I'll miss you. Goodbye. You're welcome.

I've been growing my hair for the past four years--pretty much since I've moved to Austin. We've shared some good times together; long nights, early mornings, straightenings, curling, teasing, you name it. But like every good journey, it's time for it to come to an end, and to begin a new path.

Today I cut 10 inches off my do to donate it to Locks of Love. This is the second time I've had the opportunity to donate to such an awesome cause. I didn't grow my hair with the intension to donate, but once it got to a certain length, I figured, why not.

I woke up at 8, took care of some work business and set forth my plan to get my haircut. I chose Birds Barbershop because I've passed the shop many a times, and it's always seemed like an interesting Austinite location. Every new adventure deserves a new location.

I made my way around 3pm, and had a short wait, which gave me time to reflect on the selfless act I was about to commit to. It may seem like just hair to some people, but those people are the fortunate people that are able to grow their own. The idea of being able to give something that I take for granted on a daily basis is exciting to me. On a day not to far from today, some little girl or boy will get to look in the mirror and see a full head of hair. Granted, it is not their hair, but the smile that will come with them owning new hair is worth more than the accomplishment of me growing it myself.

I totally forgot the name of the girl cutting my hair, but she was super sweet. She was really excited for have the opportunity to cut off all my hair--I guess it's a fun time whenever they get to do something crazy. She made it a big ordeal when she started cutting.

It literally felt like a huge weight was lifted off me when she got done cutting off the 10 inches. I felt kind of naked. It'd been at least 3 years since my shoulders were free of swaying hair. She made the transition easier though by sharing and swapping stories with me.

The whole process took about an hour. She ended up straightening my hair and dry cutting it. Not sure why she went that route, but it worked. I went with a layered A-line cut with razored ends since my hair is so thick. The guys getting their hair cut on either side of me kept peeking over our way. I'm proud to say I turned a few heads while leaving the shop. So I'd say the final cut was a success (I even got a "Hey pretty lady" from an older man when I met up with my friend for dinner later--kinda weird, but flattering).

What an eventful day. Even if I wake up tomorrow regretting my new do, I know I won't regret the reason. It feels good to do something selfless. I may continue this momentum and see what other selfless acts I can commit this week. Have you done anything selfless lately? Tell me about, even if it was something as simple as letting someone go before you in the grocery line or giving up your seat on the bus. I want to know about it.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Mine, please

For some reason I enjoy "window shopping" during my bank account's lightest times. No harm in just looking though. Favorite place to peruse: Forever 21. Here are my favorite finds.

These two animal tanks are too cute to handle

As you may or may not know, I love nature. How couldn't I fall in love with these three pieces?

I love, love, love these three dresses too! The lace on the left, the pattern in the middle, and the color on the right are all so beautiful.

This bag and these shoes are lovely accessories to add to an outfit. 

That's what I did today. Shopped for nothing in particular, and it was fun. Visit Forever21 for all these finds. 

Love and light.

Adrienne

Just can't get enough of her

"Who?" you ask: Why, Adele, of course.

I know I'm not the only person that hears "Rolling in the Deep" at least twice during the 10 minute drive to work. It's a catchy song, you know it is! Still, as many times as I've heard the song, I still am not sick of it.

Her album, 21, is on repeat on my iPhone. I just love her voice. It's so rich and bluesy. It almost gives me shivers. The cd is best enjoyed with a glass of wine--at least that's how I most enjoy it. 

21 is Adele's second album, and it's filled with songs of loss and love. The songs could probably hit home to most girls, or anyone that's felt love and loss. If you've heard enough of her radio-played song, give the rest of her album a listen. Again, I just can't get enough of her. 

Love and light.

Adrienne

Kinda, sorta good week in June

The third week of June started off active, but ended very lazily. Here's a look at my Project 334.

On Saturday the 11th, my pretty little friend Jesse came to Austin for a sleep over weekend. She got to town when I got done with work. We caught up for an hour, and she somehow convinced me to go to the gym. We worked out for an hour. For dinner, I made a delicious veggie stir fry that was apparently too spicy for Jesse--lightweight.

Sunday the 12th was an active day. Jesse and I were entertained by her friends, William and Tracy. William is a super active guy, and insisted we go hiking to Barton Springs. After the mile and a half hike there (in flip flops), the super cold water felt wonderful. We relaxed for an hour then made the trek back. We had dinner downtown, but by 8pm we were all too tired to do anything more. I slept like a baby that night.

