we had such a great time sight seeing, eating out at yummy restaurants, and shopping. i've never been to the famous Coronado Hotel- it was gorgeous! Any place with sunshine and the beach automatically is a check on my list of awesome places.
my mom was able to spend lots of time with her friends (in the jumping picture) and they are always a crack up and fun to be around.

i wish i could be back in california soaking up the sunshine again! maybe kevin and i will live there someday... hmm...

so many exciting things happening while i'm there!!
i'm looking forward to spending time with my man :)
i kinda realllyyyy miss him.
& i love him.

lately i've been wanting to change things about me to become like anyone but myself. in the most unselfish and humble way, i do love myself and am confident in what i believe in and the person i have become all these years. however, it's so easy to get caught up in others' talents than your own, or other things you may not have that you wish you did. i'm sure everyone has felt this way some point in their life.



photography is my passion and a way to express myself along with sharing my gift with others. making people feel good about themselves and helping them realize not only how beautiful they are in the outside, but how beautiful everyone is on the inside is so rewarding. although photography is my passion and one of my strengths, it's also a great weakness i have of comparing myself with others. it's been a struggle lately with re-branding and being SO indecisive on the "look" i want. goodness... what a process!



if there is one thing i have learned this summer, it's to never give up on your dreams. if you really want something, you can do it. make your dreams happen- take those baby steps. i'm so thankful that i have so many opportunities to learn and grow in the skills and talents i want to perfect in- but it sure doesn't come by sitting back and not doing anything about it. it takes work. lots of it. so get up and get started. 

just be yourself. it can be hard at times when you're still trying to find yourself, but us humans are ever changing, so don't give up. everyone else is taken.

shopping for sandals with no sunshine to share them with.
tears for missing kevin.
summer hats for those "bad hair days."
lots of ice cream and love from friends and family.
bunnies in the yard. all. the. time.
daily trips with the fam to gold's gym. 


my sister's graduation.
engagement photos in california with kevin. (!!!) seriously so excited for that...
being a bridesmaid at my best friend's wedding.  i can't believe we're getting married within just a couple months of each other! i remember when the movie Bride Wars came out and we laughed saying that it was her and i (annabel is brunette and i'm blonde, so of course it fit perfectly) in the movie getting married the same time. crazy how time flies!
yummy food, duh.
swimming at the beach and soaking up the SUN. (really needing my vitamin D!)
learning and growing in my photography with Jasmine Star. a dream come true.

this is by far my most favorite breakfast. i probably eat this meal 85% of my mornings. first of all, i love this bread (Ezekiel 4:9) because it is pure, wholesome and healthy. i rarely ever eat white bread, it's just not worth it anymore. once you love whole wheat, you never go back! try this bread out and let me know what you think :)

funny story, i grew up thinking that over-easy eggs were called "dippy" eggs because that is what we call them in my family. once we went to denny's and i asked for a dippy egg. the waitress gave me a puzzled look, so my dad corrected me saying "she wants it over-easy". since then, i've tried to remember not to call them dippy eggs in public...

this is what i woke up to this morning. well let me rephrase... my dog woke me up at 5:30AM barking to go outside and i had the pleasure of witnessing this gorgeous sunrise. it was a perfect way to wake up and start a new day (wish this happened more often! the beautiful sunshine, NOT the waking up at 5am in the morning...i'm not a morning person) i did however, snap this photo and go back to sleep.

i want to quickly say a huge THANK YOU to all my friends and family who have been so helpful, loving and kind. last week was not the ideal way of starting off the month of june. i was in a car accident last monday (rear ended and hit into the car in front of me). luckily i wasn't severely hurt- i got whiplash and had a lot of pain in my neck and back which caused my trip to the ER that night.  with lots of rest, icecream, and a few muscle relaxants in-between, i am happy and healed. unfortunately, my dad's prius was totaled (!!!) so saturday was spent car shopping. thank you toyota for giving us free cookies. otis knows exactly what to say.

* for those who have been waiting on my emails- thank you so much for being patient! i will respond soon. 

i want to learn to shoot film. i've never experienced the dark room and learning all the ins and outs of shooting film. who knows if i'll get around to it soon, so for now it's a dream. there's something about film photographs that is like a breathe of fresh air. they are gorgeous and no matter what i do in editing my photos, digital just isn't the same...

my favorite meal of the day is breakfast. what better way to start off the day with something delicious? (the biggest meal of your day should be breakfast!) you burn off the calories you've eaten the rest of the day (!!!) could that be more motivating?



the best way of making oatmeal (in my opinion) is simple: light brown sugar (1tbs= 15cals), whole milk, a pinch of cinnamon and the occasional sliced banana if i'm feelin it. oatmeal keeps me full for hours and i'm a happy camper! ever since i was a wee one, my mom would ask me every morning "Andrea, what do you want for breakfast?" my reply, "Chocolate milk and oatmeal!" (i'm a chocolate milk lover, but lately have kept that obsession tightly reigned)

introducing the lovely Tori of the blog Eye Candy. I seriously have been so excited this past week working on several blogs and getting to know such cute, fun, sweet girls! I loved that Tori wanted to keep things simple, yet add in her favorites- hearts, light blue and pink. Check out her blog and get to know her!

For more info on getting your blog re-designed, check out the details HERE! To view my latest work, check these blogs out.

happy weekend!
p.s. 3 more weekends until i see my fiance in california!