i wanna move mountains the way you moseyed in

not much to report over here today.

i'm just still working away at my end of the semester to-do list,

drinking lots of Naked juice and being accompanied by my Bon Iver pandora station.

why is it so good?

WHY?

today will be the first time i've seen benny since i got my fancy phone, so be prepared for an onslaught of instagram photos tomorrow.

[find me! wildchild_jack]

i love the camera on this thing.

also, incidentally, today is our anniversary!

but a half year one, so maybe it's called something different?

Megan would probably know :)

but yeah, two and a half years together today.

2 and a  1/2 stinkin years.

i know to all you old people, that's nothing, but you don't understand.

you don't understand how many boys i went through before this one found me.

or all that we've made it through in these past 30 months.

or how loved i feel every.single.day.

all i know is that i love this man more than anything in the world.

i'm so blessed.

-wildchild

p.s. go see me over at Mr.Taylor and His Lady today.

my Here's to Happiness list is being featured.

and yes, it's a little bit old.

i don't have to skype my deployed lover anymore cause he's back home in my arms :)

and i'm back in blackkkk

fill in the blank:
 i should be doing ________ but instead, i'm playing with my new toys.

i got new technology over break!

 a new laptop on black friday, 

[in which i walked right up to the counter at 7:30 a.m, told them i'd like this computer and they handed it right over. easy peasy. didn't even have to wake up [too] early],
 so i'm trying to transfer all of my old junk from my external hard drive onto that and get that all set up.

and i got an iPhone for my birthday!

there was some confusion as to which one to get, and then we had to wait for shipping, so i didn't actually get it until today, but i am in love.

seriously, in love.

playing with all the cool apps and turning the volume up so i can hear all the cool noises it makes and just staring at the screen. 

it's so prettyyyyy.

if there are any awesome apps i need to get, lemme know.

i'm on it.

these will be explained later. but aren't they awesome?

in case you needed that one blown up a little bit.

yes, he's hugging a palm tree.

my birthday was one of the best birthday's i've ever had.
probably the best.
i got to spend it with a bunch of people that i love and it was so.much.fun.
din with my fam was awesome and delicious, and then seeing my friends after was crazy fun.
emphasis on the crazy.


and i absolutely scored in the presents section:
[not to be an annoying bragger or anything, but i just have to share cause i'm so in love with all of it]

• dad & [stepmom] wanda gave me a luggage set! very grown up and practical, and absolutely perfect for all of my traveling coming up in the future.
• as mentioned earlier, momma gave me a beautiful iphone.
• jake gave me a Nook gift card to buy more books.
• jenn [his gf] bought my ticket to the concert we all went to the night before, which was also so much fun.
• jessa gave me a framed photo of my apartment in France and a certificate to make my own picture book of France on Picabo. i'm super excited to make that.
• my awesome aunt and uncle gave me the Instax camera and i'm in love [beautiful examples above].
• another aunt and uncle gave me the comfiest VS yoga pants in the world. they were my lifesaver for that 6:15 a.m flight the morning after my birthday.
• my roommate gave me a plethora of things from American Eagle, including an awesome new sweater, some undies, earrings, and a bracelet.
• and benny boy gave me books of poetry by Walt Whitman and Pablo Neruda, my two faves :) and also a bouquet of pretty flowers and Dove chocolate. he knows the way to my heart.

and TEXAS!

good ol' texas.
first of all, look at what we found on black friday:

is that not perfect, or what?

i stopped because the keychain proclaiming "hot hot hot" grabbed my attention, and then benny boy pointed this one out, and it was just meant to be.

he got one that said "danger".

obviously.

but texas was so much fun.

spending time with b and l [ben's sister and brother in-law] was awesome, and they were kind enough to let us stay with them the whole stinkin week.

what nice guys.

we lazed around, watching movies and playing video games and i read the hunger games books [! they're so good! i'm not finished with the 3rd one yet though, so no spoilers].

we ate. and ate and ate. chick-fil-a, sonic, whataburger, mexican, amazing italian, alton brown's pan fried chicken [thanks to the boys], and so much BlueBell ice cream.

good lord, it was delicious.

we ventured out a little bit. for a new huge tv, some excursions with cousin becca and her babes, thanksgiving dinner with the whole fam, a walk in the sunshine, christmas tree purchasing, and visiting some fam.

all in all, it was definitely a successful trip.

and it made us want to move there even more.

so watch out Spring, Texas, cause in summer 2012, here we come.

i'm off to catch up on the mounds of work i have to finish before the end of the semester.

it cannot come soon enough.

jeez louise.

