I hope you all had an enjoyable Thanksgiving last week. I spent it surrounded by family and yummy food. I can't believe Christmas is just in a few weeks. Right now, I am bombarded with finals and projects but I'm done on Tuesday and then I'll be in Denver with Eddie for six days. I've been in need of a vacation and it is probably going to snow. I'm so excited! Then once I return I need to start Christmas shopping, studying for my PTC exam and spending time with friends and family. The holidays are a time to reflect and realize all you have to be thankful for, the following is what I'm thankful for.
This year I am thankful for:
My family, no matter what I always their support. They truly want to see me success in life and will do anything for me.
My dog, he can be needy and slobbery but he is still my favorite furry best friend in the entire world.
My boyfriend, our relationship grows stronger day by day. He is willing to do anything for me and has proven to be the best boyfriend each and every day.
My friends, I don't have many of them but the ones the select few that I do have all have a special place in my heart. I know that I don't hang out with them enough but they mean a lot to me and I hope the holidays bring us all closer again.
My home, my bed, my car. I am lucky and fortunate to have a roof over my head, my own bed and my own car. Not many people have the same luxuries as I do and I'm truly thankful for this.
Books, I've been buried in books this year. I have a new found love for reading and it has helped me develop my vocabulary and I've gained so much knowledge.
I'm also thankful for having the opportunity to travel. I've been to Seattle twice, Las Vegas, Portland and I'm constantly going to Austin. It has given me the opportunity to be open minded, not be so shy and immerse myself in a city that I've never been to.
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday season. Be thankful and kind. Don't ever take anything for granted. Be safe out there my lovely readers.
Lastly, I'll leave you with my favorite song/album/artist this year. Enjoy!
I've been incredibly happy thanks to my wonderful boyfriend. A few weeks ago we had the greatest time together in Austin at Fun Fun Fun Fest. We saw Alt-J, Run The Jewels, 2 Chainz, Modest Mouse, Courtney Barnett, Big K.R.I.T, The Blood Brothers, Fred Armisen, Kumail Nanjiani and Thomas Middleditch. It was a blast, we spent the entire weekend together enjoying music and comedy. We also got to watch 'Birdman' at the Alamo Drafthouse and it's probably my favorite film of the year. I wish I could have taken more pictures but my phone camera broke, I finally have a replacement though. I think it's important for couples to travel, especially if you don't get to spend much time together. Eddie and I take every chance we get to travel, it's an opportunity to escape and enjoy each others company in a great city. We've been thinking about moving to Austin since we've both live in the city before but who knows.. I guess it's just where I get accepted to Graduate school when I start applying after the summer. It's crazy that I'm finally seeing my life moving forward. It's scary and exciting all at the same time. This semester is quickly coming to an end and I couldn't be anymore ecstatic for the winter break. I'm going to Denver, Colorado with Eddie for six days. I get to see museums (my favorite), hopefully snow, botanic gardens, The Nutcracker ballet and that beautiful Denver skyline. I am literally counting down the days, the day after my last final I am taking off to Austin and flying to Denver for my winter vacation. I hope you all have fun winter holiday plans. I can't wait to relax and unwind with family and friends during the holidays, it's always such a great time. I also plan on doing a ton of reading! I've managed to not only read my textbooks but finish two books this month, hopefully I'll make it three. If you are lost and in your twenties I suggest reading Amy Poehler's memoir 'Yes Please' she's down to earth and completely honest. I know she is my comedic idol and role model but I think it's a book that can really help anyone having a tough time trying to figure out who they. Trust me, you won't regret reading it. Lastly, I'm going to leave you with my current favorite artist. She is a wonderful gal all the way from Australia and her name is Courtney Barnett. She kicks ass, she plays guitar and she's absolutely adorable. I discovered her earlier this summer and had to catch her set at FFFnites and she's phenomenal live. I hope you enjoy!
