The Windy City (Part 1)

We've been back for a couple of days and I'm still transitioning into the "we're home and back to reality" mode. I'm hoping to write a good long post about the whole trip but for now I will just put up a bunch of the photos I took. I took over 600+ photos over the course of the week, which doesn't seem like nearly enough. It was definitely an awesome trip and I can't wait to start planning our next vacation! I think I need to win the lottery or something to fund all these awesome trips I want to take. 

Relaxing at the airport waiting for our flight to leave.

The beautiful windy city called Chicago

Navy Pier

One of the walls inside the Sears Tower (I refuse to call it Willits)

The view from the top

Wrigley Field!

Stay tuned for all the details. It involves lots of tourist spots we visited, what I thought about the city, and most importantly how my little munchkin did on her first plane ride!

Leaving on an airplane!

Well...almost. We fly out tomorrow night but I have a bunch of stuff to do before we actually leave. I'm so scared that I am going to forget something majorly important so I made a super long checklist that I totally plan on going over at least five times. The last time I actually went on a plane was on our trip to Maui back in  2009. Needless to say, it's been a while. And this being Amelia's first flight I am just a tad nervous.


In the spirit of this vacation, I found some different pictures online of places that we are hoping to see, things to do, food to eat....you know, all the good stuff ;)

CHICAGO!

1. Take a picture with the bean.

2.  See Buckingham Fountain

3.  See a game at Wrigley!

4. The Field Museum

5. Eat some deep dish pizza

Have you ever been to Chicago? What would you recommend seeing/doing/eating? All ideas are welcome =) 

One lucky little girl

I must say that I am one lucky woman. I am lucky that I am married to a wonderful man who is not only an amazing husband but who is also the best daddy in the world to our little girl. I admire women who are able to raise kids on their own because I honestly don't know how I would do it without the support of my guy. So even though we shouldn't take just one day out of the year to honor the best father's in our life, I would still like to say thank you to my husband. For being an amazing father, a wonderful cook, a goofball who can always make our daughter smile, the hardest working man I've ever seen, and overall one of the best men I have ever met. I'm truly grateful for you.

(Welcome to the world little princess)

(Nap time)

(Clearly it was an interesting movie)

(Halloween 2010)

(Pose!)

(Love)

(Santa Cruz)

Thank you for being you!

The Last Thing Thursday

I forgot to post this last night. Whoops! I suppose a day late isn't too bad ;)

So for today I am linking up with Jenna over at The Life of a Wife. 

[I bought]

A pair of shoes that I absolutely did not need. Considering the price tag and the fact that I have no clue at all how I am going to wear them, I have totally been second guessing myself with this purchase. They are supposed to arrive on Saturday and I am really hoping that I actually like them...and that they fit. I have always had issues when ordering shoes online because I'm always between sizes.

Modcloth

[I ate]

 A chicken quesadilla from a local burrito shop. Probably not the best choice, but we were totally craving Mexican food. We are going to be starting a juice cleanse this week so I figured we might as well go out with a bang!

(Found on Google.)

[Place I went]

The grocery store! Not very exciting I suppose, but the husband and I needed to get lots of fruit and vegetables for our juicing this week. I haven't actually done a juice cleanse so it should be an interesting week to say the least. Especially considering how much I enjoy food. Lets hope for the best!

(Found on Google.)

[Laughed at]

All the different videos of people singing and dancing along to "Call Me, Maybe" on Youtube. Mainly this one. Boys will be boys...

[Website I went to]

Besides Blogger, it's almost always Pinterest. I never realized exactly how addicting one website can be. But with all the awesome and amazing things I find on there, I doubt I will stop using it anytime soon. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Today is a beautiful day and there is so many different things that I'm loving today.

I'm loving my new baby nephew!

My best friend in the whole world had my nephew yesterday at 4:26 in the morning. He is absolutely beautiful and i'm so excited for them. Not to mention that now we get to watch our kids grow up together. Let's just hope they get along ;)

I'm loving that in exactly one week I will be in Chicago!

We fly out on the 20th and are staying with my aunt and uncle for a week. Since I have never been there before I am uber excited. So many new adventures! 

I'm loving the beautiful weather that we have been having lately. 

Now if I only had the beach right outside of my doorstep I would be in complete heaven. One day...

