TEN SIMPLE THINGS || FALL COLORS & COOLER NIGHTS

after spending most of my life in florida where there is very little autumn, it still excites all of my senses to see leaves changing and feel chilly air leaking through the windows. to say that fall is my favorite season is such an understatement. though, I feel like maybe I'm part of the majority. I feel like the general consensus among friends, family, and other bloggers alike is that fall is the best. apart from the shift in weather, this week has been such a fast one. one minute, I'm mourning the absence of my sunday nap and the next, I'm writing up this list on thursday night, cocoa in hand, and monsters university playing in the background. and yes, the niece and nephew have already gone to bed.

one :: coercing a perfect hair day out of day five hair. this dry shampoo is a miracle worker.

two :: receiving it's the great pumpkin charlie brown in the mail. it's a holiday staple and I can't wait to have it on repeat this upcoming week!

three :: noticing all of the sheep the nearby farmers have let out to finish off the leftovers from this year's harvest. I literally stopped mid-sentence and just about jumped out of the car. I'm still trying to convince mitch we need our own little herd of sheep once we've decided to stay in one place.

four :: blasting classical music in the car. I'm convinced it will make me smarter and besides, most of the music on the radio is crap--for lack of a better term--right now.

five :: a whole fridge full of diet coke. it exists and it's one of the most eye-opening things I've ever seen. pun intended.

six :: discovering new moves at the gym. the kind of moves that make you wonder if you're paralyzed while you're dozing in that half awake early morning haze only to wake up and realize that it was your own physical neglect and your love for sleeping in and pop tarts that put you in your current predicament.

seven :: aveda lip saver. as the nights have gotten cooler, mitch and I have been sleeping with the window open more and more which tends to wreak havoc on my lips and skin because the climate here is so incredibly arid. and although I'm still looking for the perfect winter moisturizer, this literal lip saver has kept my lips soft and smooth all day.

eight :: late nights at barnes & noble with my niece and nephew. it's something my parents did with me when I was little and I remember thinking it was such a magical little place to be imaginative and dream and inevitably fall asleep in the kids section. one of the most selfish parts of watching those munchkins is getting to do all of my favorite childhood past times all over again and then witness their own excitement in doing them for the first time. plus, it gave me a chance to pick up this book. I've had my eye on it for quite some time and I finally decided I had the proper amount of time to devote to it.

nine :: baking pilsbury's halloween shape sugar cookies with those littles. again, it's something I always did growing up and it's something I just couldn't wait to do with them this year. we delivered them to the neighbors after they were baked, and the kids got so excited to hand them over. pretty much adorable.

ten :: admiring all of the gorgeous autumnal scenes and festive autumnal decor on pinterest. if I wasn't already in the mood, I certainly would be after a perusal through some of those bloggers' ideas.

and as of 2:30 this afternoon, it's officially the weekend and I'm ready to fill it with lounging in pajamas till late morning and visiting pumpkin patches and baking bread. and with my niece and nephew in tow, it's sure to be an adventure. what are your weekend plans? any good festive fall ideas that are munchkin friendly? 

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || MOVING DAY

well, how 'bout that? another picture of me sorting through fruit (hashtag, sorrynotsorry). this week has been a short one. and by short I mean it went by way too fast and there are about a million things I didn't get done. we just kept putting off all the life laundry for, say, golf and hiking and anything else and it made this past four days incredibly busy. though, we still fit some hiking in there because waterton really is just right there. and today we're off on a new adventure. as you're reading this we're probably somewhere in the middle of montana without cell reception. now, on to a rare but wonderful ten simple things..

one :: calgary's farmers' market. it was the perfect mix of all things local and fairly local. our hotel was just 'round the corner and didn't serve breakfast (wah!) so we feasted on cherries and peaches and plums. it was a good morning.

two :: it snowed! on the way from cardston to calgary it snowed. we couldn't believe it and it didn't stick but it's been so long since we saw snow we both became all giddy. and then we started singing christmas songs.

three :: finding three pairs of my favorite jeans for the price of one. I'm never one to turn down a bargain, you know.

four :: feasting on poutine not one, but two days. in a row. because what says comfort food like fries smothered in gravy and cheese curds?

five :: being reunited with my kitchenaid. it really has been too long. in fact, I think it's been somewhere around 26 months. it's not okay. and to think we'll be estranged again this fall seems cruel. it really is a wonderful machine.

six :: getting my healthcare card in the mail. it feels so good to know that I'm officially going to live through whatever life puts me through. 

seven :: hiking in waterton. wednesday, we took the ferry down to the crypt trailhead and started out on the 16 km hike. it was the perfect crisp and cool morning that you just can't wait to go hiking in and the way up was so challenging and rewarding that we were almost too exhausted to climb back down. in all actuality, I'm pretty sure I fell down most of it.

eight :: great british bake off. just expect this to make any and every happy list from now through the next seven weeks. that show just makes me happy. the accents, the baking, the etiquette, and the humor. it's perfection.

nine :: blue and blackberry sauce atop a chicken filet. we ate down in waterton one night this week and I was incredibly satisfied with this combination. I've been dreaming of nothing but recreating it since.

ten :: that everything just fit in my suitcase(s). with a little coercion and justification that not everything needs to go in the suitcase. but I'll take it as a win, anyhow.

