Mill Creek Park



My sister reconnecting with nature after an endless winter


This past weekend was well overdue! Every moment was spent in the company of family and friends, tossing aside the ever-growing "to do" list in exchange for a good dose of vitamin D, laughter, and self-fulfilment!

My love for Mill Creek Park may be a bit excessive but it is definitely mutual. Photoshoot of everything we seen (until the battery died) = huge success!

Quarter-life Crisis

It was not until recently that I let myself become inspired by anything with a hint of creativity. Even my passion for photography had taken a backseat (or had been locked up in the trunk) for the more important things going on in my life. Things such as work, school, family, and finally noticing that I wasn’t getting any younger posted up at the local bar with a cold one. (My parents should be so proud.)

I spent a lot of time reflecting after hitting my quarter-life crisis, or life's mandatory rest stop, and I will admit that there was just cause for the meltdown I incurred. I didn’t enjoy any of the aforementioned tasks that took up the majority of my life. I was growing up and figured that slamming the snooze button daily at 5:30, and dreading the upcoming events of the day were expected in adulthood. I was succumbing to a lifestyle of cookie-cutter corporate types with white picket fences meant for masking their true pain; when, in reality the whole idea made me nauseous. A reoccurring thought continued to eat away at the once spontaneous, adventurous, independent me- When was the exact moment I sold out? I gave up everything I wanted out of life, for what? Cash, pity, guilt, the list could go on and on.

So, I fixed it; changed the mind-numbing routine of what I called life and decided to pursue multiple things I love. After all, life should be enjoyable, not tolerable.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting that everyone drop all responsibilities and obligations in order to selfishly pursue any and everything out there (although the thought has crossed my mind on occasion). What I am suggesting is to take the necessary steps to improving your life based on your own standards, not the standards of the masses, the media, reality TV...

Our chubby 'Chippy' dining on stale circus peanuts. Inspiration can be found anywhere.



Princess...

Yes, I am one of those people who obsessed over the Royal Wedding this past weekend. My childhood nickname was not Cinderella for nothing. In case you were hiding under a rock, or as my boyfriend's father referred to me, an NFL draft widow, you undoubtedly have seen endless footage of London, pictures of the long awaited dress, the remarkable Westminster Abbey, the kiss, and then the second, etc.

I cannot resist a good story; but this was not just any story, this was a fairytale, a dream come true of most girls I know, regardless of age. Symbolically speaking, every girl wants to marry her "Prince" whether she is sappy enough to admit it or not. I blame Walt Disney; quite the imagination he had. Disney single-handedly conditioned girls from a very young age to believe in true love, chivalry, flawless features, and the idea that the perfect man is out there just waiting to put our shoes on.

And why not?

My cynical side would love to tell all of the hopeless romantics out there to get over it; it's not reality. But the eternal dreamer in me just cannot bring myself to accept it. Reality typically trumps fairytales. I know this and have come to terms with it. But I cannot sit back and ignore the fact that a "girl-next-door" type just acted out my childhood fantasy on live tv. The lesson to be learned from all of this, Don’t Settle! Will you end up with Price Harry if you keep at it? Probably not. The goal, or my version of a prince, is to be with someone who loves you unconditionally, challenges you daily, and makes you a better person continually. Don’t over analyze, these are clear questions that deserve your honesty. Trust me, when the answer is yes, you’ll know the difference.  

In honor of the Royal Wedding (and my new found interest in awkward hats), I jumped on the bandwagon and decided to see what the Chocolate Biscuit Cake (also known as the Groom’s Cake) was all about. I followed Sprinkle Bakes modified recipe of the original version by Darren McGrady and ended up with the following!

The first slice of pure decadence!