I'm loving all the wonderful printables I have been finding on Pinterest lately.

I have found so many that I either want to print out or buy from Etsy that I'm pretty sure I'm going to be broke. At least my apartment will look cute, right?

And of course....

I'm loving this little girl that I am so lucky to have as my daughter.

Dreaming of home decor

I'm pretty sure that Pinterest will be the end of me considering how much time I spend on there. Even though we haven't bought our first place yet, I am always on the look out for wonderful and exciting things that I might possibly want once we get our first place. Ours is going to be a little different than most people's first homes because instead of buying a single family home we are looking at either buying a duplex or a triplex. Since i'm married to the most amazing contractor we are going to be able to fix up everything for pretty inexpensive (as long as there are no plumbing problems) and we will end up paying far less on our mortgage every month. Sounds awesome, right? We are hoping that this actually happens by the end of next year once our debt is down and our savings is up! So in the meantime, I spend most of my days on Pinterest drooling over all the different things that I might want. Here are a few of the things that I love today.

Where it's pinned



Who doesn't dream of an amazing pantry like this one? Especially one that is so hidden that it won't be an eyesore for when guests come over.


Where it's pinned

Another perk of having a contractor as a husband is that he can easily build me this. I love the extra storage inside of this bench.







Where it's pinned


This is another favorite of mine because it's in a small space, which is probably what we are going to be dealing with by owning a duplex. The stack-able set is more space efficient and I love the cabinet space on top and next to it.

Where it's pinned


Another project I will have the husband do. You can never have too many bookshelves. Especially ones that are as pretty as this.

Where it's pinned


Now let's just be honest, this is pretty darn awesome. And who doesn't love creative wine storage?




What would you like in your dream home?

Before I die...

Since my bucket list has been a major part of my life for many years, I think putting it on here is necessary. I have set many goals for myself and have every intention of finishing all of them. It may take awhile but it will happen. And the more people that are along for the ride, the better. What drives you?

Blue = completed

Red = in progress

1. Swim with dolphins

2. Skydive

3. Explore a cave

4. Buy a house

5. Go on an African Safari

6. Nose job (yeah, yeah, yeah...judge me)

7. Visit Switzerland

8. Ride on a camel

9. Eat escargot - (4/25/10 - Tried escargot at Casa Vino in Berkeley. No major taste)

10. Go to Australia and meet a koala bear

11. See an old castle in Scotland

12. Take a dance class - (4/4/09 - West Coast Swing dance class at "Two Left Feet" in Danville. Want to take another one soon!)

13. Get my passport

14. Get married - (11/3/07 - Victor =)  )

15. Ride in a hot air balloon

16. Whale watching

17. Visit the Grand Canyon

18. Donate blood

19. Learn to drive a stick shift

20. Walk on the Great Wall of China

21. Motorcycle license

22. Visit a rainforest

23. Hang glide

24. Drink champagne in Champagne, France

25. Build a snowman

26. Take a self defense course

27. Publish a book

28. Ride horses in Mongolia

29. Go on a Mediterranean cruise

30. Fly in a helicopter - (5/5/12 - Christmas gift from my lovely husband)

31. Attend a Kentucky Derby

32. Attend a World Series

33. Donate to a homeless shelter

34. Donate to a battered women's shelter

35. Celebrate St. Patrick's Day in Ireland

36. Experience New York at Christmastime

37. See a broadway play in New York

38. White water rafting

39. Ride a mechanical bull

40. Cage dive with sharks - (11/20/14 - Went with North Shore Shark Adventures in Oahu.)

41. Horseback ride on a beach - (5/9/09 - Sea Horse Ranch in Half Moon Bay with Victor)

42. Kiss under the Eiffel Tower

43. Go to the White House

44. Learn how to change a tire

45. See Shakespeare's grave

46. Visit the baseball hall of fame

47. Make a gingerbread house

48. Visit Mt. Rushmore

49. See an active volcano

50. Pet a tiger

51. Watch a surf contest

52. Donate money for breast cancer

53. Ride an elephant

54. Visit Marilyn Monroe's grave - (2/20/10 - L.A. trip with Marie. Grave is kind of hard to find considering it's between skyscrapers.)

