TEN SIMPLE THINGS || BLOG DOT COM

our week has consisted of sleeping off the twenty hours of travel it takes to get back to the island, restocking the fridge, and catching up on postponed obligations. and I am pleased to say that even after being in america for a whole week, we are reacquainting ourselves with the island admirably. and on top of that, we are looking forward to so many other upcoming plans! it's like we really live here now. fancy that. this is finally a home.

001 :: the blog becoming a dot com. I'm not sure if you noticed, but this little blog became a real, live, google-me website late tuesday afternoon and I'm pretty excited about it! it also underwent a name change, which I felt was sort of necessary. arielle like the mermaid is so cute and it has been me for so long. though, as I looked toward the future and described the life I wanted and the people I wanted to emulate, I just could not see me introducing myself as, "hi, I'm arielle. yes, like the mermaid." of course, I don't think I would introduce myself as, "oh hi, I'm arielle and I'm elegant," either. but maybe a simple elegance is what I should strive to become. also, it's probably the more realistic option when stacked against an adventurous and free-spirited mermaid. I don't know where I would have ever found the fins ;) keep in touch to see the new header.

002 :: the clean apartment we came home to. after a perfectly relaxing holiday, there is nothing more discouraging or exhausting than coming home to a sink full of dirty dishes and an unmade bed. that's why I made it a practice of cleaning my apartment top to bottom before leaving for a holiday. and it was the greatest feeling in the world coming home to good smells and clean sheets. we unpacked and we napped and we showered and had a perfect, early-to-bed evening.

003 :: our lunch at zee best. after arriving back on the island, our apartment was pretty much bereft of food. I cleaned out the fridge very thoroughly before we left and this sort of left us in a pickle when we arrived home on a sunday. we got creative and whipped up what we had and basically just kept it together until monday morning...when we found zee best breakfast and lunch. it's this delicious little salad and sandwich place located a few towns over. I ordered a turkey, gouda, and green apple sandwich on a freshly baked french baguette. one of the best parts of living here is the french-inspired food. they really know their carbs.

004 :: peony pillows crafted by my mom. she has a gift for quilting. she really does. a gift I just don't possess. I don't have the patience to sit in one place mastering a skill as intricate as quilting. however, I still love having my home filled with bright and beautiful things. my mom made me these gorgeous peony quilted pillows that liven up our apartment just right.

005 :: urban decay's naked 3 pallet. I've been waiting to pick one up since it came out, but no one really ships to the island. so of course, I rewarded a semester of patience with picking one up my first day in the states. and I love it! it must have been meant to be because I found it at my first stop despite rumors of it being sold out all over the place. it had mixed reviews, but I have nothing but positive things to say. turns out, I can pull off rosy shades after all.

006 :: purchasing a tv. mitch and I have wrestled with getting one, and whether or not it was a good idea, since we moved here. we don't watch a lot of cable and it being the playoffs, we thought it might be too distracting to mitch's studies. but finally, we broke down and did it. we got a tv. with the rule of only being able to watch it at night. that way we spend our days productively.

007 :: kevin durant's mvp speech. when he talked about his mom and how she was the real mvp, I just about lost it. I actually watched it several times over. so appropriate for this year's mother's day spirit. and it convinced me further that I am his biggest fan.

008 :: oklahoma city beating the clippers wednesday night. I was pretty bummed when I found out that okc was up against the clippers because I like the clippers and I didn't want to have to root against them. and when they won game one, I felt like okc's chance of winning the championship was fleeting. but then they lost game two and okc did so well! it renewed my hope and made me pretty proud in the process. sorry for my basketball obsession. it doesn't really suit me, does it?

009 :: the ginormous bouquet of flowers I received friday. blooms on the island aren't as plentiful or as easy-access as they are back in the states. but they are beautiful and somehow, mitch found some for me for my non-mother's day. I love that he still celebrates me every year even though we don't have any children yet. he really is the sweetest husband. how on earth did I get so lucky?

010 :: mitch swimming in the rain. he begged and begged for me to join him, but I was already freezing! so I contentedly sat under the safety of the cabana while he just sat in the waterfall and splashed around. it was such a peaceful sight to see. he looked so happy and childlike.

coming up next week :: if you live in the area, the blue mall is hosting a month of fashion. the first fashion show is actually this afternoon. but their luxury fashion show (the one we're all dreaming about) is next saturday! so if the rain is keeping you indoors (as it is me), you should definitely stop and see what the blue mall has to offer!

posts I loved this week ::
spring flower guide by lauren conrad
untold moments by ivory lane
how to marble with nail polish by a beautiful mess

love, arielle