I have abandoned my blog and I started writing in a journal. I feel like I can express myself through writing in a journal and no one can read it or judge me. I can literally write down anything I want. I do miss writing on my blog though. I've been pretty great lately. School is ridiculously easy and I have a lot of free time to spend with Eddie. I don't have a job but I did start selling clothes on Vinted which is a an awesome app where you can your sell new/used clothes. It's like Buffalo Exchange/Plato except you price your own clothing/accessories and mail them to your buyers. I'm making a lot of profit so it's been pretty fun. I'm also keeping myself busy when I'm not with Eddie by learning to code. Other than that, I've been focusing all my attention into my relationship because I've never been happier. When you fall in love with right person and grow up into a semi-mature adult you begin to realize what's most important in your life. The relationship I share with Eddie is special and I just love being in love. I know, cliche. It's the best feeling in the world to have someone who misses you the second you leave. I may have been in love before but it has never been like this. Life with Eddie just makes sense. I do need to make more time for friends and family..sometimes I feel like I get a little distant from everyone because Eddie is always working so I try and spend as much time with him as possible. Everyone just has their own lives going on, it's hard nowadays to make simple plans..or we're all just too tired at the end of the day. I haven't even gone out in weeks. I just got sick today (because of Eddie) and even though my throat was hurting and I felt weak, I instantly felt better when I saw my boyfriend. As the semester keeps moving on I am excited for it to end because of the upcoming trips I have planned. Eddie and I are going to Austin for five days in November for Fun Fun Fun Fest. I bet it's going to be fun. :p I'm excited for the comedy, bands and just enjoying shows in chilly weather with my love. We are also traveling to Denver, Colorado in December for six days. We are leaving the day after finals. I am so excited for Denver. I've been once when I was young and I can't wait to visit again. Also, it's going to be freezing. I'm hoping I get to see snow. We already have plans to see The Nutcracker ballet. These next months are going to be exciting for me.. I hope they are for you as well. I'm going to continue writing in my blog. I miss it.
Lastly, I'll leave you with this song.. It perfectly states how I've been lately.
Jessica Simpson Nude Heels from Dillard's - $49.99
[My Aunt Patty, Mother, Myself and Aunt Sandra]
Today I learned that people are always going to let you down.. no matter what. It's okay though when you have the most wonderful boyfriend, awesome family and friends you can count on. I'm glad to be where I am surrounded by people that actually care for me. I spent the day with my grandmother, mother and aunts at a Wedding Shower for a dear family friend and I appreciated every moment. My family has always been accepting of whatever I want to do and they support and guide me if needed. I'm just trying to appreciate every moment with everyone in my life who is special to me. I've been let down and affected by so many people during my twenty-two years of living and it's time to just forget about all the negativity. I don't want to take anything or anyone for granted. There is nothing wrong with being optimistic right? I've been a pessimist far too long.
My friend Sarah had to cancel on me this evening because of summer school. She isn't done until next week so we rescheduled. My boyfriend knows how much I love going to Roosevelt's so he decided we should just make a date night since I no longer had plans. I decided to throw on this cute crop top I purchased at Target for only $17.99 along with my high waisted skinny jeans from F21 that were only $10.99! I finished the outfit with my adorable flat forms I also purchased online at F21 for $27.99. I am so excited for our little date, I love spending time with Eddie and dressing up is always fun. Have a fun and safe evening everyone!
I apologize that I am still working on my travel post. I have been using iMovie on my MacBook Pro that is five years old which basically means it works extremely slow. Also, my boyfriend and I also share a charger so I haven't been able to finish editing my videos. It will be soon, I promise!
[Ferdinand enjoying the beach]
In the meantime, I have been wanting to blog so I figured I might as well post something. This past weekend was spent at South Padre Island with my entire family, including my wonderful boyfriend and a spoiled little English Bulldog (Ferdinand). My family went to the beach because my uncle got married to his fiance this past Saturday. It was a lot of fun seeing my family and spending time with them on the beach. We ate a lot of good food, hung out by the ocean and enjoyed a beautiful wedding ceremony. It was my first time attending a "beach wedding" so I wasn't sure how casual I should dress. I bought a cute little romper from Shop 112 (local boutique) that my friend Sarah suggested I wear for the outdoor wedding. It was the perfect choice because it wasn't going to fly up on me (major plus) and it was comfortable in the awful heat we've been experiencing in South Texas. The wedding was short but it was nice to see my uncle so happy and I was glad to be there and witness it. The rest of the evening was spent with my boyfriend and my cousin Brandon who was visiting from Washington State. We drank a lot! It was tons of fun hanging out with my cousin that I hadn't seen since middle school, he is my only close cousin on dad's side of the family so it was cool to show him around the island and hang out again. We ended the evening drinking in the sand and walking along the water. Anyways, that was pretty much my weekend. I've done quite a bit this week. I've been making sure to run 3 miles everyday so I can lose some weight and it's been pretty tough but I've been keeping up with it. I just had to take Mia and Jade to watch The Guardians of the Galaxy, I saw the midnight showing last Thursday and fell in love with the movie. Chris Pratt has a special place in my heart and the movie was easily my favorite Marvel movie. My sisters loved the movie just as much as I did and I was glad that they enjoyed it. Since I babysit them all day we've also been playing a lot of Rock Band on the PlayStation and I've been cooking for them. We've also been checking out the library and making stops at Target. It's been a lot of fun hanging out with them and I'm really enjoying the last few weeks of Summer. The fun shall continue tonight because Sarah and I are going to Roosevelt's for our usual Thursday hangout which means good beer and conversations. The rest of the weekend I plan on editing, writing and doing a lot of reading. I hope you all have had a fantastic week and that you continue having a fun summer because it is almost over! Thanks for reading, I appreciate it.
