oui oiu la crépe

last night we got crepes.

guys... this literally has been a year in the making.

i can remember when i first got here a year ago and saw this restaurant in the mall that was strictly crepes. crepes for breakfast, crepes for lunch, and crepes for dinner. who knew? clearly not us, because this was the first time we went!

so since there were so many choices we decided to split a dinner crepe and a dessert crepe. the first one, even though it may not look like it, was delicious. it has mushrooms, a little bit of cheese, and a white cream sauce. i would totally get it again.

then for dessert we had your typical strawberry, banana, chocolate crepe. and it was just as i suspected .. awesome.

it was the perfect way to start the week!

birthday weekend

my birthday weekend was not extremely exciting .. but that is just the way i like it. i did however, have lots and lots of quality time with my man and my little pup who is starting to warm up to me again after i was away for two weeks.

we watched the opening ceremonies on friday night and i was surprised to here that paris wasn't really as excited for the olympics as i was. once the ceremonies started though he was quite impressed .. as i thought he would be of course.

saturday was a really rainy and dreary day. so after some olympics we decided to head to the mall just to see what we could see. we got our first round of twix mcflurries for the weekend and instantly became hooked. hence, the mention of multiple rounds ;) while we ate them we watched a little fashion show that was going on. not exactly paris's thing but i was entertained.

sunday .. my birthday! we had bought tickets to see batman a few days ahead of time but after that i realized that women's gymnastics was going to be on most of the day. i was able to watch the subdivision for russia and china before we went to the movies and had already read what happened for team usa. after the movie (which was great .. tears may or may not have been shed...), we went to a restaurant for dinner where i asked them to put the usa gymnastics on. next is where we got round 2 of twix mcflurries and then finished the rest of the gymnastics at home!

an extremely relaxed weekend but like i said, just the way i like 'em. happy birthday to me!

birthday letters

dear birthday weekend: yay you are here! i've waited a whole year for you. even though we don't really have any big plans (maybe next year??) i'm still excited because it is my weekend to be able to do whatever i want to do. so who knows where the wind will take me. dear birthday weekend pt 2: you get a part 2 because it is also paris's moms birthday this weekend! the day before mine. we already celebrated hers with some yummy cake because she is going away for the weekend (like i said, maybe next year!) dear boyfriend: thanks for always wanting to go out to eat with me. i seriously love eating out and i love finding new places that we love. for example, we just found a new wings place (to start birthday weekend of course) that has the biggest wings for the cheapest price. yumm. dear school: you weren't tooo hard this week to get back in the swing of things so lets keep it that way, okay? dear readers: i just wanted to say thanks for reading! i have accumulated a great number of followers since starting my blog and it just makes me happy! so thanks :)

a nice day

yesterday's afternoon had some of the nicest weather we've had in a while. and for once, all of paris's 4 sisters were at the house at the same time. 

paris's dad rolled up in one of his new toys, a motorized bicycle, so of course everyone had to try it. it was just one of those perfect days though. everyone outside in the beautiful weather, everyone laughing and having a good time.

its those kind of moments that you just can't help but love.

who doesn't love getting mail??

so today is the big christmas in july reveal. i was super excited to find this swap because the mailing period was exactly during the time i was going to be home! you see, here in costa rica the houses don't exactly have addresses. unless you count "100 meters west and 50 meters south of the church in the center of town" to be an address. yes, wayyyyyyy behind the times. i didnt want to risk someone trying to send something here and it not arriving and vice versa. so i was excited to be a part of this swap!

i was paired up with britt from bee little queen who literally is one of the sweetest bloggers out there. we instantly clicked because we realized we had both written very similar items down on our wishlists. 

britt sent me an awesome mix cd after i told her a bunch of artists that i liked and she chose similar artists that i don't yet listen to! next up she sent me some lovely cosmetics, my favorite being a crackle nail polish. i had heard of these before but never seen or used one and now i own one! i'm excited to use it one night when i'm going out :) she also sent me a little make-up holder which will actually be perfect to put in my school bag to hold some lip-gloss, tweezers, mascara, etc. britt also sent me a pair of turquoise earrings from f21which are exactly like something i would have picked out myself, a book that i can't wait to read, and some yummy starbursts! i may or may not have mentioned that i am obsessed with candy haha.

so to all you other swappers who participated, merry christmas in july :)

an anniversary

its always a little weird to me when you realize that it is the anniversary of a certain event. like a whole year had gone by but you can still remember that event as if it was just a month ago.

well this time last year (actually last week last year) ... i moved to costa rica!

