Beautiful wild horses in Corolla, NC.

I just got back from a week of sunshine & relaxation in the Outerbanks of North Carolina. I went with my family which is always nice & care-free. Now I know what all those bumper stickers were talking about! I spent my days at our private (!) swimming pool or soaking up the sun by the beach. But, now I’m back to reality. My apartment is in complete disarray as I begin the transition of moving into the new place. I hate clutter & it seems to be suffocating me at the moment. AHopefully I’ll be able to get things organized, packed, & moved into the new place by the end of next week! In the mean time, here are a few of the pictures I took the past week. I didn’t take too many because my dad is quite the photographer & I left a lot of the picture-taking up to him. Perhaps I can snag a few of his to post later.

Kevin couldn’t come on vacation with us because of work, so his only request was for me to taking a picture of (in his words) “the place on the beach where they put up the fences and there’s high grass growing around it” because it’s his favorite part. So, here you go. These are for you, Kevin!

This was the SUV we drove around in for our wild horses tour. A little bumpy, but so much fun!

Kevin & I walked around the neighborhood of the new place earlier today. Over-the-Rhine, Cincinnati is such an interesting neighborhood. There are abandoned houses right next to newly renovated, beautiful homes. Today was my first time really venturing out into the neighborhood to take photographs. I am looking forward to doing it more often in the future!

Kevin loves exploring new places.

Myself; looking pretty “natural”. I don’t really fix myself up too much in the summertime. I get too hot and sweat it all of anyways!

These stairs are on the same street as our apartment.
Someone painted them with these awesome swirls.
I envision many a photoshoot here in the future!

These little lizards are everywhere. I almost stepped on a few of them.
Kinda freak me out, but I’ll be okay.

Well, I hope you enjoyed a glimpse into my new ‘hood. As I said, I hope to take more photographs of it sooner rather than later!

I had the absolute pleasure of attending my friend Liz’s wedding in Fortville, Indiana yesterday. I didn’t get a chance to take as many photographs I had been meaning to. Actually, to be honest, I took a lot at first but realized my memory card wasn’t inserted into my camera correctly! Urghh! Regardless, it was an absolutely magical wedding. Liz decorated it herself down to the smallest detail. Everything was beautiful! Congrats, Liz & Steve!

Honey!

Me & the lovely bride!

This is such a beautifully simple idea. Its a great example of how taking an idea & running with it can yield fantastic results. To see more, along with a complete list of full addresses visit Papercut.

Good morning! Today is my second snow day in a row! I’m quickly learning the perks of being a teacher. Yesterday & (so far) today have been full of luxurious amounts of nothingness! Here are a few photographs I’ve taken thus far today. As you can see, my cat Atlas is joining in on the laziness as well. He was sleeping with me when I decided to get up & make the bed. He wouldn’t move, so I decided to simply make it on top of him. He doesn’t seem to mind too much, does he? He actually stayed that way for about ten minutes! What a nerd.

A view from my apartment window. I’m too much of a baby to go outside & take proper photographs.

Kevin helped me commemorate my very first official snow day by marking it on the calendar. I wrote in “Snow Day #2″ today. How cute, right?

My cute necklace stand given to me by my dear friend Ashley. I just felt like photographing it today for some reason. The thing on the left is a CD that my mother decoupaged with my favorite Emily Dickinson poem on it. So sweet!

I suppose that’s it for now. I am going to go read Pride and Prejudice, drink my chai, & bask in my own laziness.  Are there any photographs of my life that you’d like me to take? I’m taking requests.

Just thought I’d stop by & share some photographs I took on my 23rd birthday yesterday. The boy & I were pretty proud of ourselves because we managed to have a fun-filled day without spending any money! The photographs are from Cincinnati’s Krohn Conservatory which (according to their website) has more than 3,500 plant species from around the world. This is one of my favorite places to go when I feel like exploring & taking pictures. We also went to the Cincinnati Art Museum which is also free & then went to see Away We Go which I totally recommend. Such a sweet, cute, & funny film.

(I’m in love with Bonsai trees. I just adore how they look like tiny minature forests.)

Hello! So, next Wednesday (July 8 to be exact) I’m turning 23. I guess I’m rather “meh” about the whole thing. After you turn 21, I feel like there’s not really anything to look forward to. I mean, I’m not one of those people that feels depressed about getting “old” & I realize 23 is still considered pretty dang young. Regardless, I’m not overwhelmingly excited about my actual birthday. However, I am excited about a little get-together I’ve decided to host in honor of my birthday next Friday. It’s going to be a wine/cheese/bread/etc themed party! I’ve actually never hosted a proper party at my apartment before, so it should be interesting. It’s not going to be anything extravagant– just a small gathering of good friends & (hopefully) good conversation. I’ve been spending the majority of the day making the playlist for my party. I plan on posting it here for you to download when it’s finished! Should be pretty great by the time it’s finished.

