another week down and what a rough one it was. i mean, my spirits are high right now but i'm sooooo tired! this was my first full week at my new job and i'm just getting used to the commute, which is a lot rougher than it should be. it should take 1.5hrs, but DC traffic is terrible! i don't remember it being this bad and the scary thing is, i don't think there is anything the city can do about it; it's just overcrowded. it takes 2 hours for me to get home, if i'm lucky, and by the time i do, i have three hours to maybe cook, maybe shower, and catch my breath with a bit of TV. then i pass out before 11p and wake up at 6a to do it all over again. i'll get used to it tho. i am grateful for the job and that i'm not in the house on my ass all day.
follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


in celebration of Father's Day, here is a picture of me and my daddy at my master's graduation this year. my father and i are kindred spirits... i get my extroverted, pensive nature from him and as such i've always been a daddy's girl.


Monday


photo a day: something you didn't know about me - i used to play tennis with a passion. you wouldn't know it these days because i haven't picked up my racket since my junior year of college. i played my last game a week after my ex and i broke up in 2005 and even didn't play my last year in undergrad. i've been wanting to get back on the court for the past three years, but grad school, lack of time and money... one day.


Tuesday


photo a day: imperfect. my pinky fingers are a bit imperfect. they both bend inward instead of being straight, like my other fingers.


Wednesday


photo a day: fave photo i've ever taken - Tiffany would kill me if she knew i posted this picture, LOL! this is from senior year of undergrad. for Tiff's 21st birthday, we decided to do 21 shots. chaos ensued and i snapped this picture. crazy night. drink responsibly.


Thursday


i was really feeling this lady's style... her turban with a side bow, her pageboy haircut underneath. it made me frown at my own frumpy style. moreover, working in DC a block away from a mall and tons of shops, i feel so shabby, not chic. a couple of weeks ago, i was sobbing on my bf's bed about how unpretty i felt. he was there for me though, telling me all the reasons why he was there by my side. i still wanna go on a shopping spree though. i could only afford to buy one pair of shoes this day. so i did.


Friday


after a kinda rough Thursday, this gif i found made my Friday really breezy. it had me giggling well into the evening.


Saturday

because i'm just getting used to my new job and my commuting schedule, i didn't even make it out of bed Saturday, so i have no picture to post for this day ( ._.) sorry! good news is, i feel really well rested today and am ready for the work week!

Happy Father's Day! i hope you all had a great week. mine was interesting. again, the weather was beautiful and i started a new job. it's great to be back in DC on a regular basis, but i must get my commute under wraps... because 3 hours just to get home is NOT the business. but, i spent the weekend with my family in DC for my mother's birthday/grandmother's birthday party/father's day. a lot went down on Saturday and i saw close to 200 family members and friends. it was great (^_^)

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


this is me. this is my hair. i don't talk much about my hair and being natural as much as i thought i was going to when i started this blog, but that may have something to do with the fact that i think there are other people who do it well enough... Curly Nikki, Quest for the Perfect Curl, Naptural85... no need to reinvent the wheel. but i do lurve my hair and i still contemplate sharing my regimen, tips, and fave products. one day.


Monday


photo a day: door. this is the door on my wall-to-wall built-in wardrobe in my room in my apt. one of the main reasons why i got the apartment was for the hardwood floors, the built-ins and...


Tuesday


the decorative fireplaces! photo a day: from a low angle. there are two fireplaces in my apt. i've been meaning to get nice candelabras for them, but i've been meaning to do a lot of things. the ambiance hasn't suffered. i remember when i first saw the apt... i went the same day the ad went up on Craigslist because it's in my desired location, i was the first to see it, i saw two other apts afterward and ran back over immediately and signed the lease. i play no games.


Wednesday


i've got plans for agua fresca and pickled watermelon rind... hello summer!


Thursday


my first day at my new job assignment and i find out it's directly across the street from one of my favorite Thai restaurants... it only made perfect sense to go there for lunch!


Friday


photo a day: yellow. this was the only photo i took on Friday and i'm sorry for it... these are some really fugly shoes and i wish i had something better to share with y'all.