-wildchild

woo woo!

from here

oh right, today is!

it's my 21st birthday, kids, and i'm already having a wonderful day.

i'm off to breakfast with my momma, a few classes (gross), hanging out with benny boy, dinner at Olive Garden with my fam, out tonight with my crew and then texas in the morning!

i'm not sure when the next time i'll get to post is, so i just wanted to say i hope everyone has a wonderful day and night and weekend and everything.

i know i will.

peace.

-the newly 21 wildchild

lalala

oh hey there.

this is going to be a post about nothing.

get excited.

-it's this week actually. thursday. the festivities already began this past weekend, but i'm just so excited. i love birthdays more than anyone i know i'm pretty sure. especially my birthday. I.LOVE.BIRTHDAYS!

-benny and i hop on a jet plane to texas on friday morning. we're going to visit his sister and brother in law, and the rest of the fam, and i'm just so excited. i've really missed her. and also the 80 degree weather. sundresses, here i come. also, who doesn't love flying? hopefully i can bribe benny into giving me the window seat. that way i can look death right in the eyes if our plane starts to crash. [i kid, i kid. but there's some truth in that.]

-black friday for this girl means a new computer! woo woo. times like these, i wish i was a nerdy nerd so i could know what all the laptop lingo means and what i really need. but then i remember that my boyfriend kind of is and he'll totally help me out. [he's a hot nerd of course.]

-jillian michaels is a stern mistress. my bod hurts, people. i kind of skipped saturday and sunday cause weekends are meant for sleeping in, not working out, so this was only my 3rd morning i guess. but still. every muscle in my body is aching. even muscles i didn't even know i had.

-i'm really starting to miss this.

it was always sunny, always low 80's, always a blue sea and a brown tan.

dang, that tan.

and i miss that girl too. 

[oh hey, emily :) ]

and now more homework calls.

always the homework.

like a nagging wife.

not that i'd know...

later gators.

-wildchild

current november status

from here

my November

[in another form]

idea by allie

Current color: i like light pink? and dark red. and light aqua blue. there's not really anything that stands out right now. call me indecisive. or just apathetic.

Current playlist: josh garrel's new album. also, my roommate has been playing coldplay's new one like a fiend. so there's that.

Current read:  school workkkk. but i have some good books lined up for thanksgiving break. crossing things off my by 2012 goals list one by one.

Current excitement: date night with benny boy tonight. woo woo! 

Current mood: awesome. always.

Current drink: chocolate milk. i can't get enough.

Current food: i just tried oatmeal this morning for the first time since like first grade. and i loved it! weird.

Current favorite show: lace and i finished up season 7 of The Office, so now it's time to catch up on season 8 on hulu hulu honolulu.

Current wish list: umm food? i'm starving. and also, skin that doesn't break out every two seconds.

Current needs: a new laptop. mine is headed for the computer graveyard at full speed.

Current bane of my existence: dang homework. and also, i broke the necklace b gave me for our one year anniversary this morning... hopefully the jewelery store will give me a new chain fo free.

Current indulgence: halloween candy. take it awayyyy.

Current blessing: it's 70 today! on november 9th! this is unheard of, so i'm soaking it up.

Current outfit: a light blue sundress that my sister got me in romania and some dark brown boots. my wardrobe isn't sure what season it is.

Current celebrity crush: well, there's ryan, always. 

Current triumphs: girls's night with lacey last night. we're both super busy, but when is there not time for brownie batter, chips and queso, and some chick flicks?

Current link: OhLife [brought to my attention by e] is an awesome site that e-mails you every night to ask how your day was, you just reply to their message and bam, an online private diary.

side note: the celebrity crush line is not supposed to be bolded. that is not more important than everything else. but blogger is being strange right now.

so here's a picture of my dad family, from the end of summer.

just to distract you from the mess that is the formatting of this post.

hope everyone's day is awesome and that your computer doesn't frustrate you so much that you want to throw it out a window, like me and mine.

byeeee.

