philly

   Adventure called us from within, loudly enough to wake us up on Sunday morning. Knowing that we had a Monday off in observance of Labor Day made it okay to say yes to the idea if throwing our bikes in the truck and seeing where the day would take us. My heart feels so good and so right when I'm driving away with Kyle. 

   We ended up in Philadelphia, PA. Parking in the city center was about as non-existent as you'd imagine so we pulled into a paid parking lot. A very sweet, thoughtful person handed Kyle their parking ticket - they were done for the day but paid for weekend parking so the ticket wouldnt expire until 4am! We took their spot, unloaded our bikes, and started to cruise around the windy, busy roads. The hot and humid day drained us almost immediately. Looking up at the buildings around us, taking in all the history and remarkable architecture with sleepy eyes made me feel really thankful for everything I am lucky to have. I appreciated everything that I was seeing. Including the amazing guy riding next to me ;) We shared a dirty water hot dog and a pretzel (both with mustard!) on the giant steps of the Franklin Institute. The sitars face this giant fountain across the street and was almost as great to watch as the people who would run-and trip- up the stairs we were on. We laughed and laughed and drank some water and headed into the museum. It was only open for another hour which meant half price tickets. We learned about electricity and walked inside a giant human heart replica. 

   Hunger eventually took over and our growling stomachs led us to a little pub on a side street- I don't remember the name of it but it was good and we enjoyed their air conditioning. As the waitress presented our check, our focus was drawn to the massive group of bikers riding by the restaurant- who were all NAKED! Ah! The people outside cheered them on as they rode by. We threw some cash on our table and ran outside to see all the excitement. What the hell were they doing?! And more importantly, should we join?! The answer was YES! Of course we should absolutely join without hesitation. Kyle convinced me to run across the parade so that we could unlock our bikes on the other side of the street. We were encouraged to "get naked and get on those bikes" but we were the Brad and Janet of this Picture Show and modestly stayed clothed as we joined them for part of their bike ride. It was exhilarating! The energy of the group was so positive and crazy- I felt so alive! A passerby said they were riding to promote green living but... I didn't really care at any point. I figured it was something along those lines since the group consisted of people of all shapes, sizes, ages, rages, and orientations. Amazing. Of course the flacid manjunk and bouncin' boobies were a little weird but.. the energy is what kept us with them for a mile or so. We turned off as we realized we had no idea where they were going. 

   Smiles were plastered on our faces as we took the scenic route back to our truck. We were happy, we were together. Bikes were locked back up in the truck and the parking ticket, good till 4am, was passed on to another motorist who was just as kind, thankful, and psyched as we were to be saved howevermany dollars thanks to a stranger. The sun was setting and stars and darkness quickly took over the city sky and we headed home, wiped out and stunned from one of the funnest days ever. 

wanting to roam

more of you

  There are only two people who know of this blog (to my knowledge)- Corinne and Kyle. I don't have any intentions of telling anyone else about it yet because I don't really know what I'm doing here or where I'm wanting this to go. But, I do know that I wanted bigger pictures, more pictures taken by me. So at 7 something this morning, I played around with the widths of this blog and am very happy with the result. Just a little more of everything. A bigger picture. Eventually, I'd like to make the pictures take up more space but... theres only so much you can do at 7 something when you still have to shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, and be out of the house within the hour.

cafe

Source: Bed Bath and Beyond

  I am about 1/2 way deep into my morning cup of coffee from seven eleven and I feel a super headache coming on. Coffee headaches are the worst and always seem to team up with dehydration. Sure, the quick practical answer is to drink more water- which I will. (Did you know if you're a coffee drinker- its best to drink a whole bottle of water when you wake up, before you ingest anything else?) But.. I'm wondering how soon is "too soon" to ask for my own coffee maker for Christmas? And do I have to wait until actual Christmas to open it? And will my family judge me for asking for this travel coffee press, too? Hmm.
  This babe pictured above is the Krups Model XP1500 that brews a pot of coffee AND can make espresso, too! At $99.00, I think it might be too good to be true... but maybe its worth checking out? The reviews for it seem mixed, with more leaning towards the decent side. So thasok, right?
  Morning coffee sessions have always been so precious to me that I think its about time I start making my own coffee and putting my spare dollars and change to something else. Like, a new car. Or... a vacation ;)

a birthday meal

 

  Ever see the Parks and Rec episode where Leslie spends the whole episode plotting Ron's Birthday? She teases and threatens him with balloons and the thought of a big huge party with tons of people and presents- essentially everything that would make a man's man like Ron Swanson cringe! In the end, she shows him to a dimly lit room with one chair and a big ol' turkey feast in front of a TV and two movies that she rented for him.

