Summer Recap/First Week of School

Hello. Last time I posted, I was writing in my dorm room in Cork. I am now sitting in the living room of my new apartment in Albuquerque typing away before I get started on my homework. Not much has really happened since I left Ireland. I came home(after traveling for twenty-four hours straight), slept a lot, got really sick and slept some more, packed up my stuff, moved back to Albuquerque and started school. Some other stuff happened too, I saw some friends, had some friends come see me, went out to lunch with my mom a lot and spent time with my family (who are all crazy busy with school and sports and work and I just don't know how they keep up with everything). My brother and I are going to school together, so we live together in a nice, roomy apartment off campus. It's been pretty good so far, minus all the drama we went through to get internet set up in the apartment, and Monday is Labor Day, so this weekend is a three day weekend (which is awesome). I think I like all my classes, but it's only week two, so that may change. I do know for sure that I will be very busy this semester, once work starts up, but that will make it go by faster, as long as it doesn't drive me crazy first (which is a real possibility). Oh, and I remember how I said in this post that I was finally going to get a tattoo in 2013? (I barely remember either, it's okay.) Well, this semester, I really do think it's going to happen. I made plans with a friend and everything. I just need to save some money, is all. So now I have that to look forward to as well. But I'll stop rambling now and finish this post. I just wanted to give a quick update in case anyone was following my trip to Ireland and thought maybe I died in a plane crash on the way home or chose to go off the grind and live in Ireland forever (which I did think about doing). Love you all and hope you had a great summer!

Ireland-Post 5

I cannot believe my time in Ireland is almost over. It feels like I just got here, but it also feels like I've been here forever. I'm excited to go home, but I'm really going to miss living in Cork, especially after visiting Dublin last week. Dublin is just crawling with tourists, and it's a really busy city. Cork is the second largest city in the country, but it feels smaller and quieter than Dublin did. Dublin was great for museums though. There's so much to do there. On Wednesday, after arriving and checking in to Trinity College, we went to see Christ's Church and St. Patrick's Cathedral. After that, we split off into groups to go out and see some of the other sites of the city. We were given a list of things that we 'had' to see for class, and anything else we had time for. We used our afternoon on Wednesday to go to the Guinness Storehouse. It was a cool place, but there were way too many tourists to really enjoy the experience. Also, Guinness is NOT good. I almost choked on the tiny amount they gave us to sample. I am not a fan at all. On Thursday we got in line early to see the Book of Kells, which was so cool. After that, we went to the Kilmainham Gaol (pronounced jail), which was a sobering experience since we had just talked about what went on at the jail in class the previous week. After the jail, we went to an unfortunate museum of natural history and then on to Dublin Castle, which was beautiful. We found a bar that had relatively cheap cocktails and Irish dancing, so we ended our day there. Friday, I wandered around Dublin until it was time to go to the airport. I spent my weekend in the Netherlands, visiting friends in Amsterdam and family in Friesland (northern province). That was an amazing experience, and I'm so glad I got to go and do that. Yesterday was our last day of lectures and today was our last day trip. We went out to the Dingle Peninsula, which is the westernmost point in Europe. It was absolutely beautiful. It was also gray and rainy, which is what an Irish summer usually looks like. Tomorrow and Friday we have presentations and then our program is over! I'm going back to the states on Sunday. It's crazy.
Loves
(and here comes an obscene amount of pictures. I'm sorry)

Christ's Church

St. Patrick's Cathedral

Guinness Storehouse

Trinity College

The Long Room (library at Trinity where the Book of Kells is held)

Kilmainham Gaol

Museum of Natural History (awkward photo)

ballroom at Dublin Castle

Friesland

Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam)

Museumplein (if you look closely, you can see me in front of the 'r')

On the Blauwbrug over the Amstel River(Amsterdam)

