A Happy List: 162

My new commute is so much shorter than it was! We are five minutes from a train station, as opposed to twenty! / So my mom got an alarm system. She set it for the front door, but it was still counting down and scary. So I was teasing J and was like, "Hurry!!!! WE ONLY HAVE 30 SECONDS! HURRY!!" He was in the middle of gathering his stuff to leave. I turned around a few seconds later and he had a box of donuts and was running for the garage door hahahahah. #priorities / Getting good grades on projects I put minimal effort into. / Catching up on my Bloglovin' feed for the first time in like, a year. / Being practically done with school! I technically have one 2 hour class once a week until the second week of August, but I'm not counting that because it's whatever. / Editing a shoot! I've missed photography as a side hustle. / Having two sinks again. I hateeeee sharing a sink lol. I'm probably the worst to live with. / My mom bought us chocolate cake donuts with chocolate frosting (because they don't exist in CT) and it was the sweetest thing. / Having bangs again. / All the new Netflix shows that are out! Criminal Minds isn't as good as I remember it, though? 

Here are some funny things people said this week:

J when I suggested we go to Taco Bell: *said really fast* Aweeee, you're so nice and sweet because it's not your favorite place but you go there for me sometimes.

My mom: I feel like I should pinch your butt!

Me on my Instagram story: *picture of a rose plant* How do I keep this alive?
My grandma: Water

XOXO
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Weekend Links

Has anyone else watched Gypsy? It's pretty good but I feel it could have ended stronger. Also I have to lol because it's about a therapist who lives in Connecticut and commutes to the city. And I'm an almost therapist who lives in Connecticut and commutes to the city. 😱

THIS HARRY POTTER COLLECTIVE GIVES ME LIFE.

Um, dad goals right here.

Do you even love your dog/cat if you don't do this?

This is the cutest dress!

You need these for your skincare routine! They are normally $5, but are on sale for $2.50 right now. I would have bought 10 but they only let me get 3 lol.

I have a hard time just sitting and watching T.V., so I picked up one of these a few weeks ago and it's been really fun to get back to basics!

XOXO
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Connecticut Guide: Nom Eez (Ramen!)

So I mentioned yesterday that we moved! We now live pretty dang close to Fairfield, Connecticut, like we could throw a rock and hit the town line. We are technically in Bridgeport. It has a reputation for being pretty dangerous, but since we are so close to the town line our little area is pretty safe. (At least according to the maps on Trulia lol). Anyway, so I always feel the need to let people know we are in a safer area of Bridgeport and not threatening our lives.

ANYWAY. Fairfield is like A+ food wise, I hear. Our biggest complaint about Connecticut is that there aren't many places that are in between fast food and restaurants. Ya know? Like places you can order food and sit down, but it doesn't have a drive thru and you don't have to pay a waiter.

So apparently Fairfield has these places and I'm like "J I TOLD YOU WE WERE JUST LOOKING IN THE WRONG PLACES."

Needless to say, our new apartment has me feeling very inspired and creative. Thus the sudden increase in blogging. Also I have more time, so maybe that's it? Idk. WHO CARES LET'S TALK ABOUT FOOD.

So this place is called Nom Eez and is SO. GOOD. They also sell Donut Crazy donuts which is weird but amazing, because they are our favorite donuts.

J got this rice which was like $8 and I honestly would get that next time. I got the ramen (pictured below) and it was so good, but also like $11 I think. And with the rice I felt like it was pretty fancy and a lot of food? So we are probably going to stick with that!

When I asked the girl to box up my ramen, she was like, "Oh you didn't like it?" And I was like, "I did, I am just done?" Lol. But then also we went out of town shortly after and I never finished eating it. Also I think it's still in my fridge and it's been there for definitely 2 weeks. So that will be fun.

CAN SOMEONE PLEASE BACK ME UP ON THIS!!!! I SWEAR TO YOU Androids take photos that look different than iPhones? Like they look more bubbled and weird to me. I don't know. I can't stand it though. My phone shattered so all my photos have weird light leaks now, but whatever.

