A Lulu Marie Summer

A Tuesday for a Monday...Don't Mind If I Do!
1. Eventful weekend with the girls.  High heels & educational dinners.
2. The start of a Lulu Marie Summer. A sea-foam "Popsicle" cruiser from Dre & Adge :)
3. Beach-driven days, J.LO featured playlists, and Blonde Bombshells in hand. 
4. Local adventures, lemonade for a $1.00 and carefree naps with Nelson. 
5. Open hearts, steps forward and lessons learned. Growing in love, faith & happiness.

Surprise/Early Graduation Gift from Andres & Adriana

To-Do's That Have Been Done in My Little, Wonderful Life
1. 3 weeks worth of laundry has been washed/dried/returned to its rightful place.
2. Survived my first bike ride downtown (in line with traffic!) by myself this afternoon. 


Prayer Requests
1. Those who have nothing nice to say. Being mean is not hip.
2. For continual growth & patience during the process of searching for a job. 
3. Open eyes & ears for help to listen & respond when I am being called. 


Tuesday Night Jams (a repeat this month)
1. KOL's New Album. Extremely therapeutic after a long weekend.  

My Monday

Lovely weekend & solid Monday :)
1. Went off-roading through an apartment complex Friday evening. Brief, yet exhilarating.
2. Made my first Farmer's Market purchase Saturday morning. A knotted bracelet & a pickle.
3. Purchased Spoleto tickets with Andres! Trombone Shorty & Circa the 2nd week of June!
4. Came across a plank of wood on our run Sunday morning! For our next project :)
5. Read Water for Elephants at WaterFront Park all Sunday afternoon. Loved the sun. 
6. Painted an "ode" to Jimmy Buffett last night. A Parrothead life is the way to go. 
7. Was approved for medical insurance today! Great, great news. Ollooo (MegaMind) Aetna!
8. Had a 1/2 day at work today! What's not to love about that. 6 more weeks to go!
9. Delicious shrimp pasta dinner tonight! 3 cheers for honey mustard and italian dressing.
10. Spotted a perfect window pane on Rose Lane today. For our next, next project :)


To-Do's That Have Been Done in My Little, Wonderful Life
1. Letters stuffed & stamped. Sending out 4 out with my resume tomorrow! J.O.B please!


Prayer Requests
1. Those in Missouri for relief, rest and shelter. 
2. My younger brother & his budding music career. 
3. Emily & Marshall as their wedding day approaches :)
4. Those studying for Step One in June. 
5. My classmates as we begin the job search. 


Monday Jams: Pitbull Craze
1. Pitbull & NeYo: Give Me Everything
2. Jennifer Lopez & Pitbull: On The Floor

Love you studs!! Have a great night. Check back for updates regarding my art projects! Can't wait to share :) XOXO.

The Immortals

With hopes that there is at least one faithful follower out there, I am back and deeply apologetic for my 24 day-hiatus. I have no excuse for my absence, no adventures on the other side of the world to speak of or a Picasso-inspired painting to display. 

What I would like to share with you is that I am one day closer to graduation (July 16th!) and find myself in a mad-pursuit to land a job here in Charleston (prayers deeply appreciated). I am still madly in love one year later and still break out in a sweat any time someone mentions his name. I am still enjoying my downtown apartment, though I curse the occasional “Palmetto Bug” that insists that he lives here too. I recently made a trip to Nashville to visit my girlfriends and find it comforting that some things never change. I still aspire to run everyday but find my comfy chair & Ellen DeGeneres more appealing after getting home from an 8 to 5 workday. I still snooze my alarm clock 3 times (maybe more depending on the weekday) before crawling out of bed but still manage to get to work with 2 minutes to spare. And lastly, I am still trying to perfect the art known as "cooking," but have developed a new love for whole grain spiral mac & cheese...by Velveeta. So, in a nut shell, my life is ever so blessed and I am most happy with my current situation. 

