Colds, tea, and Vogue.

I know, I know...

It's Wednesday, which marks the 5th day that I have avoided updating my blog.

It seem harsh, but I am sick. 

Don't worry, it's just a stuffy nose and a small cough.

Nothing a gallon or two of tea can't cure.

Speaking of tea: 

Has anyone else realized that Publix is having a sale on Tazo iced tea?

It's like Heaven in my fridge right now.

Normally I don't drink my tea with even a little sweetener, but when it's two for a dollar and pre-made, I'm not likely to say no.

While I was studiously buying every bottle of black tea I could find, I decided to pick up this month's issue of Vogue as well. Sure, they're printing July's issue already, but I'll need to read something on our trip to Maryland. 

^ Nailed it. :)

I've got this modeling thing down.

Anyway, I suppose I'd better do something productive.

Until next time :)

xoxo,

Danielle

Friday faves

Happy Friday :)

I don't have a lot of time, but here are my faves!

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5)

1. For some strange reason, I very much like balloons. I told my friend a while ago that I want lots of them at my birthday party so that I can let them go, kind of like a ceremony. It doesn't make sense, but it would be cool to take pictures of it. 

2. This is too sweet! I knew I liked swans.

3. The smell of the ocean is the best. (aside from the smell of blueberries, that is.)

4. "I don't care if Sunday's blue. Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday too. Thursday I don't care about you. It's Friday, I'm in love!" I love this song. I don't hear it on the radio that often, but it's better that way. It's never overplayed.

5. Italy and Paris are currently competing for the title of The Place I Want to Go Most. They're both gorgeous, but Italy is probably even more relaxed than Paris. Shopping in Paris would take a lot of energy, after all. However, I would gladly expend it.

I suppose that's all I have time for.

This is a terribly late post, you see. 

I am happy to say that I was quite busy today. :)

May your weekend be filled with greatness.

xoxo,

Danielle

Collages for a mundane Monday.

Mundne: (adjective)
1. lacking interest or excitement; dull.

That pretty much describes my day.
Aside from dropping my sisters off at Camp Orlando, I've done almost nothing.
I did, however, make two collages!
The first one was all impulse.
It had nothing to do with summer, so I decided to make one that did, as well.

I very much like the first picture. It explains why I always feel so out of it. It may look like I'm doing nothing, but I've really been practicing being awesome all day. (it takes lots of effort, but it's worth it.)

(somehow I managed to only reuse one of the pictures from my other summer collage. I was quite impressed with myself.)
 :)


The former collage is currently my desktop background, but I have a feeling that it will change soon.


The weekend was, on a scale of 1 to 10, a 7.5.
Saturday I took the ACT at Ocoee High School, and then wandered around like one without a brain for the rest of the day. I'm pretty sure that the test is much more difficult than it needs to be.

On Sunday I went out to dinner with my family and got poured on at the outlets later.
You should have seen the storm!
Every time lightning flashed, the sky glowed purple.
I love the rain, even when I'm running through it in sky high heels.
Somehow it makes everything more fun.

Anyway, that was my weekend in a nutshell.
It really wasn't bad.



Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go make tofu for dinner. :)

I hope your weekend was fantastic!

xoxo,
Danielle

I bought a llama.

Yes, you read that right.

I bought a llama.

His name is Albert.

{I would have made the llama a female, but then I'd have to name her Tina, and Tina is (in Napolean Dynamite's words) a "fat lard".}

Also, I got a hat and my Anthropologie catalogue, so I'm set. 

:)

I've been searching for rain boots lately. 

If you live in Florida, you know that we frequently have Summer showers that can last all afternoon.

(Although afternoon might as well be morning for me, since I usually wake up around eleven AM these days...)

But anyway.

Rain boots.

I want a pair that are either polka dotted, striped, or green.

However, blue could work.

It's surprisingly difficult to find a pair that fit my requirements.

So I stopped at the Myraun's house today!

Those kids are so cute...

I could say that a million times, and it still wouldn't do their cuteness justice.

Well I suppose that's it for today. Actually, it pretty much sums up the equivalent of every other day of my summer lifestyle.

(wake up late, buy weird things, visit cool relatives, repeat.)

It's not so bad.

Oh, also:

I'm addicted to cinnamon Altoids.