55. Pet a whale

56. Plant a tree

57. Go paragliding

58. Have my portrait painted

59. Watch a fire walking ceremony

60. Experience weightlessness

61. Witness a birth

62. See a live sumo match in Japan

63. Snorkel with turtles in Hawaii - (8/3/09 - snorkeling in Maui with Victor)

64. Build up good credit - 9/16/14  Score was a LOT closer to 800. Trying to make the 800+ club!)

65. Kiss at the top of a ferris wheel - (8/18/07 - Santa Cruz ferris wheel with Victor)

66. Behind the scenes studio tour

67. Have someone tell me "you changed my life." - (Danny and Jill, Everett's adopted parents)

68. See the Northern Lights

69. Visit the "4 corners"

70. Be in a wedding - (7/20/13 - Bridesmaid in the Suter's wedding)

71. Kiss the Blarney Stone

72. Milk a cow

73. Touch a giant redwood

74. Write a message in wet cement

75. Winchester House in San Jose - (4/4/08 - my 21st birthday with Victor)

76. Shakespeare theater in London

77. See Juliet's balcony in Verona

78. Visit Angel Falls, the tallest waterfall

79. Feel confident in a bikini

80. Pan for gold

81. Collect all 50 state quarters - (Completed at the end of 2013. Took almost 4 years)

82. Ride the London Eye Observation Wheel

83. Donate a gift for a child at Christmas - (12/2009 - donated gifts to kids at my sisters school where she works. Going to donate to other organizations every upcoming year.)

84. Become a mother - (8/30/10 - Miss Amelia Rose. The love of my life)

85. Visit the Crayola Crayon Factory

86. Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz - (2/21/12 - Spent the day in Santa Cruz with Victor and Amelia)

87. Go to a taping of a music video

88. See a real mummy - (4/30/10 - went to the Rosicrucian Museum in San Jose. Maybe I'll see one in Egypt one day!)

89. Send out photo Christmas cards - (12/25/08 - it's now a yearly thing)

90. Ride at the top of a double decker bus in England

91. Kiss at the stroke of midnight on New Years - (12/31/08 - 1/1/09 - Happy New Year!)

92. Adopt a whale

93. Visit Greece

94. Visit El Alcazar, the royal palace in Madrid

95. Machu Picchu

96. Carve a pumpkin - (Halloween 2013 - First time carving in over 15 years)

97. Picture with the guards at Buckingham Palace

98. Statue of Liberty

99. Giants Causeway in Ireland

100. Leaning Tower of Pisa

101. Dog sledding

102. Wine tasting in Napa

103. Cirque de Soleil in Las Vegas

104. Adopt a puppy from a shelter - (4/2/08 - adopted Winston from Pinole Animal Shelter)

105. Stand in the hall of mirrors at Versailles

106. Buy my first "legal drink" - (8/4/08 - my 21st birthday at Dave and Busters)

107. Get a meaningful tattoo

108. Go to Egypt and see the pyramids

109. See a game at Yankee Stadium

110. Eat in the 360 restaurant in the CN Tower

111. Zipline - (11/24/14 - Went zip lining in Honolulu. Amazing!)

112. Meet an author I admire

113. Attend 50 concerts

114. Have $50,000 in savings

115. Have no debt

116. Eat boston creme pie in Boston

117. Donate to a children's hospital - (12/2009 - donated two extremely large stockings to Children's Hospital in Oakland. New goal is to donate every year)

118. Donate at least $50,000 in money and supplies to charities

119. Take a picture of myself on my birthday each year - (starting at age 21)

120. Ride a steamboat down the Mississippi River

121. Own a piece of Yankee Stadium- (8/10/09 - bought a piece of the original stadium after it was torn down)

122. Murder mystery wine train in Napa

123. Watch the launch of a space shuttle

124. Sign up to be a bone marrow donor - (3/22/10 - signed up online to be a donor)

125. Watch a live taping of SNL

126. Alcatraz Island

127. Barringers Crater near Winslow, AZ

128. Make a Child Smile program - (12/2009 - Sent Christmas cards to every child in the program. Will continue to send many more!)