  Kyle and I are big fans of Parks and Rec, so I thought for his birthday I would try to create my own version of a Leslie Knope/Ron Swanson party for my sweet man. I am always cooking up meatless dinner plates that include vegetables and salad of sorts. Since Kyle is a "meat and potatoes" kind of guy, I thought he might really appreciate a dinner like this.

  I drew up a little dinner menu and sat at the table with him for a quiet little dinner party. He seemed really psyched!

baby daddy

source: popular critic

source: sling lady

  Much in the same way a guy with a puppy is instantly 10x cuter, I don't know of any ladies that don't totally swoon over a dad with a baby. Throw him in aisle 7 at the grocery store and you've got enough stimulation to knock out most of the female population. (I say most because misters don't do it for some sisters ;)

PS-  Speaking of cute dads, this video kind of sort of has my whole heart.

my moon, my man

  

   Today is Kyle's birthday! He is the best, most caring guy I know. I'm so lucky to be loved by him. :)

mug me some newness

  I know I've only been an official resident at my new home for 4 days but I can already feel a change. Having always been the kind of girl to daydream about her future, I am happy to experience the joy of living in the present. This is what I've been waiting for, what I've been dreaming of.
  To celebrate my life these days, I bought myself a mug from Anthropologie. We don't even have any coffee in the house! Just a few sachets of bedtime tea. And I'm so excited to take my very first sip from my very first mug in my very first home.
 

dos cinco!

source: Global Cookbook

 
 Feliz cumpleanos to me, ladies and gentlemen. On Monday, the 15th, your girl turned 25. I celebrated with a full day of work followed by dinner at Sweet Mandarin with Kyle and carrot cake with family and friends. They sang me the sweetest off-key rendition of Happy Birthday that I've ever heard.
  This new age has brought me tons of happiness and excitement. For once, I can honestly say I am thrilled to start this new chapter in my life, as cliche as that sounds. Want to know the super extra exciting news? Kyle asked me to move in! The fact that I have my own little home now to love, take care of, and grow in hasn't officially sunk in yet but its slowly becoming more real to me and I'm loving it. I'm sure something as simple as doing the dishes or Swiffer-ing the whole house will get old eventually but right now? I'm more than happy to do it all. This is the healthiest happiest thing to ever happen to me and I want to take care of this house, Kyle, Scott (our roomate!), and Sprocket (our pup!) in the best way I can. We're super busy this week with Kyle's birthday being tomorrow and getting ready for our double birthday party on Saturday so I probably won't be able to officially start moving all my stuff in until Sunday afternoon.
   Obviously, I have done what any girl would do, and have spent all morning e-window shopping online browsing sites like Anthropologie. Is it so bad to maybe purchase myself one little thing? It would be in celebration, you know? It only seems right. ;)

pillow fight

source: notcot

  My friend Joanna loves her some totebags and shes the only person who came to mind when I saw these totebag pillows. Its so incredibly simple! I am now kicking myself for passing up bags at band merch tables after shows. You know, when I was young and did that kind of thing.
  I will be 25 (TWENNYFIVE) on Monday. How did this happen? Wasn't I just 16? Feels like it. Eh, nevertheless, I'm nervous and excited and totally ready for it. I think.

Weekend!

Source: EleGala

  Today is the never-ending day. I want 5pm so bad. Its only 3 hours away but it seems like an eternity. I'm eager to get home to some delicious take-out, do laundry, pack, and start reading the new book Vanessa got for me. Oh, and sleep. I need to sleep. Kyle and I are waking up at the crack of dawn (my favorite thing to do, actually) and are heading to Clifton Park/Rexford, NY to celebrate my cousin John marrying Brooke! She's wonderful. He's wonderful. So, I'm really excited to partake in lots of happiness this weekend with family.

a few little links!

