birthday adventures...

Another year older, another year wiser.

I had an amazing birthday weekend filled with good friends and new adventures.

Friday night I was craving the flower tortillas and honey from Posados. 

I don't think I've made it in that restaurant since high school. 

The entrees were a big processed salt stick, but the flour tortillas did NOT disappoint,

 neither did the waiter that completely wiped out on the greasy floor right next to our table. 

How I didn't laugh in this poor guys face is a sheer miracle.
I seriously thought we might be on Punk'd.

I went to bed early Friday so I could wake up at 5 am Saturday morning

 to meet Pat, the pilot, at Starbucks for my first hot air balloon ride, 

Tison's birthday present to me!

I was immediately nicknamed "Flip-Flops" by Pat, who has 20 years of experience as a balloonist, because I didn't wear sneakers. He wasn't pleased. Whoopsie!  Pat and his crew continually checked the radar for a storm coming up I-49 and they checked the air pattern by releasing a helium balloon and watching it disappear into the sky. After discerning the weather, it was decided that we would start our trek in the Curtis Elementary parking lot in Bossier City. This route can only be taken if the weather is just right and apparently that only happens 4x a year. Lucky me!

Watching this 105,000 cubic foot hot air balloon fill up was awe-inspiring. Can you believe this balloon costs $50,000?! Up-up-and awaaaaaaaay!

When we hopped in the hot air balloon, it lifted up like a feather, floating at about 5-6 miles an hour over the ox-bow.  With five of us in the basket there was no room wiggle room, but the ride was steady and calm as we drifted over the treetops. Besides the loud burner above our heads used to fill the envelope, or balloon, with hot air, it was very peaceful.

We touched down on the river, which filled the lower part of the basket with water; then we flew back up and over the trees. I even got to grab leaves off the top of one of the trees. At one point of the ride I had a panoramic view of Willis Knighton Pierremont, Youree Drive shopping centers, LSU Health, and downtown Shreveport. Unbelievable!

As we approached our landing spot, outside JCPenney and Kohl's, things got a little intense. The wind picked up and we hit the ground hard going 10 mph. Both me and the other female passenger received minor battle wounds as our knees crashed into the side of the wicker basket. At one point I thought we were going to flip over! It was the adrenaline rush I was looking for-ha! The experience was approximately 50 minutes in the air and it's something I will be doing again. I can't believe this group of balloonists goes up 7 days a week. Thanks Pat and Dave for your expertise. Everyone should check out American Escapes Aerosports to set up a hot air balloon ride of their own.

visiting the four kingdoms: day 1

I left my heart in Disney World. I am not saying this to be poetic or sweet or anything. It is just the truth! I was spoiled getting to spend every moment of every day with Tison. This morning I threw a pillow over my alarm clock to stifle the radio so I could keep sleeping. I have done more morning grumpy-grumbling than ever since our return. Who would have thought that coming back from an amazing vacation would have such negative effects on my work ethic! Don't get me wrong, I am extremely thankful to have a job, but I just want to play all day! Anyone else experiencing a bad case of senioritis this summer?

In an effort to relive the experience, I am going to walk you through our days spent at the four kingdoms at Walt Disney World, park by park. It is truly the happiest place on earth! Leaving bright and early (4:00 am) we drove from Shreveport, Louisiana to Sandestin Beach Resort, Florida - then left Sandestin the next morning for Orlando. We arrived around 3:00 pm, just as it was beginning to rain. A quick stop in a gift shop for ponchos began our first evening which we spent at Downtown Disney. I highly recommend Downtown Disney for adults as an evening activity. There are tons of restaurants and live outdoor music to choose from.

This is how we spent our first full day at Walt Disney World:

{Hitting the ground running, Tison and I started the day at the educational ride, Spaceship Earth. This is the ride in the Epcot dome. It cracked me up when the computer screen in front of us displayed our future if we keep recycling. I didn't even know they had snapped our picture- Tison's face so hilarious.}

 {I thought I was going to pass out after this ride. The G-force from this ride creates a pressure in your head that made me feel like my head might explode if it didn't release "into space." Why I thought I could handle the "More Intense" version of the ride is beyond me! It literally took us about 4 hours afterwards to feel normal again.}

{Tequila shots in Mexico are a must do!}

 {We enjoyed Bratwurst and Oktoberfest beer for lunch in Germany.}

{I absolutely loved visiting all of the countries! Everything was done with so much attention to detail. Norway, Canada, and the United Kingdom were also visited, but I guess I was still feeling the effects of the Mission: Space ride and didn't take any pictures!}