129. Finish a 1000 piece puzzle - (1/21/09 - Completed the "world's smallest 1000 piece puzzle")

130. Have my picture taken in Times Square

131. Take a picture in front of Lombard Street - (2/22/12 - Spent the day in SF and Marin Headlands)

132. Take a picture with the horse in downtown Pleasanton - (1/13/09 - Only took Marie and I 4 years to finally do it!)

133. Ride a tandem bike - (4/26/09 - San Francisco with Victor, and rode towards the Golden Gate Bridge)

134. Get my Paralegal Certificate - (12/2010 - Finally completed! Yay!)

135. Walk across the Golden Gate Bridge - (8/2007 - Walked across and back with Victor at night. Way too cold!)

136. Learn how to do archery

137. Leave someone a $100 tip

138. Fly somewhere on a whim

139. Buy my first motorcycle

140. Meet Rascal Flatts

141. Buy a star and have it named for someone - (12/25/09 - Christmas gifts for Everett and Onessa. Each one got a stuffed animal with a star named after them.)

142. See all 50 states

143. Go shopping with $1000 in cash

144. Meet "Elvis" in Graceland

145. Go to Intercourse, Pennsylvania

146. See Mount Everest

147. Own my own horse

148. Visit the Canadian Rockies

149. Go to Mall of America in Minnesota

150. Get my breast reduction

151. Visit Hearst Castle

152. Start my own business - (4/1/09 - Becca's Bullies, breeding English Bulldogs.)

153. Make a bear at Build a Bear - (1/3/10 - Build a Bear in Walnut Creek with Victor. Made a bear named Jack)

154. Attend a real luau - (8/4/09 - Birthday celebration in Maui at the Royal Lahaina Hotel Luau)

155. Attend a protest thats for a good cause

156. Pamplona for "running with the bulls"

157. Take the Jesus YMCA picture

158. Crazy Horse memorial in Black Hills, SD

159. Washington Monument

160. Lincoln Memorial

161. Visit the O.K. Corral in Tombstone, Arizona

162. Pompeii, Italy

163. Visit the Mark Twain house

164. House of Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts

165. Salvation Mountain in San Diego, CA

166. Attend the Bridge Day Festival in Fayettesville, West Virginia

167. Dig for diamonds at the Crater of Diamonds

168. Get a free poster at Wall Drugstore in Wall, South Dakota

169. See aliens in Roswell, New Mexico

170. Fly an airplane

171. View a beautiful waterfall - (8/5/09 - Horseback riding in Maui at Maui Stables with Victor)

172. Swim in the world's largest pool

173. Gillette House in Connecticut

174. Hike the Long Trail in Vermont

175. Eat buffalo wings at Anchor Bar in Buffalo

176. Swim with manatees

177. Visit the Pro Football Hall of Fame

178. Go to Mesa Verde, Colorado

179. Donate to at least 100 different charities and organizations

180. Eat a two pound doughnut

181. Buy my dream camera and use it as much as possible - (8/2010 - Got a Canon Rebel XSI. Love it)

182. Visit the Catacombs in Paris

183. Take a picture with the Itzah C. Kret truck in Washington D.C.

184. Mail a prom dress to someone in need - (10/23/09 - Mailed an old black dress from prom plus 3 other dresses to the Glass Slipper Project in Illinois)