All I wanted to do after work on Monday the 13th, was relax and unwind. Somewhat sore from my excursions the day before, I curled up on the couch with a tasty salad and enjoyed my new favorite show: the Bachelorette.

Tuesday was a super long day. My day started at 7am, and I went nonstop till about 8pm. After work, I relaxed with a little blogging. It always makes me feel good. On top of the blogging to relax, it poured rain ALL night long. The mr and I opened up all the windows and fell asleep to the sound of rain.

By Wednesday the 15th, I had no energy or desire to do much at all. It was my day off, and all I wanted to do was be lazy. I think everyone needs one of those days every once in awhile (at least that's what I told myself). The cats were the best companion for this kind of day. Reni made herself a little "nest" to relax in.

Thank goodness I relaxed all day on Wednesday because Thursday the 16th kicked my butt. Work was stressful. Too much to do, and not enough time or people to help out. The best part of my day was the drive home. It may or may not have been a full moon--it sure looked like one. It made the ride soothing.

Friday the 17th was another busy day at work. Kept me going till almost 11pm. Too late to have dinner. Vanilla almond cereal hit the spot though. Hands down the best cereal, btw, and comforting after the long day.

Like I told you, this week started off adventurous, but ended stressfully and with no excitement. Sorry for the lameness guys. Hopefully, the last couple weeks of June will be more exciting. Fingers crossed!

Love and light.
Adrienne

The cave of wonder!

Actually, it's Inner Space caverns, and it's the one day trip that the mr and I have been wanting to take for years. Finally, after almost three years of saying we'll go, we made the 30 minute drive to Georgetown, Texas to check out this natural wonder.

If you haven't heard about it, you should Google it. The cave was discovered in 1963 by a Texas Highway Dept core drilling team. They were testing for solid ground. Six times, they drilled 40 feet down and each time the bits ended in open space. They some how convinced a worker to be lowered down the two foot wide hole. What they discovered was this million year old underground cave that had been hidden for 10 thousand years.

Phil and I took the hour long tour and were blown away with the information the tour guide was telling us. Several teams had excavated the cave and had not only found several chambers leading up to two miles off the main cave, they also came across bones and fossils from at least 120 different species-- saber-toothed tigers, giant ground sloths (the size of an SUV), camels and mammoths.

The stalagmites and stalactites dated back 160 million years; however, there was one formation that was created more recently. The mound was 27 feet wide and tall, it was created more rapidly over the years from the Texas rainfall the seeped quicker into the earth in that one spot.


I know I can't do the cave justice with what little facts I remembered from the tour, but our tour guide told us Texas was at one point under water and the reason the cave was created. Because of that fact, there were fossilized coral reefs at the tops of some of the rooms.

We also got to experience total and complete darkness. When we got the the lowest point of the tour (50 feet down) the guide turned off all the lights, and we sat with our hands in front of our faces, not being able to see a thing or knowing which way was up. Super fun experience!

Caves are totally awesome in my opinion. And, if we didn't have a slight fear of tight spaces, Phil and I would've taken the extended tour that involved crawling on hands and knees and exploring the other 7/8 of the cave that the tour didn't cover. If you find yourself with a day off and nothing exciting to do, I really recommend taking the normal tour. In our group of 20, Phil and I were one of two couples there without children. So yes, the tour is for kids of all ages.


Love and light.
Adrienne

How's it going, June?

It's going great! June's off to a good start. He's some Project 334 goods.

Saturday the 4th was a long day, but it wrapped up quite nicely. I finished a book I was reading. It was one of those "okay" books you pick up just to get you to your next awesome book find. It kept me occupied during those lonely nights and hour-long elliptical workouts.

Sunday the 5th was lovely. I went to church with Jesse, and got to meet her sweet friend, Sam. Church was great at always, and on the way out I came across this little beauty of a backdrop. I insisted they stop and take a photo in front of it for me. Reminds me of Hey Cupcake.

On Monday, after work, I got another creative bug in me. I stopped by Michael's, picked up some new thread, and started a new cross stitch project. I'm super excited for the end product! {I also spent a good five minutes color coordinating the thread just so I could tilt my head to the side and admire the colors.}

Tuesday after work I did some unwinding. It was a long day, but I didn't feel going home. I stopped by the grocery store and picked up meat and a six pack of beer for my mr and his buddies. I've grown fond of Shiner since I moved to Texas. Their new canned beer was a success amongst the guys.

I spent Wednesday the 8th being abnormally lazy. I did my typical gym work out, but came home and took advantage of all the calories I burned by eating them back up. It's hard to be productive when you have lazy cats laying on you too!

