my weekend with brianna.

happy monday! as mentioned in my previous post, my cousin was here this past weekend for a visit! it was WONDERFUL to say the least! SO much to catch up on. We explored a little, ate a lot, but mostly just talked & talked & talked. my heart feels full. i love her with all my heart. here are a few pics from our weekend!

cabo fish taco... a first time for both of us!

waffles&espresso... although it's real name is Cast Iron Waffles ... ALSO a first time for both of us and a place i would DEFINITELY recommend going if you are ever in Charlotte. The frozen chai tea was SO delicious, and the pictures of waffles below can speak for themselves.

 

a movie date. the 5 year engagement. i'm a 'see it for yourself' type of person, so I won't push my opinion too hard. we liked it. funny & cute. but more of a rental if you ask me. LOVED the coca-cola slushie we shared though!

...then we came home and cooked! coconut chicken with mango salsa, rice, & brussel sprouts. mmmmmmm.

i LOVED every minute with my cousin :) such a wonderful trip. DEFINITELY won't be letting TWO years pass before i see her again!! love you bri!

 

xoxo

cousin love.

today is a great day. woke up to thunderstorms & live! with kelly, and later today my cousin is coming to visit! i am beyond excited! For a while we got into a really great habit of seeing each other twice a year! and then real life started, and we haven’t seen each other in almost 2 years!

UN-AC-CEPTABLE if you ask me.

brianna is SUCH a special person in my life. even from far away i still want her to be a part of every important thing that happens in my life & i want to be included in hers. she is truly a bright spot & is such an inspiration to me. needless to say, i love her so much.

…and to celebrate that love && her arrival… a few of my favorite pics over the years :)

starting with this gem

can we please take note that i was wearing the ‘nerd’ glasses back in 2007 WAAAAAY before they were trendy!

take a look at that flip phone :)

please pray for safe travels & a wonderful weekend that doesn’t pass by too quickly!

happy thursday!

xoxo

a few things making me incredibly happy...

hugs

smoothie king

my cousin coming to visit

one on one time with my Maker

bubbles

nostalgia

long talks with great friends

snuggling up in a blanket on a rainy day
japanese food

dessert

reading my favorite blogs

my H anthropologie mug

my birthday that’s around the corner

husband

xoxo

here & there, love iphone

puppkin.

a gallon of strawberries should be enough.

leftovers.

soccer nights.

he's allll mine. & STILL loving our mustache glasses from elle.

balloons.

& more balloons.

date night.

his & her thai food && a snuggle baby.

playdates.

snuggles.

& cuties of all kinds :)

friends.

...more leftovers.

& a declared wine night.

old friends come for a visit.

spring waffles.

a good book & sangria for two.

curious little girls & a puffed pancake.

love.

cupcakes.

& some much needed one on one with the Lord :)

what a rainy sunday dunkin' run looks like.

fiesta night with friends.

because sometimes you just have to...

my first birthday present! been eyeing these lovelies since christmas!

another play date.

&& pizookies? don't mind if i do...

ahhhh, chaiii.

& harlow taking care of a sick husband.

friends.

sleepytime tea, sianara allergy attack.

...and it's okay!

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:6-8

it can sometimes be tough living in a sports community.

i am a girl, and a very girly one.

not to say you can't be a girly girl and also love playing, watching & enjoying sports. i can think of about 10 friends who are both girly & sports lovers! 

it's just not who i am.

& that's okay.

and i really believe that it is.

however, occasionally i find myself needing a reminder that it's okay.

that it's how i'm designed.

i dance. i love music. i'm not competitive (aside from game night (board games)). i'm a creative. i'm a woman. i live in dresses. i take pretty pictures. walking, hiking, swimming, & yoga are physical activities that i enjoy. i'm social & i love people, but i sometimes prefer being alone. i love hard. i'm nonconfrontational. i freak out if bugs are on or near me. i'm sensitive. i talk to God like He's a friend. picnics & swinging are my idea of a good time. i am fearfully & wonderfully made.

some people get it & some people don't.

it can make you feel insecure when they don't. sometimes make you feel like, "why Lord, am i the only person i know who is not into this or that?"

• well first of all, then i just feel silly for questioning God, because from the life experience i have so far... He knows what He's doing.
• second, i am NOT the only person i know who is not into this or that. i just happen to live a million miles away from many of the people who are my same "breed" of person :) 
• and third... what i'm learning is that when people 'don't get it' they aren't trying to make you feel out of place, it's just what works for them & brings them joy, so they assume it would entertain you like it does them... and it's sometimes hard for them to understand how it could NOT.

you know how i know this? i am guilty of it too. do you know how many picnics i have asked chris to go on thinking he'd love it?! yea... he doesn't really love picnics. he likes them & enjoys the time spent with me, but it's not really his idea of an awesome activity. he'd much rather be playing sand volleyball, frisbee golf, soccer tennis, and any other sport combo they've come up with. it's how HE'S built. and THAT'S okay too.

we are all designed by the same Creator. 

