for a girlfriend's birthday party in Iowa and a retreat just north of the cities, not to mention the number of road trips to the cities to visit a girlfriend who is going back home for the summer {you know who you are}.

4. There is a family vacation planned for late June that will last 1 1/2 weeks with the parents, sister, aunt + uncle and cousins.

5. And to finish it off I am planning a trip to CA, 2 days after the family vacation. This will all finish before my internship starting late July.

6. I also do have a job , babysit a few times a week, 3 graduation ceremonies to attend, and have other various activities that I am involved in.

Wow, I thought my head was spinning before. It seems a little ambitious but when you only have 3 weeks of no school, it's all about packing it in when you can and this summer is definitely no exception. It seems that just about every weekend has some sort of large event from now till September!

These plans seem to be screaming the same thing at me, something I am not so good at. SAVING. I am not the best long term saver of money. I tend to spend when I feel like it and don't have the best plan, but I am getting better. I have been donating plasma which seems to cut down on my credit cards, so by the time these trips role around I will be doing fine.

"He who would travel happily must travel light." - Antoine de Saint Exupery

"A good traveler has no fixed plans, and is not intent on arriving." - Lao Tzo

These will be my mottos for this summer. I always seem to pack way too far in advance {well that's some people's opinions} and way too much. But this summer I will really test out what it means to pack light. I am not exactly an expert on that, but mixing and matching will be the name of the game, as will going with the flow and not making definite plans. Can't wait for these new ventures!

sushi.sushi.sushi

When I first heard of sushi {back in California when I was still a little girl} I was instantly grossed out, to say the least. I never gave it even the smallest chance of being good. This all changed when a close friend informed me that not all kinds of sushi have large chunks of raw fish on it. There are so many variations, my favorite being the California and Philadelphia rolls {I haven't tried to many other kinds}. With some soy sauce and a spoon full of wasabi this is quickly becoming one of my favorite dishes.

Just a little tip, don't attempt to drink a Vente coffee and follow it with an assortment of sushi. I learned the hard way that even though they may be 2 of favorite things, don't think that you have an iron stomach. It wasn't so pretty.

Anyway, This has been a staple theme in my cuisine for the past few weeks, but I am anxious to branch out a little. I would love to try some new types and am thinking about buying the tools to make it. Have any of you ever tried to make sushi? I can't wait to give it a go.

happy mom's day

For all those mom's out there, we can't thank you enough!

It's days like these that we remember how wonderful they are will all their affection, sacrifice, and love. While my mom is spending this particular mother's day in bed {she's got a little nasty cold} we still had a little celebration to show her how much we care.

ingredients for my friday night

+ a few very hyper girls

+ kiddy cocktails

+ relaxing in our PJs {mine are Tinkerbell}

+ 2 yummy pizzas

+ some clay face masks that made our skin so soft

+ watching a little baseball

+ giggling till our tummies hurt

+ reminiscing back to high school with the movie 'The Perfect Man' {staring one of our favorite actresses from a few years back, Hilary Duff}

+ a few dishes of ice cream

+ making a last minute run to the store for supplies

+ bonding time with the girls