Uhhhhm Hello..?

Yes, I am still alive.
Well its definitely been a few months since I've posted on this. I guess I just got caught up with the world around me annnd school.
Well, the first thing I wanted to talk about since being back on the blog is well my Portland adventures. Man, do I love Portland! And exploring the city is just amazing. So many people, coffee shops, books, restaurants, and well doughnuts. Which brings me to my next point… Voodoo Doughnuts. Yumm is probably what you were thinking, right?!
Voodoo Doughnuts is so yummy and definitely has quite the selection! When I went tonight with a few of my friends from college, I got a doughnut with chocolate glaze, rice krispies, and a peanut butter drizzle on top! Talk about a heart attack.. of deliciousness :)
It was so fun to be out in the rain exploring the beautiful world of Oregon, except when you're trying to find a coffee shop to dry off at. So we just ended up at a Starbucks, so original I know! Which brings me to my next point.. What are some amazing coffee shops in Portland? I am a sucker for awesome places to sip a latte at and dive into an awesome book. So list some places please!

                                                       Me and my very own pink box :)

An amazing selection dontcha think!?

Voodoo Doughnuts 

Back at it..

This week definitely has been one of the longest, craziest, busiest weeks of my life. Okay, maybe I'm over exaggerating juuuust a little bit. Anyways! On Sunday I left good ole California for the greenest state, Oregon. Whenever I fly into Portland I automatically get a sense of happiness and freeness. It is just a beautiful area and an even better state to live in and explore in. I am so truly blessed to have the privilege to come to school here.

With starting up school again on Monday, buying textbooks, sitting through unending lectures, I couldn't help but think how truly happy I have been these last few months. Being someone who tends to focus on the negative, I have realized how it just tears you apart. I didn't want that for me anymore, I wanted to simply be happy. Again, with starting 2014, I wanted something new for me. I wanted happiness. So I started to smile more, be off my phone less, look up and enjoy Gods amazing creation, and to surround myself with people who are going to love and encourage me. And I can definitely say, this is probably this happiest I've ever been.

I haven't blogged in awhile, so I thought I would share this. I hope you all are having an amazing and blessed day.




-Lexie

Stories

As I sit here at the airport with my coffee (of course) & my delicious bagel (NOT- airport food is not always the best), my mind begins to wonder. I am waiting for my flight to Portland and I start to think that there are so many different lives and stories around me. Thousands upon thousands of people are traveling to get to their destination. It just amazes me that all these people have a different story. So many things have happened to them and are hoping to change in the new year. To talk to someone, especially at an airport, is such a journey and privilege because by talking to them, you are able to grow and understand other peoples lives. 

Not only in airports, but everywhere we go; college campuses, malls, grocery stores- everyone has a story. It's so beautiful if you truly think about it. 

-Lexie 

KEEP CALM the COFFEE IS READY

coffee. vanilla latte. ice coffee, splash of soy, two pumps of vanilla syrup. no matter how it is made, i love my coffee. it is one of the first things i do in the morning to make sure i don't have a pounding headache all day. i might say that i have become an addict.. oops. 

so today my amazing friend, benit took me to an awesome coffee shop THIRTY minutes away from me! but i totally knew it was going to be worth it, so of course i hopped into the car and we made our way to yet another adventure. this amazing coffee shop called Old Soul definitely had that h i p s t e r vibe, but i didn't mind because i was getting my coffee. it was a typical coffee shop; way too comfy couches that you don't wanna get off of, indie music playing in the background, and your typical foam art. but I'm not gonna lie, the vanilla latte was awesome! for food... they had a breakfast sandwich that look incredible but i ended up getting the banana bread that was so flavorful and definitely left me wanting more. i will definitely be visiting again but it just sucks that it is unfortunately 30 minutes away from me. 

i had an awesome day drinking an delicious cup of coffee & chatting with some glorious friends. I guess friends and coffee make the perfect blend ;) another adventurous day in the books for 2014. what were some of your adventures? 

-Lexie

2014. The Beginning of Something Beautiful

As I sit here watching the Auburn vs. Florida football game trying to kill time until the Bachelor is on.  With a cup of coffee in my hand, (don't worry its decaf- hopefully i'll sleep tonight), and my sleepy puppy laying by my side, I couldn't help but right another blog- Just trying to catch up on the loss days. 

While watching the football game, I started to think about New Years Resolutions, thinking about the ones I had for the year of 2014. For this year, I wanted my resolutions to be different from the past years. I feel like people always create them on December 31 and by January 1 they already break half of them. Am I right!? I was one of them. I would simple forget about the list I had created but I new that this year I would do something different. And I did. As I was making the list I wanted to make the simpler and easier to achieve. For instance, I was NOT going to put "lose 40 pounds" because I knew I wouldn't accomplish that. So I thought about it and what I wanted for me and my life this year.  

New Years Resolutions 2014

1. be happier with your life
2. smile more
3. read the bible daily
4. love
5. grow deeper in your faith
6. be adventurous 
7. be healthy
8. have fun, you're only young once
9. laugh on the daily
10. be in the moment not on your phone

I hope my list inspired you to make a sensible resolution list for 2o14 that you can accomplish. I would love to hear whats on your list! Please share. Blessings to all. 

-Lexie 

Zzzzzz

Yaaaawn! That is how I've been feeling these last few days. . . just exhausted. With getting less than five hours of sleep last night and working till 12:45 AM this morning at Justice, all I want right now is S L E E P. But I guess I can "sleep when I'm dead" oor just drink more coffee.

Since I haven't posted the last few days- from being extremely drained- I thought I would share a little experiment I did with my friend Benit [(( http://benitam.blogspot.com ))] the other day! We thought we would be h i p s t e r s and make an acai bowl. What is that you ask? Basically, it's fruit soup or a smoothie poured into a bowl.

Now making this so easy! All you need is the acai packets (you can get these at Nugget Market or Whole Foods.. Im sure other places carry them but I have gotten them only at those two places), next you need frozen fruit, and apple juice. I put the frozen acai packets in the blender with bananas, a bit of apple juice, along with a few frozen raspberries, mangoes, and blueberries. You want the consistency to be pretty thick. After it is all blended up, you just pour it in a bowl, (hence the smoothie in a bowl) and you can put granola and more fruit on top. It is super yummy & so easy to do! If you have any questions let me know :) 

Just trying to be adventurous in the new year of 2 0 1 4! 

-Lexie

Resolution

We are three days into 2014. Thinking about this scares me a little, I'm not going to lie. But with a new year comes new goals, new things you want to accomplish, and new ideas. One goal that I want to accomplish this year in 2014 is to.. RELAX. 

I am the queen of worrying & stress. I want to work on trying to relax and enjoy what's around me. I want to be able to appreciate the life I have. However, for me. It's hard to do that when school, work, family, relationships, and money are always on my mind. I think everyone can relate one way or another with me. We all tend to stress out some point in our lives. Stress=not good. So I want to relax more. Hopefully I will be able to accomplish this! Sooo.. Take a deep breathe and just simply enjoy what you have, who you are, the things & people around you. 

Relax.

-Lexie