Anyway, all of this “party planning” business has inspired me to look for some interesting & lovely party decorating ideas out there in the black hole that is the internet. Here are just a few of my favorites:

These little nightlights are so freaking cute & would give the perfect ambiance to an evening party. (via marthastewart.com)

These are awesome because (a)I love cupcakes & (b) I love putting faces on inanimate objects.
So, combining those two things = DOUBLE WIN. (via aashdown)

Polka dots everywhere! My dream come true! (via camillestyles’ photostream)

The morning of my birthday, I’d like to wake up to this. Just sayin’. (via 20×200)

What about you? Have any inspiring birthday images/links/decor ideas/etc. to share with me?

Yes, that is me in the above picture. Sadly, it’s probably the most recent picture of myself I have on a bicycle. That probably goes to show you how much expertise I have on the matter of bikes and biking in general. Regardless, I have been mulling over the idea of riding a bike as an alternative mode of transportation for a little while now. There are a few reasons this appeals to me. First of all, with the fluctuating price of gas and the economy in the midst of a tail spin, biking would leave me with a little more spending money in my pockets. Secondly, although Cincinnati is not notorious for being the most “biker friendly” city– with its many hills and its lack of appropriately designated bicycle lanes– I still feel it is a shame to live at the heart of a city and not own a bike! I also would be remiss if I left out the whole “going green” and getting healthy motivation for biking.

Although, I must admit, one of the main reasons I want to get into biking is the sheer “coolness” factor that comes along with it. I have always thought that people riding their bikes to the grocery store looked pretty bad ass; especially when biking up next to me whilst I’m driving my (totally the opposite of bad ass) white Hyundai Elantra. I have always found the whole “bike scene” to be very appealing– albeit slightly intimidating. Therefore, I have decided to go on a quest to discover what a “wanna be” biker needs to know in order to make the transition with ease.

I began my research by posing a question on Bikeforums.net which is an excellent source of information about all things bike-related. I received several responses to my question in which I asked what sort of information I need to know before purchasing a bike and/or beginning to bike as an alternative mode of transportation. One member gave me some good, practical advice:

I was also curious to know what types of things I should look for when purchasing a used bike. I don’t want to be swindled into purchasing a “lemon” used bike. Here is what one article said on the subject:

Next, I was worried about sizing. It seems to be the number one reason as to why people struggle to purchase a bike. I know it’s one of the main reasons I have had trouble finding a bike.  A member on Bikeforums.net told me this little piece of information: “If you’re 5’6″ to 5′ 10″  a 19″ frame should fit pretty well. Taller? Try 21″. Shorter? Try 17″. Seeing as I am barely 5’5″, I think this means I am going to need between a 17″ to a 19″ frame. Here is a link to another excellent resource for more specifics on finding a bike that will fit you properly. I believe another excellent and practical piece of advice that I received was simply to test ride the bike. If it doesn’t feel right or comfortable, it is probably not the right one for you.

Consequently, May is Bike Month. There are a lot of events going on around Cincinnati in order to advocate and help get people out there riding. Below is a short video that aired on the local news featuring some avid bikers in Cincinnati:

Although I haven’t found a bike quite yet, I believe I discovered a lot about the “nuts and bolts” of purchasing as  bike from the feedback on the discussion board. I plan on keeping you posted and letting you know how my progression is going. I know there is still a lot to learn. Do any of you have any advice?

Here are a few helpful resources if you are interested in getting connected with the bicycling community in Cincinnati as well as some other basic and important information in regards to bicycling in general:

Bicycling life – (Practical Cycling tips
Cincyrides.com
Cincinnati Cycle Club
Queen City Bike

This is where I want to live. It looks so beautiful, while still totally livable. This wooden beach house in Maitencillo, Chili has me dreaming of moving somewhere that I can always hear the waves lapping against the shore. Just think about waking up to a deck like that to watch the sunrise. And, would you just look at those walls? Go here to view bigger & more photographs.

{via NOTCOT}

Another place you  should visit if you happened to find yourself in Austin is Hey Cupcake! As you can see from the pictures, it’s a cupcake stand. Not only is it an adorable idea, it was the best cupcake I’ve ever had! If you go, I would recommend the red velvet cupcake– that’s what I got. But, I am sure whatever you get will be equally delicious. Who doesn’t love a good cupcake?

{Location:}
1600 Block of S. Congress
Austin, Texas 78704

{Hours:}
Tuesday-Saturday: 12 to 9pm (or until sold out)
Sunday: 1 to 8pm (or until sold out)
Closed Monday