Homemade Senior Pictures.

How gorgeous is my friends' sister?  We went out to Chautauqua Park in Boulder, Colorado to take her senior pictures.  These have not even been edited, and they still look amazing!  My friend, B, took the pics, while I took these "behind the scenes" shots on my phone:

Exploring Colorado.

I've moved back to Colorado temporarily before I head out to Auckland, New Zealand.  My San Diego roomie, Kyleigh, came to visit me for a few days and we had a fun time exploring the mountains and the rivers of the 303.  Golden has an amazing river that is perfect for floating down on an inter-tube, or as we discovered, a blow up mattress.  Of course, you can't leave Colorado without feeding some deer and riding a giant fish.  Plus, I had to take her to the infamous Casa Bonita.  If there's one thing I've noticed since being back home, it is that the sky seems so much bigger here.  I think I say it every day, but it never ceases to amaze me!

Riddles of the Wise.

I have one month left until I move to New Zealand.  My life has been a whirlwind, which is generally the way I like it.  I saw this cartoon that so perfectly describes me:  "I love routine. Until I'm bored, then I like excitement.  Until I'm overwhelmed, then I love routine." Right now I'm feeling like the latter.

I am beyond blessed to be able to work from home right now, but with that comes a totally different time schedule.  I tend to be a perfectionist, so when I'm making my own hours I literally work all day.  I think I've been working non-stop for 2 weeks now.  Even when I went to Georgia, I was working.  I've noticed that with this new schedule, I have pushed alot of things to the side, including my time with God.  I'm definitely feeling disconnected, especially since I'm not surrounded by my community group at the Rock anymore.

I found this church here in Colorado that I really like called Red Rocks Church.  They go deep, and I love that.  I was watching a past-series online called "Riddles of the Wise," and I found it very intriguing.  Whether you believe in God or not, the principles in the book of Proverbs are a great guide to live life by.  It's a 4 part series that you can watch online here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

So, there are 30 chapters in the book of Proverbs.  I will be reading 1 chapter every day and following this format:
Read it. Write it. Live it.

Then there are devotionals for each day on this website: Riddles of the Wise.

Join me :)

The Camera+ App.

I have this new favorite app called Camera+.  It does this:

These photos were taken on my first Colorado hike in the Chautauqua Trails in Boulder.  I never knew why everyone said the air was thin here in Colorado because I've lived here my whole life.  But after living at sea level for about 3 years, I finally understand.  I couldn't make it to the top of the trail because I was so out of breath.

(This one was in Lakeside, CA)

There is one downside to downloading this app though...  I keep getting disappointed by real life because it's not as beautiful as it is in my photos. 

Watercolor Maps: My Many Homes

Italy

Roma, Italia

The United States of America

San Diego, California, USA

 Denver, Colorado, USA

Australia

Cottesloe, Western Australia, Australia

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

 Surfer's Paradise, Queensland, Australia

I have been entertained for the past 30 minutes by these watercolor maps.  Okay, I am easily entertained, but it really is fun! You can turn any place in the world into a watercolor!  So, of course, I had to choose all the places in the world I would call "home." How cute would these be if I turned them into canvas pictures for my wall? I would love to create a whole wall full of all my homes around the world.  It's crazy to think how many places I have been, and I am only 24! I wonder where else I will call home in the future...

Map tiles by Stamen Design, under CC BY 3.0. Data by OpenStreetMap, under CC BY SA.

They call me Summer.

One day, Izi and I were strolling around the harbour in Sydney, and we came across this concert/promotion for a festival happening the next day.  We didn't know who was performing, but we stayed anyways.  I've always loved the Ting Tings, and it was one of the coolest experiences to see them play acoustic just a few feet away.  We won free tickets to the festival for the next day worth $144 each.

Advent Love.

I have the cutest parents ever.  Seriously.  It is my first Christmas away from home, and I got this adorable advent Christmas package in the mail.  Each present has a note on it and a date to open it up until Christmas.  They also sent little bags and chocolates to make presents for my friends!  As the weather keeps getting hotter and hotter, it progressively feels less and less like Christmas.  There are no Christmas lights or decorations, caroling, or Christmas music on the radio. While I am an anti-snow girl, I do have a love for the red cupped creme brulee lattes at Starbucks and Christmas shopping at Barnes & Noble where it's warm inside.  Christmas is the only day I allow snow; Every other day it is unacceptable. Somehow though, I do miss the chill in the air, the Christmas light drives and hot cocoa by the fire.  But not enough to keep me from enjoying a change in tradition!  This year I will be on the beach, sipping an ice cold cider and jumping into the ocean to go snorkeling with the tropical fish. I have an amazing group of friends from all over the world that I can spend the day with on the beach.  Then, I will finish at a party at my friend's house where we will cook dinner and have a pool party.  But while I'm enjoying basking in the Australian sunshine, this box keeps me remembering my family, friends, and all the things I love about Christmas in snowy Colorado.

Australia, Here I Come!

The day has arrived! I am leaving for Australia today, and I can't believe it.  It is all so unreal to me.  I don't think there is a way to psyche yourself up for these kinds of things, you just have to take it one moment at a time. These pictures are some great last memories of home that I had this weekend.  I am looking forward to the crazy adventures that I about to embark on, as it will be filled with many more great memories to come!  

On my way!!!

stay tuned...

♥

Starry Eyed & Moon Light.

By popular demand, I chose my purple shoes to go out and celebrate last night.  We went to this amazing bar/restaurant downtown called Vesta Dipping Grill, one of the hot spots in Denver, and we got our dinner paid for which was so nice.   I saw prosecco on the menu from Venezia, Italy and I was so excited.  I haven't had prosecco, a sparkling white wine, since I was in Rome, and it is one of my favorite drinks.  I will be getting a new camera soon, so that all my pictures in Australia will look better than this.  It is my Christmas present to myself.

Dress (from Rome), Calzedonia tights, Calzedonia leg warmers, Nine West shoes, Passports & Prada headband, Revlon Strawberry Suede lipstick. I made this chain headband because I loved the one from NastyGal so much, but it was too expensive.  I will be selling it soon on Etsy. 

Lunetta Prosecco

Saigon Beef Skewers.  Ginger soy glaze, coconut rice fritters, indonesian chili sause, sweet chili ginger. 

A Boat by the Beach on the West Coast.

I can't believe it! I just finished the last class of my life!!!  I still feel like I'm in high school, let alone graduating from college is so unreal to me right now.  I am very excited for this new chapter of my life.  I feel free to make my future however I want it now.  If I feel like living in Italy, I can.  If I feel like sleeping on the beach in Cuba, I can.  If I want to go to France to learn how to make a soufflé, I can.  Go to China to climb the great wall? I'm there!   What a wonderful feeling to not have anything tying me back.  Here are some wonderful things about life right now!

My new gold turban from Babooshka Boutique.

My new lipstick: Revlon in Love That Pink

The best coffee house in the world (so far): The Wild Boar in Fort Collins, CO.

The pretty red Poinsettias in my house that make me want more red things. 

Trying to decide which shoes to wear out tonight:

 This tower of candy I got from my neighbor as soon as I came home today to congratulate me.

Ciao! I'm off to go celebrate!