[chris cohen - don't look today]
Before I go, I want to leave you with another chris cohen song. I can't get any of his songs out of my head. 'Overgrown Path' has become my favorite album this summer. This song is my favorite to sing along to, I hope you like it.
Hello readers, I am currently working on gathering all of my photos and videos which is taking a little longer than I anticipated. I apologize for not getting my post up on time but I am working on it and it's coming together great. I can't wait to show you everything. Stay tuned for my upcoming travel post!
Hello there my wonderful readers, I am back in Texas. It was pretty dreadful to return to the awful heat we are experiencing in Texas but it's still nice to come back home to my dog, family and friends. I vlogged and took plenty of pictures for my next blog post about my travel experiences. I am excited to tell you everything about my trip, I had an incredible time in Washington and Oregon. I hope you all had a lovely week. I'll try and upload my blog post with a video and pictures by the end of the week. In the meantime, I have a little sneak peak video from the Great Wheel in Seattle.
Thanks for reading and be on the look out for my upcoming blog post!
Hello, hello! I have had the most fantastic week. I spent almost everyday with Eddie, Mia and Jade. I got A's in both of my summer classes and just relaxed and went exploring around McAllen. I purchased a lot of clothing and I'm thinking of doing a haul sometime soon. One of my favorite purchases was a Mac Demarco shirt I got on Etsy and it's absolutely adorable. I love Mac's little gap and I was so excited to wear it. I leave to Seattle on Wednesday so I've been preparing an itinerary for my trip and doing a lot of online shopping which means I have a bunch of new clothes and accessories to take with me to Seattle. I made sure to be productive with my time this week since I am not going to summer school. I even finished a 400 page book!
McAllen Public Library
If you live in the Rio Grande Valley I suggest checking out the McAllen Public Library. It used to be a Walmart store so you can just imagine how many books are stored in this wonderful facility. On Monday, before I drove over to library I registered online for my library card. Once I got inside the library with proof of address + ID I was able to obtain my library card and now I have access to everything that McAllen Library has to offer. I checked out a book for myself, books for Mia and Jade, travel guide to Seattle and a DVD. I am encouraging my little sisters to read more by taking them to the library and letting them pick out whichever book they would like to read. I gave them a week to finish their book and we will go back tomorrow to check out new books because we all finished our books. I decided to read 'Z a novel of Zelda Fitzgerald' by Therese Anne Fowler and it is a must read if you enjoy reading about the lost generation. Fowler manages to capture such detailed imagery in the novel, it was written extremely well. I finished the novel in just two days because it was so captivating. If you do decide to read the novel I suggest reading 'This Side of Paradise' beforehand. Also, let me know if you read it because I'm dying to talk to about the book. It's the most heart-breaking story and I have absolutely no one to talk about it with. The novel inspired me to travel, live in different countries, write short stories, learn french and continue to lead an unconventional lifestyle.
International Museum of Art and Science (IMAS)
I enjoy museums and love admiring art. The IMAS is a museum in McAllen with a small but educational art and science section. The art section was large in comaprison to the science section. It was interesting and most of the art pieces were Latin American. They also have a nice large playground outside that my sisters enjoyed playing on. The science exhibit is quite small but interactive. Eddie and I enjoyed acting like kids playing all the game hands-on games with my sisters. All in all, it was a fun, educational and good experience at the IMAS.
Flamingo Bowl + Moonbeans
I am absolutely horrible at bowling. I can't even bowl over 100. It's quite sad and embarrassing but it's always fun to bowl with your family. I spent the afternoon bowling with my dad and sisters. Mia and Jade were still getting the hang of it so they had a lot of gutter balls. I had a lot of gutter balls just because I am awful at bowling. After a few games of bowling we went to Moonbeans for coffee (for me) and to spend some time reading. My sisters and I finished the day by baking some glazed chocolate donuts at home.
Before My Trip...
Tomorrow I am going to go to the library to pick up a book to read during my trip to Seattle. I am also going to get travel size items and start packing because I have to leave Tuesday because I am flying out of Austin at 6:00 a.m. Wednesday morning. I am going to stay with my friend Viv once I get to Austin and I'm excited to reunite with her because it's been over a month since I last hung out with her. I am anxious to travel and I can't believe I am leaving on Wednesday. My itinerary is packed with visits to museums, parks, libraries, bookstores, record stores, rose gardens, good eats, bars and even the Rogue Brewery in Portland. I will be vlogging and taking plenty of pictures for my blog.
Music to my ears...