185. Ride the highest rollercoaster in America

186. Own an item that was in a movie - (4/7/10 - Bought a pair of goggles that were used in the movie "The Book of Eli")

187. Take a truly beautiful photo

188. See the tomb of the unknown soldier

189. See a real "shoe tree"

190. Complete a 3000 piece puzzle

191. Graduate from high school - (6/16/05 - Arroyo High, class of 2005)

192. Make a list of 100 things that make me happy - (11/3/09 - Took a week to complete the list)

193. Stay a night at the Madonna Inn

194. Go on an Alaskan cruise

195. Own a rental property

196. Visit Loch Ness Lake and try to see the monster

197. Own my own star - (2/14/07 - Valentines gift from Garin. Named "Miss Becca")

198. Stand on the center of the world

199. Go to the Museum of Death in Hollywood - (4/16/12 - So cool yet creepy at the same time)

200. Visit at least 25 different countries

201. Buy a book at Shakespeare and Co. in Paris

202. Attend the Calgary Stampede

203. Visit at least 10 of U.S.A's national parks

204. Read 10 books that have been banned

205. Build my own memory trunk

206. See Buckingham Fountain in Chicago - (6/21/12 - Our first trip to Chicago)

207. Own a nice, ridiculously expensive handbag

208. Stomp grapes with my feet

209. Visit the Sears Tower - (6/25/12 - Our first trip to Chicago. The skydeck is awesome!)

210. Get a college degree - (5/24/12 - Received my AA degree in Paralegal Studies. Not to get my Bachelors!)

211. Visit the Everglades

212. Have coffee at the first Starbucks - (1/14/15 - Surprise trip to Seattle from my amazing husband)

213. Attend a game at Wrigley Field - (6/25/12 - Amazing yet small stadium)

214. Cadillac Ranch

215. Operation Beautiful - (2/2010 - Try to leave a post it note in as many public places that I can)

216. Go on an atv adventure

217. Go hiking in Yosemite - (10/11/14 - Took a weekend trip with Victor, Molly, Claire, Fabrice, and Ben.)

218. Donate shoes to kids and adults in other countries who can't afford them

219. Get a photo of mine published somewhere

220. Ride a cable car in San Francisco

221. Write to an author and get a response - (12/16/09 - Wrote to Cameron Wright, author of "Letters for Emily." Received an email response back)

222. Visit the world's largest library

223. Do the 17 mile drive in California - (8/4/12 - Birthday trip to Monterey with Victor)

224. Go fruit picking

225. Buy something at the unclaimed baggage store in Alabama

226. See the Hoover Dam

227. Visit Arlington National Cemetary

228. Take a typing test and score at least 100 wpm - (3/27/10 - Took a free online typing test and scored 107 wpm.)

229. Visit Auschwitz

230. Go on a ghost hunt

231. Fly first class

232. Visit the crash site of James Dean

233. Have dinner at Chez Panisse - (11/3/11 - Had dinner for our 4 year wedding anniversary. Delicious!)

234. Go fishing and actually catch a fish

235. Go to the Titanic Museum in Tennessee

236. Find an amazing treasure at an antique shop

237. Walk for a cause/charity - (4/18/10 - Did a 5k walk in Walnut Creek supporting multiple sclerosis)

238. Get henna done in India

239. See a show at a comedy club

240. Gamble money in Las Vegas

241. Create my own charm bracelet, one charm at a time

242. Fill a journal with inspiring quotes, lyrics, etc... - (3/1/12 - Took over 2 years to fill the whole book)

243. Write "What if..." on a paper and flush it down the toilet - (10/22/10 - "What if I had done things differently." I need to stop always thinking about the past)

244. Throw a coin in the Trevi Fountain

245. Be in a magazine - (12/2009 - Had picture and interview done for the open adoption magazine)

246. Eat the "kitchen sink" at the San Francisco Creamery

247. Have something to show for myself by the time i'm 30

248. Visit the Ben and Jerry ice cream factory

249. Visit Stonehenge

250. Research my family tree - (8/2010 - Ongoing goal. Found relatives from Germany, England, Russia and Switzerland)

251. See the Colosseum in Rome

252. Visit Niagra Falls

253. Eat lobsters in Maine

254. Visit the world's largest aquarium

255. Disneyworld in Florida

256. Visit the Grand Ole Opry

257. Row a boat on the lake in Central Park

258. Go tubing in an underwater cave in Belize

259. Own a vacation home

260. Go to the top of the Seattle Space Needle -(1/13/15 - Surprise trip to Seattle from my amazing husband)

261. See my kids graduate high school

262. Ride in a see through kayak

263. Get wooden clogs in Holland

264. See the Ruby Falls underwater waterfall in Tennessee

265. Underwater sculptures in Cancun

266. Anne Frank House

267. Build a house with Habitat for Humanity

268. Be in the audience of a talk show

269. See Ground Zero

270. Visit the Louvre Museum

271. Buy $100 worth of lotto tickets - (2/4/11 - Won $25 and a free ticket)

272. Be in 3 countries at once

273. See the Rhine Falls in Germany

274. Buy a flag from every country I visit

275. See the bioluminescent bay in Puerto Rico

276. Dine in the dark

277. Attend the Kanamara Matsuri Festival in Japan

278. Go see a taping of a tv show

279. Walk through a cornfield maze

280. Carve my initials into a tree

281. Drive through a tree
282. Dance with Matt - (7/7/11 - Video was filmed in at Lake Merritt in Oakland.)
283. Take a picture with a real "Banksy"
284. Buy real, authentic cowgirl boots in Texas
285. Visit the southernmost point of the U.S.
286. Go on an innertube through a sugarcane plantation
287. Experience Disneyland at Christmastime - (12/16 - 12/19/11  - Family trip to Disneyland)
288. Route 66
289. High school reunion
290. Donate my hair - (11/12/14 - Donated 9 inches to Pantene Beautiful Lengths for women with cancer.)
291. Visit Vatican City

