Life According to my iPhone Photos

It's always entertaining for me to go back and look through the photos on my iPhone. It's also necessary for me to clear out a bunch of photos that I don't need taking up space.

I am a screenshot-aholic. It's bad. I screenshot quotes that I love - I screenshot receipts when I pay my credit card through the app - I screenshot text message conversations -- I screenshot a lot. 

Kelly, of Design Crush, is posting 365 handwritten quotes in 2014. I try and limit the number of her quotes that I screenshot - mostly because it'd be 365 screenshots on my phone - but I think there's also a part of me that worries she gets a notification (Snapchat style) every time I screenshot the photo... and I don't want to look like a creepy, super-fan. 

Here are a couple of my favorites... You should seriously give her a follow, if you don't already, and join me in the obsession.

I think I picked these because they strike a particular chord with me at this point in my life. I love that she's doing this 365 Project!

Since I started training for the half-marathon, I've added quite a few stopwatch screenshots to the collection of photos my phone. 

 

 

I don't look at my time while I'm running, but when I'm done I like to do the math and see how fast I ran per mile. I was so shocked the other day when I did my 3.5 mile run and I ended up running a 10 minute mile - I've been running an 11 minute mile pretty consistently since I started. 

I had a really terrible attitude before that particular run -- I was tired, the weather was gross, and I just didn't waaaaanna!! (3 year old temper tantrum style) But right before I ran, I decided I was going to be better than my bad attitude. As it turns out, I was a 10 minute mile better than my crummy mindset!

I've got lots of photos from events including:

1. A cruddy-quality photo of Megan Mullally in concert (that bright blob on the right is her)

2. A pig in a tutu

3. The new KOSU event space

4. An awesome public art piece from February's Premiere on Film Row. I seriously got chills while reading what people wrote about our state

5. Oh, and our Developers' Luncheon event last week

 

I just recently did a major purge of the screenshots that synced from my phone to my computer. You guys, it was just ridiculous the number of "unnecessary" photos. But I just can't help it, I love love love pictures and the stories that they tell!

xoxo, E

Woop Woop - Another Completed 25w25 Goal!

So, remember how I've said that my friends are awesome and helping me check things of my 25 while 25 list? Well, I have officially completed the "Try 25 New Tastes" goal!

Our office did a group lunch at Mr. Pho last week. The calendar request from Jilly was awesome: "We're having lunch at Mr. Pho - and it's for no reason except it's delicious. Definitely not because Elizabeth has never had pho." 

"Luckily" I wasn't very hungry when lunch rolled around - I've decided that's the best time for me to try new tastes - that way I'm not hangry (angry due to hunger) if I don't like the food. 

Brandi and Jill suggested I order the pho with chicken. I was very worried that this protein choice made me a wimp and I wasn't trying real pho. Always the critic... 

I decided that the chance to possibly like pho was more important than my courage to go authentic... so, I ordered the chicken. 

I have to be real honest with y'all - I did not love the first bite. Cilantro is probably my least favorite herb - next to Rosemary - and so the cilantro leaf in the first bite wasn't my smartest move. 

I love the fact that Joe caught the first bite on video!! (Pardon the low-quality of the screenshot from the Snapchat video below.)

My opinion of pho definitely got better the more bites I took. I added a little hoisin to the broth and that helped the flavor. 

My official review: It was a great first experience. I am not sure I'll crave pho, but I won't decline an offer to go again. And I actually think I'll be a little more "adventurous" next time with adding some Thai basil and jalapeños. 

While at lunch that day, AJ let me try a bite of his pad thai - no, I'd never had Thai food either - and it was delicious! I am definitely a fan. 

I was trying to snap a picture of everyone at the table on their phone -- ya know, because I'm constantly accused of always being on my phone -- a true accusation, but still! -- and then AJ caught me.