I've been listening to The Velvet Underground + Nico on repeat this week. I found my CD that I purchased when I was in Middle School and it's still in great condition. If you've never listened to the entire album I suggest you add it to your list. It's one of the greatest albums ever recorded. Andy Warhol produced the art-rock progressive album. I love the songs with Nico, I find her voice soothing and unique. I hope you enjoy it.
The Velvet Underground + Nico - I'll Be Your Mirror
Oh my gosh, it's been awhile since I last blogged. I apologize for not posting I was busy with summer school and trying to stay away from social media. The summer semester went by really fast but it's all over now and I am just waiting for final grades to be posted. Anyways, I need to update you on my life in the past two months. My relationship with Eddie is the best ever, in August we will be dating for a year already. How crazy is that? We are going to Seattle/Portland next month and I promise I will vlog this time, I didn't vlog in my Austin trip. Now that I am done with summer school I have about a month and nine days until the Fall semester in August. I plan on keeping myself busy by reading and learning more French, also getting by substitute certification so I can sub during the year as a part-time job. Right now, I am just looking forward to traveling, I leave to Seattle in just 10 days!
Austin..
[Morrissey show, Halcyon, Pluckers and my cutie pie]
Alright, Austin was loads of fun. I hung out with Eddie, Pete and Vivian most of the time. We ate good food, drank too much and did all of the "Austin-ey" things you are supposed to when visiting. Eddie and I booked a private room on AirBnB and we stayed in East Austin which is close to downtown. The room was pretty okay for the weekend, it was really cheap so I didn't complain. My highlight of the weekend was MORRISSEY, of course. The performance was beyond my expectations. I actually cried because I was amazed by his incredible voice. If you have never been to Austin I suggest checking out my favorite local places in west sixth downtown area. My absolute favorite record store is 'Waterloo Records' and I love purchasing used CDs, vinyl and books. You should also check out 'Book People' it's such a cool bookstore. Eddie got me a signed copy of 'The Fault in Our Stars' from the bookstore. Anyways, that was pretty much my trip to Austin. It was a good and short trip, I definitely miss living in the big city but I know I'll be heading to the West Coast soon.
Eddie turned 23..
On May 31st my boyfriend turned 23 years old. I got him some cute and thoughtful gifts along with a giant cookie cake. We spent the day together eating bbq, watching a movie and then in the evening we joined friends for some beers at Roosevelt's. It was a nice day and Eddie loved his gifts that I got him.
Summer I and Summer Fun...
[Eddie and I at wedding, Beach day picture, Sarah and I, Wedding Outfit (Sarah lent me accessories), Selfie after getting ready]
I decided to take summer classes which meant I was busy during the week but I had Friday's off and that was pretty great. I had to write plenty of essays during the semester but it's all over now. I just want to graduate and finish as quick as possible. I won't be taking Summer II because I will be traveling and I am 100% okay with that.
I've been spending a lot of quality time with Eddie this Summer since he has been working a lot to save for our upcoming trip.Eddie and I attended one of his friends wedding which was a lot of fun getting dressed up and dancing..of course drinking as well. We also were able to visit the beach for the day which is always a nice little getaway. I've also spent time with my friend Sarah and we've become even closer since I've started living in the valley again. It's nice to have a friend that you can just text who is always down for a drink, good conversations and food. I've decided to stay away from social media this summer and hoping to not go back because it takes up a lot of time and I don't like being glued to my phone. I will be able to keep up with blogging now more since I don't have school and I can focus all my attention on one website instead of having various social media websites.
Seattle/Portland trip!
Eddie and I will be celebrating our 1 year anniversary soon and this a trip we will be spending together next month. We love Seattle and I can't to visit again with my wonderful boyfriend. I have so much planned and we are staying near Alki beach which is about 10 minutes from downtown. I also get to go to Portland, Oregon this time. I am extremely excited because I've heard Oregon is such a beautiful place. We will be taking the Bolt Bus to Portland from Seattle and I can only imagine how amazing the scenery will be on the way over. Oh, did I mention we are going to watch Modest Mouse? The tickets sold out in two minutes and I was fortunate enough to grab us a pair of tickets. I'll be in Seattle/Portland from July 16 - July 21 so keep up with me on Instagram my account is latelywithdeb, i'll best posting pictures on their. I'll also be vlogging this time so I may have my YouTube channel set up by then.
My treat to you..
I am going to leave you with this artist who is signed on Captured Tracks. He is an artist from Los, Angeles California and his name is Chris Cohen. I suggest listening to his album it's called 'Overgrown Path' it has an interesting sound and I love his voice, it's so calm and soothing. It would be perfect to listen to while sitting on a beach. This song is called 'optimist high' and it's one of my favorites off the album. I hope you enjoy it!
