Fantastical Creatures

I've been such a sucker for a good story lately. Tonight John & I took my sisters to go and see Maleficent which I loved so much! They modernized the story of Sleeping Beauty and I really respected the way it came together in the end. I won't ruin it though just in case you haven't seen it! Also, I really like the character of Maleficent because when I played the Kingdom Hearts games, she was a big character in those stories so it was nostalgic for me!

When the movie was over I was in the mood to watch something animated on my hot Saturday night during my date with the couch, so I put on Netflix and watched the movie Epic, which was also really, really good. I hadn't seen that movie yet and I'm not sure what I was waiting for but I enjoyed the story.

There's something about fantastical creatures and mystical worlds that have always gotten my attention. From Harry Potter to Kingdom Hearts to Dragon Age to the Hobbit, I just love fantasy and can't get enough of meeting new and exciting characters and getting a glimpse into their worlds.

P.S. I've started on my Summer Reading List and book #1 is An Abundance of Katherines which I'm really enjoying. I like the main character - he sort of reminds me of Sheldon Cooper.

Happy Friday

Taking summery flower photos with my new camera has to be my new favorite thing! I did a little test and took some of the same photos that I took with my old camera (the flowers above can be seen in a blog post from last year) and compared it with the pics from my new one and the difference is so extreme. I love, love, love it!! I can't find the post right now but if I do, I'll do a comparison shot.

Tomorrow I might try my hand at bird watching and see what types of species I can find & photograph. After finding out that in my previous post, the bird wasn't a Robin, it was a Bohemian Waxwing, I got really excited for some reason. I want to find more birds and take pretty pictures of them. They're so cute!

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Today marks day two of going to the gym & eating healthy. I'm trying to get my butt back into shape after severely falling off the wagon. I still don't feel motivated when I'm working out and am majorly just pushing myself through it telling myself "it'll be over soon, it'll be over soon!" but I know I'll find my spark again soon. I think I'm going to make my own workout plan on a customized calender which I think will help a lot. I need to do a combination of cardio, strength & yoga in order to feel sane. I haven't gone to yoga in a really long time and my mind is feeling exhausted. I need to clear my head! Ahh.

Have a great weekend!

Bohemian Waxwing

Since Winter, I've been dying to get out and go bird watching but it was way too cold to stand outside and wait for them to show up! Now that it's summer and there are bird feeders everywhere, it's so much easier to find the cuties flying around. I just found out that this is a Bohemian Waxwing and what a beautiful bird don't you think? She kept flying into this apple tree and hanging out with the bees. So cute and so pretty. I'm so glad I was able to have the opportunity to photograph her. So this is obviously an update from my original post when I called it a Robin.. haha. I guess I should do my research before I publicly post my opinions on birds. lol!

Today is my last day of work before I have a few days off and I already know my plans for the next few days. Exercise, exercise, exercise! I need to start taking better care of myself and the first stop, getting tons of veggies to munch on throughout the week! Have a great Wednesday!

Things That Make Me Happy

I need a little uplifting and normally I think "happy" lists are kind of silly (even though I'm 99.9% sure that I've posted them before) but today, I wouldn't mind a little reminder of all the things that make me smile & feel great. The hardest part is actually doing the things that make you happy.. isn't that so weird? What is holding us back anyway?

• Yoga - I need to get my membership back. I've been saying that to my friends & family for way too long but I think it's time to actually get back on board. It's my missing puzzle piece for many reasons.
• Cooking - It's hard right now because I'm forever working late shifts and can't be home for dinner, which makes me sad. I love cooking for John and even though sometimes my meals are a huge flop, I love getting creative in the kitchen and keeps me feeling excited.
• Strength Training - Nothing in this world beats the feeling of "strong"! For a while, I was feeling in super good shape but lately that's not the case. Something about lifting heavier weights leaves me feeling empowered and content. I need to get back to that.
• Reading - I'm not having much trouble this one as it's all I do these days. See my previous post for my Summer Reading List :) 
• Writing - I kind of started this little personal project and was super pumped up about it - but then I started feeling uninspired and stopped working on it. I'd really like to start that back up again and see where it takes me.
• Gardening - We don't really have a backyard so I started a tiny garden in hopes to spend more time outside. It's a lot harder than I thought and I don't exactly have a green thumb, but I want to spend more time taking care of the little girlies in the garden!
• Watching more TV - I know this is hilarious but honestly, I love getting into a good TV show. It's always made me feel so happy & relaxed. I get super "fan-girly" and when I'm obsessed with a TV show, I'm going to make sure you're obsessed too!
• Travel, travel, travel - My favorite thing in this entire world. I have so many places I want to visit and I'm working on making those dreams happen.
• Photography, of course - This is a given & the whole reason I started this little blog. I love taking photos and now that I have this beautiful camera, I need to spend more time with it and find my inspiration again. I'm so glad I took photos at camp and have something to post to this little space.
• Lastly, spending more time with family - I need to make more of an effort to see my family. I'm such an introvert that it's hard for me to go and see my parents or grandpa and I'd really like to change that for my own happiness & theirs. 

Pretty Flowers & A Summer Reading List

The photos above were something I've been waiting for not so patiently. I was finally able to take out my camera and take some photos of pretty flowers!! It seems that they were taking forever to bloom here - probably because our winter was absolutely crazy and lasted forever :).

John & I went to camp (where the above were taken) and I was able to snap so many pretty nature photos and it really helped me climb out of the sour mood I've been in. There's something about that quiet feeling being away from everyday business just spending time reading a good book that is so therapeutic. I was able to read 2 books while out there (We Were Liars & Looking for Alaska - both really, really good!) and it inspired me to create a summer reading list!

Here are the books I'm going to read this summer:

• An Abundance of Katherines
• Orphan Train
• The Cuckoo's Calling
• If I Stay
• Midnight Crossroad
• Wild
• The Husband's Secret
• The Vacationers

I really hope I'm able to get through this whole list! I'm sort of obsessed with researching & finding new books that might peak my interest. If you have any recommendations, just let me know!!! I love finding out about new books :)