thats right, i have been living in costa rica for a full year!

i thought i would do a little recap of my year but since i didn't have a blog for the first half of that year i'm gonna have to think a little bit harder. 

so, in my year here in costa rica ...

i went on a semi-frustrating job search but did get hired at my current school (six months in advance!)

paris finished his two-year english course and we went to his graduation

paris and i, his sister, and 6 friends rented a gorgeous bungalow in manuel antonio for a weekend

 i spent christmas and new years in new jersey with my friends and family

paris and i celebrated our two year anniversary

i started working and after a long and tedious process was accepted for a working visa

my parents came to visit! and we spent some time at the beach

we got rocco!

and many other fun weekends that would make this post way too long!

what a whirlwind year this has been so far. in my experience when you are living in another country the time seems to go by much faster than not.

happy one year costa rica anniversary to me!

back to the grind

some of my students on the day before vacation

its hard to go back to work after three weeks of vacation.

some of you may be wondering .. why the heck did you have three weeks off from work?

here in costa rica the school vacations go something like this, july is like "winter vacation" like how in the united stated we have a few weeks off for christmas but here the schedule is kind of the opposite. we have three weeks off in july and then two months off in december and january. so there you have it!

today was our first day back and boy do i have a headache right now.

maybe it was being away from school for a while, or maybe i literally just forgot how frustrating my students are sometimes but today was hard!

this weekend i started to get a little nervous about going back to school because i thought, i had kind of put everything school related away for this vacation and i feel like i may have actually forgotten everything i knew! and worse .. what if my students have forgotten everything we had gone over. well all was not lost but they sure were rowdy today.

thank god we have wednesday off (don't hate!) for a costa rican holiday so that this week will be a nice transition. oh and a new teacher started today .. who is young .. and from the u.s.! yay for having a friend! ;)

i'm back!

hey guys! so i'm back. back in costa rica and back to my blog.

my airport experience on wednesday was pretty annoying. there was a huge storm and after a power outage, and three or so hours of waiting to see what time my plane would take off and then trying to find my new gate, we boarded only to sit another 45 minutes because we had somehow lost two crew members. wah wah. anyway, i arrived and everything went smoothly after that so i was please.

 since then i've just been trying to get re-accustomed to life here. thursday and friday i still had vacation from school so i caught up on some exams and lesson plans and just took it easy. i obviously spent the majority of my days with my pup rocco who i would like to say is not so much a baby anymore .. but he really is! i can tell that he grew a little bit but he is still so so tiny. but if you take a look at the photo below...

he can now go up and down stairs! by himself! he also will now put himself to bed downstairs and wake us up with kisses when the alarm goes off in the morning. oh my baby.

back to school for me tomorrow, though. i feel almost like it is the first day again, like i have forgotten everything i learned in the first 5 months i've been in the classroom. but i think i'll be okay ;)

hope everyone had a great weekend!

friends

guysssss i'm leaving my house to go to the airport in exactly 1 hour. ugh!

these two weeks have flown by and i'm a little (a lot) sad that they are over. don't mistake my sadness for sadness going back to costa rica because i am beyond excited to see paris and my little bub rocco!

however,

what am i gonna do without all those people up there? uughh thats the hardest part is not having those guys with me all the time.

well friends, it sure has been so much fun being around you guys for a few weeks. see you at christmas time!

pesto pizza

so, friday night in boston, lindsey and i made pesto pizza! i have never really made home made pizza but the savvy cooker that lindsey is assured me it was super easy.

what you need:

pizza dough

two-three tomatoes

basil (about 1 &1/2 cups)

olive oil (not shown in the picture)

2 cups mozzarella cheese

3 cheese italian cheese (or whatever cheese you have)

garlic

 

prep:

preheat your oven to 350 degrees

use a food processor to combine the basil, italian cheese, olive oil and garlic. start with just a little olive oil and then add more depending on your preferences (you can add pine nuts to this, we didnt because we forgot to buy them at the store! but it tasted equally yummy)

get the dough ready buy kneading it a little bit and then stretching it out to the size that you want to make your pizza.

its super easy from here: just add the pesto, some sliced tomatoes and then the cheese!

bake for 15-20 minutes checking on the crust after 15 minutes

once it is baked you can dab some of the extra olive oil off with a paper towel

and voila! pesto pizza that is delicious :)

enjoy!

