as evident in this post and this one, august was jam-packed with both highs and lows, though i’m not complaining, because there was plenty of fun being had. it was busy busy, and i never want to take my lovely little life for granted, because it is lovely, even when it doesn’t feel like sunshine and rainbows 100% of the time. here’s a little list of some of the wonderfuls of the month: went to a fancy dinner with my family and then had a sleepover at my place / made lots of new friends and met lots of my neighbors over the course of the month / angelica and kevin got married / my college roomie moved to dallas! and then one of my other college besties moved to dallas! both live within walking distance… / took a bartending class at work / had a blast going out with a big group of friends for my brother’s “last hurrah” in dallas / visited cucumber fields in michigan for work / went on some dates / attended our big annual company meeting which means… profit sharing! / lots of pool days with my neighbors + noelle / aggie football season started!!!! andddddd we killed south carolina, first game of the season [WHOOP] / tried some new restaurants + ate thai food for daysssssss yay! / ashley and guido got engaged! / started advanced pastry class / the list goes on…
that’s a lot happening! the world keeps spinning, and ya never know what tomorrow will bring, i swear. life is so so interesting!
{hello, chicago}
{cucumber fields}
{i got to ride in the cucumber harvesting machine!}
{baby cukes on the left… see that tiny fuzzy one growing underneath the flower? and full-grown cukes on the right!}
{fresh from the field}
{the best drink ever – a blackberry julep from tate’s. i had the one on the left on a date, thanks to the guy’s recommendation [i have to give him that, at least], and completely fell in love with it. and then i went back like a week later with my brother to have it again and we both ordered it. they look slightly different each of the times i had it but they both tasted FANTASTIC.}
{this was such a fun night with my brother, his girlfriend priscilla, his [our] friend dylan, noelle, and my college roommate katlyn!}
{car selfies. because sometimes you gotta force that smile on your face in the morning until you feel it.}
{i got a standing desk at work! i never thought that having the option to sit or stand would boost my job satisfaction as much as it did [and the truth is, i was already very satisfied with my job as it was!], but i really love it. i have a stool, so i can sit when i want to [and i totally do, generally anywhere from 30 minutes to a couple hours per day, depending on what shoes i’m wearing and whether i have culinary school that night], but i do try to push myself to stand and it feels good.}
{words of wisdom}
{we took a bartending class as a team bonding event at work. it was so fun! i look like a natural, right? but it turns out, i suck at bartending. i guess i’ll stick to my day job. anddddd our annual end-of-the-fiscal-year company meeting was held at gilley’s!}
{the fam chilling at my house before we got dressed up for our fancy dinner. each doin’ our thang.}
{getting ready! well, some of us…}
{we went to the mansion on turtle creek for dinner! an added bonus was that it’s close enough to walk.}
{although i failed to photograph our entrees – i was too excited to try them and forgot – i did manage to capture our appetizers and desserts. this was grilled watermelon + burrata, split for us so that we could share.}
{left: chocolate composition + port. right: hazelnut and mandarin. not pictured: coconut brûlée. so yum.}
{and then, after our fancy dinner, we went home, changed clothes, picked up the dog, and walked to katy trail icehouse for a late-night brew before our big sleepover at my house. and as if it couldn’t get better, to conclude our little family adventure, i made breakfast for us the next morning, we went for a long walk on katy trail and at robert e. lee park, and then we took a dip in the pool before they all headed home. it was the best start to a weekend ever.}
{how the lawn at my work manages to look brilliantly neon all through summer, i’ll never know. the trees are always casting some sort of crazy glow on it.}
{naptime selfie + tacos from common table}
{i love sunset pics. even when they’re grainy.}
{i made panzanella and served it over spinach + my co-worker made these awesome cupcakes with raspberry filling inside!}
{you know it’s culinary school time when i’m posting downtown views and reading assignments like these…}
{my sad/serious face before culinary school… it’s so hard going back. yet i do love it when i get there.}
{i heart summertime. i bought some popsicle molds at the dollar section of target and made some pops with vanilla almond milk, fresh strawberries, maple syrup, and coconut oil. they look glow-in-the-dark in this picture but they made for a really tasty after-work snack. and noelle was totally rocking the double koozie at the pool like a champ.}
{what i wore to work the day that texas a&m beat the hell outta south carolina. besides that aggie shirt, i had on shoes with maroon bows, plus my a&m necklace, my a&m charm bracelet, and my aggie ring of course! i call them my aggie bling/my lucky charms. :) anddddddd a double selfie?}
{brunching with the boys [my neighbors] and shopping with the girls [my mom and mimi]. also, you know it’s a great day when you come out of anthropologie with a bag that big!} :)
{gosh, i love him.}
{on the right: our lunch of scallops + tomatoes + sugar snap peas + sweet corn risotto at seasons 52 was sooooooooo good. and on the left, at the common table [again]. can you tell that it’s one of my faves?}
{our meals from the common table}
{sleepy dog}
{that face! #cantstopwontstop}
so life is good. xoxo