So, hopefully I'll be able to give you guys some yummy Connecticut food recs now that we are closer to good food!

XOXO

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Chillin' W/ Ma Boys

So I'm pretty much done with school until September, so blog posts comin' your way!! These pics are from forever ago when we explored the dog park with T. This was 5 minutes from our old apartment! #bae

So something gross about Connecticut is that there are ticks. Tucker already has Lyme disease so I guess it doesn't matter, but also they are so gross and I hate them. They are so small, like how are you supposed to be able to find them in a fluffer (a fluffy dog)?!?! We found one in Tucker's ear and I FREAKED out. I stripped down, made J check me everywhere, and then took a one hour shower lol.

Needless to say, T hasn't been to many dog parks since then. I need to take him to the one by our new apartment and see if it's any better tick-wise.

I've said it once, and I'll say it again! I. Can. Not. Wait. To. Get. Back. To. The. West. Coast.

I know I need to appreciate this moment and blah blah blah blah. But I'm really strugglin'! I feel we are so close to moving (10 months!) and I am so close to being done with school FOREVER it's just getting hard to keep a way positive attitude. I just want it to be over and be moved already! Gah!

XOXO

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A Happy List: 161

1. / I have been doing more social media things lately and it's been so nice to have some sort of a job! Getting into tons of debt is no fun but being able to pay for some vacation and side stuff with my income has been really nice!

2. / TUCKER! He is a dream. He is SO SMART. I want to train him to be a therapy dog and he is well on his way! We have had him for about a week and he has already learned sit, lay, shake, and wait for food. He learns tricks in under ten minutes, I swear to you! Next I want to teach him how to fetch on command, and then teach him to get his leash and bring it when he wants to go out.

3. / So J builds computers and is starting to turn profit too! I can't get over how cool it is he builds. computers. LIKE WHAT! Who builds computers?? It's amazing to me because I like, could not at all.

4. / A guy on the subway gave me his seat. Chivalry does exist! This used to happen more to me when I lived in New York (duh) but hasn't happened in so long!

5. / Humidity! I hate what it does to my hair, but LOVE how it feels! If you guys follow me on my Snapchat (although I have been using Instagram more now) you know I often sit in the bathroom with the shower running and eat cereal lol. It's my go to when I'm sad. The humidity feels like how the shower feels! I love it!

6. / My stereo has been broken for about a month now. I turned on the radio the other day and they were playing Hands Down by Dashboard Confessional! This was my favorite song for so long! Definitely made my day.

7. / One of the advertisements on The Art of Charm was for underwear lol. 

8. / We move into our new apartment this week and I'm so excited! It's SO BEAUTIFUL! I'll have to do a lil' apartment tour. I photographed our New York apartment but haven't done very good job at photographing our current place. Oh well.

9. / A new Planet of the Apes is coming out! I loveeee Planet of the Apes for some reason? Like it is debatably my favorite movie to watch when I'm sad.

10. / I have made SUCH good food this weekend! These vegetarian lettuce wraps were so good. We ate this broccoli crescent wrap in like, 2 seconds straight. I also do avocado toast with cream cheese, red pepper flakes and honey that is TO DIE FOR! Oh, and I made French toast with French bread and my mom's buttermilk syrup recipe. It's the best. J said it was better than Kneader's so TAKE THAT UTAH!

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Here are some funny things people said this week:

J: "Em. Sometimes at work we go DAYS without any lulz."

Me: "Hey! Don't eat those! They're for a recipe I am making later."

J: "Wait... why are there two gone though?"

Me: "..."

My mom: *answers her phone* "Hello? Em, hold on. I have to call you back." 

Me: "Ok?"

J: "Ok, what the fetch is that app that like goes for a second and then rewinds?"

Me: "Boomerang?"

J: "Yes!!! It's starting to annoy me, it's everywhere!!"

J: "I made us a pizza! And I made you a little plate. But then I ate the whole pizza. Now I don't feel so good." 

J: "Em! I blogged!"

Me: "No way!? Good job bb!"

J: "Probably like one person read it. And it was me."

