Flowers.

A sea of photos detail the beginnings of my May.

This past Friday, my friend and I ventured to Chicago for the weekend. We didn't have any rhyme or reason for our trip, and literally on a whim saw flight deals from Houston to Chicago and decided to randomly go. In the midst of looking for hotel rooms, we discovered that the NFL draft was being held the same weekend we were scheduled to be in town as well as a host of other events. We set off with no agenda or itinerary, just the desire to enjoy ourselves and have a good time.

It was close to midnight by the time we made it to our hotel. Danielle, who checked us in at the front desk, armed us with a ton of suggestions on places we should visit while we were in town. After debating over whether we wanted to be old ladies or venture out, we decided to get our lives together and head out towards Hubbard Street.

First off, our hotel was perfectly situated by the river and walking distance from a large majority of the sights we wanted to see. As we walked towards Hubbard, we stumbled upon a display of all the NFL teams in the courtyard directly across from the Chicago Tribune.

And of course we had to represent for the home team, and take some obligatory photos by the Texans helmet... I'm not a big NFL person surprisingly, but I do love my JJ Watt team.

I'm easily distracted, so of course I was mesmerized by the architecture, the sculptures and just the overall essence of the city at nighttime.

I snapped some pictures of the columns, and then turned my attention back to the NFL display....

I love New Orleans, so I snapped a quick shot of the Saints helmet for good measure & we continued our journey in search of Hubbard.

Let me first start off by saying that Hubbard Street was a lot. It's very reminiscent of 6th Street in Austin... a lot of drunk co-eds, a lot of too short dresses and too high heels and lest I not forget... drunk co-eds. Maybe ten years ago this type of scene would have excited me, but now it just makes me hold on to my purse tight and frown judgingly. I'm all about a good drunk fun time circa Bourbon Street (in New Orleans) but people under the age of 25 haven't really mastered the art of knowing their limits... There were plenty of people stumbling to the ground, police/ambulance, and a whole lot of vomit.

Not cute at all....

We both agreed that we were too old for this scene and decided to go out in search of food... but unfortunately we did not leave fast enough, because by the time we had made it halfway out of hell the crowds, an unidentified gentleman grabbed at my friends parts. Fortunately she was able to swat his hand away before he was able to get a handful of the merchandise, but it stood as yet another reminder that we did not need to be on Hubbard. We were also accosted by a pimp and a ton of people selling CD's.

Welcome to Chicago, I guess.

Needless to say, we spent the rest of the night devouring our food, and laughing hysterically at the events of our short time on Hubbard.

Although it was well after three am when we went to sleep, we still woke up bright, early & anxious to see the city.

It,
Was,
Absolutely,
Amazing,
Outside.

Literally breathtakingly amazing weather....

I said I wanted blooms for May, and boy did I receive them. Tulips everywhere. Beautiful flowers lined the streets as we made our way down Michigan Avenue & the Magnificent Mile. I waved at Nordstrom's as well continued our trek to the Navy Pier. Let's just say we did a LOT of walking....

So much so that we devoured lunch, and then splurged on churros & vodka flavored snowcones. While we enjoyed our treats, we were overcome with the beauty of it all. Sometimes a beautiful day, can remind you of just how beautiful your life really is. We had to take a praise break and just absorb our surroundings..... It's truly a blessing to be able to experience so many things. We had to take a moment to acknowledge just how far we had come & and just how much more we had to go.

I'm glad I was able to share that moment with my friend, in light of that weekend being the anniversary of us passing the bar and overcoming so much to make it in our profession.

Good stuff.

From the Navy Pier, we walked to Millennium Park, through the Art Institute and over to NFL Draft town.

Again I'm not the biggest NFL fan, but we still had to represent for the home team.... Go Texans!

After all of those miles walked, we crashed for a few hours then woke up ravenous. We decided to try Lou Malnati's for dinner & were treated to a pure orgasmic experience with our deep dish Italian sausage classic Chicago pizza.

Devoured.

Through instagram hashtags, I found an event for us to attend that night at NYCH gallery. We didn't know what to expect, but surprisingly ended up having a great time and meeting some really nice people. We watched the fight, admired the art, laughed at the locals then ubered to Greektown where we sat another hour talking to our new friends....