&& for now, He wants me to be the minority around here.

 && that's okay.

"we should use our talents and abilities for the glory of God. we are all in this together. just as each part of our body contributes to the whole, so too does the talents and abilities of each of us contribute to the well-being of each other, the world as we know it and the kingdom of God."

don't stop until you get to the end...

i don't want to teach the little kids.

intermediate & advanced is more what i'm interested in...

words from my mouth.

i know, i know... some of you gasped & now think i'm a kid hater. well i assure you i am not... this post // this post // this post // && this post are my blog evidence... not to mention, the sight of a cutie kiddo or baby these days is sending 'baby fever' temps into the triple digits ;) i lovelove LOVE little kids, i just wasn't interested in teaching dance at that level. 

anyway... i love dance. i love TO dance & i love to choreograph dance. this being said, when it came to teaching, i mostly enjoyed teaching the older kids. i like to choreograph intricate & challenging stuff, and let's just be honest MOST (not all) but most younger kids aren't matured in their dancing to handle a crazy fast or intricate combination with a million 'and' counts. so the more i taught, the more i came to know where i flourished the most, and this was teaching advanced dancers. i started teaching when i was 15, and by the time i was 22, i taught all of the advanced classes, all styles & all company dancers at my mom's dance studio & later became the director. fast forward to a year later when we moved to charlotte, & after a short break from teaching, we were finally in one place long enough for me to start again...

when asked what i was hoping to teach, i immediately requested the opening statement of this blog. however, the Lord had a different plan...

because i would be filling in for a teacher out on maternity leave, i would have to teach whatever classes she was assigned. two of the classes being beginner, ages 5-6. you can imagine my excitement & anxiety. this was newwww territory. no. it didn't come with the challenge of creating crazy challenging moves & 5 pirouettes. in my mind, it was a whole different kind of challenge that i wasn't sure i was ready to take on....

what if they cry?

what if i don't have patience?

how do i control a class of twenty 5 year olds?

the list goes on...

well i had no choice && boy was i wrong about how this new venture would go!

i am in love.

no really.

i am completely smitten with our two beginner classes. they are sunshine on the cloudiest of days & my heart goes pitter-patter everytime i walk into the room & their faces light up & they run to give me a hug.

the Lord has truly opened my heart in a way i never really thought about. i've always known that in my role as a teacher, i am helping shape the lives of young adults, but now i have the opportunity to influence little baby girls too!?!? praise Jesus for that! i look forward to our beginner classes & never leave the studio on those days in a bad mood, regardless of how i went in :)

so littles... thank you for always putting a smile on my face. your happy hearts, your innocence, & your wonder bring me so much joy! thank you for being precious. i love teaching you.

oh.. and did i mention how excited i'll be to have littles of my very own one day, so we can have pictures like this & this?! so sweeeet. thank you Lord for changing my dance teacher heart! You never stop teaching me, and i am thankful!

**photos from pinterest**

a pinterest post.

just a few lovely things i've been swooning over on pinterest lately.

enjoy!

&& come pin with me: mrshillarysal

a good morning.

yesterday was a great morning.

so great in fact, that i am planning to start all of my mornings similarly. it looks a little something like this...

• in a still sleeping fog, kiss husband goodbye as he leaves for his day
• wake up... not too early & not too late.
• fix a delicious breakfast. [[yesterday's breakfast was vanilla yogurt with granola & strawbabies.]] today... i'm thinking puffed pancakes.
• spend atleast an hour (ifnotmore) writing affirmations & prayers. *for me, writing these on paper helps me to remember them throughout the day. it's also great to look back at them next day when you write new ones... chances are you could probably benefit from reading over them a second (third, fourth, seventieth time)
• read. --currently reading, "So Long, Insecurity" by Beth Moore.
• excersise. for me, this was my daily jog.

i was finished with these SIX things before noon & had already declared the day 'GREAT'

if that's not a wonderful way to start a day, i don't know what is!

how do YOU start YOUR day?

what are a few things that make it great?

oh, and here's a little video for you. loooooving me some florence+themachine lately.

happy tuesday!

iphonelove.

iphone you've done it again.

the past few weeks...