I hope you had a wonderful week and that you're out having fun this friday. fall is fast approaching so I think we all need to soak up those last little bits of summer while we can. I'm curious to see if any leaves are turning on our drive down today. our first stop is our old college town and we're excited to  see if it's changed and catch up with a couple of friends tonight. and then it's down to utah tomorrow. this time, to stay awhile. have a wonderful weekend and thanks for reading!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || HAPPY FOURTH!

today, I can officially say we will back in the usa in 45 days. and tomorrow, I can officially wish you a happy fourth of july! but I'm going to do that unofficially now so that I can enjoy my day at the beach tomorrow soaking up some sun and eating some pie. minus that bit about soaking up some sun. I'm entering that long overdue stage of my life when I am all too aware of the sun's affect on my skin, so you will most likely find me under an enormous sunhat. however, the gist remains the same. aside from the exciting news that mitch passed his big test this past monday, this week was a total dud. at least at first glance. just to rant for a second--I had to dig through the dumpster for an important paper that I had mistakenly thrown away; I stepped on a sea urchin whilst trying to climb on some rocks at the beach; I opened up a 5 lb bag of flour to find it infested with weevils; and then I shooed a flying cockroach outside just now while writing this. that's why I am so incredibly glad that I was already committed to writing this post so as to make me dig a little deeper and see the silver lining this week. and here it is...

one :: mitch passing his big test this past monday! I can't even contain myself. this is the first, official post that I know we are actually leaving the island as planned.

two :: burning a candle in the evenings after dinner is all washed up and the floors are all swept. it's really the best way to relax after a long day. right now, I'm burning jo malone's blackberry and bay (a very sweet gift from my mom) and I am soaking up every fume.

three :: (not so) stealthily people-watching at the gym. I don't know about you, but my gym has more than it's fair share of characters and they all make the humdrum morning workout far more entertaining. I'd like to think I'm one of them. I'm that girl enthusiastically mouthing all the words to whatever song she's listening to. 

four :: running so hard that it's impossible to not sleep well. that might actually be my very favorite side effect of running. 

five :: beginning bringing up bébé by pamela druckerman. I'm not expecting or anything, but I really love her approach to the whole practice of raising children. plus, it is such an easy and fun read. not that I needed to start anymore books. I've still got about five that are still a work in progress. well, six now.

six :: downloading free books from author's such as tolstoy and proust into my kindle library. just hitting the 'buy' button had me feeling more cultured and intelligent. it helps that, now, all of amazon's recommendations for me are fancy literature.

seven :: a dinner out with friends. what with all the studying, it's not very often we get out for a night of light breezes and thai food and friends, but it was so nice to just forget about goals and planning and good grades. mitch even commented when we got home how much we needed that.

eight :: mitch and I reading a book out loud together. we've been talking about doing it for ages and just finally got around to it. there's just something about flipping pages together that makes me feel like we're unbreakable. is that weird? however, it makes my lips crazy dry.

nine :: florence + the machine's new album, "how big, how blue, how beautiful." just about every song is super catchy and soulful and is perfect baking music. though, I think I could make it work for just about any activity.

ten :: creating string art with friends thursday afternoon. we all remembered doing it as children and I think we must have been way smarter, way more patient, and had way nimbler fingers back then because it's exhausting work. but I'm pretty chuffed about how my pineapple turned out and was super impressed at how my friends', joanna's and sarah's, turned out too.

and again, I wish you a very happy fourth of july! and even if you're not american, I wish you a very festive summer weekend. let's take any excuse to relax in the sun by day and light sparklers and roast marshmallows by night. and as always, thanks for reading!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || AU REVOIR PETITE BLEU

I can hardly believe how fast the days till we leave the island are ticking by. I mean, yes, I have a countdown on my phone and I'm excited to be that much closer to family, but I'm starting to get graduation goggles. this week I realized how much my life and my expectation of life has changed since I've lived here on this little caribbean island. I eat different. I shop different. I drive different. and speaking of driving, we sold our trusty little blue this week to a very nice french couple on the other side of the island. it was a bittersweet goodbye and I was surprised I didn't break down into a fit of tears right there in the middle of the crowded parking lot. I think mitch was a little surprised at how emotional I was, and that's when I realized it was my own fault. see, I sort of turned my car into a puppy. I would always say things to him, like, 'little blue, you're hungry. let's go fill you up.' and 'good job, little blue!' after he hauled us up a hilly road. or 'we're just taking you to a doctor to get your oil changed. you'll be out in a jiff.' and I realize that all of this makes me certifiably insane, but you see what I mean when I said I turned my car into a puppy. I treated him like a member of the family and it made it all the more difficult to say goodbye to him. now, on to the more happy making parts of this week.

one :: the relief of selling little blue. we were both a little worried that we'd leave here before selling him and it was stressing us both out quite a bit. and it didn't really seem possible to ship him home what with winter just around the corner. he's just a little island car, after all.

two :: finishing some of the books that I've started and never finished. mind you, I still have a ways to go, but I call it progress nonetheless and I am very excited to start something new.

three :: planning a trip to utah to see those darling little nieces and nephew of mine. I wasn't planning on making another trip to the states before our final departure in august, but my sister made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

four :: picking up french again. there was a moment the other day when it seemed everyone else in the room knew french apart from myself. I was a little disappointed in myself seeing as I was trying to pick up french a year ago, but got so far as making things plural and backed out. so this week, I spent a solid couple of hours one day relearning all of the really easy things I had already learned. seriously such a humbling experience.

five :: the little green bean plant that could. about two weeks ago, I planted him in a pot that is way too small for him (retrospectively speaking) and he just kind of shot out of nowhere. my parsley on the hand...tisk tisk.

six :: a salad so appropriate for summer you'd think it was a fourth of july delicacy all it's own. take a bed of romaine and spinach, top it with nectarines, prosciutto, a soft boiled egg, and a little red wine vinaigrette and you've got yourself one filling summery salad. even mitch said he was full.

seven :: the feeling of clean carpets. our vacuum had decided to go on strike this past couple weeks and it finally occurred to me to borrow a friend's. I can't tell you how satisfying it was to see those perfect zigzags engraved into the carpeting. my ocd was very pleased.

eight :: actually sticking to my running schedule. when I work during the week, I typically come up with other things to do with my mornings other than run (like sleep), which is not so good since I'll be running my first marathon is just under 12 weeks. but this week, I actually pulled myself out of bed and walked myself all the way down to the gym for numerous miles of running.