It was after 3 when we made it back to our room. After sharing a few more laughs, I fell asleep. I think the laughs are the best part of all our trips. The memories last, but the jokes and laughter last even longer in my opinion. I can't always remember where I went, or who I met but I can always remember the moments that made me laugh until tears stream down my eyes.

We were up early again to check out of our hotel & meet up with our friends who live in Chicago for brunch. It was great to catch up and pick up right where we left off with friends neither of us had seen in over 3 years. The food at Wildberry's Pancakes was also amazing. (The bacon omelet, hashbrowns & apple pecan cinnamon pancakes tasted way better than they photographed...)

After brunch we headed back down the Magnificent Mile so I can could get some shopping done. I didn't buy much, but I did buy a lovely pair of sunglasses that I will be wearing the heck out of this summer. After that, we were ready to go retrieve our luggage and make our way back to the airport so we could catch our flight.

What started off as a spontaneous trip to Chicago, literally ended up being full of beautiful moments & scenes that I will cherish for years to come. Life can be absolutely beautiful, and sometimes it takes letting go and just taking that leap without truly having a plan to experience the greatest moments of all. I feel as if we had over thought this trip it would not have been as fun. It was fun exploring the city, taking in the sights and being forced to acknowledge just how blessed I am. Around every corner was a bright speckle of color turning the ordinary into the extraordinary.

May will definitely be full of flowers.

Ode to April.

Pardon my French, but... 

Fuck April.

April, oh April. 

You've brought plenty of showers. 

Rain storms in the form of stress, sleepless nights, worry. 

Unwanted changes, hospital scares, random trips to the ER. 

Grown up decisions. 

Did I mention lack of sleep? 

I've been so worn out. 

So many weeks of hearing tales of how rough you have been to my friends. 

Everybody has seriously been through it this month... But fortunately there is a light at the end of the tunnel. 

April showers, bring May flowers. 

That's my hope & belief. 

All the rain has set up May to be full of growth, increase, light, color, abundance & most importantly flowers. 

I can't say April was all bad, because it did have its share of good. 

I got to see a close friend marry the love of his life in New Orleans, I put on my first event with the organization I'm the social chair of, but most of all I've laughed so much that I'm almost certain all the trials and tribulations of this month will be funny to me in a few years. I can honestly say that although I didn't accomplish many of the goals I set for myself last month, I do still feel like this month was worth it. 

It takes hard times to truly appreciate the good ones. It takes something major for you to realize what and who is really important in life. Sometimes it takes you losing control, to truly be in control of things. 

April, I thank you for the lessons & the blessings, but I am so happy to see you go. One more full day till May..... 

And I'm ready for my blooms. 

April Goals....

The first three months of 2015 went by ridiculously fast. Slightly whirlwind-ish I would say. Now that the dust has settled and a new month is upon us, I'm looking forward to all that April has to bring. 

In an attempt to hold myself accountable, I decided to make some goals for the month for myself.

1) Read two books. I've been slacking. Work has been so overwhelmingly draining that the thought of having to read once I leave my office gives me hives. Not cool at all. I don't want to lose touch with one of my favorite past times simply because work has been so draining as of late. 

2) Spend QT with my sister. I get so caught up in the day to day that we rarely make time to do things with each other, which is also not cool. 

3) Actually work out. This one is self explanatory, but the way the weeks are set up this year it will be summer before we know it.  I'd prefer to be ready for it. 

4) Step my savings game up.... I've been doing a lot of spending, but slacking on the saving. I need to make sure I pay (myself) before I play. 

5) I would like to either try three new restaurants or events that I've never been to. I like having new experiences and there are plenty of things to do in Houston that I've neglected to explore and experience. 

For example, the Bayou City Arts Fest. This was my first year going and I loved it! So proud of my friend who iscurrently serving as Board President of the Houston Arts Alliance. They are responsible for hosting the festival and it turned out amazingly!!!

 

6) My most important goal for the month, and really the whole rest of the year is to step up my faith. I still struggle with doubt. The unknown terrifies me... But I get stronger with every lesson learned. I know I'm a work in progress, but I really want to hold myself accountable to recognizing my moments of doubt and leaning on Him moreso than leaning on my own understanding & reasoning.  