• Anthropologie's sister-store, BHLDN, is so dreamy.
• This post on Elements of Style makes me want to go thrifting and then leave town with all my treasures and my love.
• I was over it for a while but rediscovered these three Tumblrs and have been loving catching up on all the entries I've missed.

the glow

source: the glow

  The Glow is like The Selby, to me. But instead of just home envy, it fills me with future envy and showcases the sweetest, fashionable and inspiring moms.

lil nook

  This space looks so cozy. I love the idea of putting the bed into the wall as a means of creating more floor space. I took this piture from my old tumblr account and, in true tumblr form, the image is sourceless. Tisk. If anyone who comes across this image knows where its from, please let me know and I'll source it for all to see :)

escuela

 The other day, I posted about an art "school" that I heard about called 3rd Ward. I got in touch with someone from the school, scheduled a private tour, and headed into Brooklyn with Kyle yesterday to scope the place out. 

  I loved it! The hallways are bustling with inspiration and I am happy to report that it isn't as intimidating/nauseating as one might think an art collective in hipster infested Brooklyn may be ;) It was really a gigantic, comfortable, and encouraging place to be. If all works out, I'm looking to take their blacksmith class in September. Yay!

envy.

source: finders keepers

source: playing elegant

  I am all for these two spaces.

Last Friday

  Do you ever find yourself wishing tomorrow was Friday on a Sunday night? If so, welcome to the club. I feel like I am constantly wishing for the end of the work day and the end of the work week.
   If I remember correctly, it was Kyle who told Scott that he shouldn't wish that it was Friday, rather, he should wish that it was last Friday. So, its still Friday, but you haven't wished your life away.
   I really liked that.

who are you?

  The Stranger Pictures project is so interesting. And exciting! The idea seems to have originated from The Plug and inspired Joanna Goddard to do try it out for herself and write about it for Glamour.
  The idea is that you take a disposable camera and tie it to a public bench with a little note asking passersby to have some fun and take a picture. The camera is picked up at the end of the day (if no one steals it!). I wonder what kind of personalities and smiles I'd discover if I did something like that out here on Long Island?
  I love social experiments like this :) Sometimes, when I'm bored, I imagine going to a busy public place and asking people questions- almost like a mini interview, and record their answers along with a photo. I never do because I'm slightly afraid of freaking people out. I mean, its not like I'd have a reason to do so other than boredom and loneliness. But, maybe thats all the reason I need?

source: The Style Scout

  I love, love, love this girl's outfit. Her boots & socks combo seems so B.A (badass ;) with her striped shirt and short shorts.

90s

source: We The People

  Sometimes, I wish I was in my twenties in the 90s. I love that this girl seems to wish so, too. Notice her little green boots!

best kiss

  I'm not particular about any celebrities, really. But, Ryan Gosling? Helloooo, nurse! I still havent seen Blue Valentine because, to be honest, I'm a little scared. Everyone I've spoken with has told me its really, really heartbreaking. Maybe I'll muster up the guts to watch it one night this week.
  When I was little, my mom would ease my post-scary movie shivers by telling me that the monsters are just actors who are at home ith their children and families, laughing and having fun right now. Great way to think of it, no? During any tough parts of Blue Valentine, I'll just have to imagine Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams sitting at home, rolling around on piles of money, laughing and gettin' white wine drunk or something like that.
  Ps- I know this clip is from The Notebook and I'm talking about Blue Valentine. I just couldn't resist posting this video. Ugh! <3

even more..

  How cool is 3rd Ward? My friend Emma told me about the site a few weeks ago but I didn't see exactly what I was looking for at the time. I happened upon the site again today and felt that light-headed slightly nauseous feeling that I get every time I see something that I'm really interested in. They are offering awesome blacksmith, woodworking, and design classes right now and I want to take them all. There is even this really neat class that calls for you to create your own religion, no matter how trippy or traditional it is. Isn't that something else?  I would love to take that class. Especially because its the cheaper of the bunch, clocking in at $185. Yikes. But totally worth it, I'm willing to bet. 

my son is gay?

This is the kind of thing you read and are like "YES!", smiling and giggling until the end.

amen.

“If you want to really hurt your parents, and you don’t have the nerve to be gay, the least you can do is go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something.”
Kurt V.