-wildchild

this is my november

from here

when the beginning of the week is super busy and intense [like now], i'm thankful for weekends like the one we just had so that i can go back and daydream about them while i procrastinate on the here and now.

there were long walks in the sunshine through the leaves 

[even in the leaves when benny pushed me in. and when i retaliated],

there were trips to the grocery store for special ingredients to make dinner,

there was driving with the windows down and Josh Garrel's new album 

[thanks again Maddie!],

there was time for naps and time for staying up late with our friends,

and of course, time for football [him] and homework [me].

i'm thankful for weekends like these with a boy like this.

now i've got to go cross some things off my to-do list and maybe go for a bike ride.

the weather in new york is just beautiful this week!

and also, my birthday is in 9 days.

so i'm in a good mood.

a good good mood.

-wildchild

senioritus

from here

excuse my whining, but

i don't want to do homeworkkkkkkk.

tonight is a night for exactly what it says above.

i have to go figure out how to officially drop out of college.

brb.

-wildchild

who doesn't love a good birthday?

welcome to the first friday in november.

otherwise known as t minus 13 days until my 21st birthday!!!!

that's my big news from last night.

the big suspense you were all waiting for.

[don't be too disappointed]

but i LOVE birthdays.

especially my own.

[who doesn't?]

and especially cause it's the big 21.

i'll officially officially be an adult [more so than at 18], i can legally do some fun things that i couldn't before [ahem], and it's a perfectly good reason to have a big party!

i'm all for the tiaras and sashes and big flashing birthday buttons.

anything to draw more attention to myself, really.

so to make it easier on my loved ones [or anyone that wants to get on my good side], i've devised a wishlist of gifts appropriate for a 21st birthday such as mine. 

or you could just draw me a little card.

i'd love you the same probably. maybe. i'd think about it.

please excuse my lame, unexperienced polyvore skills

and note that this list goes in no particular order.

1. the Fujifilm Instax Mini 7s White Instant Film Camera- i love the little mini photos that come from these things! mostly i just love any camera that will give me a picture i can hold in my hand right away. i'm not exactly a patient person. so this camera is perfect for more than one reason.

*get it here and the film here. or just kill two birds with one stone and get this.

2. subscriptions to Cosmo and Glamour magazines-  i'm a magazine junkie. for some reason, i just love flipping through the glossy pages, reading the funny/helpful/totally trashy articles and looking at the awesome pictures. and subscriptions are a heckofalot cheaper than buying them at target every month.

*get them here and here, respectively.

3. a pair of Victoria's Secret yoga pants- i have a pair that i've worn so much, they're starting to get see-through in the bum area. enough said. time for some new ones.

*get them here [except it says no longer available, so the store would probably be the best way to go].

4. a beautiful iPhone 4- they're so prettyyyy. and they do so many magical things! i'm aware that there's a newer one out there, but this one is $100 cheaper, so i don't really care. an iphone is an iphone [but correct me if i'm wrong]. i want the instagram app so.bad.

*the only person who would possibly ever get this for me is my parents, and they know how to hook me up. here.

5. the works of Walt Whitman and Pablo Neruda- these are my two favorite poets in the whole entire world. call me a nerd, or a hopeless romantic, or whatever, but these guys' love poems are my jam.

*i like this edition of Whitman's, though i wish there was a copy with a prettier cover. and this one of Neruda's. he just gets to me.

6. a Nook gift card- my awesome boyfriend got me a Nook for my last birthday and i'm in love. getting a gift card to buy more books would make that gift even better. I LOVE TO READ.

* get them here

and thus concludes my awesome wishlist.

you have 13 days.

13 days till my birthday!!!!

-wildchild

p.s- i have a little mini sponsor spotlight on Mr. Taylor and His Lady today, so if you just can't get enough of me, hop on over there.

too stinkin bad

oh, what's that you say?

you're sick of halloween?

