easter surprise.

today had a lot of mini-miracles. despite a crazy day at the office--i still had energy. that alone is a miracle. {it seems these days i never find the time or ability to sleep.} so to feel awake all day at work is amazing. the second miracle came when my on-call shift at j.crew wasn't used. i had been 99.9% sure that they would need me tonight, so when they told me no i could not have been happier. but the best of all best surprises? my easter surprise from my sweet mama. oh how i love her. she is my best friend and knows me so well. what was the surprise you are wondering?!

S A L T W A T E R S A N D A L S

i have the fondest memories of wearing these cute, comfy and practical sandals as a little girl. i am soooo excited to begin a new summer and make new memories in my saltwaters {this time around i feel much older, but somewhere in there is the same little girl}. i tried them on the second i figured out what was in the package, and instantly fell in love with them all over again. i even frantically ran upstairs to show my roommate...and then downstairs to show two more in the kitchen! none of them had worn or heard of them before, so my excitement over such a simple sandal was probably a little strange. but they are just so fantastic. {they will be perfect with painted summer toes and glorious sandy beaches...just thinking ahead to my vacation to Duck Beach in May!} isn't it wonderful how mothers know just what their daughters need at just the right time? i have been feeling a little sad that i won't be home for easter this year. it's really one of my favorite holidays. it's so peaceful and a time where i can reflect on my Savior and His love for me. the gift of His atonement is the most incredible thing in the world. usual easter festivities include church, an egg hunt with the kiddos {where sometimes i get to pretend i am still young enough to find the magically hidden eggs that the easter bunny has brought} and dinner with the whole family at grandma's...and while i will be away from my family this year, i am lucky to have the blessing of being with them for eternity.

a passing thought.

do you ever walk the same path...
on a regular basis?
almost daily.
but then one day,
have you ever walked on the other side of the sidewalk?
it's a completely different perspective.
the light falls differently between the buildings.
your feet trip on new cobblestones.
the view of your surroundings
becomes unfamiliar.

Giving Thanks.

So this year I spent Thanksgiving away from family. I have done this once before (when I was in London for a couple days before flying home from my study abroad...but was able to spend it with my lovely friends Kendis and Lynzie and Kendis's sweet family). But this time it was different. I live away from home now. As in I have to fly home to visit for the holidays. I'm trying not to think about that return flight on December 27th too much. Anyway, I wanted to take the opportunity to share some things I am thankful for this holiday season. I happen to love this time of year (it's what keeps me excited working in the retail world...).

celebrating the birth of our Savior
soft scarves
family
caramel apple cider
helping people buy gifts
mistletoe
homemade desserts
christmas music
good books
fireplaces
linking arms to stay warm
long phone conversations with friends far away

And lastly, I am so thankful for sweet new friends that let me and Lauren spend Thanksgiving with them. Dinner was fabulous and tasted like it came from Martha Stewart's kitchen. Then to top it off Mackenna made the.most.delicious.pies.ever. The crust was buttery heaven and the filling was incredible. Homemade pumpkin and apple-cranberry from scratch. I even witnessed the apple peeling. Thanks for a lovely evening girls!

Life lately...

It turns out a lot can happen in a day. Life has become so unexpected since graduation...I have never had my life feel so open ended. Don't get me wrong, it is pretty wonderful. I'm just not used to it. I am used to structure, deadlines, responsibilities, schedules. Especially over the last three weeks, I have felt like a walking question mark.

Anyway, that's enough of my serious thoughts. I want to tell you about my day yesterday! Oh my goodness, it's kind of out of control. and kind of a lot, feel free to skim if desired. i won't even be offended.

Part-one. My morning started early as I showered, dressed and got ready to head to Silver Spring, MD (just outside the DC boundary...) for a job interview at APHL (Association of Public Health Laboratories). My interview was scheduled for noon, but I wanted to give myself plenty of time to metro over and find the building. Naturally this meant catching the 8:35 am shuttle. I arrived, found the building, then scoped out the area for the closest Starbucks. I ordered my hot cocoa and pulled out my laptop. 10:00 am. Luckily, I had nerves to calm and paperwork to fill out for the next two hours. Me being the classy lady that I am put on my make-up in the bathroom. Yes, you read that right. I spent all morning make-up less because I am that awesome. or lazy. or just can't ever stop snoozing. and I always run down the hall to catch the shuttle regardless of when I wake up. I know, I'm ridiculous. 11:45. Interview begins and I felt really good about how it went. It lasted about 45 minutes and required a lot of repetitive questions about what kind of employee I am, why Public Health, blah blah blah. But the two women I interviewed with were wonderful and would be great to work with. After the interview I felt I deserved some lunch so I treated myself to Chipotle (conveniently located around the corner! yay!). I didn't expect to hear back from them for a week because they told me they were still doing a primary interview on one last candidate and then they would decide who to call back for second interviews. 1:20. My phone rings. It's APHL offering me a second interview!! Oh my gosh, I cried. Literally. I am sure everyone thought I was crazy. Unfortunately it's not until October 17th because they are going out of town (again.).

Part-two. On my way home I decided maybe I would follow up with Anthropologie (I interviewed there last week but they are staffed right now, but may have temp openings for the new store on F street that opens next week...). I asked for the manager but he wasn't there, so I got his phone number and left the store. I passed JCrew and on a whim decided to go in and look around at all the pretty clothes. Again, on a whim, I asked one of the girl's for an application. She gave it to me and told me I could fill it out there if I wanted to. I decided I might as well, and plopped down in the shoe section to fill it out. When I finished I asked for a manager to hand it in to. After introducing myself and the manager taking a 10-second glance at my application she asked if I had 5 minutes? She thought the hiring manager was still there and felt like she should grab him. I agreed and she left to find him from the back of the store. I anxiously waited for about 5-7 minutes and then out she came with Andrew. We hit if off instantly (he loooooved my handshake! asked where I was from and said I was glowing!) and after explaining that I had never lived close enough to a JCrew to work there he jumped straight in to asking me if I would pass a background check. I said yes and he handed me a waiver. From there he went to get the store manager and we talked for a couple minutes about where I was from, etc. and then she went back to the back. Andrew then asked if we could just chat for a few minutes and he asked me to explain why I liked JCrew. I explained how its classic, timeless and not trendy. And that I just loved the aesthetic of the store. He g u s h e d about the word aesthetic. He went on to talk about the position a little bit, the dress code, and invited me to orientation TODAY! Ah! I walked out of the store in complete shock. Ijustgotajobatjcrew. Dream come true? Yes. To end my day with a bang, Georgetown Cupcake didn't even have a line. Best carrot cake cupcake I have ever tasted.

Part-three. So I went to orientation, filled out some of the paperwork (but unfortunately my passport wasn't in my wallet like I had thought, and my roommate couldn't find it anywhere to text me a picture to prove I have one, so I have to go back to orient the rest of the way on October 18th). Like seriously, this is my life? I can't believe it. I am super bummed that I didn't have my passport, but I didn't realize I had to have it with me 100%. He asked if I had one but never told me why it was relevant. I figured it was for the background check or something. Stupidstupidstupid me. But that's ok, he said they will be calling as soon as my background check clears to officially offer me a position. Now what do I do if I get the job at APHL? Someone please make that decision for me if I come to that point. I don't think I can choose. Maybe I will do both!