Very awesome quote, found on a very awesome site. These guys are doing what I wish I could.

coffee brat

source: bodum

  Every morning, I think about how nice it would be to make my own fancy cup of coffee at home. Its not necessarily that I need the caffeine in the morning (im in denial), but its something exciting for me to look forward to. I dream of one day owning a fancy espresso machine for my future kitchen but until then, maybe I'll have to settle for a more practical dream, such as owning a travel coffee press like the ones by Bodum. Nice, right?

pretty pretty swoon

Crimety! Would you look at the beautiful handcrafted jewelry by Bario-Neal? One of my favorite bloggers, Joanna from A Cup of Jo, is hosting a giveaway for their herringbone bracelet and I entered, post haste. Its everything... I want it so bad! I also love their knottedrush ring, pictured above. Click here to read up about Bario-Neal and their ethical practices.

friday

  All about my new shoes today. (and old crocheted tank)

my red, my love

Hallelujah! I have found my red. Or at least the red I was looking for. It is the perfect shade for mid-late summer and can take me right into fall. I was never really a "nails" girl but have Gotten into home manis this year somehow. (pedis were always my thing) I feel like no one notices when your nails are chipped or unpolished- but everyone notices when they are done or even done well.

fully sick

I woke up this morning feeling fully sick. My head felt really heavy and stuffy. I ached and shivered a bit to start, which is strange because it was about 80 degrees at 7am. Oh, summer in NY. Anyway, I remembered Christiaan Van Vuuren's YouTube channel that Kyle showed me a while ago. If CVV doesn't sound familiar, it might be because he is better know by his street name, "The Fully Sick Rapper." FSR was diagnosed with a serious case of tuberculosis (don't worry, I didn't think that was still a thing these days, either) after vacationing in South America. He spent over 100 days in quarantine, where he nursed his health and perfected his rap game to a hilarious T. He's funny, he's charming, and most importantly- alive! He is TB free these days, and thats great. Check out two of my favorite FSR vids here and here :)

freshly

One of my bosses has grown himself a nice little garden. In past summers, he's picked some of the hottest peppers I've ever eaten! This time around- its all about the cucumbers. He made a jar of cucumber salad just for me this week :) And giiiiirl, lemmetellyou, its delish!

EAT!

bis·tro/ˈbistrō/

Noun: A small restaurant.

source: uh, google image search "bistro inspired kitchen" doh! :(

source: houzz

Bistro inspired kitchens are wonderful. I imagine one with  a painted chalkboard on one of the walls that stretches from ceiling to floor, like in the pic above! I've been obsessing for so long now about a modern home that has a rustic, chic, vintage industrial charm to it. Both these kitchens made me swoon! Two totally different feels but I could definitely see creating the perfect mash-up with elements from both styles.

source: frolic!

How great is this teepee? I mean, really though.

breast fat

 

I can't remember if I was in California or Hawaii at the time, but I do remember this: I was in a wee little boutique witha couple girlfriends, when I overheard the staff members talking about how the lil bit of chub on the outside of your armpit is just "extra breast fat."  Though the girl was referring to her own chub, I appreciated the comment. It kind of reminded me about the time that I overheard someone saying that the impossible-to-lose chub between your bellybutton and your V is supposed to be there. I forget why exactly, but it had something to do with your bod being all maternal and getting ready for making a baby. It'll need cushioning all up in your womb, so... uh, that makes sense right? As much sense as the breast fat thing? I dont know what my boobies are doing by my armpits, but as long they're nowhere near my bellybutton, who am I to complain, right?

home made ice cream sandwich cake!

All your prayers have just been answered. This ice cream sandwich cake was the bomb.com and worth every stomach ache it caused. (Smaller pieces next time, eh?) My friend Nicole has been talking about this cake she made once last summer and yesterday afternoon she decided to try it again! I helped a bit but she mostly ran the show and heres how she did it:

• ice cream sandwiches
• coolwhip
• fudge or pudding
• oreos or whatever candy you want!
• wax paper and a cookie sheet
• a slap chop, rolling pin, fist, or foot 
• ziplock bags

1. Lay about 5-6 ice cream sandwiches down wax paper (which you've already put down on the cookie sheet). Make sure the sandwiches are snuggled close to each other.
2. Mix the coolwhip/fudge/pudding together in one bowl and crumble a bunch of oreos in another. I used a slap chop to crush my oreos but mostly because we just wanted to use the slap chop. You can place your cookies/candy in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin or if you're feeling extra angsty, your fist. Or foot, if you've really got some aggression to let out :)
3. Add some of the cookie crumbles to the coolwhip pudding mixture and layer it on top of the sandwiches. Follow that by another layer of just crumbles, and then add another layer of ice cream sandwiches. Repeat this again, until you've gone about 3 layers high. 
4. Use the rest of the whipped cream pudding mixture to "ice" the cake on the top and all around the sides. Add the rest of the crumbles to the top!