It's really odd.

I hope your weekend was great! :)

xoxo,

Danielle

Friday Faves! (and teacups)

Happy June!

Isn't it nice that the first day of June is a Friday?

I think so.

(1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)

Goodness, seven favorites!

1) This will be my wedding dress one day. I adore corseted dresses, and this one is so gorgeous. I actually wanted to wear a corseted dress to prom, but it didn't work out. Oh well, there's always next year.

2) This is a true statement. I have been drinking so much tea lately. Blueberry tea was recently added to my collection!

3) Enjoying the little things is essential. The big things are often dramatic and sometimes exciting, but that doesn't mean that they're the most important. 

4) Hot chocolate. I told you I was craving Winter, right? Well the way I see it, hot chocolate is a pretty good reason to crave cold weather of any kind.

5) I try so hard to do this! Obviously I have flaws that I wouldn't wish upon any other person, but other than that... I wouldn't mind meeting me. (and I say that in the most humble way possible) ;)

6) This is such a good album! I mentioned their last album, Winter, in a previous post. Like Winter, Undercover takes some getting used to. However, after a couple of listens I absolutely love the songs. Jack and White have a very unique sound that can really grow on you.

7) How could I not add this? I mean, how often do you come across a lamb with this much energy?

Today I bought five teacups.

They are all fantastic.

(the red one has a matching saucer! and the teapot in the back is really a teapot and a teacup.)

(this one had to be used right away. It reminded me too much of Alice in Wonderland not to be used first.)

{I also very much like the dark blue one, as there's a pirate ship on it.}

As you can see, I went a little crazy in the dish section of Home Goods.

I was probably there for about three hours, although the connected Marshall's store probably had something to do with it.

What can I say?

I drink a lot of tea.

Um...

I suppose that's all for today. 

There's another grad party tomorrow!

It's so nice to have senior friends. :)

Have a lovely first weekend of June, my dears.

xoxo,

Danielle

'tis Thursday, my friends.

Bonjour!

Just an update today.

1) It has been raining every day for the past three days. This is what it produced:

I honestly cannot wait for Autumn/Winter. Summer's great, but right now I'm kind of at that in-between stage that involves no homework, but also no beach or swimming of any kind. I'm just not there yet.

Rainy days actually help. :)

2) I have been listening to Ingrid Michaelson nonstop. My favorite song is The Way I Am. Don't ask me why, but I listen to it over 10 times a day. 

3) I'm pretty sure I had an allergic reaction to an ant bite. (random, but update-esque.)

4) Pinterest distracts me from just about everything, including food. (even the food pinned on Pinterest). The basic line of thought is this:

Oh, food!

Wait, Pinterest...

Hey look, a recipe!

Now I'm hungry again.

Ooo, cute shoes.

I wonder what that smells like.

Gosh, I wish I were born 50 years ago.

CAT!

Paris.

Aww, they're so cute together!

Food...

...Pinterest.

Right: pin now, eat later.

(in case you were wondering) ;)

5) I bought twine today. Well technically, it's called hemp cord. It's weird, I know.

As you can see, nothing exciting has really happened this week.

Although no news is good news, if you know what I mean.

Oh! However, I would ask that you please pray for the Campbell family, as they recently lost their 87 day old son. It's very sad and they need all of the prayer that can be given.

Until tomorrow, my dears.

xoxo,

Danielle

Long weekends and Audrey Hepburn

Happy Tuesday!

I feel like I should say that on good days.

Especially on Sundays (Happy Sunday) because they're my favorite day of the week.

Anyway :)

My weekend was fantastic!

On Saturday I went to Angel's grad party.

It was absolutely lovely!

Here's a photo that I stole from Facebook ;)

(Dorina, Angel, and I)

The company was far from lacking, and the food was delicious!

Needless to say, I had a wonderful time.

Sunday was good (as Sundays often are), although some would consider it rather uneventful (myself included).

Mostly I read.

There's a Frank Peretti book I have to finish by the end of June for school, and I am not looking forward to it.

It's about 3 inches thick.

And the font is tiny. 

>.<

Besides that, I finished The Hunger Games trilogy and began a new series.

(the new series is good, but The Hunger Games is difficult to beat.)

On Monday I finally saw The Avengers!

It was Marvel-ous!