J: "Em, I am DTB. Down to braid!"

J while playing video games with friends: "Wait, who's titanium biceps? Oh that's you? K."

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It's been a minute since I've done these happy lists! I'm almost done with my crazy semester of school and then I'll have a little break. One of my friends might come out to visit and I'm v excited!

XOXO

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E

P.S. Do you guys like the numbered format better than the old format I did where it looked like a tree? I think I like it better. 

P.P.S. I just realized this picture is a little blurry. Ugh! This is my argument for why DSLRs are better than handheld! I use my handheld every now and then when I need quick 

Weekend Links

This video about addiction IS SO GOOD. If you never click a link I post, please please please click this one. It's so good and something everyone should know.

This video of beagles that are used for lab testing being released for the first time is SO PURE. It makes me sick people experiment stupid cosmetics on poor animals. If anyone knows of a good app that says what is cruelty free, let me know! (I downloaded the one they reference in the video and it keeps giving me an error!)

These dog memes are TOO GOOD.

One of my favorite shows is being turned into books!!

Highly recommend this video about Scleroderma. Chanel is truly inspiring!!

For any LDS friends struggling with church culture, this article is really good! (Also move out of your state if you can lol.)

Favorite dresses under $25:


XOXO
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Pupdate: 1 Week

How far along: Officially 1 week today!

Name: Tucker

Gender: Boy

Sleep: He didn't sleep at all the first night we got him, but now he is sleeping through the night. He used his bed for the first time last night! We crated him the first two nights, but I feel bad keeping him cooped up, so now we close our bedroom door and he does fine. 

Size: About the size of a regular suitcase.

Likes: My keys, bones, shoes, sleeping by J's fan, getting rubs, the dog park.

Dislikes: Going up and down the stairs, getting in and out of the car, when we pass by dogs and he can't play with them.

Milestones: Learned how to sit, lay, fetch and wait for food. Had his first bath and peed on my towel out of anger afterward lol. Spent 4 hours in the house alone and did not destroy anything. 

Best moment this week: When he learned how to go up and down the stairs! Now he will just randomly go up and down the stairs to prove he can. Also, since we got him from a shelter it has been really fun to see him warm up and become his "true" personality. The first night we got him he didn't sleep AT ALL (so I didn't sleep at all yay). We also had to teach him to how to play with toys, which is sad to think he is 1 and never learned how to play with a toy! He used to pace a lot too. Now he just relaxes during the day, sleeps all night, and naps when we are out of the apartment.

Food cravings: We want to train him to be a therapy dog so we are giving him 0 table scraps. 

What I'm looking forward to: Training him to be a therapy dog and being able to use him at my practice! So far he seems to have a pretty good personality for it, so I'm crossing my fingers he'll stay this way!

XOXO

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That Time I Locked My Dog In The Car And Had To Call The Police

GUYS. I AM THE WORST DOG MOM.

So Tucker doesn't jump for whatever reason. Like, he has before but as a general rule he doesn't. I think it might have something to do with his Lyme disease? Like at the shelter they made it sound like something that will go away in a bit, but idk. I need to do more internet searching. We are taking him to a vet this weekend.

ANYWAY. 

So, I put my keys, phone, and wallet in the car. I spent a minute or two trying to get him into the car, and ended up picking him up and putting him in. He's heavy! So then I shut the door and heard a *click*. I was like WHAT. Literally my car doors just locked. Like... just locked.

So I immediately started to freak out. I ran back to my complex (I was parked in the front) and realized I didn't have my scanner to get in and find a phone. Weirdly and luckily there was a pizza guy walking back to his car after a delivery. I ran up to him and was frantically like, "I need your phone!!!!!" He was just like, "Ok." and immediately handed it over haha. I told him I locked my dog in the car and we debated whether or not I should call 911 before my panic gave in and I just dialed it.

First time in my life ever calling 911 lol.

They transferred me to my city's 911 and I told them I locked my dog in the car. They said they would be right over. The pizza guy left and I obsessively paced around my car, looking in at Tucker and trying to open doors. Also I found a bobby pin on the ground and tried to hack it lol. No avail.