Dingle Peninsula

Dingle Peninsula

Ireland-Post 4

And just like that, another week is over. We're at the halfway point already! This week was a little less chaotic than last week, and I think I've finally adjusted to the time change. The weather is still unusually warm. No rain yet, but it's been pretty humid. Yesterday, we were told that the average temperature for the month of July is 64. It's been consistently in the 70's for two weeks now. We're all hoping it cools down. I know that this weather is cool compared to the desert back home, but I had been hoping to wear jeans and sweat shirts every day. But really, I can't complain. We visited Killarney National Park this last week and saw some amazingly beautiful scenery. Last night, some friends and I found a good spot for fish and chips, which were amazing, but SO GREASY! I think I've filled my quota for the month. This weekend is going to be pretty quiet, I think, to prepare for the crazy schedule we have next week. We have another day trip on Monday, and then on Wednesday we're leaving for Dublin. From Dublin, I'll be going to Amsterdam for a little visit, which I am super excited about. After that, there's only one week left and then I'll be going home. Time is really flying by, but in the best way possible.
Loves

The Torc Waterfall, Killarney National Park

The Muckross House, Killarney National Park

Ireland-Post 3

My first week in Ireland is almost over, and it has been one of the busiest weeks of my life so far. (That is probably a huge exaggeration, but it's okay.) I am still adjusting to the eight hour time difference, and I feel like I'm always tired, but somehow I power through. Ireland is BEAUTIFUL. I really am loving it here. We've been in class every morning this week, and then gone out to see the city or the surrounding country-side for the afternoon. My FaceBook friends probably hate me right now, since I've posted close to two hundred photos this week alone. There's just so much to see! I won't share that many here, but I will share a few at the end of this post. Class lectures have been interesting, even more so since we can go out and see the history that we had just been discussing. Cork, our 'home base' city is so incredible. My friend and I have found our pub for the month. We went on Monday night and made friends with the barman, the musician for the pub and one of the regular customers. They really do love having Americans here, and the musician was telling us about Cork, the history of Ireland and, of course, all about how terrible Dublin is. Corkonians (as the residents of Cork like to call themselves) believe that the 'rebel city' of Cork is the true capital of Ireland, since Dublin is an 'English' city. Our musician friend was VERY bitter towards the English.

Tonight, a bunch of us are going out to celebrate the Fourth of July American-style, which probably means going to McDonald's and finding some Budweiser. As of yet, I have no plans for the weekend, but that will most likely change, given that there's a ton of stuff to do around here. We are going on a mini pub crawl tomorrow to see some live music, including the band of our musician friend. It's going to be pretty awesome, I can imagine. Thankfully, I can't afford to drink too much, so there's no danger of getting out of control. Stay tuned for more adventures! Follow me on Instagram for more frequent updates if you'd like.
Loves

Barryscourt Castle, a reconstructed ruin

Blarney Castle, home of the famed Blarney Stone, which I kissed

the Poison Garden at Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

Blarney Castle

Cobh Harbor-last point of call for the Titanic

Kinsale

St. Fin Barre's Cathedral here in Cork

Ireland-Post 2

I am here! I made it to Cork safely, my flights went smoothly, the bus was easy to find at the airport, I was able to find a cab to get to my apartment in Cork and I am all settled in. I am staying at University Hall, and my room is pretty nice. I even get my own bathroom, which is fabulous. The weather so far has been beautiful, very warm and very sunny. I know that it won't be like this for the whole month, but I'm definitely enjoying it now. I went on a bike tour of the city this afternoon, and I'm going to city centre tonight with another girl from my program to walk around and do some shopping. I am still adjusting to the time change though. I was super exhausted this morning, but I slept okay last night, so hopefully another good night of sleep will make things better.
Loves

Ireland-Post 1

Hello all! I took an unofficial break from my Pinterest posts to spend some time with my family before I left for Ireland. Those posts will most likely return when school starts in August. This month, I am studying in Ireland and so will try to fit in a blog post every so often. If I don't manage to keep you updated while I'm there, I will do a recap post when I come back at the end of July. I am currently sitting in LAX, waiting for my first flight of the day. It is, of course, delayed, but so far only by 25 minutes, which means I will have plenty of time to make my connection. Hopefully it's no later or I may have issues later in the day. I still can't believe I'm actually going. It seems so crazy to me. I'll probably arrive and still not believe I'm there. I will be posting on Instagram throughout the trip, so follow me there if you'd like. My username is mtolsma. I also brought my nice camera to take some good pictures to use as art in my new apartment, so hopefully pictures that I post here will be better quality than the quick snaps I take with my iPhone. Happy Weekend everyone!
Loves

Currently

So, as you've probably noticed, my Pinterest Finds posts have missed a few weeks. I should be back with those next week *fingers crossed*, but in the meantime here's a little bit about my life at this moment.