(Get it? Marvel? Like the comics? Okay, that was a bit lame.)

By the way, did you know that Stan Lee (the creator of a bunch of superheroes) was featured at the end of the film?

He makes a habit of appearing in superhero movies.

Today I went to BN and finally got the book I've wanted for months.

Audrey 100 is a must for those of you in love with old films and actors.

If you're as obsessed with Audrey Hepburn as I am, I highly recommend that you get the book.

And that, my dears, is what I plan on occupying myself with today. 

(that, and four Jane Austen novels, conveniently compiled into one book.)

Also, tea.

Yes, I'll be drinking lots of that today. 

I hope your long weekend was exceptionally pleasant.

:)

xoxo,

Danielle

Fri-- oh, Saturday Faves ;)

I know, I know!

I missed Friday Faves.

In my defense, yesterday was the first day of Summer break.

Therefore, I didn't do much of anything.

This is my attempt to make up for yesterday.

(how's six favorites instead of four? I included mouthwatering pictures of food to make you feel like you haven't eaten in days.)

(1, 3, 5, 6)

2 and 4 were found on Pinterest.

1) I have a shirt like this and I wear it all the time. It's usually the first item of clothing to be worn after I do laundry. And it goes perfectly with white shorts!

2) This print is so cool. Basically, it describes everything summer. Can you feel the beach yet?

3) PANCAKES. As many of you already know, all of my favorite foods (with the exception of pasta) can be categorized as breakfast foods. I am also very inclined to eat fruit on a daily, if not hourly, basis. Any kind of berry is fine with me. :)

4) Ants on a log! I used to eat these all the time in my elementary days. Actually, I still eat them every now and then. Good times.

5) Ohmygosh, does this not make you want to eat french toast every day of your life?? I have got to make this very soon. (I would make it tomorrow, but my mom prefers bacon and eggs.) ;)

6) This skirt is so gorgeous. I'm not positive that I would wear it, but the detail is amazing! I can't imagine sewing all of those flowers. But then again, I'm no seamstress. Regardless, whoever designed it was a genius.

See? That sort of made up for yesterday. :)

Well, I suppose that concludes my excessive raving about things that have caught my eye this week.

I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend!

xoxo,
Danielle

Is it Friday already?

It's Friday the 13th!

Gosh, this week has blown by. So much to do!

Despite my hectic week, I wouldn't miss Friday Faves for the world. 

(1, 2, 3, 4)

1) I just love this print. The colors are gorgeous, and the scene, of course, is perfect. If I had a Paris themed room, this would definitely be a must-have.

2) Lately I've been on the hunt for tan wedges, and these are close to what I want (less buckles, lighter shade... small alterations.). I found some about a week ago that were almost exactly what I'm looking for, but there was a reason they were on clearance (broken buckle strap loop thingy). I suppose I'll just have to keep looking!

3) How perfect is this picture? The tart looks delicious (I love all berries, by the way). I might have to make it if I come across a lazy day. There is no end to what you'll find on Pinterest. I have a whole board for food.

4) THIS. SHOW. If you haven't watched it, you're missing out. I can't help laughing continuously throughout the episodes. Re-runs are on TBS a lot, and the more current episodes can be found here. My favorite character is Sheldon. He's hilarious.

By the way, my first day at Planet Smoothie went well! I am now able to work the cash register. Currently, I'm working on the memorization of what smoothies go under which category. I made flash cards.

Well, I suppose that's it for today. If all goes as planned, I should have a party to tell you about come Monday.

Have a fantastic weekend. :)

xoxo,

Danielle

Make-up post/ Friday Faves

I know, I know!

You're mad because I haven't blogged. All week.

Believe me, I am also going through blogger withdrawal. Unfortunately, it happens to be very difficult to develop a compilation of acceptable photos from other peoples' memory cards. (You know who you are. -- cue menacing stare.)

But I'll get them eventually. :)

Regardless, I couldn't just skip an entire week of blogging!
                                                                                        

So starting with the weekend... (DN '12!)

Oh my goodness! I had the best time at Disciple Now. Honestly, I had no idea how fun a church event could be. I could go on and on, but let's just skip to the pictures.

(Although I must say: the people I met and caught up with at DN were probably some of the best people I have met in a very long time.)