(I should add I had been crying earlier in the day because of internship frustrations and was taking Tucker to get his first puppaccino from Starbuck's as a pick me up.)

So then this woman parked behind me and obviously realized there was SOMETHIN goin' on with me. She was like, ".... what's going on??" And I was like, "I LOCKED MY DOG IN THE CAR AND THE POLICE ARE COMING BUT THEY ARE TAKING SO LONG!!!!!" So we started googling like how long it took for dogs to die in hot cars and google was like, IT CAN HAPPEN IN MINUTES!!!

So I obviously like, completely lost it at this point and was like I AM BREAKING A WINDOW!!! So the woman called her daughter (who she was coming to visit) and was like, "I am down here with a girl whose dog is locked in her car. Can you bring down a towel?" 

A few minutes later the mom started walking to the complex to meet her daughter right when I saw a police car in the distance and I was frantically like, "IT'S OK!! THE POLICE ARE HERE! POLICE!! OVER HERE!! "*WAVES* *GOES TO CENTER OF ROAD AND WAVES FRANTICALLY*

So, not one, but TWO cop cars pulled up and out popped THREE cops (like geez). The cop was like, "Which switch is the lock switch?" And I was like, "I don't know!!!" And then he just started to put the stick through the window anyway. I went to the other side and remembered it was by the handle and went back and was like, "It's by the handle!!" He was like, "Which one of these?" (Referring to the window switches.) And I was like, "No, it's by the handle." And he was like, "This one??" And I was like, "NO!!! Let me show you!" *grabs a different cop and takes her to the other window* "It's right there by the handle, do you see it??!!"

"Oh, Bill!!! It's by the handle!!!" 

At this point there were 3 cops, a mom, a daughter, 2 onlookers, and some moving guys invested in the show. 

Bill (not real name) finally got it unlocked and I jumped in, cranked the A.C. and pet him until all the people left lol. Then I took him to get a puppaccino lol. The good thing is he seemed relatively unphased? Dogs, man. So resilient! Needless to say, I am now the most paranoid person about my car doors automatically locking.

XOXO

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WE GOT A DOG.

GUYS. WE GOT A DOG. We have been wanting one for quite some time, but wanted to wait until school and commute times were more chilled. I had alerts set up on Petfinder to notify me of new Australian Shepherds and this dude popped up! We went to look at him last weekend while we were in the midst of searching for a new apartment. We drove 1 1/2 hours to Jersey to see him! He was so cute and so friendly, I fell in love! 

We left to sleep on it and J was like, "Wasn't that fun to play with a dog?!" And I was like, "Um yeah but we need to get him?" So after a LONG discussion we decided that if two things happened, we would get him. Thing #1: Sign for our new apartment. Thing #2: Get approval from our current apartment to get a dog without having to pay the $600 fee. 

We signed for our apartment on Sunday, but they released the 24 hold they had put on him for us. I begged them to hold him for us until we heard back from our apartment, but they wouldn't. The woman was like, "If it's meant to be, he'll still be here when you hear back!" 

So, on Wednesday J came home and was like, "Em... I've got something here for you..." and then threw a dog toy at me and was like, "THEY AREN'T GOING TO CHARGE US ANYTHING!!!" And I was like, "WHAT!! WE CAN GET HIM?!?!" And then started crying hahahaha.

Since we are both busy and the place was a 2 hour drive, we had to wait until Saturday to get him. So I called Saturday morning with my fingers crossed that he was still available, and he was!!! It was raining SO HARD on the way there and back. On the way back we had to stop in Union City for J to drop off a computer he had built. I was stressed about being in the car alone with Tucker since he was fresh out tha kennel.

So, we pulled up to an apartment complex in Union City (which is like, a city). J hopped out and started helping the people unload the computer stuff from the back of the car. He left to help them with it into their apartment.

Long story short: Tucker started yelping and whining and I went from 0-100 stressed real fast. I kept telling myself J would be back soon and was giving Tucker treats and petting him, but he wasn't calming down. So like 4 songs went by on the radio and J still wasn't back. Oh yeah, and my phone was back at home, dead for the weekend. So I had no way to contact J.