Loving/Making me happy: Summer. I have so many things to look forward to in the next couple of months and I am excited for what is in store. My semester ended a couple of weeks ago, and I really feel like I have the time to focus on my summer plans now that I don't need to worry about school.
Watching: Well, I finished watching Friends, and I didn't know what to do with myself for a little while. Last weekend I rented a few movies from RedBox and had a mini marathon. Now, I'm using some of my free time to watch Justice League on Netflix. I know it's cheesy, and meant for kids, but I can't help myself. I just love super heroes, okay?
Looking forward to: So many things. In the immediate future, going home. I leave bright and early Monday morning and I am beyond ready to be home. I'm not working at all while I'm home, which will be awesome. I'll be able to just hang out, go visit people and rest before my European adventure. I have 35 days, 23 hours and 45 minutes until I leave for Ireland, and 56 days, 6 hours and 4 minutes until I get to visit Amsterdam. I still can't believe this trip is happening. I'll make sure to take lots of pictures and try to blog a little bit while I'm there.
Listening to: Still listening to Demi Lovato. I bought her new album when it came out last week and I love it. I have a feeling I'll be listening to it for most of my drive on Monday.
Eating: Whatever food I have left in my pantry. Since I'm leaving, I'm not doing any grocery shopping, so I'm consuming lots of cereal, sandwiches, and snacks that were left over from me being in school. I am super excited to stop at In-N-Out on my way home though. I've been craving an animal-style cheese burger for weeks.
Reading: I started a new book called The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery last week. It's interesting so far, but it's hard to tell where this is going. We'll see how it goes. I did borrow Les Misérables from the library, but I couldn't concentrate on what was going on, so I returned it. I will read that book at some point, but not when my brain is so scattered.

And that's my life right now. Thanks to Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the inspiration for these posts!
Loves

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 6

Aaaaaaaand, finals week is upon us. I'm terrible at studying, however, so let's just visit my Pinterest page instead, shall we?

1. This is cute. I have some tanks and dresses that could use a little vest to liven them up, and I think I've found just the thing.

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2. This outfit is absolutely adorable. If I can wear this every day this summer, then I'm okay with the 100+ degree temperatures in the desert that I live in.

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3. Well, it's another tutorial, but it's for hair! Not that my hair is quite long enough to try this particular hairstyle, but I can save this for when it IS long enough. That's what Pinterest is for, right?

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Once again, thanks for tuning in for my random pins from the week!

One thing more, my lovely friend from A Clever Atrocity has a birthday tomorrow! Happy Birthday Beautiful! I hope your move/transition is going well. We'll have to get together at some point when I come back home. Love you!

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 5

A productive week on Pinterest almost always means a very non-productive school week. Last week was definitely one of those weeks, but I pinned so many cute things, so naturally I consider it time well spent.

1. This outfit is absolutely adorable, and I might just have to go out and get me a nice maxi skirt and jean jacket to wear this summer. This looks just so fresh and easy and is probably super comfortable.

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2. I know. Another Disney-related pin. I'm sorry. I just couldn't help myself. Beauty and the Beast is only one of my most favorite Disney movies EVER.

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3. Okay, this pin is actually super practical and brilliant. These are 15 ways to get the most out of your tiny bathroom, and some of these are just genius. I will definitely be using this in my apartment next semester.

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My Pinterest page/username: mtolsma

My Hair, as promised

please excuse the iPhone picture...

So, I mentioned in my last post that I got a hair cut that's a little different from how I usually get it cut. I've been trying to grow my hair out for a while now, and I was needing a trim, so I went with my roommate to the Aveda Institute here in town, since I'm a broke college student and can't afford to go to an actual salon where stylists give you the haircut you ask for. Now, I did ask for a slightly shorter cut and told the stylist that I wanted to take two inches off, since my ends were terrible. I even used my hand to visually show the girl where I wanted to be length-wise. And then she took her scissors and chopped like five inches of hair off my head. "I don't want to cut it too short," she said. "So I'm just going to cut and you can tell me if you want it shorter." And then she cut. "How's that?" "Good. No shorter. That length is good." She finished my hair and I left. I know I'm kind of being a baby about this, but it was shocking at the time. It will grow back eventually, and my hair feels so healthy now, so that's a bonus. I was just a little bitter at first. The short hair is growing on me, pun intended, haha. Anyway, I have short hair now, just so you all know. Love ya!