You're going to want to work fast on this one because this might melt pretty fast. After you've made your cake, stick it in the freezer for a few hours and then you'll be good to go! Cut it up and serve in small pieces-  or big ones if you're not afraid of a serious stomach ache ;)

Take a Seat

  Kyle's brother stumbled upon some old chairs from a Ruby Tues. location that were up for grabs. Though they were in deep need of some TLC, he asked if we wanted them. We got to talking about how we were going to fix the chairs up and Kyle suggested using old t-shirts instead of buying fabric to reupholster the chairs. Brilliant! So, we headed to Savers, dug through a few racks and bought 4 t-shirts for $4 and change. Only 3 chairs are pictured here, though. Sprocket The Dog decided he hated one of the t-shirts as much as I secretly did and decided to shred it to bits. Thanks, I think?

  Anyway, this was super easy to do and heres how you can have awesome chairs, too!

• paint (I used the leftovers from the Chevron DIY I did a couple weeks ago)
• a drill
• sand paper
• old t-shirts
• a staple hammer (so.much.fun)
• pins

1. Flip the chairs over and use the drill to remove the screws and detach the seats. Save the screws! Sure, you could always get new ones but if its not necessary to replace them, just save the ones the chair came with because you already know they are the right size. 
2. Sand each chair, and focus on all the rough parts and edges. Seriously. Giving a good sand job (hehehe) is important because if you don't you're going to see all those rough spots you missed when you paint over them and make more work for yourself in the end. 
3. Apply a few coats of pretty paint! I think the best way to do this is to paint each chair once and by the time you're done with the first coat on the last chair, you'll be ready to add a second coat to the chair you started with. Get it? Of course you do! You're smart! And beautiful! You should probably do a minimum of 3 coats.

 (While your chairs are drying to beauteous perfection, reupholster your seats)

1. Cut the t-shirt right up the center of the back and lay it open with the graphic or front of the shirt facing down. 
2. Place the seat in the center of the shirt (the side you sit on facing down) and use the neck as a guideline to help you make sure the graphic is centered.
3. Fold the t-shirt over the cushion nice and tight and use pins to keep it in place.
4. Once everything is aligned, take your staple hammer and slam it down a few times to secure the shirt on the cushion, removing the pins as you go along. 
5. If you turn the cushion over and feel that the design is just a wee bit off, you can probably get away with stretching the shirt and re-stapling it instead of feeling like you have to pull all the staples out and start again. T-shirts stretch, so use that to your advantage.
6. Once you're done, place your seats upside down on a table and sit the chairs upside down on top of them. 
7. Use the drill to reinsert the screws and voila! You're done!

exclamation points

Ever come across something so amazing and so perfect for you that your head might start to hurt because you've become so overwhelemed with your new thing? No? Well. It happens to me all the time. Mostly only when I am near the interior design/decor books aisle at the book store, near any sort of home goods store, and... when I get super deep into the internet and happen upon pure and wonderful gems. Wanelo is just that. I mean, I may even delete this post in the future because I want it to be kept my secret go-to site for all things awesome. But, seeing as how no one reads this blog and I am not rushing to tell anyone I've started it, I guess I could leae the entry up for a bit ;)

coffee eyes

 

Just a little coffee and lens-glare to start the day. 

   For a few weeks now, I’ve had chevron on my mind. I asked Kyle (my wonderfully amazing and encouraging boyfriend!) if I could paint a wall in the snowboard room and he agreed. The snowboard room is just an extra room in his house that is home to snowboards, snowboard gear, and some other stuff. Its the only room in the house that isn’t really ‘done’, so I figured if I paint it and it sucks, no one will see it/he could paint over it eventually.
Shortly after I announced my excitement to start chevron-ing (?), Scott said that I could chevron a wall in his room. YAY! So, I set out to Home Depot for supplies and got started with Kyle’s help. He is literally good at just about everything so I think I definitely had an advantage (which I am super thankful for:) The wall turned out just as I had hoped and I am IN LOVE with it! The guys really like it too which is awesome since its in their house ;)
GET YOUR CHEVRON ON!

