Adventures in Annapolis (Day One)

In just a few days, my brother will be graduating from the Naval Academy, so we are here in Annapolis for Commissioning Week. Sunday we spent a whopping 12 hours in the car, so I was pretty happy to have a busy day yesterday. Just a warning, a lot of pictures of the academy are coming your way this week. There's a lot going on, and I'm excited I get to share it with you all!

We got there just in time to see the plebes finally finish the Herndon climb and get the cover to the top-- after an hour and a half of stepping on each other's heads. (read more about the tradition here)

In front of Bancroft Hall. Fun fact: it's the largest dorm in the world.

4 years at USNA, in meme form of course.

I was supposed to go to the Superintendent's Luncheon with the rest of my family, but I dropped my ticket down a crack and it was lost forever. Amanda and I got to walk around the Yard instead.

I made my Mom stop here on the way back to the house to see if I could get the ice cream I talked about here.

THEY HAD IT and it was just as delicious as I remembered. If you ever get the chance to try Hershey's Cappuccino Crunch ice cream I suggest you do it (and let me know how much you love it).

We're all staying at a little beach house that's right on the water,

So we had to go take some pictures while the sun was setting. 

I think I could get used to this.

The Best Part About My Birthday...

Receiving + devouring delicious cupcakes,

A sweet card from my Mom & surprise flowers at the door,

Trying a new restaurant (and macarons!) for the very first time,

Buying myself a bright present,

And last but not least...

... Celebrating with Darius Rucker.

I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my 19th birthday. It went by quickly, but it was so fun while it lasted. I received such sweet messages from my friends (and even from some of you guys) and it really warmed my heart. I honestly feel so blessed to have such amazing people in my life. Now I get to spend all week with my friends & family in Annapolis to celebrate my brother's graduation. I think it'll be a hectic week, but I can't wait.

It's Birthday Time!

This morning I woke up to sweet messages from my friends, flowers on my doorstep, and a brownie for breakfast which can only mean one thing-- it's my birthday! Today I'm turning 19 and it feels great. This week and this day have already been incredible and it is supposed to get even better! Can you imagine? I'm such a lucky girl and I feel so very blessed. I have a feeling today will be pretty fantastic and I can't wait to share it with you all. For now though, I'm going to go get ready for the day. Happy Friday to you all, I hope you have an amazing weekend!

photo from Pinterest

My Favorite Movies

As I mentioned in this post, this month's Thursday theme is 'My Favorite Things.' This week I wanted to share with you all some of my favorite movies. I'm warning you, it is an odd group, but I love them! In no particular order:

1. The Giant Mechanical Man

2. Baby Mama

3. How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days

4. Big Daddy

5. Big
6. 27 Dresses
7. Finding Nemo

  

               

What are some of your favorites? Any recommendations for me? I'm also trying to catch up on classics, so please let me know of any that I have to see!

Movie photo found here.
All other images from IMDb.

Shopping in Paris

One of my favorite stores to browse around is The Paris Market. As I mentioned in 'My Favorites' post, my favorite city is Paris and walking around this store makes me feel like I'm there. The first floor is full of jewelry, soaps, a little café, and huge marquee letters (that I want to put in my room). Once you are done looking up there, a book-lined staircase leads you down to another magical little world. It is such a cool place to visit and if you like what you see, luckily there is an online store you can browse here or go visit their blog here.

How adorable are these mini harmonicas?

One of my favorite parts of the store: Tons of old photos from strangers