292. Atlantis
293. Watch an Olympic event in person
294. Knotts Berry Farm
295. Build an awesome sandcastle
296. Snowboarding trip
297. Be an auntie - (6/14/07 - Javier Carlos was born, and later in 2009 Lilliana Kristine)
298. Visit Antarctica
299. Pearl Harbor - (11/19/14 - Beautiful and historic. Would love to go back)
300. Visit the Please Touch Museum
301. Alamo in Texas
302. Cave of Crystals in Mexico
303. Color Run - (7/14/12 - Ran with Amelia, Victor, Molly, etc... at Candlestick Park in San Francisco)
304. Empire State Building
305. See a game at every MLB ballpark
306. Exercise my right to vote - (11/6/12 - Voted in my first election ever.)
307. Give Amelia a lifetime friend - (5/6/13 - Benjamin James was born and Amelia officially became a big sister.)
308. Put gum on a gum wall - (1/13/15 - Put gum on wall at Pikes Place Public Market in Seattle)
309.
310.

To be continued....

Summer bucket list

Even though I do have a "life" bucket list, I thought it might be a good idea to try to make one for this Summer. I will probably be adding to it along the way as I come up with some awesome new ideas. But here's the start of it at least. Let me know if there is anything you think that we should be doing! =)

Summer Bucket List!

1. Visit Alcatraz - (I went once a reallllly long time ago but the husband has never been.)

2. Ride a cable car in SF (Sad that I have lived in Northern Cali my entire life and never actually done this)

3. Take a trip out of state

4. Go to the beach

5. Hang out with amazing people as much as possible

6. Visit a themepark

7. Go to a concert (or 7. however many we can!)

8. Read as many books as possible

9. Skydive! (This one is up for debate. I'm hoping to accomplish it this summer but we will have to see!)

10. Visit an aquarium

I'm sure that I will be adding more to this list once I can think up some more exciting ideas. Anyone else have any big summer plans?

I'm such a slacker

I have been absolutely terrible at updating lately, especially with the outfit posts which was one of the main reasons I wanted to do this blog. Now this the semester from hell at school is finally over, I feel like I can finally concentrate on doing more things for me, this blog being one of those things.


I had my graduation a week and a half ago and I'm so excited to have completed another goal of mine. My parents, my sister with my niece and nephew, and some of my in laws were able to attend the ceremony which I was happy about considering it was kind of a strange time to have it (it was on a Thursday at 2:00 in the afternoon which made it difficult for people to get off of work early.) Overall the weather was gorgeous and I'm  glad that I got to be a part of it. I'm still working on figuring out the whole transferring situation but for now I am just going to take things one day at a time. 

(Clearly I need to tan my legs)

(Love this little girl with all my heart)

(My mother in law, husband, baby girl and myself)

(My two biggest fans and my greatest support system)

(My sister in laws, husband, baby girl and myself again)

I'm so excited to move on to the next chapter in my life, once I completely figure out what it is. 

On another note, we will be leaving in just 17 days to visit some of my family in Chicago! I'm super excited because I have had a bad case of wanderlust lately and this should help fix that. One thing that I would have changed about my childhood was how much I actually traveled. Every summer my parents would take me and my sisters to spend a week in sunny Santa Cruz, and while I loved this trip every year I do wish that we had gone to new and different places. I have every intention of taking my daughter (and future children) to as many places that we can possibly go because I feel like it is one of the most important things you can do in life. 

Now, I have never been on a plane with a toddler before and I have definitely heard my fair share of horror stories. Both of our flights are nonstop each way so I'm hoping that she will do okay and wont have a crazy tantrum to the point where they kick us off the plane or something. I plan on bringing a bunch of toys and will have the iPad loaded with episodes of Caillou and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Other than that I am just hoping for the best. I will definitely have to update once the trip is over on how she did.