And with that, cheers to April!

A Journey.......

I didn't want to get out of bed Sunday morning.... My week was filled with phone calls that never came, devoid of the good morning texts I had become accustomed to, hours upon hours of days without the sun & entirely too many documents to review in the office. Needless to say my attitude had been on a continuous downward spiral and wallowing in the bed seemed like a much more viable option than getting up for church that morning. Fortunately, by habit I've trained myself to immediately roll over and check my phone first thing in the morning for any messages that may have come through while I was asleep. A text. Church..... I painstakingly rolled over and got dressed to meet my friends at the church we visited earlier this month.

As I waited for my friends arrival, the sun covered me and I instantly felt a moment of gratitude.
A moment of tranquility in the midst of the chaos that had gathered inside my mind.
And then we walked in, and after the pomp and circumstance the actual church service began...
By the first few sentences I knew this would be a message sent straight from the Lord specifically for my ears to hear.

The sermon was handcrafted to bring tears streaming down my face, and that it did.
As the pastor preached on having faith in the midst of waiting for your prayers to be answered I openly wept. Not because I was unhappy or sad, but because it truly brought comfort to me to know that what I was feeling was natural. So many times I had asked when would my prayers be answered. So many times, the things I have wanted so bad had been delayed and I truly had begun to lose hope in feeling as if those things would ever come true for me. There have been so many times where I let others drag me into believing that certain things would never come into fruition and that it was pointless to continue to pray for them to come true. The whole week prior to that moment I had asked myself why it appeared as if everyone elses prayers were being answered but mine...dreams were coming true, relationships were blooming,goals being achieved...but my prayers on halt for whatever reason.... The whole sermon was my reality...

Faith. The word slapped me in the face as it has so many times before. The one virtue that has constantly wavered throughout my journey, always a constant reminder that I must have faith. There will be obstacles and delays. Prayers will be answered in whatever order the Lord sees fit, but faith is something I must continuously have. I don't know how long it will take, but whenever it happens I will be glad it did. I must have faith and not lose sight of what I want in life just because it isn't coming when I want it to. I must continue to have faith along this journey and never cease praying for the desires in my heart. Even in the midst of waiting... I must have faith.


Patience.

After church, my friends and I decided to meet up in the park for a bike ride. I literally have not rode a bicycle since like 1994...
Seriously.
As usual I had my reservations, but I figured since the day was so beautiful I may as well forego my usual Sunday lounging & get out and do something different.

After what seemed like hours of waiting before our journey began, we finally headed out.

I would be lying if I said it was easy, and that I didn't want to give up so many times. There were so many turns and twists... Bumps along the way... obstacles. I had moments where I had to stop and catch my breathe and fight back tears because I literally felt as if I could not go on.

At one point, I watched as my friends set out in front of me as I lagged behind. I felt defeated, and almost envious as I watched them in the distance. Left behind. Almost losing control. But not once did I fall.

My friends brother stayed behind and offered advice & encouragement... We traveled at our own pace, as I admired the scenery. We rode through the park, into downtown and then finally we reached a stopping point.

As I hopped off my bike, I not only felt angry but annoyed that they had sped by so many things without taking the opportunity to gaze upon the sights...
and in that moment of frustration (and one of my friends popping off) I turned around and saw what the rush had been about. The view of the entire downtown skyline was behind us.

Sometimes life is not about keeping up the pace with everyone else. Everyone has their own obstacles to overcome, their own sights to see, their own falls...setbacks, twists and turns...but ultimately if you keep pushing and moving forward you will all make it in the exact manner that you are supposed to. There is no need to rush, or take short cuts... Just keep going, and working towards your goals....

After taking a moment to admire our city and have a mini-photo session, we took off for our next destination...
Mango Beach.

Snow cones & fried desserts gave us the fuel we needed to finish the final leg of our ride.

I was able to keep up the rest of the way. After miles of practice, I finally got the hang of things.

It was easy, like riding a bike.....
No pun intended.

I had to fight through it, but I didn't lose sight of our final destination.
I had moments of weakness, but I told myself to keep pushing.... keep pedaling, until finally we made it.