Currently!

Hey! I knew making a weekly feature would lead to more blogging eventually. I'm actually just avoiding doing my homework, but blogging is productive too, right? I was also going to include a picture of my new haircut in this post, but I'm too picky about any pictures that I take right now, so that will come later, I promise, as well as the story that goes with it. Oh, yes, my hair cut has its own story. Anyway, here's what's going on in my life currently.

Loving/Making me happy: Free time. I don't have a lot of it right now, and with finals coming up, I really should be using every spare moment to study or be productive, but I forgot how great free time is. I just can't make myself work more than I have to right now, which is a really lazy attitude to have, but my brain needs a break, I think, or, at least, that's how I'm justifying the bits of time I choose to waste rest.
Watching: I am working my way through every episode of Friends ever made. I'm in the middle of season 8 right now, and I can't believe that I haven't ever watched this show before! I love it, and it also explains so much about my dad. He used to watch this show all the time, and so he'll quote it randomly and I never got the reference before now.
Also, side note for any of you who watch Survivor. Wasn't last week's tribal council one of the greatest things you've ever watched? I danced and jumped around the basement by myself in an explosion of glee. Anyone else? No? Just me? Sweet.
Looking forward to: Ireland! I made a countdown on my phone and I have 9 weeks, 4 days, 14 hours and 40 minutes until I leave for the Emerald Isle. I bought my ticket last week, my passport came, I've registered for one of the two classes I'll be taking and I'm getting really excited to go.
Listening to: At this very moment, Demi Lovato's new single "Heart Attack" is playing. I really like this song and Demi and...it's just great. I've had the Demi Lovato station on Pandora playing constantly this last week. No shame here.
Eating: I just finished a super tasty Oreo McFlurry. Oreos+soft serve vanilla ice cream=heaven
Reading: Well, I'm reading this book called Ready Player One by Ernest Cline for my book club right now. It's interesting, but it's got a lot of references to obscure '80's video games, and I'm not a big gamer myself, so I feel like I'm missing a lot. I'm about a third of the way through right now, and I still don't really know how I feel about the book. We'll see. I did promise myself that after finals are over, I can buy myself a copy of Les Misérables to read over the summer. I CAN'T wait for that.

Thanks for reading my rambling, scattered Currently post, and thanks to Danielle at Sometimes Sweet for the inspiration for this post. If you do your own Currently post, link back in my comments so I can read yours too!

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 4

It was a slow week for me on Pinterest. Finals are quickly approaching, and so if I'm not working or studying, I'm eating or sleeping, ha. So, just two pins for this week's post, but they're pretty good pins, if I do say so myself.

1. So, I'm almost positive that you've seen this video by now, but if not, I highly suggest taking a few minutes and having a good laugh.

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2. On one of my previous Pinterest posts, I mentioned that I loved Disney. I have another Disney themed pin to share from this week, and this probably won't be the last one. But seriously, how cute are these tanks? I need one (or five)  for this summer.

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My Pinterest page/username: mtolsma

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 3

So I'm a couple days late on this, but I had a crazy week and even crazier beginning to my weekend, so please excuse my tardiness. I did somehow find time to pin things despite the craziness, so here it is.

1. I loved the movie Les Misérables. LOVED IT. When I saw this pin, I just couldn't help myself. Mulan + the barricade boys= magic.

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2. This dress is absolutely adorable. I wish it were possible to just download clothes from the internet into my closet.

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3. I mentioned last week that I'm not much of a cook, but I pin a lot of food anyway. I found another food pin that I'm dying to try. It just looks so delicious, and it's healthy too!

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Enjoy the rest of your weekend, everyone! 