• blue painters tape
• a sturdy rule, or measuring tape
• a long level (optional, but super helpful
• an assistant for the measuring part if you’re doing a big wall like I did (optional, but super helpful as well)
• a paintbrush
• a wet cloth or paper towel (for wiping up small errors and drips)

• paint!!
• an Xacto knife or box cutter (to cut the painter’s tape if necessary)

  Decide how thick you want your chevron to be. Scott told me he wanted his THIS BIG, referring to the length between the tip of his pointer finger and his thumb, 7 inches. Kyle and I used the big level as if it was a giant ruler so that we could easily map out the zig zag. To make things a little easier, I’m going to draw and post the real deal how to for lining up your zig zags because its hard to explain without a visual, yanno.
Once you have your lines up, just lay your blue painter’s tape accordingly. This and actually drawing the lines/points is the most time consuming part. Once thats done though, painting will be a breeze! I put down one thin coat for the first application, starting at the top. By the time I got to the bottom, the top was dry enough for its second coat. I gooped on lots more paint for this coat which was perfect. You don’t want to spread your paint too thin but you also don’t want it to drip.
I waited about an hour and a half before I took the painter’s tape off. You should probably wait just a bit longer but I was way too excited to be patient so I peeled it off sooner than later.
The picture above is of me and the finished product. I am in LOVE with it!

the one thing i know for sure

source: sometimessweet

  I used to write a lot. All the time, actually. So much so that one semester during my brief but amazing college experience, I took six (SIX!) English and Writing classes. NeverhaveIever written as much, read as much, or thought as much as I did that semester. Naturally, you could imagine my excitement when I saw that Danielle Hampton over at SometimesSweet was doing a new feature called "Journal Day!" I think she posts a new topic each week and there have been one or two before, so I'm stepping onto the court a little late in the game. Nevertheless, I'm here writing, and today's topic is one thing you know for sure. 

                           "Do what you love and fuck the rest."- Little Miss Sunshine

  If I could drill anything into the minds and hearts of my future kiddos and anyone around me, its to stay true to yourself in absolutely every way possible. I may not know everything but the one thing I know for sure, is that you have to do whats in in your heart all the time. You'll go crazy if you don't and will feel underwhelmed all day, every day.

  When I was in high school, I ran with the punks. Like, mohawk-in', bum-flap wearing, filthy skinny black jean sporting, body jewlery'd, loud music listening, super artsy and secretly talented type teenagers. And I loved them so much. The few that we were, were awesome and I was one of them. Since I am an inherently nice person, I got along with other students enough not to have garbage thrown on me. Nowadays its awesome to dye a bit of your hair a color thats not found in nature. But back then? Yeahnotsomuch. 

   One day two of the girls on my bus decided that I should try out for the cheerleading team. They must have still been on a confidence high from the time a few months before when they successfully convinced me to go to the homecoming dance. This kind of participation in a school-spirit related event was unheard of amongst my friends, who in their angsty youth were the first to damn whatever Man was in their way. The truth is though, that I loved attending the homecoming dance and I wanted to tryout for the cheer team so badly. The girls were both on the team, one of them was a captain, and they knew they had my mom's support. Yet another win for them. They were also willing to (shhh) teach me parts of the routine that would be taught at tryouts to kind of give me an edge over the competition. For some reason, I ended up asking my friends what they thought about me trying out for the team as if I honestly thought that it was a good idea. The very sight of a school jersey, no less a cheerleading uniform, made these kids cringe. As it should, right? Why would this band of misfits want to support the very people that made them feel insecure about being who they were? But no one really ever messed with me. So, I guess I didn't really see the harm in joining the cheer team. 

   Needless to say, I was shot down left and right. Discouraged and afraid of losing my friends, I passed up the opportunity. Wanna know what really sucks? If I said that I talk to any of those friends I had once a year to this day, it'd be a lot. For the most part, I can't even remember who I asked. Isn't that terrible? I could have been an awesome cheerleader. And lord knows it could have done amazing things for my almost non-existent self-esteem at the time. I wish I would have just found the courage to do what I wanted, what I thought I could love, and trust that if my friends judged me for it, then they werent really my "friends" to begin with. But, alas, I wasn't true to myself and I honestly do regret not ever trying out.

  So, that was kind of a bummer, huh? Don't be bummed! I'll end on a high note and remind you that it really is so desperately important to stay true to your self and honor your dreams and wishes in this beautiful life you're lucky to live. :)