The taste that completed the list was courtesy of Kimmy! We went to see Megan Mullally in a show at Lyric at the Plaza last Thursday, and afterwards we went to The Mule for a late-night snack. I voted for cheese curds but then she suggested poutine. My internal "Yes! I can add it to my list!" went off and we ordered the Canadian dish. It was pretty good! 

I didn't take a picture of the food - and let's be honest, do a quick google image search and you'll see it wouldn't have been a pretty picture anyway - but we did take this silly pic when Erick (Kimmy's husband) texted to see if we were having a fun girls night. Love my sweet Kimmy!

Here's to doing a happy dance for the completion of another 25 while 25 goal! 

Only 54 days to complete what's left...

xoxo, E

Nanny-isms

I've talked before about my overwhelming love and adoration for my Nanny, but you guys, I just have to gush some more.

She's had two surgeries in the last month to make her pretty peepers better. Not only can she see better, but her new-found clearer sight is making her far more creative in her emoji-use. I am seriously rolling on the floor with her use of these characters!

I wasn't lucky enough to be in this next group text message - but I seriously couldn't contain my giggles when Momma sent me the screenshots. Not only was Will's reply awesome about his brother's new bling (#AlwaysTheLastToKnow), but Nanny had me in stitches. In case you can't tell, she is a pretty big fan of her grandchildren. 

 

My Nanny taught me to love Cary Grant - she fostered my sweet tooth - she attended every dance competition - she is an even bigger mama bear than Mommacita (hard to imagine) - and she has just a touch more sass than I do (again, hard to imagine.)

There are also certain Nanny-isms that are my favorite:
The way she says, "Hello my darlin'"
The way she giggles every time she answers the phone and I squeal, "Hey Nanny!!"
Her use of the word "Poe Poe" to describe one's derriere
How she describes a far distance as "over yonder"

She is endlessly entertained by my storytelling - especially when the stories involve boys and my unbelievable awkwardness. My favorite is when one of my stories leads to a story about my Paw Paw. He was such a stud.

These pictures make my heart swell with love...

 

 

I hope I never forget the story of what was happening in that picture on the bottom left. Momma was behind the camera and said, "Mom! Smile!" Then, this sassafrass was like, "Yeah Nanny, smile! I mean, you're getting to take a picture with me." Then the queen of all sass said, "Well, you're nothing to smile about." 

Bahahahahaha. Of course she then said, "That's not what I meant and you know it." 

Still. That picture is priceless to me.

Joyce Greene is more precious than gold and her kind spirit is more valuable than the most rare diamond. But you know what I love most about her?

She makes everything better.

xoxo, E

Scared to open that door...

Can I be real honest? I've had the best time working towards completing my 25 while 25 list, but I have this little voice in my head that whispers there will be at least one goal I don't complete.

This isn't a vague, general whisper. It's about a very specific goal -- number 18 to be precise. (Reminder: #18 is to put on the ol' tap shoes and (re)learn this choreography)

Before last night, the reasons included:

• I don't want to be too hard on my joints, I've got a half-marathon to run! 
• I'm not sure I'll be able to find some studio space, and it's so terrible to tap on cement in the garage.
• I don't even know if I remember how to notate choreography. I'm going to need to rediscover those skills so that I'm not hunched over my laptop for hours on end.
• Do I even have the time to devote to this goal?

Well, last night I sat down to prove to myself that yes, I could still notate choreography. 

After watching the same 5 seconds over and over again - more like twenty times over and over again - I took a break to dry my hair. I let my mind begin to wander, and I realized the real fear that I have... I'm scared to open the door to dance again.

It has become a roll-right-off-the-tongue part of my story when I tell people, "I came to OKC to be a dance major but changed my plan in the spring of my junior year, and I just haven't left Okie land." 

Normally, I can be found having at least one "dance break" during the workday. When I'm getting ready in the morning or washing my face at night, I'm definitely having a mini concert in my house. My soul feels alive when I see a Broadway show, and it turns out I also get teary watching ice dancing during the Olympics...

I know that I miss dancing, but I'm scared to realize just how much I miss it as I work towards checking this goal off my list.

