So imagine if you will: You've lost your keys. This is kind of a big deal, because your car key is one of those computer chip car keys which costs three hundred dollars to replace. Not only have you lost your car key, but you've lost your house key too. So you have to leave your apartment unlocked, meaning you have to have your mom drive you around to run errands because your car keys worth a paycheck are missing.

Now also imagine spending your afternoon going to see a scary movie, and spending an evening watching Dateline: The Perfect Murder. It's creepy. This is not an acceptable combination when you've left your house unlocked and you won't be returning until after dark.

Then...please imagine that you and your husband have finally arrived home (slightly anticipating any disturbance) and as you open your unlocked door... you walk inside...  to see .... this:

Horror. That is literally all that went through my mind. Shock and horror. If you have seen any scary movie in the last five years, you know that freaky things always happen in their kitchen... like all their kitchen cupboards being open. I was as white as a ghost and ran out the door, Max (who won't admit it but was just as scared as I was!) ran out and kept asking What should we do? What should we do? We called the police.

I was so panicked by this point I was having chest pains. Was the intruder still inside our house? Was he hiding in our bedroom? Was it something more sinister... like were we being haunted by ghosts who left our cupboards opened? On top of all of that, Max was convinced that either aliens were tracking us or someone had broken in looking for prescription drugs... but within minutes of calling the police, some friends had texted us (perfect timing) asking if we had come home to a surprise.

No aliens.
No ghosts.
No Jodi Arias hiding in our kitchen cupboards.

We had failed to notice the cupcakes sitting on the kitchen counter that were left by some of our friends (who would like to be named for publicity reasons) Ben & Jared.

What a relief. And luckily, when the police finally arrived and we had explained what had happened, they weren't even mad! In fact, all they asked for was a cupcake.

Whatanight.

24 already.

Happy Birthday to Max! We kicked off the day with breakfast in bed and had cakebites for dessert (since dessert after breakfast is okay when it's your birthday right?) I really can’t tell you how much I love having my best friend be my husband at the same time. Birthdays become extra special that way! And he’s 24 already?? Where has the time gone!

Thank you to all the friends and family who helped make yesterday and today so special. And Happy Birthday Max!! I’m so happy to be one of the many who love you, and even happier that you’re my boyfriend forever.

at the drive in.

I just love drive-ins so, so much. I used to go when I was younger, and it's just as summery and as wonderful as I remember. When the weather is finally warm enough to spend the night outside, something sort of happens... like squishing in the back of a truck bed is actually fun again, and sharing In & Out french fries and spilling cokes sort of feels... happy? I don't know how to explain it. What I do know is that my endorphins go through the roof when the temperature hits 75 and I'm finally outside.

So we took the yellow truck out for a ride and watched Tom Cruise on the big screen. Plus a major bonus of the night was that I was with a group of people who liked One Direction almost as much as I do (they'll deny it) but if you're singing about what makes you beautiful and you know every single word... then we just all need to admit it: they're great.

you know what they say...

April showers bring May flowers! And when you're walking through the Tulip Festival (for those of you who have been) please tell me that I'm not the only one thinking about the song "I am sixteen going on seventeen..." because once I saw the gazebos, I needed to reenact at least thirty seconds of that song. It just looked too good not to.

biiike riiide.

Being married during finals week is not my favorite week of the year. I lived by myself for nearly four years throughout college (and loved it) so you think I'd be better at spending evenings alone while Max is at school studying...  not so much. To make up for it, last week I got to go do what I like to think I do best: the first bike ride of 2013... it's like springtime officially begins for me once I hop onto that bike of mine and pedal my heart out.

And let's be honest: it's no secret on this blog that some of my favorite spring and summer memories include my girlfriend Thelma Louise - so once Max finally caves in and gets a beach cruiser, life will be nearly complete. (Matt and Sara in the meantime suffice :)

-- the photo collage thanks to a new app that magically created this for me. all I can say is life looks good on a bicycle... even at a gas station.

deep fried oreo sundae.

Max and I have had a few trips to Vegas over the last several months, but since I'm playing catch up I realize there is only one thing most worth-mentioning:

Helllllo deep fried oreo sundae, and thank youuu Serendipity's! It's outrageously expensive for a cup of ice cream really, but those sixteen dollars go a long way when you're enjoying deep fried Oreos! Snap. It is so. good. Max and I are beginning to realize that we have one too many traditions centered around food, but this is a pre-diabetic tradition that must carry on. Worth it worth it worth it!

So for those of you who have an extra $20 dollars to spend the next time you're in Vegas (or NYC for that matter) ...
you know what to do.

who are you not to be?

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.
-Marianne Williamson

I know we've all read it a million times, but it's probably worth reading a million more. 

And I've always liked the first part of this so much. Who are we not to be all these wonderful things? Fabulous, talented, gorgeous, "you are a child of God" -- and that always resonated with me because I've always believed that. It was just right. And every time I heard the words, "who are you not to be?" I thought the same thing: Right. Who am I not to be? But that's usually where I ended. If I were to be honest, the second half of this never really made sense to me when I was younger. I never really read past those words, "you are a child of God," or at least not until recently. 

Maybe it was just getting older, or maybe it was just stepping more into "adulthood" over the last year than the years before, but I've noticed that it's sometimes easier to "shrink" for the sake of others than it is to really feel as good about yourself (and to do as much good) as you can. I can't put anything into words better than Marianne Williamson did, so I won't try. But I love this so much. And I love how much more it means to me now than it did before. So it's going on the fridge. front and center.