My Pinterest page/username: mtolsma

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 2

Hello again, everyone! I'm back again for round two of things I've pinned in the last week. I must say that this feature has added a whole new dimension to my pinning sprees. I'm more excited, if that's even possible, to pin things because I know that later in the week I might be sharing that very pin with all of you! It's really lots of fun, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

1. I love roses. They are, without a doubt, my favorite flower. Roses I can wear, now that's impossible to resist. These rose bud studs are to die for.

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2. I also really love cats. And I love tattoos. And then I saw this pin, and was like, "Why not?" Maybe someday, ha.

*broken link*

3. I'm not much of a cook, but that doesn't stop me from pinning delicious looking food, and these wraps look like they are to die for. Maybe I'll have to train myself to be a better cook...

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I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your weekend! Love ya!

My Pinterest page/username: mtolsma

Pinterest Finds, Vol. 1

It's not an understatement when I say that I've been neglecting my blog recently. In order to remedy that situation, I'm going starting this feature where I share things that I've pinned on Pinterest. Like I mentioned in this post, I enjoy exercising my creativity visually. I'm not an artist by any means, nor does my imagination spark a lot of original work. Pinterest has helped me express my creative side by allowing me to collect images I find beautiful, funny, or interesting. My pins range from fashion to hair and beauty to quotes, pictures of famous people, and random things I find funny. Each week, I'm going to share three of my pins from the week, with the website they originally came from. I'll link to my Pinterest page at the bottom of each post. If you like what you see, feel free to pin from my blog or follow one or all of my boards on Pinterest. If you would like to join me and create your own Pinterest post, link up in the comments! I love seeing what other people pin and what speaks to them. Now, on to my pins!

1. I love the idea of coordinating, but not matching bridesmaid dresses for a wedding. Every girl is made differently, and should be able to wear something that flatters their figure and shows off their personality. If I ever get married, I will be doing this for my maids.

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2. So I'm guessing most of you are familiar with the grumpy cat meme? This picture I pinned the other day combines three of my favorite things: cats, Disney and sarcasm. 

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3. I love up-do's, and my inability to do anything with my hair but straighten it or put it in a pony tail makes me love them any more. This style is so sweet and simple and would be pretty if used for a wedding hair-style. 

*broken link*

So there you have it, my top three pins from the week. Hopefully having a weekly feature will motivate me to not only stay caught up with blogging week to week, but inspire me to blog more often about other things as well. Love you all!

My Pinterest page/username: mtolsma

Little Update

(Some instagram pictures I've posted recently. The one on the left is my sad attempt to do a winged eyeliner, and the one on the right is a picture of me at work. I'm a floor manager at Popejoy Hall, the theater on campus that has wonderful plays and musical events.)

Hi all! It's been a little while since I've updated my poor, little, neglected blog, and I really don't want to start my homework right now, so I'm here instead! Not much is new in my life at the moment. School and work take up most of my time, which is a little crazy. My classes are all going well though, so I really can't complain...well...I shouldn't be able to complain, but somehow I still do. Thankfully, there is only one week between me and Spring Break! Next Friday, I get to go home and relax for a week. I will have homework to do, but the time with my family will be nice. I will also be getting my passport over the break, or starting the process at least, because I am going to IRELAND in July! I was accepted for a summer study abroad program based in Cork, Ireland, and I am so excited. I cannot wait to go. It's still far enough away that I haven't started stressing or panicking about traveling overseas by myself, but as it gets closer, I will be freaking out. I've never been outside the country before, so this should be interesting. Other than that though, not much is new in my life. This post started as a 'Currently' post, but I had nothing to write about! So, rambling, free range posting it is. Have a good weekend!
Loves

Liebster Award

In the midst of working on the mountains of homework I've accumulated in the two weeks I've been back at school, I was given a Liebster Award by my dear friend Jacqueline at A Clever Atrocity. It's a neat way to bring attention to smaller blogs with not a lot of followers. Totally cool, right? So, here are the rules:

1. List 11 facts about yourself

2. Answer the 11 questions the blogger who nominated you left

3. Ask 11 questions for those you nominate

4. Choose 11(I'll probably cheat here...) bloggers with less than 200 followers to nominate

5. Go to each blogger's page and let them know about the award

6. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog

And here we go...