nine :: working as much as I am. during the busier weeks, I forget that working is a privilege. and boy, am I grateful for it. it has made our lives so much easier, less stressful, and on top of all of that, it has given me something to do.

ten :: just about the best french bakery you've ever tasted whilst not actually being in france. my friend, joanna, and I sort of found it by accident after discovering our new favorite grocery store over on the french side of our island, and they happen to make the best donuts! these donuts have been haunting my dreams ever since and I don't know how any other donut will ever compare. how am I going to leave this island if it means leaving these donuts behind? I'll have to work something out where they express me the donuts once a week or something. I'd pay extra for that. they're worth it.

this weekend will most likely consist of more running, more planting, and more painting. and mitch will do a whole lot more studying seeing as one of his biggest tests ever is on monday. keep your fingers crossed for us. or I might be too depressed to write next week's 'ten simple things.' au revoir!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || EARLY MORNINGS

this past two weeks have gone by so fast! I can't believe we're already looking at the backend of this week. it's been full of beach mongering and interesting kitchen experiments and getting baking cacao all over the floor and then stepping in it and then tracking it throughout the entire downstairs and then having to mop it all up whilst getting dinner ready. yep, we keep it real in this house. in other news, mitch has been studying nonstop and I've woken up at six every day this week for work, which feels very productive but kind of alien since I usually don't roll out of bed until at least 7:30. thankfully, the sun has been waking up earlier and earlier, so it doesn't feel quite so ungodly and I can finally understand some people's fixation on beginning their day so early in the morning. it's quite a peaceful feeling to look out over our lagoon and see a perfect reflection of the mountains behind it because no one is awake to mess it up yet. the one downside is that I'm all ready for bed around 8 in the evening and am, therefore, writing this week's 'grateful' list with bleary eyes. let's have a look, shall we?

one :: cooking with fresh basil from my basil plant I've been nurturing for the last three weeks or so (the one before died during our europe trip). and I have to say, I am never buying dried herbs again! it even smells amazing. I want to wear it as a perfume. eau de basilica. 

two :: dirty diet cokes--a mixture of diet coke, coconut syrup, and a couple limes. it's perfect for cooling down these crazy humid and tropical afternoons.

three :: shops that do a one-for-one exchange from dollars to euros. it makes shopping easier and not so mathematical.

four :: receiving our utility bill to find that we came in under budget despite the fact we "accidentally" left the air cool on all night multiple nights this month.

five :: the lack of traffic on the island since all the tourists left for the summer. it used to take me a whole day to complete all of my errands, but not this week. no traffic, no lines. it felt so vip.

six :: that freshly washed hair feeling. there's just something about clean hair that makes me feel so incredibly feminine even though I get that it's one of those basic hygiene things. 

seven :: eating brownies for dinner. I feel like that's the best part of being an adult--that I can eat whatever I want and there's no one to stop me. so thursday night's dinner consisted of brownie batter followed by cooked brownies followed by a wee bit of the gristliest chicken I've ever eaten in my life.

eight :: writing on this little space again. as I've been writing this week, it makes me think of all the things I should have written about when they happened just so that I could have had it for my own memories. for instance, I changed grocery stores while I was away and I wish I could remember exactly how I felt about that at the time, you know?

nine :: a balanced budget. I was terribly behind with that nuisance and so it took much longer than it should have, but it was so relieving to look at that pile of receipts and think, 'I don't really need those anymore...'

ten :: beginning to make plans for the future. mitch and I are at that point now (less than 60 days!) that we can see the light at the end of the palm tree lined tunnel and it's been fun to make a few plans here and there to remind us that life goes on.

this weekend, mitch will continue his everlasting bout of studying and I'm thinking I'll take a painting class. I took one a week or so ago and even though I'm terrible and my creation looked nothing like the sample, it was weirdly therapeutic. what about you guys? up to anything exciting this weekend?

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || IT'S BEEN AWHILE

photo via 

it's been a long, long time since I've sat down and put fingertips to keyboard and logged all of my simple things. I'd even say it's been too long. for the past month, I'd go throughout my week and say, "oh, this totally makes the list" be it the darling white and yellow butterflies that seemed to undertake the whole island for a solid week or a heartwarming conversation with a friend, life just seemed to get in the way, and then I'd totally forget to share my 'ten simple things' altogether. but not this week. this week, my nights have been almost completely free, which is super conducive to writing down all of my bright and shining moments from the past seven days.  a week full of healthy dinners (minus the pizza on monday evening, but it was a special occasion, after all), hot and busy days, and gym time with friends. here's a little bit more on how this past week went...

one :: being able to purchase (more) affordable fruits and veggies at the closest thing to a whole foods this island is gonna get. finding raspberries at $3.50 a carton is pretty much unheard of down here, but it led to a very colorful berry salad that was both sweet and tart all at the same time.

two :: being featured on rosie's blog. so many wonderfully talented bloggers are featured on there each month and it's always so nice to be a part of the lovely little community she's created via her patch of the internet.

three :: gossiping about the fictional characters in into the woods with my best friend. the two of us together are incredibly shameless when it comes to who did what in whatever show we're both watching these days. and just to be clear, we felt that into the woods was just okay.

four :: making meals out of this amazing cookbook. gina, the author, has a knack for enhancing flavor while cutting calories and all  of the recipes I've tried can easily be made in under and hour. I've probably made fifteen different meals of hers so far and only found the slightest bit of fault with one.

five :: an amazing husband who will do all the tough jobs whilst cleaning the house (ie :: vacuuming the stairs). even while he studies, he is always so helpful.

six :: having just enough sugar to finish wednesday night's chocolate chip cookies. it's a beautiful thing when life works out like that, is it not?