This week, I got an extra day off from work, and wanted it to be a day to do something out of the norm. For as long as I can remember, the mr and I have wanting to go to Inner Space caverns in Georgetown, Tx. A mere 30 minute drive away. It took us almost three years, but we finally made it there. So worth the wait. I was blown away with this 160 million year old underground cave.

While we were waiting for the tour to begin at the caverns, Phil bought me my now new favorite ring from the gift shop. It's a mood ring with dinosaurs in it! I wore it to work on Friday the 10th and got tons of compliments. Actually, everyone just wanted to try it on to see what kind of mood they were in. My mr knows me so well :)

*Dear June,
Thanks for the awesome start. I hope you continue to make me smile and send tons of exciting surprises my way. The more picture worthy, the better.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Hello June

I know I wrapped up May already, but I still have Project 334 photos for the month. So, here is the second wrap up of May and the start of June.

As you know I went to Houston on the Saturday the 28th. It was a very rushed day, but I sort of got a chance to relax and unwind during my 2 hour drive. It's hard to see, but in this photo there's a water tower with a giant smiley face on it. It may be my favorite part of the drive (that and the absolutely beautiful green vegetation).

And as you also know, I went to my first wedding celebration on Sunday. It was the sweetest ceremony filled with tons of love and amazing people. Stef's dress was so beautiful, too. It had a long train that she could pin up during the reception.

The reception and celebrating when on till all hours of the morning. Well, actually till only 12:30 Monday morning. Thankfully it didn't last longer than that because I had to make the 2 hour drive back to Austin still. Before I left, the mr and I took our first photo together of the night. He was so busy with best man duties, we didn't get a chance to dance. A photo was enough for me.

After so much running around and celebrating, all I wanted to do was be completely lazy. And what better way to end the month than to spend time with the mr and good friends. Phil invited our friends over for the Mavericks game on Tuesday (we were actually supposed to watch Glee, but it was a rerun). We ordered pizza, and did a little drinking. Go Mavs!

June 1st! I can't believe it's already June. I kicked off the month with a new hobby/project. I learned to cross stitch when I was in middle school, but never did any projects because all the patterns I saw were old lady like. I came across the cutest patterns on Etsy though, and got an itching to create.

Once I got started, I could not stop till I was done. I ended up going to bed at 3:30 Thursday morning. But it was worth it! Look what I created. They're in love :)

Friday was a lovely day. I closed at work, and left on time--always a plus. I treated myself to a tasty snack for a job well done this week. Delicious dark chocolate Dove popsicle. Yummy!

I'm crossing my fingers that June brings good things. It's off to a creative start, but also off to record highs in heat. It can go either way.

Love and light.
Adrienne

The Litzler Wedding

As much as I carry on about wedding, and as much as I love them, I've never actually attended a wedding. I was once asked to be in a wedding, but the ceremony was canceled and turned into a small family gathering that I didn't go to.

When I found out Phil's brother was getting married, I was so excited to finally attend a wedding. John and Stefanie had their wedding on the 29th (Memorial weekend). Unfortunately, Phil is horrible with early planning, and I wasn't able to request the whole weekend off from work. But where there's a will, there's a way.

I was able to leave work a couple hours early and drove like a crazed woman to Katy, Texas. A drive that mapquest said would take two hours and fourty-five minutes, I took in two hours. I was anxious to be a part of the celebration. I'd missed the rehearsal lunch (where I was supposed to have a spot at the wedding party table), and I refused to miss the dinner.

I got there just in time and enjoyed a lovely dinner with Phil's whole family--who are just the sweetest people ever. After dinner, the mr and I went to play games with the wedding party. We watched a game of "four on the couch" and partook in a game called "mafia," which I totally kicked butt at, and will now be forever known as "the mafia" with that group of people.

The wedding wasn't until 7:30 Sunday evening. I got to go to church and hangout with my dad and Donna for the day. Getting ready for the wedding took a little longer than I'd thought it would. I curled my hair in pretty little curls which took an hour. Once again, I had to haul butt to the wedding venue. I made it just in time to take our seats. I sat with Phil's aunts. I was so excited because this was the first time I got to see Phil in a suit too. He was the best man so he was busy doing all the duties that go along with his role.

Their wedding was the best first wedding ever. The ceremony was outside (the only down side was it was kind of windy and somewhat humid, and my hair was flat by the time they said their I do's), with a pretty pond with a fountain behind them. There were also longhorns roaming in fenced in areas--very appropriate for the alumni they are. Their wedding parties were pretty large, and all of them were such awesome people who knew and loved them.