It stopped raining, so I grabbed Tucker and went for a little walk, also searching for J cause at this point I assumed he was being held by gunpoint. We walked up and down the street like, twice, chat with two strangers, explore a grassy area, and jogged for about 5 minutes... Still no sign of J.

I was SURE he had been murdered and chopped into little pieces and I was going to be widowed and have to borrow a stranger's phone to call the police and they would be like, "Why didn't you call sooner?"And I would be like, bawling and say "I DON'T KNOW WHY!!!" 

By the time Tuck and I were done running around in the drizzle I was sweating and in full on panic mode. I got back in the car and started crying lol. Like, literally 30 seconds later J comes hopping on over, waving to me through the window.

I was like, a hot mess. We talked and let's just say he is in charge of giving Tucker his pills for the next 2 weeks haha (he has Lyme). Oh, and it turns out he was gone for close to 25 minutes! Like I felt like it was long, but also a part of me felt like J would be like, "It was only 5 minutes!" But when he realized he had been gone for so long, and remembered I didn't have a cell phone he felt so bad hahahaha.

So then we drove home and the maps app weirdly took us through New York City which reminded me of how glad I am to not live there anymore (lol). Also they told us to keep Tucker's cone on so he doesn't bug his stitches, but he literally hasn't tried to bug them? And also he can't fit in his crate with the cone and we very much need him to be on the crate train game pretty much ASAP. So last night I took it off and have been using a T-shirt instead. #pray4tucker

Last night was our first night with him and he was so stressed! I had the cone on him and just let him free in our bedroom, since he couldn't fit in the crate very well. He was up walking around, whining to be on the bed, jumping off the bed, looking out the window, licking my hand, etc. until about 3:00. Which also means I was up until 3:00. Then he somehow got his cone off (or J took it off because it was annoying as heck) so I threw a t-shirt on his legs and body. After that he went in his crate (!!!!!!) and slept in there until 6:00am. 

Today he's been a little more himself. He is leash trained and a DREAM to walk. He doesn't tug or pull you or anything. He is also pretty much potty trained. He has had 2 leaks when we didn't take him out fast enough after waking up/taking him out of his crate, but nothing major. He doesn't bark that much, only whining when he doesn't get his way and then that builds up to an occasional bark. 

He has Lyme disease (Except they said it will go away? So maybe it's just an infection or something?) which we are giving him pills for until the 30th. Also, he may have something with his back feet? Like he will go up and down the stairs outside, but won't go up and down our stairs in our apartment? Also when I got him to come up, he tripped a little bit going down. Also he won't jump onto furniture, like our bed or anything? If you guys have any ideas what could be up, lemme know. We are going to take him to the vet this Saturday and will tell him about it too.

He's been so good so far! I'm v glad we got him! I can still confirm no dog will ever be as good as Trixie, but that's alright! With a lil' training he'll be a good floofer in no time. I don't know if I talk about school on here or not? And am too lazy to search back my posts, but I am in school to be a therapist and will be done in less than a year! So I really want to train him to be a therapy dog and think he could be really beneficial to clients. People love him so far! I swear every time we walk him and pass someone they stop and pet him. We took him to the dog park just barely and he was just licking all the dogs. It was so cute haha.

Sorry in advance for all the puppy posts!

XOXO

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Staycation: Boston!

IT'S BEEN A MINUTE! Ok so I have this new thing where I like to put vertical images side by side, but when I do it through coding it throws off the number of posts that show up on my home page. So, I did these in Photoshop instead, and it took a minute! 

But alas I am finally posting all of this. Hey, also, does anyone have a good website that prints blogs into books? I think I am going to delete some of the old posts here once they are in book form.

ANYWAY. So back to when my mom came to visit, we drove up to Boston for the day! When my mom was planning her trip, she was really pushing staying over night in Boston. I was like, "Let's just drive up for the day?" And she was like, convinced it wouldn't be enough time there. Well, well, well. Guess who is always right? This girl!

Nah, jk.