seven :: thursday morning's run. after only running here and there for the past several weeks, I hunkered down with a killer playlist and--not to toot my own horn--killed it. I felt a little miserable afterward, but it was totally worth it to feel that powerful and strong for the first time in a long time.

eight :: paying all of our bills until the month of march! getting all of that adult stuff taken care of early is a gigantic load off my childish mind.

nine :: grocery shopping with friends. when I shop on my own, it's all about efficiency, so I never stop to take a look at all of the new and different foods the stores are getting in each week. but when I shop with friends, all of a sudden I'm taking the time to peruse the aisles, which inevitably leads to buying chocolate covered pomegranates and a giant box of otter pops. no, they weren't on the list, but they definitely would have been had I known I needed them ;)

ten :: an amazing neighbor who will give me her last quarter-cup of soy sauce as I am in the midst of my mid-dinner preparations. just another reason why where we live now is so much better than our old place.

and now, all I have to worry about it where we're going to watch the superbowl. not having cable only really stinks a couple times a year and this is definitely one of those times! what are you all doing this weekend? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments. and as always, thanks again for reading along!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || A VERY WARM DECEMBER

oh, the weather outside is glorious. though, I'd be a little concerned about the whole global warming issue if it wasn't for the fact that we're in the toasty warm caribbean. on a more christmassy note, we will be joining the most of you in the more frigid temperatures by this time next week and we are kind of chomping at the bit to board that plane and sit down with a cup of starbucks hot cocoa. but overall, this week has probably been my favorite of the whole semester, which is so perfect because I always like to go out with a bang. here's how this week came to be dubbed, favorite.

one :: the real christmas tree the medical school put up in their foyer. it smells amazing and reminds me a little bit of the mountains where we used to live.

two :: after many many prayers and a truckload of hard work, mitch did really really well on his last set of blocks. it has made our week so much less stressful and was followed by a celebratory dinner with friends where we paid way too much for a starter of five mozzarella sticks. but hey, he's worth it.

three :: midnight ninety-nine cent ice cream cones. even amidst all of the gourmet gelato, nothing says "let's do date night college-style" like a cheap sugar cone from mcdonalds. 

four :: I can't believe I just mentioned mcdonalds and now I'm going to add that the victoria's secret fashion show was this week! it's pretty much one of my favorite nights of the year. I guess that could be misconstrued as kind of weird, but it's gives me so much inspiration to go forth and be fit and eat right. and for the sake of transparency, I was definitely eating homemade pizza whilst watching those models strut their stuff.

five :: endless virgin margaritas, which are really just frozen limeades, at this little resort down the road. even though the bartender kept on giving me the stinkeye every time I ordered, each drink was even more delicious than the one before.

six :: making some new friends. I don't know why it took me so long, but I got a chance to talk to so many of the other wives this past week and they are all kind of awesome. it only took me a year to notice. hashtag, embarrassing.

seven :: I am officially finished christmas shopping for mitch. and what's even better, one of the gifts I got him was on supersale the day I purchased and went back to being full price the day after. don't you love it when that happens?

eight :: mitch grabbing my hand and dancing with me in the kitchen. even after two years of dating and three years of marriage and what has been, admittedly, the toughest year yet, he is still sweeping me off my feet.

nine :: all the twinkly lights set up everywhere. even though it doesn't really feel like christmas outside, I really appreciate all of the little reminders strewn all over the island that it really, truly is december twelfth.

ten :: my dad calling just to chat. living on an island thousands of miles away can occasionally make you feel out of the loop, so it was so nice to hear from my dad who filled me in on all of the goings-on with our incredibly spread-out family.

how have your weeks been? I'd love to hear about it below. I think I'm going to begin packing this weekend and am keeping my fingers crossed that we really don't have as much stuff as I think we do. keep your fingers crossed, too, won't you?

have a great weekend!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || THE YEAR OF FRIENDSGIVING

^^ some of the art featured at our friendsgiving yesterday evening. all I have to say is #masterpiece. ^^

if you had asked me a couple of days ago if this would have been one of my favorite weeks of the whole year, I probably would've said no. it really was turning out like any other week. but the combination of baking and friends and midnight milkshake runs really set this week into gear. I even convinced mitch to skip a class and stay home with me for the parade. it was his first time ever watching it all the way through and it was so nice being able to have the typical conversations with him. you know the ones--"how much do you think that balloon costs?" ; "am I supposed to know who that is?" ; "do you think if they let go and the balloon blew away, people in london would see it in a couple of days?" at least, those are our typical conversations, but we're sort of an odd bunch. and did you see the lindor truffle float? it pretty much set my constant chocolate hankering into full gear. now, here's a little bit more about what's been happening in our neck of the woods.

one :: only spending $47 on groceries this week. mitch is pretty sure he is going to starve, but we'll see how we do. 

two :: getting started on my holiday shopping. this really is the most wonderful time of the year! and the sooner you begin the sooner you can stay home with a wooden spoon and bake till your heart's content.

three :: purchasing these adorable maps of the north pole as our holiday cards this year. anthropologie has everything.

four :: listening to my friend's little girl read aloud in the backseat while driving her to her ballet class. those littles these days are so much smarter than we were, don't you think? she reads so much better than I did at her age.

five :: mitch taking me for a strawberry milkshake. after nagging him for a good three hours, he set aside his studies and drove me down to the nearest milkshake at eleven o'clock at night. I guess I could have driven myself, but it wouldn't have been the same.

six :: my mom and dad setting their computer up perfectly so that mitch and I could watch the thanksgiving day parade with a front row seat via facetime. my family is pretty much the best.

seven :: mitch doing all of the dishes after I made a pretty impressive mess of the kitchen. that man has my whole heart.

eight :: curls in my hair. I've been kind of bored with that mop of mine recently and even considered chopping it off because chopping it off is really in style, but all it took were a few curls to remind me why I love my lengthy, though sometimes super unruly, hair.