{Captain EO aka Michael Jackson was amazing. It is a 1986 3D film that follows Captain EO and his crew on a mission to rescue the planet through the gift of music, dance, and light. Need I say more?}

{I was more than impressed with the way Disney grows their own vegetables and distributes it to the resort restaurants. That Tomato "tree" right there produces 36,000 tomatoes a year!}

{After our fun at Epcot, Tison and I rode the Monorail to the Magic Kingdom. We really squeezed every minute out of this day!}

{We walked around the Magic Kingdom beginning in the area called Adventureland where I wanted to ride The Magic Carpets of Aladdin. Ali, Matt, Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim met up with us there for the Disney classics, It's a Small World and Mad Tea Party; as well as riding Splash Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and race cars! The fireworks display began while we were on the racetrack and it gave us a perfect view of the show. What a happy accident!}

{My favorite things from day 1: The World Showcase at Epcot, seeing Cinderella's Castle at the Magic Kingdom for the first time since I was 9, the Space Mountain ride, and the fireworks of course!}

happy birthday america!

 The 3rd:

To begin the odd middle of the week holiday, Tison and I tried a new restaurant called Sabores. It is traditional Dominican cuisine. I ordered the Parcha, a passion fruit drink, to start and also ordered one to go. I really I liked it! I could be wrong, but I don't think they serve alcohol here. Our appetizer was the pastelito de pollo that comes with a green sauce. This reminded me of a chicken meat pie. The waitress warned me that the sauce was spicy, but I didn't think so. It was a good dipper.

For our entrees we ordered:

Tison really enjoyed the ox tail and I ate about half of my pepper steak with bell peppers and plantains. We enjoyed the newness, but I wouldn't call it our new favorite restaurant. 

 The 4th:

Well, sometimes you can make a plan, but it doesn't mean said plan will go accordingly. With no alarm set, I slept until 11:00 am, lazily drank coffee on the couch writing a list of museums I wanted to go to. When we finally left the house towards Norton Art Gallery we were in for a surprise.

It was closed! Duh, Lindsey- it's a national holiday. Probably all the museums I wanted to visit were closed. So instead we went to visit Tison's parents and drove Sonic for a hey batter batter blast. yummy! Then we went to see Lauren, David, and Hudson.

Cutest-kid-ever! He just amazes me. Every time I get to see him he has learned something new. I love watching his personality emerge from baby to toddler. After pool and slide time, we went to visit our friends Cory and Shelley for some hot dogs, beer, and fireworks - all American classics.

{see previous year's 4th of July activities here.}

An Ode to Summer...

Step 1: Craving that calm summer feeling? 
watch this video.
 
An Ode to Summer from Kinfolk on Vimeo.

"summer just opens the door and let's you out"

as seen on andrew+carissa

This is a beautiful reminder for me that even without a designated "summer vacation," moments can be taken to appreciate the freedom of summer.

I am in love with Kinfolk Magazine.This video was made in honor of the recently released Vol. 4.  The quality of the paper is incredible with exquisite photography and design capturing the beauty of small gatherings and shared experiences. You should check it out.

Step 2: Plan your day of freedom

 I plan on packing a picnic and seeking out that fresh grass scent, finding a body of water even if it means having to purchase a sprinkler. This is how I will celebrate this middle of the week independence day.

Step 3: Enjoy your 4th of July, dreamers!

recognizing habits...

 Habit- an acquired pattern of behavior that often occurs automatically

Hi. My name is Lindsey and I am creature of habit. I hit my snooze 3x, I take a shower, pick out clothes to wear to work, take my vitamins, then brush my teeth, let the dogs out, then drive to work, I start my computer, then make a cup of coffee...you get the point. These habits are not causing me harm. However, I can think of quite a few that I am doing while in auto-pilot mode that are actually detrimental to my health, weight, attitude, etc.

For example: back when siddathornton and I worked together, one of our favorite things to do was walk to the cafeteria and get a salad; then we'd come back to our office and watch a tv show, look at blogs and whatnot. In our minds, we had justified this eating habit as a healthy choice. Although, this wasn't your "garden variety" salad, mind you. It had buffalo chicken, cheese, southwest dressing, and croutons on it for goodness sakes. We were getting these suckers daily. It wasn't until we noticed our bodies changing that we really thought about it. We began weening ourselves off of it, but as habits go- we still crave them. What was once a daily occurrence eventually - thoughtfully- became a special occasional treat. As I am now preparing myself (and my body) for a wedding, I am taking a more concerted look at my daily choices - could little positive changes make a big impact? I think so and I will begin by reading this.

Charles Duhigg's new book The Power of Habit

{video seen on A Cup of Jo}  

everyone has a story...

...and here is mine!

