Destination...The Dunes!

I recently went camping with a new group of people I am happy to now say, a new group of friends. This trip was amazingly mind-blowing. I met them all through a mutual friend and he invited me to meet this group he was going camping with and I was nervous at first. How well could camping for three days with people I didn't know go? Well I met them at a bonfire a few weeks before to get together and that was that. I was sold; they welcomed me like they new me my whole life. All we could do was tell stories and laugh into the endless evening. So, for three days we didn't have jobs, plans, or educations to worry about. I was just us, the sand and sun, smiling around the campfire.

Summer Is For Moments Like These.

Good ole Hemlock cabin 

We decided she was a tree and we were all koalas lol

What I don't have photos of is us hiking and going in to the mud pits, or us on the beach. Every day was full of us being silly like these photos are. I also know we somehow slept through a massive storm that rolled through. unfortunately I woke up and walked around out side in the midst of it for what ever reason I had, and found myself locked out of my cabin at 3 or so in the morning. So as I knocked quietly, (from new information I now know they all heard me lol and most played the dead to the world card) but one co-cabin inhibitor took pity on me and open the door. Oh girls I will remember this just wait for our next camping trip. 

Until tomorrow...Natalie

Korean BBQ

I'll let you know I'm a huge fan of Korean Dramas. I often watch them on a site called Drama fever. I'm working on learning Korean, and I feel like I may have mentioned this before. I get food craving from watching this from Ramen, to kimchi and Korean BBQ.

Now this was my first time at a Korean BBQ restaurant in the Chicago land area. So I have no prior experience to compare it to, but I have to say it was pretty good. I heard it is best to look up before hand the do's and don'ts. I have to say makes me feel a little less nervous. I had a lingering feeling something was going to catch on fire...happily nothing did. I call that a success!

My friend Ryan and I got there and the waiter could just tell we were confused. Taking pity on us he pointed out stuff we may like and made suggestions. It was actually pretty simple, we were just nervous. Oh my goodness, let me tell you we ate so much food. I hoarded the meat and kimchi. So, after all my fears were put to rest and I was content with food, what could have made the night possibly better you ask? Well when I think Korean BBQ soju comes to mind.

 Until tomorrow...Natalie

Life as of late...

I've been starting new projects and brain storming about my future. I always draw a blank when it comes to making real decisions that will effect my life. I suddenly become hesitant, because I think I can't back out this is real life here; right now at my doorstep. The thoughts I find comforting in these times is that I can always change directions and take another path, but the point is that I was brave enough to have walked the last one. My equivalent to it to being in a forest and the main road diverges again and again into smaller paths and then they break off and so on, and just like that I can take another path I just have to wait for it to present itself to me. I know I am not alone and everyone out there is making plans and walking down new paths. To all of us wandering into the unknown, even if it scares us draw a map of where you have been so you can look back one day and without knowing it you will be amazed of how much you have done on your own.

Along my period of thought and process here's what I've been doing...

Working on my book:
I really want to share it with you all, but I feel the time is just not right yet. I am still drafting it, writing it, and making big changes. I will share that it is about love, big choices, adventure, coming of age, loss, forgiveness, and never forgetting who your family is. I'm really excited about working on this; I wake up sometimes just as I'm about to fall asleep and get a rush of new ideas. I hope people will enjoy it as much as I'm enjoying writing it. So I'll keep you posted when I'm ready to share it. also I've been playing around with photography and taking pictures of my town because inspiration for the setting.

Reading:

I can't stop. I've been on a rampage of pages and books. I can't recommend just one since I loved so many but I will say they are like taking little adventures and break from work and stress.

Working:

I love my co-workers at The Limited! They are a fantastic group of girls, we are always having fun in between helping customers and projects. Of course there gets to be some stress, because it is a job. We all know when your boss isn't happy lol you won't be till you work hard and make progress. So I'm on a mission to do just that! I may be part time but I spend a lot of time there and I want to do well. I like when my co-workers tell me I have done a good job but when a customer go and tell my boss how amazing I was and really created an experience for them...that honestly makes my day.

Sewing:

I'm fighting with my sewing machine over a blanket. Haha, what I mean is I accidentally made a rookie mistake and I couldn't believe it. I had sewn the two ends together without pinning the right sides together and it came out all wonky. I only realized my mistake after I had sewn one side, and it was the long side...of course it was, Natalie, it was moral imperative. I had to had to do that. Well, here's to laughing at ones mistakes!

Trips:

My family and I went to Disney for a week in Florida and I have a love affair with Epcot. Out of all the parks that one is my favorite. It is the culture and uniqueness of it. The first day we happened to go it was Constitution day on Norway. So, they had face painting, party's, and of course drinks! I was like a festival around the world. I'm really grateful for the time my family could spend together.  There are five of us and my sister's fiance joined us as well. All of us being older it is hard to get all that time off to be together. These are memories I know we will make more of in the future.

Last ( sorry about the long post)
My Furry Friends:

My dear little creatures have been having a hard time. While we were in Disney, Dr.Watson was with a babysitter and as accidents do happen he escaped and was hit by a car. Now, he is okay now! When they called us they believed he wouldn't make it through the night and even if he did he would lose his eye. We were all beside ourselves with worry. If you have ever seen a family burst into tears at Disney it is really sad. Thanks to a wonderful facility they did everything they could for our little Watson. He spent a week in the animal hospital and they said it was a miracle his eye was saved. He came home all bruised and scabbed, his eye blood shot and on pain meds. after a month now he has fully recovered and is running around causing chaos lol and during our tip my Finley was also getting declawed so she was on special meds as well. And as if they all weren't having a hard time my oldest dearest Salem has been diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Now he is 13 years old and I love him more than words can really say, and I'm scared to let go and say goodbye. So until he decides he has had enough and hasn't gone on his own only then when it is right for him  I will take him to the vet. Until that point he will be loved endlessly and snuggled even when he wants to just run away. I don't know how these amazing small creatures came to be ours but I'm so  happy I also get to be theirs.

Well then that is life right? Until tomorrow...Natalie.

Sister Style

Trust me this may never happen again. My sister is not a fashion fan, like I am. She loves to get dressed up but not for everyday hangout time like today was. I threw clothes on her bed and commanded, "wear these!" I had a little back up with her fiance. Natalie:1, Jen: 0. But I have to say she is a good sport in humoring me most of the times. My sister is the tech genius in our home. She works for Geek Squad at Best Buy. Now compared to me I have a hard time with tech stuff, an example is I learned how to work a blue ray player this year and an Xbox the last. I make up for it in my own ways but I'll try ti sneak Jen into more of my photos here!

and this day was particularly humid so we didn't even bother with hair styles (good thing too, because it poured rain like nobodies business and we had to help our mom at a festival and got soaked)

but before the rain we headed out for a few errands and got Panera! I had a delicious mango smoothie :) I wanted to take more photos but the sun disappeared due to the pending storm.

Until tomorrow...Natalie