nine :: friendsgiving the way thanksgiving should be. we missed our families, but it was so nice to be surrounded by our island family. there was plenty of food and the adults were mingling and the littles were only eating the sweet stuff on their plates. exactly like it's supposed to be.

ten :: blank space. oh my goodness, this song. I first heard it back when t.swift's 1989 came out and being totally honest, I wasn't super impressed. but the music video makes it. have a watch ::

now, it's time for the weekend! we're actually attending our first christmas party of the season later on this afternoon (they don't waste any time, do they?) and then we're going to see a movie later on tonight with friends. our third and final thanksgiving dinner is tomorrow night and then it's officially christmas all the way! what are you guys up to this weekend? let me know in the comments and I'd love to hear how your thanksgivings were.
just to let you know..that cookery book giveaway from monday closes tonight. so if you're following, feel free to head on over and leave a comment to enter. have a wonderful weekend!
love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || IT WAS A WEEK FOR TREATS

this week was a week of treats. both edible and inedible. edible in the sense that there were lots of sweets in the house and inedible in the sense that mitch's parents were here for a bit of it. sadly, though, they left tuesday afternoon. coming home felt strangely empty after, but I busied myself putting everything to rights and this week was still salvageable. it feels so strange that we officially have less than a month left living in this apartment. and even though I will undoubtedly miss that amazing pool area and private beach, I am definitely looking forward to a new place. even if it is only for the sake of change. now, let's list off this week's ten simple things...

one :: the care package I received from my sister. is it cheating if this was technically on last week's list, as well? I think not because I hadn't received it then. opening it was a whole other animal and I am so grateful for all of the festive scents filling our home and sanitizing our hands this week.

two :: gracing the treat aisle of the grocery store. that's typically an aisle I avoid considering it's full of things I can't afford, but mitch's parents spoiled us rotten and got us hooked on so many delicious processed food items. just curious--have any of you tried cinnamon pita chips? they are pretty much amazing. prepare to be addicted.

three :: not being charged an overage for being a day late paying our utilities. I was incredibly surprised to find that the 2% charge that should have been there was nowhere to be found.

four :: someone else is happy with less than what you have. it was a sign given to me by my mother-in-law and it is such a great reminder. especially at this wonderful time of year! and can I just tell you how exciting it is that american thanksgiving is less than a week away? I almost wish it was further out so I could basque in its splendor a little longer.

five :: floating in the waves with a pool noodle. that's right, a pool noodle! remember those from your ninth birthday pool party? yeah, well, they're even more awesome now. it makes battling the ocean's waves (something that has seemed so daunting for me as of late, weird) super easy and relaxing. no joke. I salute the pool noodle.

six :: a whole night with an attentive mitch. after dropping his parents off at the airport, he decided we needed a night to just be us. this was so sweet and a little unexpected considering he took so much time off while they were here, that I assumed he'd like to get caught up in school, but he decided to spend the night with me and I was pleasantly surprised.

seven :: a packed freezer courtesy of my parents-in-law. I actually had to reorganize it because there was so much food to store--a good sign. guys, there are eggos in there! meaning that I don't have to fuss over mitch's breakfast because it's already fixed and just waiting to be toasted. bliss.

eight :: that feeling of pure power whilst running on the treadmill. I don't know if it was the song I was listening to (money on my mind by sam smith) or if it was my weeks-long bout of laziness that had my bum in top gear, but I seriously felt like I could have gone on forever.

nine :: how packed the gym was thursday. typically, I get a little annoyed when there are tons of other people there. mostly because I can't use all of the machines and weights I wanted in the order that I wanted them. typical youngest child syndrome, you know? however, I decided I was going to be positive and turn that attitude around and so I am just so proud of all of those gym rats who get out there and stay fit.

ten :: mitch's and my whispered conversations in the evening before we go to sleep. it's not like we'll wake anyone if we speak at our normal volume, but for some reason those mere minutes feel too delicate. the whispering makes it.

and that does it! how were your weeks? I hope they were great--full of soiree planning and thanksgiving feast preparations! mitch and I are actually off to our first thanksgiving meal of the season tonight..I'm pretty excited. do any of you know where I can find sweaters with turkeys on them? but not commercial turkeys. we're looking for subtle turkeys. just curious. and then saturday happens to be my best friend in all the world (aside from mitch, of course)'s birthday, so I'm lobbying her for a whole hour spent talking to just me (hint hint). what are your plans? I feel like with all of the silence this week, I am terribly behind with you all.

happy friday!

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || HAVING FAMILY AROUND

^^an iguana searching for a safe haven away from a very friendly labrador^^

it's been a fine week 'round these parts...mitch did well on his tests, I actually got to hang out with him again, his parents came to town, and we have been enjoying days spent by the beach and nights of treats and conversation. it really has been so nice catching up with them. it's going to be one of those instances where you won't know what to do once they've gone, you know? that feeling you get when the house feels sort of empty. that's gonna be my house next week. there's just something about having people around that know you so well and you don't have to put on any airs or pretenses because even if you did, they would see straight through them. and family always has the best pretense detectors, don't they? I'll miss them, but for now, they're here and I'll just have to keep bribing them with sunshine and petitioning them to stay. now, let's wrap this week up nicely with a mighty fine 'simple things,' shall we?

one :: friendly people at the grocery store who are willing to interpret dutch for me so that I know I'm purchasing the right thing. they are so kind and I'm sure I'm giving americans everywhere a bad name and I'm sorry about that.

two :: the wave of relief when I realized the stress from my pending to-do list was seriously unwarranted once I finally jotted it all down and realized there wasn't nearly as much on there as I had originally imagined.

three :: going for a walk with mitch on our island's nature reserve. nestled in the mountains, surrounded by thick, green foliage is the biggest patch of grass to be seen on this island and we cannot get enough of traipsing around it in the subdued autumn light.

