Frozen

Well Hey There Chickadees! It feels like it has been (it truly has been) ages since I have blogged. Truth be told, my life has been an absolute hectic, hot mess of a hurricane for the last couple of months. Between the whirlwind that was mine and Sals dramatic move to another apartment (as documented on FB), to the Holidays, to the beginning of my last real semester of classes (hopefully I begin my practicum in the Fall, fingers crossed!), some of my true joys have been put on the back burner; and that means my Blogging has truly suffered. I want to apologize for my absence, and appreciate all of the love and support I have received whether digital or emotional, I truly am a blessed girl to have such light in my life. 

As for the pictures above, my mom, brother and I went on a two week vacay to sweet Georgia to celebrate the 75th birthday and retirement of my amazing Grandaddy. I bartended at the birthday party, caught up with friends I haven't seen in 10 years, drank my weight in sweet tea, made unforgettable memories with my brother and Grandfather that always make me smile, learned how to (correctly) play pool, spent hours at the aquarium, shopped up a storm, visited a beautiful Alpha Gam house, and experienced once in a lifetime moments with my family that i will hold dear to my heart forever. The trip was a wonderful reminder of why I live the best of both worlds: I was raised as an island girl, but blessed with deep southern roots and a Georgia Peach soul. Above are some pictures from one of our nightly walks we took with the dogs on the golf course. It was freezing, and it even snowed! 

I apologize for the long post, but felt that i needed to update y'all. Also, will start posting more outfits and life updates as I want this blog to reflect not just my style, but to share elements of my life. 

New Year, New Me

 

 

It goes without saying, 2014 kicked my butt. There were so many trials, mountains and walls that He gave my family and I that has taught us so much about what is most important in life. 2015 is a year where I will be making major life changes, whether emotional or physical, and I felt it necessary to share some of those "aspirations" with yall. I feel that by saying I have "resolutions" that I am making a wrong right, and that isn't the case. I want to aspire to become a better person, rather than resolve my issues.

 

1. Gluten/Dairy Free Life: I plan to eliminate gluten and dairy from my life because I believe that it will help me to get on a healthy path that will make me feel better from the inside out.

 

2. Appreciate Life: I tend to go 100 miles an hour consistently due to my schedule between work and school, and let the small things go by without notice. During this year, I want to make an effort to enjoy my life as a 21 year old, and seize the day.

 

3. Laugh: Now this may seem ridiculous, anyone who knows me, knows that I have a sense of humor and laugh a lot. However, I want to laugh so deep in my core from happiness, that my head gets dizzy and I feel like I am in the right place at the right time. I want to sped more time with those who make me genuinely laugh, not from nervousness or the awkwardness in a room.

 

4. Be Present: When I was going through my recovery, part of my treatment was to be present in all things that involve eating. Now, I want to transfer that into my daily life. I want to be present in all my activities, whether it be walking to classes or a trip to target, I want to try and silence the running highway of thoughts in my head so that I may see, hear and feel all the things around me.

 

5. Finding My Hunger For Fitness: This year, I want to get healthy. I want to exercise again, and find a place where I can enjoy running again, and find things that allow for me to be a healthier person inside and out. That's not to say that I want to be stick thin, because I love and appreciate all my curves, stretchmark's and things that make me who I am, but I want to treat my body like the temple that it should be.

 

I hope that these give you the motivation to find an aspiration for this new year, and whether you succeed, fail or attempt, at least you can say you lived. Happy New Year, I know it will be a good one!

Here is some Pics from our New Years celebration as a fam. We made homemade photobooth accessories and took pics outside in our backyard and had a 4+ hour dance party on the deck to Bruno Mars and NSYNC.
 

 

Later Gators,

MF

 

PS: Here is a music video from one of my favorite bands to bop to, One Republic. It truly embodies what I want 2015 to be for me, and hopefully for you.

 

 

 

 



Waimea Adventure

Merry Belated Christmas!! I don't know about yall, but I always have that sinking feeling as soon as the last present is opened that we have to wait another year for this celebration to come again. But what makes that all better?? Getting down and dirty in the country! If yall follow me on Facebook or Instagram, you would know that I am home for the holidays. One of our new traditions is to ride about 20 miles up Mana Road, and park in an open pasture and drink a few cold ones (even though it was sooooo cold!). It was a blast riding in the truck bed in lawn chairs, with the pups getting crazy, and the blaring of 80s rock from the truck cab. I hope yalls holidays are filled with laughter and the making of amazing memories.