With this blog, I still intend to share music with you as it enters my life. I have had wonderful music experiences since my last posting, specifically with The Movement at Patriot's Point in Charleston. Wish you could have been present. However, it was not their show that instigated tonight's post. 

I was driving home from work today and found myself talking in circles. Not literally talking to myself, but most definitely in a cloud of thoughts that refused to give way no matter how hard I tried...that is until "The Immortals" started playing. I was not a fan of the new Kings of Leon CD when it first released, but their album has grown on me and their sound has not changed. For once, I will not share too much of my opinion with you regarding a song, but I do encourage you to take the time to listen to the lyrics and see how it might apply to your life at this point in time. 

This song personally lifted my spirits and saved me from crushing those I love most. Consider it a swift slap, a kind reminder, a best friend telling you to hang in there, to never settle, to live, to love and most importantly laugh at yourself...to find out who you are and who you want to be, to realize that there is more to life than you may allow yourself to see, and to never lose sight of your hopes & dreams. 

Give "The Immortals" a listen tonight. Know that I miss our careless ways and the times we took for granted when we lived together in the same space. Time to step into the light. Good night, my friends. Remember to always "Jump into the waters even when they're raging..."

40 Days of Blessings

Lovely time in Miami this weekend. Was able to see my dad and younger brother and just relax. AND I was able to dive into some chocolate come Sunday morning, which was much needed after 40 days of "abstinence" :) I was nowhere near a computer during my travels, so here is the last of 40 Days of Blessings.


40 Days of Blessings


Day 39 (Saturday): Family & Roots of a Rebellion

• A soulful reggae band from a city that is renowned for country music? Believe it. From Nashville, TN comes a band known as "Roots of a Rebellion" or also known as "ROAR." Their sound is comprised of honest & humble lyrics accompanied by wicked vibes. Feel-good music sets the pace for this band as they begin their Louisiana/Texas Tour in the upcoming months. Give them a listen. You'll find them easily contagious.  Personal favorite: "The Giving Tree" and "Charleston" 

Day 40 (Sunday): Chocolate & Matisyahu

• Came home to a surprise Easter Egg Hunt in my apartment: 19 eggs to find in 5 minutes. I was the happiest 24 year old ever as the majority of the eggs were filled with 3 Musketeers...my favorite :) Closed the night watching movies late into the evening & spending time with "that someone special"...Great end to a relaxing weekend with the family. It was great to catch up with my kid brother & pick his brain for new music. Nothing too new was revealed, but some true gems resurfaced during our little vacation in Doral: O.A.R, Phoenix, SOJA and Matisyahu. A fresh take on beat-boxing, Matisyahu will set you straight and ignite your soul. Check out "King Without a Crown" in the video below. Hmmmm! 

• Love you all. Hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend and were able to spend time with family and friends. Miss you dearly and sending you my love. Take care.

40 Days of Blessings

Friday. Good Friday, that is :) It has been a busy week at Carolina Hand Therapy, but things are starting to look up. Working with hands is completely different from inpatient. It is a greater challenge than I could have imagined, but the therapists that work there are on top of their game and are wonderful educators. 


I have seen traumatic injuries, amputations, tendon ruptures, hypersensitivity following carpal tunnel release, wrist fractures, guyon's canal, joint contractures, cubital tunnel, lateral epicondylitis, elbow contractures and wrist drop. My primary CI was out this week vacationing in the Keys, so "the boss" of Carolina Hand Therapy was my supervisor in her place. I was intimidated at first, her being the owner of CHT and all, but what a great person and hand therapist! I have learned so much from her this week and really look forward with working with her in the future. That said, this week was again, busy, but a great learning experience! Now that my work day is done, it's off to Miami for the Easter weekend!