four :: watching a girl in our building's dog chase after our little family of iguanas that lives by our pool. none of them were hurt, but the grown labrador just couldn't comprehend why they would rather jump off the fifty-foot cliff than play with her. it was a little sad, but mostly adorable. and we had to watch for falling iguanas landing on our heads.

five :: picking mitch's parents up at the airport, obviously, and having them love our island. though, they might be a smidgeon biased since just about anything feels better than the thirty below they've been experiencing recently in their neck of the woods.

six :: watching the sun descend below the horizon in all of one minute flat. it's unbelievable how quickly the sun sets after its set its mind to it. one minute I was thinking of getting my camera and before I even made it inside, the moment was over. but the best moments are meant to be kept safe, I suppose.

seven :: french pastries and the chewiest bread for a sandwich. a combination that made for one amazing lunch and had me scribbling down ingredients later on so as to recreate the masterpiece at home.

eight :: talking to my in-laws in the mornings. mitch leaves so early for school that I usually wake up alone, but it has been so nice to have friendly faces to converse with now that we are having company! 

nine :: receiving an autumnal care package from my sister! I haven't picked it up from the mailbox yet what with work and all of the other excitement in our lives, but it's first thing on my list tomorrow and I can't wait!

ten :: stuffing myself at the best italian restaurant I've ever eaten at. I had the mushroom ravioli, the dish I use as a standard to compare all italian restaurants (mostly because it's the only thing I ever order), and this one wins against all others.

what are your plans this weekend? are you planning on baking or is the weather still warm enough where you are that you're able to get out and about and go for a bike ride or something? I would love to hear all about it below in the comments! happy weekend, everyone!

love, arielle

**to keep up with us this weekend, follow me on instagram.

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || THE BEST OF TIMES, THE WORST OF TIMES

source :: vrai & oro, found via pinterest

it's been a tough week for us. a good one, but a tough one. it's not surprising since it is block week, the week that mitch shuts himself away in a study carrel for days at a time, only coming up for food every now and then. it would not have been so tough except that I am running out of things to do and subjects to talk to myself about. and I'm only sort of kidding. I swear I'm getting crazier by the day and it is high time that mitch takes those tests and starts talking to me again before I have to be committed. regardless, I was still able to pull a few bright and shining moments out of this week and here they are. 

one :: binging on leftover candy corn. in the end, it actually gave me a horrible stomachache, but as I was lying on the bed regretting every last yellow, orange, and white bite (you have to eat it by color, you know!) I felt incredibly childlike and american and it was every kind of lovely.

two :: finally catching up with my best friend. it was short (due to our sometimes sketchy island internet connection), but it was sweet and I don't think she really grasps how much I miss her. I'm seriously holding out for the chance to live in the same town as her one day.

three :: getting out of bed at 7:00. setting an alarm really does wonders for productivity, doesn't it? I find I am getting so much more done and feeling so much more awake despite the fact I am actually getting less sleep.

four :: ordering chinese takeout for the first time since mitch and I have been married. it always looks so very grownup and so perfect for a night-in in the movies that I can't believe it took us this long to jump the bandwagon.

five :: being called in for extra shifts. it's so beautiful to pray and hope for help financially and then be given extra opportunities to earn money. it's like there's someone looking out for us or something ;)

six :: looking through the home decor section of pinterest with mitch. it's one of our favorite past times when we're tired of netflix and it's the perfect way to wind down after a busy day of (him) studying and (me) reading/blogging/netflixing/exploring.

seven :: figuring out my skin. for months my skin has been kind of finicky and so I swapped my sephora bought facial cleanser for a drugstore variety and in an instant, my skin improved. I'm pretty excited about it since it had been bothering me for quite some time.

eight:: witnessing two shooting stars in one night! I almost didn't dare go inside because I was obviously in the right place at the right time. I should have picked up a lottery ticket right there and then.

nine :: finding stores on the island that sell sweaters. it was a pretty exciting moment that I almost squealed like I was half my age. also, it was a pretty wonderful feeling to have the sales girls greet me with "bonjour!" and pay for my spoils in euro. I felt very cultured. 

ten :: successfully parallel parking the car without having any sympathetic onlookers offer their assistance. as you can probably tell, this has happened multiple times before.

and can I just point out what lovely weather we're having? it's breezy and cloudy and looks as though it will rain any moment and mitch and I are loving every minute of it. fingers crossed it remains like this the whole weekend. though, I would like to remind the weather that we need clear skies come tuesday. mitch's parents are coming into town and beach lounging isn't nearly so fun without the sun. happy weekend, everyone! and as always, I want to thank each and every one of you for reading.

definitely give these a read ::

comfortable clothing (that's still stylish) by cupcakes & cashmere
a guide to undone waves by a little opulent
lakeside in weggis by gal meets glam

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || OUR UNPAINTED PUMPKIN

source

so we didn't paint our pumpkin. I was at the craft store looking at various paints and glues and glitters with the assistance of this really sweet high school aged girl and she asked me if I would be eating the pumpkin afterward. I immediately responded that, "no, we aren't because I've already promised my husband that he can smash it." she laughed, but I immediately felt bad. what a waste! I've since changed my mind. sorry hun, but you're not smashing lawrence--that's our pumpkin's name. and he's here to stay for a little while. and then he'll make a tasty batch of scones or these amazing-looking pumpkin chips. 

one :: learning to french braid my own hair. it's something I've always wanted to do, but I never thought I'd be able to pull it off and have it look halfway decent. turns out, fifteen minutes in front of the mirror did the trick. or maybe I'm just more coordinated than I used to be.

two :: baking up a huge batch of homemade buns sunday afternoon. I ate them until my stomach couldn't handle it anymore and it was amazing. although, I did have to lay down for the rest of the night. so many buns.