Later Gators,

MF

Homemade Peppermint Mochas

What is Christmas without Peppermint Mochas?! Now, I know there are a plethora of holiday drinks out there, but I feel that the Peppermint Mochas just have a special Christmas flare to them. There is just something about ordering the fancy Frappuccino's from Starbucks that seems to make the holidays just that more special. So I decided that I should try and recreate it, and below is my homemade version that I make for dessert all the time for myself and Sal!!

 

 

 The Ingredients:

Candy Canes

1 cup of Milk (Skim or 1%, whichever preferred)

2 1/2 tablespoons of Rich Chocolate Ovaltine (I've used the Malt as well, but this is more chocolatey!)

Peppermint Whipped Cream (Found mine at Target)

A Blender

1/2 cup of Ice

Combine milk, ice, Ovaltine, candy cane in a blender (I used the Magic Bullet, and it worked awesome!). Place on high speed for about 2 min, or until frothy.

 

Your shake should look like this, with the chunks of peppermint floating around.

Pour into a Holiday glass, and top with a heaping serving of the whipped cream, and then garnish with a candy cane!

 Voila! You now can make those fancy drinks you find at Starbucks, but for a fraction of the cost, and from the comfort of your own Kitchen in your Jammies!! Comment and let me know how they work out! Happy Holidays!

 

Later Gators,

MF

 

{Deck the Apartment}

 

Hey Yall!! I first want to apologize for my lack of posting for the past couple of months. There has been a lot going on with my school, family and work, and I was unable to get those creative juices going. However, that it no excuse, and I promise that I will be back on the horse just in time for the Holiday!

 

So as yall can see, We Moved Apartments! We now live in an awesome complex, which makes us feel soooooo Carrie Bradshaw, and are so happy in our new place. With that, we decided to deco our apartment with all the trimmings! We chose to start with one piece, it so happens to be the red plaid reindeer (named Barry), to give us inspiration for the feel of the entire apartments design. We wanted it to be warm and traditional Christmas, with a touch of home, but to still feel current and chic. The tree was my favorite thing to decorate. With all the sprays, ornaments and the Elf feet topper, it really gave the entire apartment a whimsical feel, and just made me feel at home as I sip my peppermint mochas and watch Home Alone. We did shop around for decorations, meaning we raided TJ Maxx, Ross and the Navy Exchange, but it was so fun shoppin with our Momma while she was in town to have our first Christmas decorations in our apartment. Let me know what yall do to Decorate!!

 

Later Gators,

MF

 

PS: More holiday posts to come!! I am the Christmas Queen after all...

 

 

Christmas Traditions

Every year, my Momma and I always invade the nearest Bath & Body Works to find their new holiday scents. I am guilty of burning them ALL THE TIME, meaning I have to replace them about 3 times a season, but it always makes the space your in feel so much more festive.

Whats Christmas without a Tree? I always put up a tree in my room, even when living at home, and filled it with all my personal ornaments that don't hang on the family tree, and with fillers that I found at my local Target. I love this pencil tree I have had for about 3 years now because it fits anywhere and so unique in itself!

Ok, so I will admit, I am a HUGE Oprah fan. My Momma, sister and I would watch her "Favorite Things" episode every year and always love getting the magazine to sift through. I bought my own this year because we all know Oprah is no longer on air (cue the tears and howls), so this helps to fill that void. It also looks super cute on our coffee table!

 On to my favorite part: Ornaments!! My mom has always collected the annual Starbucks ornaments every year ad places them on our family tree. I am an avid Starbucks customer, and saw it fitting to follow in the trend. So slowly, I have been building my collection, and am so excited for this years new additions; there are a million options!

Following the above idea, since I was little, my momma designated a Christmas ornament for each child that people in our family can get us every year; mine being a snowman, Sal's an angel and Sean's Santa. Above is a beloved ornament that my god mother gave to me, and it allows me to think of all the loved ones that thought of me and the history behind it all.

 

I hope these help get your creative juices flowing, and to start your own traditions! Let me know what kinda traditions you follow every year, I'm always looking for new ideas!!

 

Later Gators,

MF

 

 

Bohemian Comfort

 

 

 

I will admit, when I first saw this amazing caftan/cover-up in TJ Maxx, I fell in love with the ease and effortless feel it had when I threw it over my white tee and yoga pants, however was a bit on the fence because it was way, way, way out of fashion comfort zone. I have a tendency to gravitate to preppy, pink, sparkly things and this is a more bohemian, tribal feel. However,  my momma did a wonderful job telling me all the things I could wear it with, and that I should venture out of my comfort zone and boy was it worth it!! These shots are all from my house on the Big Island, and I felt so inspired by the nature and breezy feel of the area we live in, hope you enjoy my fashion adventure!!

Later Gators,

MF