I will be spending the weekend with my dad, brother, Tatiana, Karina and Sebi in Miami. Beach tomorrow and Easter Egg Hunt on Sunday :) Looking forward to some sun,  some relaxation AND of course, celebrating Jesus and His resurrection! I will be celebrating with some much needed chocolate and attending church with my family. Just have to board that plane first...


I will be leaving later this evening and couldn't be happier to get away from the rain that has bombarded Charleston the last few days. We got hail yesterday afternoon, which I was not prepared for. It was a slight disaster, especially since I had to dig out my keys from it's hiding spot before I could even frantically run to the apartment door to take refuge from microchip ice balls. Truly don't mind trading in some hail for some sand between my toes :) But, in jamming out to Pandora, I would like to give you a "Rainy Day" Playlist for those of you who might be in the same bad-weather boat. Miss you all...as always. Check out 40 Days of Blessings right below! Happy Easter Weekend! 


Rainy Day Playlist

• A Fine Frenzy: Near to You
• Jack Johnson: Cupid
• Colbie Caillat: Midnight Bottle
• Parachute: She is Love
• Jack Johnson: Angel/Better Together LIVE
• Anna Nalick: Breathe
• John Mayer: Perfectly Lonely

40 Days of Blessings

• Day 35 (Tuesday) My New Glasses...darn pink eye symptoms!
• Day 36 (Wednesday) Teachers...absolutely love learning about hands!
• Day 37 (Thursday) Dog Walker...rescued me after I locked myself out of the apt!
• Day 38 (Friday) Cold Milk...thank goodness my fridge is working again!

Can't wait to share my first Miami experience with you next week :) I'm sure I will be typing away leaving chocolate smudges all over my keys...Ahhh! Hugs & Kisses, my friends.

40 Days of Blessings

Wonderful weekend "Wastin' Away Again In Margaritaville" :) Indescribable fun with a rowdy group of parrotheads down in Tampa, Florida. Went into work today and no lie, the first song that came on our facility's radio was "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Honeeeeey!!

Such a great "mini-vacation" to take right at the beginning for fieldwork #2 :) Wish you all could have been there. Met some awesome people on the trip and ended the night walking hand-in-hand with my honey humming "Brown Eyed Girl." 

Since I was not near a computer to blog my blessings this weekend, I will do so now to maintain speed as Easter approaches :) For Day 32, Friday: praise God for Alma Maters!! Got the chance to see Dre's old stomping grounds and finally visit Stetson. Did a walk-through the frat house, bar hopped to his favorite places and closed the night sharing taquitos and corndogs during a walk back home. Loved meeting all his friends and getting a feel for his college days :)

For Day 33, Saturday: Jimmy Buffett and um...JIMMY BUFFETT! What a groovy "old timer" this man is and forever will be! Just spreading good vibes and living the life. Spent the day being a wild parrot and a loyal pledge. For Day 34, Monday: Laughter...or should I say "Reir." As I expected, I was a tad tired come Monday morning; however, my spanish-speaking patients really got me through the day and kept me laughing. Laughter can cure any slump :) Thanks to them for keeping me going!

40 Days of Blessings

Happy Thursday. Hope everyone is doing well and looking forward to the weekend. I will be headed down to Tampa, Florida this weekend for the Jimmy Buffett concert, so I am most definitely looking forward to the next few days and sharing my first JB experience with all of you :)


In honor of my upcoming trip to Margaritaville, here is a little JB-inspired playlist for you all to kick back and enjoy! Miss you all! Little blessings this week listed below :)

• Margaritaville: Jimmy Buffett
• Three Little Birds: Bob Marley
• Kokomo: The Beach Boys

The Little Blessings
Day 30: Strawberry Cream Cheese
Such a great comfort food for breakfast! Spread it on Oatmeal bread accompanied by a glass of milk! Perfect breakfast to start my morning off right!


Day 31: Love, love, love!!
This blessing has surfaced various times during the Lenten season, but my goodness! You can't live without it and it has been most present in my life the past few days :) Blessed with love all around! So thankful!