Facts

1. I love to read. It's my stress reliever and the absolute best way I know to relax after a crazy day/week.

2. I barely know how to cook. When I'm at school, I live off of granola bars, cereal and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. My mom did give me her old crock pot, however, so *fingers crossed* for this semester.

3. If I don't get a cup of coffee in the morning, I probably won't be much good for anything the entire day. 

4. I really want to start getting tattoos. I think they're beautiful and unique and just perfect.

5. I have a lot of ear piercings. I have my lobes pierced three times on each side, a  piercing on my left ear and a tragus piercing on my right ear. I also have my nose pierced.

6. I have to have nail polish on my nails at all times. It really annoys me when they're unpolished, and I often repaint them at the first signs of chipping or wear.

7. I want to be creative and fun with my make-up, but my attempts to follow tutorials on Pinterest or YouTube are epic and total failures, so my make-up routine hasn't changed in ages.

8. If I don't go to bed at a decent hour (a.k.a before 10:30), I'm absolutely exhausted the next day, and it will take a couple nights of good sleep to get me back on track.

9. When I clean, it's all or nothing. I can live with clutter up to a certain point, but when I reach the breaking point, I go all out and deep clean everything, and will most likely reorganize my things in the process.

10. While I communicate with most people in my life through technology, my best friend from high school and I write letters to each other instead. Letters from her always put a smile on my face and make my whole day brighter.

11. I miss my cat a ton. I cannot wait until I can bring her to New Mexico to live with me and keep me company and snuggle with me and all the great cat things that cats do to make life better.

Questions

1. If you could look different in any way, even if impossible, what would you look like?

I would definitely have longer, thicker hair, clear, healthy skin, and probably a nicer smile with better, whiter teeth. Also if my problem areas were to disappear, I wouldn't complain, but I'm trying to have a healthier body image, so I don't want to make that a priority.

2. How do you express your creativity?

Um...I think visually. I don't create much on my own, but I love collecting things that others have created that I find beautiful. This is one of the reasons I really like Pinterest and Instagram. It lets me keep things I find pretty or interesting or visually pleasing in one place for me to look at and share with others. (Another reason I want tattoos. What better way to share the artwork of others than by providing your own body as a canvas?)

3. What makes you uncomfortable?

New situations and experiences for sure. I also struggle with self-confidence, so any situation where eyes are on me, I tend to experience a fair amount of anxiety.

4. What is your passion?

It sounds incredibly corny, but I'm finding that working with kids is something I really love. I worked at a summer camp last summer, and it was a fantastic experience. I also work with middle schoolers and high schoolers in a school setting, and I find that I find more and more to be passionate about every day.

5. Any hidden talents?

I've been told that my sarcasm is rich, haha.

6. If money was no issue, what would you do with your life?

Travel. Be a wife and mom. 

7. What outfit makes you feel best about yourself?

A great pair of jeans, a colorful top, maybe a cute cardigan or sweater (preferably with lace detail somewhere) and my most recent shoe splurge, the charcoal gray wedge booties from TOMS.

8. Who are you closest to?

I'd have to say my mom. She knows when to let me vent and be upset about something and when to tell me to cut the crap and be a grown up. She's the best.

9. To procreate or not to procreate?

Yes. Procreate.

10. If you could only eat one food for the rest of your life, what would it be?

As much as I would miss everything else, pizza with pepperoni and mushroom is probably the one food I could never get sick of.

11. Who do you miss most in the world?

Again, I'd have to say it's my mom. I miss a lot of other people, but I honestly don't know what I would do without my mom and living so far away from her is hard.

And finally, my questions for my nominee:

1. If you have a smart phone, what is your favorite thing about it and why? And if you don't have a smart phone, do you want one? Why or why not?

2. What was/is your favorite thing about school?

3. If your life had a sound track, what would be your theme song?

4. Favorite TV show and why.

5. Pet peeves?

6. What was your favorite memory of 2012?

7. Anything exciting coming in 2013?

8. If you randomly got the afternoon off, what would you do with the free time?

9. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter?

10. The reader in me has to ask: What's your favorite book/author/series?

11. How do you find contentment in your day to day life?

My nominee is:

Sarah at [insert witty title here]

Thanks for providing me with such a fun diversion, Jaco! Love you!

Loves