(Left to right in back: Ciera, Rachel B., me, Stephanie, Hayley, Rachel S., Lori

Left to right in front: Dahlia, Kaitlyn, Abby)

Below: Jesse(our student pastor) and Donna Dumaine(assistant to the student pastor and general church staff and body). They, along with the rest of our very cool leaders, dressed up as gangsters for the first night, in accordance with the Revolution theme.

(Note: above pictures were taken by various people)

                                                                                       

Later on (Sunday): 

I went to the Myrauns after DN! Every time I visit them, whatever joy I left behind comes back and finds me.

*Pictures will be uploaded ASAP.* I myself am waiting on them impatiently. (Aunt Becky has them... *ahem*)

                                                                                       

Monday: 

Thankfully, my super-cool-you-wish-you-attended school gave us Monday off. :)

Mom, my sisters, and I got pedicures! Magic Nails Salon and Day Spa is the best place for pedicures I have ever been to. 

The rest of the day was spent mostly watching Seinfeld and catching up on much-needed rest.

                                                                                     

Tuesday:

Tuesday it was school as usual. Isn't it just the worst when you have to even think about school the day after a wonderful break?

Fortunately, some students had the bright idea of playing basketball during lunch. Some people should really play for our team. (They're quite good.)

The last picture is my favorite.

                                                                                       

Wednesday:

Wednesday I went to life group. We watched the seniors' videos from the DN scavenger hunt. They were so very funny! Someone ended up chewing the earth worm. (Biting down wasn't required.)

                                                                                   

Thursday: 

Thursday was pretty average. Oh, except that after math class we practiced baseball with Paul and then I went out and got shoes. :) (by the way, Paul throws a mean knuckle ball.)

*Pictures of school will be up soon.*

                                                                                       

Also, on a side note: my alarm clock has been on my floor for a very long time. It somehow fell behind my dresser and landed exactly like this when I tried to hit the snooze button a while ago. I haven't moved it because that would mean unplugging it and going through the tedious process of resetting the time. Why bother?

                                                                                   

By the way, check out this recipe! I have a very strong desire to make it when the weather gets warmer.

(courtesy of Lemon Fire Brigade)

Grapefruit Pomegranate Champagne Sorbet

Makes 1 quart

 

2 1/2 cup grapefruit juice, freshly squeezed, strained, no pulp

1/2 cup pomegranate juice, freshly squeezed, strained

1/2 cup sugar + 2 tb

1/2 cup champagne, quality does not matter

2 tb lemon juice freshly squeezed

 

Squeeze grapefruits, strain for pulp, and reserve liquid.

Place a fine mesh sieve strainer over an appropriately sized bowl. Place the pomegranate seeds in the strainer and crush them of their juices, just until there’s not a drop remaining. Discard or save pulp and seeds. Reserve juice.

In a medium-sized sauce pot, combine 1 cup of grapefruit juice with the sugar and heat until completely dissolved. Remove from heat, and add the remaining juices and champagne. Refrigerate until thoroughly cool. 

Add mixture to ice cream maker, freeze and churn for 20-25 minutes, just until sorbet comes together.

Transfer mixture into desired serving container and freeze for at least 6 hours.

                                                                                  

By the way (again), this is practically the key to positivity!

(source)

Good philosophy, eh?

                                                                                      

Friday Faves!

It's been so long...

(1, 2, 3, 4)

1) This print is so cute. :) I love the song it's based off of! I would hang this in my room if I could.

2) I want this swimsuit! Lately I've been very drawn to green, and this suit would compliment my sandals perfectly.

3) Mac & cheese is not just for kids. I would eat it all day, every day if I had the patience to sit there and wait for the pasta to boil.

4) Did you know that Pandora has comedy stations? I only recently discovered this, and have been listening to Brian Regan, Jim Gaffigan, and... (drumroll) Jerry Seinfeld! (He's my favorite) ;) I've also been listening to the various albums of Maroon 5. 

                                                                                 

Well, that concludes this post.

Yes, it's a bit disorganized and haphazard, but I posted! :) This can now go down in history as the longest post on my blog.

Stay tuned for pictures!

xoxo,

Danielle

P.S., my friend Kaitlyn (pictured above in DN pics) has started a blog! As soon as I get the link, I'll post it. :)