three :: wednesday night's burger. we have been hard pressed to find a delicious, american-styled burger here in the caribbean. we've tried several places and always left feeling ripped-off and a little disappointed. but wednesday night, we tried one at this place called rendezvous and it was amazing! imagine a half-pound patty that tastes like the grill and stay warm for longer than a mere ten minutes. so good. mitch and I quickly turned to the budget trying to figure out how many times we could eat there each month.

four :: mitch in his flannel shirt. in the caribbean, it's a rare day I get to see him in flannel. and it's a shame because he is one handsome man in flannel. okay, okay. he is one handsome man, period. though, I might be a little biased.

five :: a whole day of rain. another rare occurrence. this is what made mitch's all-day-flannel-shirt-wearing possible and I couldn't be more grateful.

six :: running in yesterday's rainstorm. I just love that feeling of running through puddles and squishy grass while falling drops pelt me in the face. it really is one of life's little pleasures.

seven :: it turning darker earlier. it's just one of life's simple acknowledgements that it is finally fall. we have already established that this is the best time of year, haven't we?

eight :: essie's after school boy blazer. it's the most amazing navy blue color and really has me in the fall spirit.

nine :: sugar cookies for breakfast. definitely the best part of being an adult, I'd say.

ten :: my mom's care package got here today! it's been so long since we had a care package. mostly because it took me a seriously long time to sort out our mail situation. like 10 months long. 

tonight, mitch and I will settle into a healthy, homemade batch of macaroni and cheese whilst enjoying the final three harry potters. we got terribly behind due to studying and bedtimes, so we'll be pulling triple duty this evening. what about you guys? what are your halloween plans? any fun halloween traditions you care to share? I'd love to hear them. especially if they'll spook up my life a little better because let's face it, my halloween could use a little spooking. happy halloween, everyone! 

definitely give these a read :: 

the anatomy of a perfect breakfast in bed by my name is yeh

back to ballet by camille styles

around here by hey natalie jean

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || COMMUNITY ACTION

have you ever been so lost in a book that you had a hard time getting to those things that some might deem really important? you know, like making dinner, taking showers, switching the laundry. things like that. well that's pretty much what I've been up to this week. I've even come so far as to strategically place my ipad around the house so I can do things like wash dishes without averting my focus. it's actually pretty impressive, if I do say so myself. the rest of the week has been business as usual. maybe even a little humdrum, but I'm not complaining. you have to have those humdrum weeks to counteract those weeks that flash by in kind of a blur. now, here's a few reasons why this week was a wonderful one.

one :: community action day. our church and the school got together this past saturday to clean up the zoo. after the hurricane, it was in utter disarray. so in exchange for some chainsawing and some heavy log-lifting, we were given pizza and a free trip to the zoo! in between runs to the gargantuan woodpile ( because really, who would trust me with a chainsaw? ), I was able to snap a few of the goats who were just running wild ramming all the passersby. regardless, I still think they're pretty darn cute.

two :: pandora's playing george ezra, birdy, and hozier. it's the perfect wake-up-and-eat-breakfast music,  the perfect clean-the-house music, and the perfect online-shopping music. definitely set up that station on pandora and give it a listen!

three :: the multiple red, pink, and blue sunsets that we have had this week. it has been so lovely to ohhh and ahhh at them with mitch by my side from the comfort of our sofa.

four :: a nine-hour day. I actually began to feel a little like a real adult by the end of it. a rare feeling these days ;)

five :: mitch bringing me lunch on said very grown-up-nine-hour day when I was right at the peak of hunger.

six :: a clean house. given, it was me who cleaned the house, but it still feels so peaceful to have mise en place in my life.

seven :: finally figuring out google analytics. okay, so mitch figured it out. another blogger recommended that I set this up at the beginning of this year, but when I tried it was in spanish and I don't speak spanish and could not figure out how to get it to go to english. 

eight :: binge-watching scandal in the evenings. in the midst of so much seedy television, it is fairly tame and is it just me or does olivia pope dress rather fabulously? and she's gorgeous, to boot!

nine :: mitch's and my impromptu gelato date last night. so very often, it's hard to remember that medical school isn't the only thing going on in our lives. it was so nice to get out and catch up and reassure ourselves that you know, we're still head over heels and all that.

ten :: this country road video. I've watched it again and again and it makes my heart happy because even though I'm missing out on fall and all of its festivities, this video reminds me that I'm still having a pretty cool experience down here in the caribbean.

 

wasn't that just lovely? this weekend will be full of late-night reading, a harry potter movie marathon in honor of halloween, and lots of time in the sun. what are your plans for this upcoming weekend? I hope they are full of hayrides and apple cider and maybe a bonfire or two. live out my fall fantasies for me, you guys.

definitely have a look at these posts from the last week ::

5 steps for tackling anxiety by cupcakes & cashmere
home makeover : a safari chic nursery by lauren conrad
abm studio : the styling room by a beautiful mess 

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || HALFWAY

monday, mitch and I celebrated our halfway point here on the island! we celebrated with a hurricane, but at least we celebrated. it's crazy to think that we have been occupants of this beautiful island for ten months already. I feel like I have learned and grown so much in such a ( relatively ) short period of time. like, no matter where you are, there are good people all around. people who do what is right no matter what. people who go out of their way to brighten your day. people who inspire you. I feel so blessed to be a part of this great, big world. it really is wonderful, isn't it? 

this week was an interesting one. mitch had two days of class canceled because there was that little hurricane at the beginning of the week. I've scrubbed the apartment top to bottom because there was that flood in our living room due to said hurricane. and we got a whole day to decompress after it was all over. we headed out to the beach for some much needed catching up. mitch reminded me that he really is a little boy at heart by digging holes in the sand just for the sake of digging holes. it was really rather adorable and I am seriously considering getting him a tonka truck for christmas. what say you? you can get back to me on that. in the meantime, let's knock out this week's ten simple things...