"that was so last month" you say.

well too stinkin bad.

this is my adorable family doing halloween things on halloween night and you're 

gonna look at them.

and you're gonna like it, dammit.

he made the dinner rolls, she made, umm, everything else...

these kids were too cool to dress up.

this guy was a baby.

and they carved a deer?

i was in attack mode with my pumpkin goop fingers...

but it turned out alright.

i love these people.

and especially this guy.

just go ahead and admit that me and benny have the best pumpkin.

we're all thinking it.

and thus concludes my mini love affair with october.

benny came home, his sister got married, and then my fam carved pumpkins.

those are the reasons why october was great this year.

but i'm so into november.

you'll find out why tomorrow.

suspense....

-wildchild

by 2012

lately, i've felt like i'm drowning.

i know this is a heavy way to start a blog post, but just listen.

there comes a time in every semester when everything starts coming due and it's all at once and it's just when the sicknesses start going around and then my computer starts dying and i'm too poor to buy a new one; too poor for anything awesome for that matter, and my boyfriend just came home from 6 months of being way too far away so all i want to do is spend time with him and i have to start seriously figuring out my future and doing something about it and and and.

oh, wait. 

that's just this semester.

but still.

it's now.

i'm in it right now.

this avalanche of shit, if you will.

but to calm my nerves a little bit, i've always made lists.

lists calm me.

seems counter intuitive, since they're usually to-do lists, but i guess it just organizes my crazy brain and helps me feel like i really can handle all of this.

so when i read tanya's twelve by 2012 list, i decided to make one of my own.

instead of making new year's resolutions [that get quickly forgotten by february, at the latest], i'm making goals to finish by the new year.

mine's only 8.

8 is all i can handle right now.

but 8 seems just perfect for me.

so here goes:

original photo from here, awesome added in words by me

1. i'm going to lose 12 pounds. i tried losing weight before b came home and that didn't really work out. and since then, i've just been eating like a fiend. call it celebratory dining, call it being a fat ass, whatever. it's time to stop. i've heard wonders about Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred, so that's the plan. time to whip this ass back into shape.

2. i'm going to save 40% of every paycheck. a lot of my paychecks go to boring bills, but i also love to shop. target is my bank account's nemesis. so that's gotta stop. my adult future is  staring me down from 8 months away and i've got to have more than 20 dollars to my name when that time comes.

3. i'm going to get a seasonal job. i have 4 jobs here at school, but once the semester stops, so do they. sure, it's nice to sit around for a month at christmas time and do nothing, but again with the adult future thing. i'll be a barista or a cashier or something. anything. i just hate being poor.

4. i'm going to read two books. this sounds super lame. i love to read. during the summer, i'm a reading fiend. but with all this school work, work work, and just being so busy, i haven't had time to read for fun. i have a few leftover summer books on my nook and that seems like just the place to start.

5. i'm going to come up with creative christmas presents. now, be aware that i'm not saying handmade. sure, maybe i'll add a little somethin-somethin to jazz up a present, but for the most part, i can't make anything valuable with these two hands of mine. but that doesn't mean i can't come up with a christmas present that's better than a gift card and a cd. here's to the christmas of giving the best personal gifts i've ever given.

6. i'm going to not die. as i said, this is the time of the semester that everything is coming due for me and i am o.ver.whelmed. this goal seems aloof, but it's totally necessary. i'm going to take a step back, write out the game plan for the next few weeks, and go to it. if a little less fun needs to be had, i can sacrifice that. then by the time thanksgiving break comes around, i'll be done with 95% of the hard stuff for the semester. thank god.

7. i'm going to show every important person in my life how much i love them. yup, i'm already super strapped for time, but this one is important. i wouldn't be able to get through times like these if it wasn't for people like those, so i'm going to find good ways to show every single person that i appreciate them. cheesy ways like love notes and colored pictures.

8. i'm going to take two steps towards my future. i'm pretty sure i've decided that my next step isn't going to be grad school, but i'm going to take two active steps towards whatever's next. i'm going to research owning a small business and ...something else. something that will help me get where i think i want to go.

so. there they are.

now they're out there, so i'll be held accountable.

these are the things i'm going to accomplish by the time 2012 gets here.

i promise.

-wildchild