 Tison's mom and dad took us on a family vacation to Disney World last week. It was such an incredible trip. I was excited about going, but had no idea how magical it would actually be! I haven't been since I was 9 and although I had some memories of the trip with my family, the memories have grown a little fuzzy. Tison and I hit the ground running, spending a full day in each of the four Walt Disney World parks: Epcot, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Magic Kingdom. On Sunday (Father's Day) we had just left Hollywood Studios to go back to the hotel so I could change and get ready for a night out to see fireworks. I am powdering my nose and putting on my new orange tunic when I look over and see Tison has his head buried in a pillow. "Oh no," I think. "He must be getting sick." I push and prod him, saying "We aren't going anywhere if you are feeling bad. You should sleep. We have one more day at Disney and we're not going out if you are sick!" Little did I know he had special places picked out at all the parks and was carrying the ring around in his pocket the whole trip looking for the right moment to propose. He had decided that tonight was the night and it would be under the fireworks. He was so nervous I thought he was sick! I said, "Why are you letting out all this nervous energy, WHAT is the matter?!" The second those words rolled off my tongue, I knew.... He said, " I can't hide anything from you, come here" and right in the hotel room he took my hand and got down on one knee. Looking up at me nervously shaking with love pouring out of his eyes, he said, "I love you so much. Will you marry me?!"

Tison and I have been dating now for a little over 3 years, although we met 8 years ago. It has been a long road for us, dating off and on since I was 21.  I was so terrified of the word marriage- thinking it meant I would have to change not only my name, but who I was to be with someone. When I met Tison he scared me because we were so compatible - that it could get serious. As the years went on I realized that whether we were dating or not, he was the person I wanted to talk to. I missed him and wondered what was happening in his life when we weren't together. I contemplated what this meant. I realized over all this time that I couldn't imagine my life without him in it. I have found someone that doesn't try to change me, in fact he gets my weirdness, he encourages my crazy ideas, he motivates me when I need encouragement, he comforts me when I need to cry, we laugh and sing all the time, he makes me feel good about being me. With Tison I have never been more myself and I have never felt more loved. We have grown to love each other more than I ever knew was possible. He is my best friend. He is my true companion and partner in life. When he asked me to marry him I was in complete shock- stunned even. Those ugly little emotions and insecurities tried to rear their ugly head and Tison could see it on my face. He said, "Are you scared?" and I answered, "Yes." and he said "me too." That's when I knew. I knew that it was all going to be okay. We are going to walk down this path together- scared - but believing in our love for each other.

 Thank you for a wonderful, magical, and most memorable trip Mrs. Chris and Mr. Tim, Ali and Matt. 

We love y'all.

A little romantic music to go along with the post:

currently...

inspired by siddathornton to write a "currents" list because I haven't had time to finish editing the Sunday photos from Riverfest last weekend...

reading Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh (Charles Lindbergh's wife) Fr. Gallagher recommended it on the silent retreat I went to over the weekend with my mom and it is so beautiful. This year marks its 50th anniversary. It is a true classic.

writing a list of things I need to pick up for my trip next week to Disney World! It is filled with summer must-haves such as a graphic button down, mint skinny jeans, a jean jacket, crossbody bag, high waisted bathing suit bottoms, and wedges inspired by Tory Burch's lookbook and Shop Ruche's wardrobe basics.

listening to the Summer Picnic Playlist from this months Matchbook magazine on pg. 51. I made a little Spotify playlist so I can keep it on repeat while I'm at work wishing I was on a picnic in the park or at the pool with my book.

thinking about how good it was to see Miss Lauren last night for a good heart to heart in a 4 hour chat that felt like an hour. I sure do miss that girl.

smelling my wrist that I sprayed with the Bond No. 9 perfume Tison gave me for Christmas.

wishing that Tison wasn't on a work trip until Wednesday night. I have had enough silence! I am ready for some company. I miss him.

hoping that this week goes by quickly and efficiently. I am so ready for the weekend already.

wearing pearl earrings. I haven't been in the mood to change my earrings lately. These pearl studs go with everything.

loving everything from these online shops: ModCloth, Anthropology, Urban Outfitters, Ruche, and Madewell. Also, loving this link, #whatshouldwecallme, that makes me chuckle.

wanting a money tree so that I can buy all the little pretty pieces I want from the places listed above...

needing to feel my feet in the sand. I am so excited that we are stopping for a night/day in Destin, FL next week! and Butter Beer at Harry Potter World is soooooo happening. A blogger I follow, Story of My Life, recently got back from her trip there. Check it out here.

feeling inspired by pretty youtube videos like thegirlswithglasses, katespadenewyork, and kincommunity .

::  xoxo dreamers  ::