001 :: gilmore girls hitting netflix. and boy, was it about time? I remember watching it on abc family after school growing up and it is seriously taking me back to the days of doing homework in front of the tv whilst recovering from a most likely very troublesome bus ride.

002 :: the new issue of porter out in stands. I get it delivered straight to my ipad and cannot wait to delve into it this upcoming weekend.

003 :: a full freezer. I was attempting to eat everything in our cupboard before I made my way back to the store, but finally caved when a certain husband complained that soup three days in a row was a little much. and I have to say, it is quite nice to go and have a look at all those freezables. it's a gentle reminder that we won't starve for at least another week.

004 :: a super delicious chocolate cake in the fridge. late at night. because that is my all time midnight-snack wish come true.

005 :: mitch rearranging the furniture. it's funny, but I was 100% positive that the way I had the couch with the chairs and the coffee table was the coziest possible layout for our comes-with-rental furniture. turns out, I was wrong.  mitch's way is much better. it's not something I admit very often, so  it's a good thing he got it in writing.

006 :: finishing the fifth harry potter book. I know what you're thinking--wasn't she supposed to do that in, like, july? why, yes. yes I was. however, that book sort of depressed me there in the middle, so I'm just happy to be moving onto to book number six.

007 :: cooler temps. after the hurricane blew its way to puerto rico, it left cooler temperatures in its wake and I, for one, am not complaining. it was about time. it is october, after all.

008 :: walking > driving. because the weather has been substantially more mild, mitch and I have begun walking again and it has been so nice to spend a little more time with him going here and there.

009 :: a seriously intense workout. it felt so great to say, "ummm, I think I can do more." however, I am also feeling the brevity of that decision all the way down to my fingers which are also sore for some reason. it's tough being buff.

010 :: a salad full of spinach, feta, apples, and couscous. topped with the most amazing poppyseed dressing. even mitch went back for seconds, which is unheard of where salad is concerned. he even stopped a few bites from being finished to announce that he was full. whoa.

I hope all of you have a festive weekend planned. I've set a goal to go to the beach every single day, which I realize is not very festive, but still kind of amazing. thanks so much for reading!

definitely give these a read :: 

five ways to keep your chin up during the winter months by cider with rosie

cozy in the mountains by pink peonies ( because I'm an enormous ugg australia fan )

setting the fall table by camille styles

love, arielle

TEN SIMPLE THINGS || BUSY HANDS...

...are nobody's playground. it was just yesterday, in fact, that I contemplated maybe painting my nails and then was all, "mmm, better not" because I'll undoubtedly need my hands for something. and it was true. I had like a million other little things to do before putting head to pillow. and overall, this week has been busy busy busy all around. between work and working out and accomplishing all of those little things that still make you feel like a real person when you get home, I was crashing about midnight most nights ( which is insanely late, for me ) and waking up to do it all over again at 6:30. and between you and me, it was wonderful! I have seriously loved being occupied because it makes relaxing feel like so much more of a treat. and this weekend looks to have plenty of relaxation in store. being the first weekend in october, it's conference weekend! and in our house that means days spent in pajamas with our traditional pumpkin waffles and homemade popcorn. and of course, being nourished by the good word. now, here's this week's very busy simple things...

001 :: dieter f. uchtdorf's talk on a woman's self worth. I absolutely loved this quote and I think it is so appropriate for all of us hanging out in the blogosphere on a regular basis ::

"do you suppose it matters to your heavenly father whether your make-up, clothes, hair, and nails are perfect? do you think your value to him changes based on how many followers you have on instagram or pinterest? do you think he wants you to worry or get depressed if some unfriend or unfollow you on facebook or twitter? do you think outward attractiveness, your dress size, or popularity make the slightest difference in your worth to the one who created the universe? he loves you not only for who you are this very day but also for the person of glory and light you have the potential and the desire to become." 

no matter your beliefs, I think this still helps put what is really important into perspective.

002 :: knitting. it has actually become an unexpected addiction, but I find it's hard to put down. I have seriously been channeling mrs. weasley in the days of late. 

003 :: chatting with mitch's mom monday night. she really is such a positive person and brightens our whole outlook on life now and life ahead.

004 :: the starts of a six-pack...and not the kind you buy from a store, either. I have been so chuffed about the ever-growing definition taking place on my abdomen.

005 :: getting paid. who doesn't love that feeling?

006 :: mitch bringing me lunch after I reassured him that I was capable of making it to 4:30 in the afternoon without it. he really is such an understanding guy.

007 :: sweet potato, black bean, and kale quesadillas. this meal was healthy, comforting, and really is a recipe worth saving. mitch actually came back for thirds and he usually avoids kale at all costs.

008 :: the combination of comfort food and gbbo. after martha left last week, I wasn't sure I was going to like the show as well, but wednesday night I found myself dreading the final episode simply because it will be all be over.

009 :: thursday morning's lie in. after many a 6:30 morning, it was so sweet to just lay in bed with mitch playing with my hair.

010 :: going to see the hundred-foot journey last night. it's finally just playing in our little corner of the world, and I've been wanting to see it for ages! it has seriously made the list of my top five favorite flicks and I don't make an announcement like that lightly. the night was made even better by a a very handsome husband who can go to a movie like that enthusiastically, without complaint, and appreciate every minute of it with me despite the fact it's not really his kind of film. I am one very lucky girl. we even discussed "what it all meant" afterwards over shawarma. truly, a perfect night!

so what were the bright spots in your weeks? I do hope they were chalk full of them. bright spots, I mean. I hope this first weekend in october treats you right and offers plenty of relaxation for you, as well. thanks for stopping by!

a few posts I've loved reading this week ::
flower diy to try // the 60 second bouquet by paper & stitch
how to live minimally by camille styles
custard's interview by the londoner

love, arielle