boston with the best

boston this weekend was awesome and just what i needed. i got in around lunch time on thursday and lindsey and i went to this delicious italian market and ordered sandwiches, the first of many yummy meals. later on we met up with my brother and laura and they took me to a little pet store by their house and i got rocco a present (to be later posted!). and finally, what i had been waiting for all day, we went to half price sushi! we call it half price sushi because thats what it is .. half price .. all the time. and it is awesome. and then i had my first starbucks in 7 months, also great.

 in the morning we made a lovely little breakfast. sweet potato home fries, eggs, and fresh strawberries. and then i found lindsey's tea stash. all those cans of tea were just some of her collection haha .. don't worry, she works at starbucks. then we geared up for a day in the city!

 it was super hot out so we walked down to the harbor and just sat and enjoyed for a little while. being in boston and sitting by the water reminded me a lot of college and that whole area. my school was right on the beach but since it was never quite warm enough to go in, except during finals week mostly, we would just sit and enjoy the smell and sounds of the water. sitting by the harbor with my college roomie was a nice little reminder.

continuing our lovely afternoon, we made a pit stop in the north end for some yummy italian treats where the chocolate immediately melted because of the heat, but were still super yummy. then we walked towards the gardens and went on the swan boats. love the little fun things around the city. then we walked and shopped alll the way up newbury street before heading home and making pesto pizza! stay tuned for the recipe ;)

it was such a perfect little weekend! it seriously reminded me of senior year and school when lindsey and i were roommates. i sure do miss her.

letters

dear boston: it is lovely to see you again. you are mighty hot but still just as lovely as ever. dear lindsey: yayyy i am so excited to be staying with you for 4 days! thanks for not being too picky about what we do and enjoying just some nice laid back city time and some excellent girl time :) let's stay forever. dear feet: darn you for always getting blisters! dear brother and laura: thank you for taking me to the dog store and then half price sushi .. it was the bomb.com.

 

leavin'on a ...bus

shirt, pants: j.crew factory // belt: gap // shoes: aerosoles // bracelets: mom

so, guys i am headed up to boston for a few days!

some of you may or may not know that i went to school up on the north shore of MA, which is about half an hour north of boston. one of my roommates and hometown besties now lives in boston so i am going to spend 4 glorious days with her!

we are of course going to visit my brother and laura who also live up there. half-price sushi, here we come!

also, as per some requests i'm doing another outfit post! i did this one and it was kinda fun so i thought, why not try another?

i pretty much died when i saw these purple pants, as purple is my favorite color. so i had to buy them. and the shoes. i already have a pair of these wedges in cognac and they are my favorite shoe so i figured it was only natural to get another pair of my favorite shoe, in my favorite color. right?

they definitely don't have this in costa rica

 a self-serve frozen yogurt place with a million toppings choices? nope definitely don't have those in costa rica. i experienced my first one yesterday with some friends and uhm, i might be going back every day until i leave.

i know you're probably all saying, "uh, where the heck have you been, weirdo?" but this phenomenon has not made its way down there yet. i mean, they just opened their first starbucks!

i had a delicious peach frozen yogurt topped with raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, brownie pieces, and rainbow sprinkles (thats a given). and i was with the best company too! one of my friends just bought a new german shepard puppy and he came along as well :) 

do any of you have a favorite froyo place like this?? lets hope that one makes its way down to costa rica very soon.

p.s. check out my guest post over here! i'm talking a little bit about what happens during summer time.

i would like to thank the academy...

I am so so happy to say that I was nominated for my first blog award! Thank you so much Joyce for the nomination!

 The Liebster Blog Award is given to upcoming bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome.

The Rules for Receiving This Award:

 1. Each person must post 11 things about themselves.
2. Answer the questions the tagger has set for you plus create 11 questions for the people you've tagged to answer.
3. Choose up to 11 people and link them in your post.
4. Go to their page and tell them.
5. Remember, no tag backs!

11 THINGS ABOUT ME:

1. my favorite color is purple. any kind of deep, dark purple.

2. i love almost all food but i really love pizza and sushi. not together of course.

3. i have lived for extended periods of time in spain and costa rica.

4. i really love my home state of new jersey. i know what everyone says but to me, new jersey is beautiful and really great.

5. i love to go running. i haven't done it in a while but i really do love it.

6. i've always wanted to own a little inn or bed and breakfast. i studied hospitality administration for that but have decided to go a different course for now.

7. i have the biggest sweet tooth. candy, chocolates, baked goods, you name it.

8.i was a gymnast up until sophomore year in high school. i always wish i could still do it.

9. i want to start studying another language soon. french or portuguese.

10.i don't have a facebook. but i do have this blog.