But actually just driving up for the day was a perfect amount of time for us! We headed out at 7:00ish and got home around 9:00 or 10:00. Not too shabby!

I love how clean Boston is in comparison to New York! It seems a lot smaller and quainter to me. And QUIETER. 

All their window boxes with flowers are SO CUTE!! 

So for a little breakfast we went to Tatte Bakery. The pastries weren't my favorite but the breakfast sandwiches looked AMAZING!! Next time that is definitely what I am getting!

Every time I take a picture like this I pat myself on the back for being good at Instagramming/blogging.

After we ate we started the Freedom Trail. I am 0% a history person, but it was fun to walk so much and see so much! Walking is my favorite way to see a city. This is my cute mom. I used to not post about family on here cuz privacy or whatever, but then also in my journal I will never have photos of family? Which is weird to me, so I am posting things again lol.

Next we went to a cemetery where all the famous people were buried. Also, does anyone know what this little face on the headstones means? It was everywhere. 

Like the streets in Boston are so cute?

I am a good person to have on vacations cause I'll call you name and bug you to get cute candid photos that you won't appreciate. 

Guys this is my husband? Like I don't even know.

So they turned this ancient church into a CHIPOTLE!?!?!?!? Really, America? REALLY.

Ok I have to LOL. So, this is the Freedom Trail. Like, you can just follow this path that's in the sidewalk. When we first saw it, my mom was like, "Oh! I bet that's the freedom trail!" And I was like, "No, I bet that's for blind people to get around the city." And she was like, "????" But in Tokyo they literally have little bumpy strips across the whole city for people who were blind, so it's not a far stretch? But also it's OBVIOUSLY for the Freedom Trail and I'm just an idiot lol.

Remember in junior high when these types of pictures were *very* cool?

Of course we had to go to Little Italy. My mom went to Italy a little while ago and has been OBSESSED ever since.

So my mom and J stopped to get pizza. It didn't sound good to me so I didn't get any. While they were walking out I was hiding behind a tree and acting like a paparazzi yelling things at them. They both laughed and I got the CUTEST genuine smile photos!!! I got a really good one of my mom but it's close up and I know if she ever saw it she would be like, "Why did you post that!!! Look how close it is to my face!!!" But I THINK IT'S CUTE OK.

LIKE HOW CUTE IS J HERE BECAUSE I ACTUALLY CAN'T HANDLE IT.

So I am trying this new thing when I travel, where like instead of waiting for everyone to move to get a "good shot" I just take the photo with the tourists in it. I feel like it is more real? Obviously, I guess. But I guess I feel like it captures the place/monument/whatever better.

Lemme tell you, I reallllllly appreciate living by water! It's so pretty and so nice.

New England style homes 10/10. I love shake siding and shingles and shutters. Dream home material for sure!

At the end-ish of the Freedom Trail you can take a ferry back to the Boston Aquarium. 

Remember when we went to that really good farm fresh restaurant in Maine? Well, they had on in Boston too! It's called BGood and I would HIGHLY recommend!

Next we rode the boats at the park!

So people were walking back and forth over this bridge. They stopped for us to get this picture and then a guy was like, "You know, we don't just do that for anyone!!!" And I thought it was so nice and funny. It's always nice when people aren't super mean to tourists lol.

OK CUTEST THING ALERT. So these kids were playing with their grandpa and this ball. One of them had a bad throw and it went into the pond. We went around on our boats, got off, and walked around for a bit, only to get on the bridge and see this grandpa was still waiting for the ball to come back. It kept coming back, but was still far enough away he couldn't get it. So finally this BAE GRANDPA GETS INTO THE POND TO GET THE BALL FOR HIS GRANDKIDS. It was the actual cutest thing.

Oh, and shortly before this someone else proposed to his girlfriend and everyone clapped.

And that's a wrap! It was a v fun trip and v fun to see my mom. I love that everywhere out here is so close! It's so neat to be able to drive to Boston and back in a day, or go into New York for school and come back home to Connecticut. It's definitely something we are trying to take advantage of while we are out here!

XOXO

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