Life really is a journey. We must have faith in knowing that one day everything will fall into place. Every set back, and every delay will prepare us for that moment when we are ready to cross the finish line. All the people that leave us behind, everyone that you watch in the distance.... Maybe they left for a reason, and maybe they are too far off in the the distance for us to really see the things they are dealing with on their own. Just keep going.

The feeling of finally making it feels so good, but the battle getting there is what really matters.

Life really is a journey...

A Little This, A Little That...

I've been longing for....

Spring. 

For something to occur out of the ordinary. 

To be overcome with infatuation & have the feeling be mutual. 

Pastels. 

Sunny days. 

Lightheartedness and overflow of whimsy. 

New adventures. 

Soul connections that breed longevity & consistency. 

But most of all, I'm longing for freedom. 

And to be captured. 

Simultaneously. 

This has been the coldest, rainiest, lack of sunshine present everyday March I can remember. I'm miserable. Well, not miserable in the sense that I haven't been enjoying my days... but miserable in the sense that I stare out my office window everyday into gray skies. Gray skies lead to daydreaming of a land far far away, but it does not lead to the most productive use of my work days. 

I miss Spring. I really and truly do. Yes, I understand that Spring doesn't officially begin until March 20th, but down here it usually would have made an early appearance by now. I'm pretty sure I'll live to regret this request for warmer temperatures once Summer arrives, but for right now all I want is a patio and a sundress. But I digress. 

Nothing much going on in these parts. 

A lot of trip planning, concert going, memory making, giggles and living. 

And daydreaming of course....

Oh, and curls. 

Mood.

I'm still trying to figure out how today is March 1st. I feel like I was just toasting to the new year, and getting ready for my trip to New York... yet here we are, already in the third month of the year. But I digress. 

I feel like although I had a busy weekend, it was pretty chill. I've been in a strange mood lately. Maybe it was the returning to reality after being in New Orleans, or the fact that it's still cold in Houston & I can't remember what the sun looks like...

It's hard to explain, but I just feel restless lately. I've had plenty of nights where I've stared at the wall well into the night unable to fall asleep, with my mind on so much. I don't necessarily have anything negative going on... I just feel restless, like there is more or something else I need to be doing. 

Last weekend, we went to a party at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. I followed up with going to an event at Esperson Gallery and by that Sunday morning my spirit was yearning to do something creative.

When I was young, I spent the majority of my days either reading, writing, painting or conducting some sort of scientific experiments. Needless to say, I was (still kind of am) a nerd. It has been years since I created something of my own (outside of those Painting with a Twist birthday parties) so I figured it was time to do something about that. 

A friend and I took to Michael's and I bought paints, brushes, canvases and ink for calligraphy. I went home and just freestyled some abstract art. 

I'm so out of practice, but it just felt good to create something that didn't require too much thought or that wasn't for work. I honestly feel like the more we learn, the less we create. It's hard to find time to pursue your passions when you spend so many hours of the day working. 

Last week, I reviewed so many documents and looked at so many files that I literally cringed at the thought of reading for pleasure when I got home. Reading is something I truly love, so I  know something has to give. 

I love being an attorney, but I'll be damned if it strips me of all my creativity. -End rant. But seriously. Something has got to give, so I resolved to do something that taps into my creative side on the regular. 

My work week was pretty busy, as it has consistently been since last November but it went by fast so that's good. I spent this past Friday night having dinner with a close friend from high school & enjoying drinks and alittle people watching at a nearby lounge. 

Saturday, I went to the annual Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo Cook-Off, where I drank and ate entirely too much. Always a blast. 

I woke up ridiculously late this morning, and cleaned up until it was time for my spa date with my best friend. We went to Sensia Japanese Day Spa for hot stone massages and I've been plastered to my bed ever since I made it home from our post-massage gossip session. 

I literally have not moved for hours. I would be concerned if it didn't feel so good. But I figure I deserve it.... 

My March will be filled with a few fun outings hopefully, but for now I'm hoping my mood changes. And if it doesn't, I hope I can atleast make some sense of it and figure out exactly I'm supposed to be doing or learning from it. 

It's like the universe is calling out to me for some reason or another, I just haven't put my finger on the reason quite yet... but I'm doing my best to be receptive. 

I guess we shall see......