I absolutely know that I don't want to audition for a living, but I miss performing. Maybe that's why I'm such a performer in daily life. Yes Sis, I'm acknowledging that I can be a wee bit dramatic - especially in my storytelling.

Accomplishing this goal will be difficult - not just because I haven't put on a pair of tap shoes in 5 years (I just had a freak-out moment when I realized how long it's actually been), but because it's going to be a mental challenge to banish the "what if" thoughts while I tap-tap-tippity-tap. 

Well, here's to facing all of life's challenges head on! 

xoxo, E

5 Things Friday

Sometimes you have one of those weeks where there are so many moments that need to be frozen in time with a photo! This was one of those weeks.

1. I spent Wednesday night with my favorite little princess. We dined on delicious Chick-fil-a, watched a movie, played with puzzles & the etch a sketch, and took lots of silly selfies.

 

2. I mailed January's Lettered Letters... in February.

3. My mom sent me a surprise in the mail that had me playing dress-up with a flamingo. One of the outfits is for the Olympics... obviously... and the other is for when it's time to PARTAY!!

4. We had way too much fun cleaning the office yesterday morning. I may have allowed my arm to be twisted hard enough that I agreed to try on Jill's wedding dress. (Long story for why it was at the office.) Once I had it on, we had a good laugh -- well, they had a good laugh at my facial expressions. I think it was a combination of "Holy crud, I have a wedding dress on." and "OMG I have a wedding dress on!" The little girl in me was feeling like a princess, the grown-up was freaking out.

I had a good giggle at how ridiculous I was being. I'm convinced the latter reaction is one that can't be helped. The idea of getting married right now makes me break out in nervous hives. Note: I'm listening to "Little Black Dress" by Sara Bareilles right now. I'm definitely going to stick with the LBD.

5. My mom sent me so many pictures this week that I hadn't ever seen before! Too many for a Throwback Thursday post on Instagram, so they get their own feature on 5 Things Friday...

I definitely got a little teary when I saw this picture of me and my big sis. Talk about admiration - it's right there on my face! Even if we are only half-sisters, she always treated me with full love and made me feel oh so special. She still does! 

Not sure where those glasses came from, but I was rocking them for sure. And hey there Michelin Man arms!

 

It's so much fun to look back at old pictures - especially ones like these that I hadn't seen before.

This last one is of Momma and Paw Paw. I love it so much. Momma is seriously going after that bottle and my paw paw looks so handsome and breezy. I wish more than anything I could've had the chance to meet him, but I adore every story my Nanny tells me!

Have you been watching the winter olympics? I am absolutely loving them!! My stomach is in knots watching so many of the events though. These athletes are incredibly brave - and maybe a touch insane for doing what they do...

Happy Valentine's Day love bugs!

xoxo, E

Whatever it takes...

Training for the half-marathon has been really good for my Happiness Project. Sticking to a strict training schedule forces me to say no to the "extras" in my schedule and make changes when I need to say yes.

This is the background on my computer at work. It's a nice little reminder to prioritize the day's tasks and take care of myself.

By the way, Design Love Fest has the most amazing downloads to help you "dress your tech." I have like four different desktop background options because of her!

So, in addition to learning how not to overbook my schedule, I'm also learning the best way for me to achieve a goal, both mentally and physically. I prioritize sleep time. And man, it was hard to get out of bed this morning.

When I'm running, it's a constant mind game. I set goals like: just run until you reach that intersection up ahead, keep running to the beat of this song, if that stoplight is green when you reach it keep running, if it's red go ahead and take a breather.

Well, the other day, I was reaching the end of my run, and I rounded the corner to see this City bus parked on the street. (Truth be told, I went back after I finished to snap the picture - I was in the zone at the time!) Going Home. Those two words miraculously put some major pep in my step. I was almost at the end of my run, I was nearing my goal for the day - and on my way to the larger goal - all I had to do was keep putting one foot in front of the other and make it "home."