Now typically I cry while watching wedding shows on tv. So guess how hard it was to try and hold back the tears for this wedding. Of course I cried! The excitement from these two beautiful people declaring their love for each other was too much.

A lot of post-I do photos were taken. And I loved the fact that I was included in the "family" photo. I felt special, and like every girl in my position look forward to the day I get popped the question.

The dinner reception was lovely. My mr gave a speech that brought many to tears--I was so proud of him. John's and Steph's first dance as a married couple was super adorable. It was to a Michael Buble song, and Steph choreographed it since John's not the best dancer apparently. I was brought to tears during the father/daughter dance and the mother/son dance. Those were beautiful moments that I was honored to share in.

Sadly, I didn't get a chance to dance with Phil all night. The reception was pretty short, and he spent most of it decorating John's car. I did however get to dance with my new friend, Jeannie. She's the fiance of one of Phil's long time friends, and excitingly enough, the next wedding I get to attend!

The cake was awesome! Since they both graduated from university of Texas, they chose the UT tower as their cake design. I watch tons of wedding cake shows and have always wanted to see one of these masterpiece in real life. Their cake was the perfect example. There was great detail and smelled and tasted delicious.

I wish the night didn't have to end. But it was wrapped up quite lovely, with a giant firework display, that lasted longer than most expected. We all sent off the bride and groom with bell ringing (A new concept to me. I like the old fashion rice throwing personally). After that point, I finally got a chance to be cute and loving with my mr. Weddings bring that side out of a girl. We took a few pictures before the night ended.

Though my feet were sore from wearing heels all night, I refused to take them off. I don't remember the last time I had gotten so many kind compliments about an outfit. Apparently it was a hit--even though my hair was a wreck from the humidity.

I worked the next morning, and had to make the long ride home at midnight. I had a splendid time, and though I only ended up getting five hours of sleep, it was all well worth it.

I can't wait for my next wedding, or better yet, for mine. One day...until then I'm just glad I got to go to this one.

Love and light.
Adrienne

Project 334: May wrap up

Yikes! I feel like I've slacked off on blogging this past week. It's been kind of a nonstop week. As you know, my family came to Austin to visit, and although that might seem like a relaxing time, I didn't get a moments rest.

My parents got here on Saturday the 21st. After their nine hour drive, the only thing they wanted to do was eat. I'd told them about the Salt Lick in Driftwood. It's a restaurant that's known for their giant pits of meat. So of course they wanted to go. Luckily, they had a veggie plate, so I went willingly. We all enjoyed a cup of the tastiest lemonade I've ever had while we waited. It made the hour wait quite tasty.

My sister had to head back home on Sunday. Before she left we all got up early to go to the Renegade Craft Fair. My sister and I went last year, and we've been very much looking forward to this year's. It's not your typical craft fair either. They sold everything from minty soap, to sugar skull art work to fancy hat headbands to snazzy mustaches. The venders were a perfect example of how awesome craft making is.

My mom and stepdad made a business trip to Houston. They left early Monday morning. So for the first time in 5 days, I had some time to unwind when I got home from work. I spent the evening watching the Mavericks with the mr. I'm not a fan of sports, but this game was awesome!

Mom and Max came back to Austin on the 24th. They were tired from driving, and I was tired from work, so we had a relaxing night in. We watched Shutter Island on Netflix and mom and I had a glass of wine. Much needed!

Wednesday was my day off, and we all slept in a bit. For lunch, we went to Max's favorite Austin restaurant, Threadgills. It's a must every time they come visit. We stopped off at the mall afterwards to find me some shoes for Phil's brother's wedding. I bought the most beautiful pair of shoes I now own (more to come on that).

Thursday the 26th was mom's and Max's last day in Austin. They spent the day walking around the capital and getting lost downtown. By the time I got done with work at 10, they were pooped. We sat around watching Nancy Grace (mom's favorite show). By this time, Reni had finally warmed up to having them here, and she showed her love to mom by draping herself on her.

Friday was my first night alone in who knows how long. Phil left to Houston for his brother's bachelor party and mom and Max left early that morning. It was really nice to have some quiet time. I took it as an opportunity to try on my outfit for the wedding. I spent the evening walking around the apartment in my new Jessica Simpson heels. I wanted to break them in (and I am kind of in love with them).

It was an awesome, nonstop week. I love having family visit. May has shown to be my favorite month so far. Can't wait to see what June brings.

Love and light.
Adrienne