11. i have the best family and friends.

Joyce's Questions For Me

1. What is your dream job? Why?

i don't know! anything that I am really happy doing and can support me would be my dream job.
2. What do you prefer, coffee or tea?

coffee all the way.
3. Where do you usually hang out?

in costa rica we usually go to some local bar/restaurants: cow town and taco bar are a few.
4. Would you want to have a twin sister? Why or Why Not?

yes i've always said i would like a twin sister. like the olsen twins .. i love them.
5. What makes you sad?

being away from my friends!
6. What/Who makes you happy?

being around people i love and that love me
7. Who is your favorite Hollywood celebrity?

other than the olsens i like rachel bilson and natalie portman
8. What's your comfort food?

i love pasta and pizza
9. What do you look forward to everyday?

being with my boys! paris and my pup rocco
10.What's the best advice you ever gave?

think about, is this the worst that could happen?
11.What quote do you try live by everyday? 

 you are right where you should be.

My Nominations!

Michelle @ On The Adventure

Bhrett @ Lost in Relocation

Jessie @ Sweet Little Somethings

Alissa @ Graceless Lady

Kelley @ A Crooked Trail 
Kristin @ Skinny Jeans and a Chai Latte

My Questions

1. When you were little what did you want to be when you grew up?

2. What do you want to be now?

3. What is one of your favorite memories?

4. Are you a morning coffee drinker or anytime coffee drinker?

5. Which form of exercise do you like the best?

6. Vanilla or chocolate?

7. If you could go on a vacation anywhere in the world where would you go?

8. If you could spend a day with anyone alive or dead who would you choose?

9. Who is your favorite musician?

10. If you could be any animal, which would you be?

11. Where did you meet your best friend?

enjoy, friends!

tapas

my mother's parents are from spain and that has always been something i really loved about my family. it is one of the main reasons that i chose to move to spain for a year after college.

growing up my whole family would gather at my grandmother's house and spend hours talking over a ton of tapas. tapas are basically just like little appetizers that you can really make a meal out of.

since my whole family doesn't really get together anymore and my grandmother moved down south, we don't have big tapas gatherings anymore. but we do have little ones.

this weekend since my brother and laura were here, every day for lunch we had tapas. lots of cheeses, chorizo, olives, little fish, and bread. nothing too fancy but just the way we like it: delicious.

do you have any traditional foods that your family likes to eat?

family weekend

this weekend my brother and his fiance came down from boston to hang with me and my parents.

our weekend mostly consisted of shopping, eating, and just hanging out. we hit up the outlet mall where everything was on sale. 

i got a bridesmaid's dress! going to keep it a secret though ;)

it is always a good time when we're all together. lots of good food and lots of good laughs. and next weekend i'll be heading up to boston for a little more time with my brother and laura. can't wait!

my new job...

so, this is what happens when i come home. i'm hired as my parents' new landscaper.

just kidding. i love it! and so does my dad.

hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

home is where the heart is

dress: gap, sandals: steve madden at dsw, bracelets: mom

i'm not sure how i want this post to go. what i want to write about is home but there are literally so many ways i could write about that and i just don't know how to do it.

all i can say is, i am loving being at home.

between the food, the people, the shopping, and the convenience of things, i feel like i am in heaven.

within the two full days i have been here, i have already seen almost all of my friends, done a ton of shopping (guilty but its just so cheap compared to costa rica!), eaten a ton of yummy and healthy food, and have made a ton of plans to continue doing all of the above.

i just hope these next two weeks go by really slowly! ;)

happy 4th

so far, being home has been so great. just like normal.

summer has always reminded me of camp and my camp friends, so it just felt right to spend the 4th with them. we had a nice little bbq and some really great catch up time. i couldn't even express how much i love those girls (missing one of course).

then we enjoyed a nice little fireworks show and called it a night.

i really hope everyone had a lovely 4th and celebrated with friends and family :)

don't hate me

muahaha.

sorry i had to. it's kind of an inside joke.

but I'M HOME! holla.

i'm not sure how often i will be posting but i'm going to do my best! don't worry i will continue to read all of your lovely blogs :)

leavin'on a jet plane

welp, tomorrow i'm off to the good ol' usa for two weeks! as you probably already know, i could not be more excited.

however,

i am most certainly going to miss my boys.

one of them even tried to get into my suitcase this afternoon! okay maybe it was me who tried to put him in there...

but seriously, i am going to miss these two like crazy. lets see how they do without me for a few days.

love you both! and see you before you know it.

<3