Funny how I can get all analytical and introspective because of a digital sign on a bus, isn't it?

I'm learning how to be kinder to myself while I'm running. I don't have runner's form - and that's ok! I am running. I'm getting better and becoming stronger.

Bobbie sent me these eBibs last night and I couldn't stop laughing - they are so true.

One of the "sacrifices" I made this week was to not attend our Happiness Project meeting on Monday night. I know that sounds like the wrong thing to give up since the reason I'm taking care of myself and working on some stuff is because of my Happiness Project group. Well, with all of the drama with my frozen hot water pipe - hooray! After a week, I now have water again and have moved back into my house! - I decided that I needed to get a good workout in at the gym and give myself some still-time before the week got going. I didn't allow myself to feel guilt over that decision.

Oh, and one other thing - I think I'm actually becoming a runner. I love running outside and switching back and forth in my mind between singing along with my playlist and zoning out to my thoughts. 

We'll see how I feel when the days of having to run 6 and 7 miles roll around...

As for today, I've got a brisk 2 miles ahead of me and the weather is supposed to be gorgeous!

xoxo, E

A Love-ly 25 while 25 Update

When I was coming up with the 25 things I wanted to include in my 25 while 25 list, I knew that a girls weekend with Kimmy needed to be on it for sure. She has been a huge part of my life for the last 5 years - confidant, shoulder to cry on, comedian when I need it, etc. She's become even more important to me in the last year or so. I can't imagine my world without her in it.

Well, it might not have been the girls weekend I'd imagined, but we've been having a sleepover since Sunday evening. Thank you, frozen hot water pipe - blessing in disguise!

Erick (her hubby) has been an absolute champ putting up with our Frozen sing-alongs, our persistent attempts to finish his sentences for him, and our many (many!) conversations that are impossible to follow for anyone but us. They have been the best hosts ever, and I'm thankful for the last 3 nights that I've spent at Casa de Worrell. Number 24 complete.

As you know from my blog post here, I took an Illustrator class and absolutely loved it! Number 5 complete.

I finished the book "Always Something There to Remind Me" in about 3 days, and then I read "The Fault in Our Stars" in 36 hours. That book wrecked me. One more book to read and then I'll be able to check off Number 13.

I'm 3 tastes away from checking off Number 20. I was helping Jill prepare for Emily's 3rd birthday party a couple weeks ago, and her husband got us some cheese and crackers to snack on. It was my first time trying Havarti cheese. Yum! (As if I actually thought there'd be a cheese I didn't love.)

At Taste of OKC, I tried panna cotta for the first time. I actually enjoyed the couple bites I took, but I don't foresee me having a PC craving any time soon.

Then this week, my sleepover buddies offered me some milk with my Oreo. When I asked what kind, Kimmy replied with "Well, we have 2% and almond milk." I squealed (a little too enthusiastically for milk), "Oh! I'll do almond milk! It can go on my list since I've never tried it before." It was definitely too sweet for me - Erick said that was probably because it was vanilla almond milk - but I'm glad I can now say that I've tried it.

Here's my plan to complete some of the remaining items:

#3 I have GOT to start cooking soon. I still have to add 7 new recipes to the list!!

#16 Donate Blood - Once March 1st rolls around, I'm clear to give blood! (Thank you melanoma. Blurgh.)

#18 Re-learn the "Moses Supposes" Tap Choreography - I need to start notating this choreography so I can work on it! I'm out of practice, so it might take a while. Needless to say, the "number of views" is about to go way up on this YouTube video.

#20 Try 25 New Tastes - We are going to get Pho next week, so that'll be a new addition!

#22 Learn to Make Sushi - I'm taking a class on April 8th with Kimmy.

I am pretty excited to do a half-marathon update post tomorrow. It's going to be all introspective and symbolic. I can just see you now, perched on the edge of your seat.

Happy Hump Day. It's going to be a busy one for me around the office.
xoxo, E