Saturday


Saturday was my mother's birthday, but it was also the day of the surprise birthday party of my grandmother (whose birthday was actually the month prior. my mother loves to celebrate her birthday by giving thanks to my grandmother... and it was the only way we could really surprise my gramma. she's nosey). we spent most of the morning pulling out pictures and here is where i noticed a lot of our pictures are scarily similar. me and my mother look like the same person.

it's been a long time... i shoudn't have left you... without some fine mens to obsess to. Man Candy alert!!

it must be the warm weather and the fact that men are now walking around with big, shiny muscles in thin, tight tank tops, but i have been quite the hound dog lately. whether it be a shirtless man on Instagram or a tall chocolatey man in cargo shorts glistening in the sun at the wine mixer but i got my creep shades on and i'm giving every fine man a #HeyBoo.

TV has also been good to me. between summer tennis, watching the NBA playoffs by proxy, and the upcoming Olympics, i'm checking out all the hard bodies. and you should too. let me help you out.

Jo-Wilfried Tsonga


nicknamed the Muhammad Ali of tennis, the Frenchman got pretty far at the French Open at Roland Garros this year. coming so close to beating that a-hole Djokovic, he lost 4 match points in the quarterfinals. i was heartbroken. he's so cute! there's always Wimbledon...

i didn't really enjoy this past week. i sort of drifted through it, feeling lost and dejected. the weather was absolutely stunning, but there was a storm of emotions going on in my mind. don't mind me though... just another week in the life of me questioning everything.

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


so when i say the weather was stunning, i really meant awesome cloud coverage. it didn't rain this night, but the clouds sort of hung there, menacing and brooding, being moody.


Monday


photo a day: close up. this is my sidekick, my worn in, worn out leather messenger bag. i've actually used it in some of my fashion inspiration posts. you'd be hard pressed to not see this by my side every where i go. it's as much of a calling card as my hair. and people always compliment me on both.


Tuesday


photo a day: sign. after a week off, i headed back up to campus to the gym and see this. the seniors have spoken. Hopkins' Finest.


Wednesday


crazy cool cloud coverage. told ya.


Thursday


photo a day: drink. this is generally what the inside of my fridge looks like, minus the wine, which i've been too poor to afford. but i have tons of beverages on any given day.


Friday


photo a day: 6 o'clock found me watching TV, Investigation Discovery channel to be exact. it's my new guilty pleasure. it's understood the fact that, to get people interested in watching crime dramas, you must focus on the drama. every show uses dramatizations and reenactments. awesome! i personally love Fatal Encounters, Behind Mansion Walls, and Blood Relatives.


Saturday


photo a day: my view today. i stayed in, watched movies, and ate loaded french fries. why? because no one was available to spend time with me! #SadderDay.

i cannot believe that it is June! wow! time certainly flies and sometimes it really freaks me out. this has been a pretty chill week. the weather has been on it's very best behavior and that seems to put everyone in a very good disposition. i'll take it!

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter

Sunday


photo a day: something sweet. one of my favorite brunch spots in Baltimore, City Cafe, has amazing weekly specials. the chef really pushes the menu to new heights and almost every special is a hit. but, that being said, nothing compares to the complimentary sticky cinnamon rolls that come to each and every table before you even order!


Monday


graduation was awesome. even awesomer? graduation cards with money in them! i got in some serious retail therapy. it was much needed.


Tuesday


two things: don't tell me this isn't just the cutest gif ever! and, ladies, don't tell me you've never had a moment like this with your man.


Wednesday


photo a day: my personality. i may be a very emotional person, but it takes a WHOLE LOT to get me angry. furthermore, the fact that i don't get angry sometimes makes other people angry. it's a gift and a curse. not really a curse though. oh, and Tommy Pickles has allll the swag!


Thursday


after the wine festival, i was so happy to have some wine in the house that i made some cookies. i was a little lazy after making the dough so i put it straight in the oven instead of chilling it down first. my laziness was serendipitous, as my cookies came out better than ever! even my bf, who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies, gave them a good compliment ;)


Friday


photo a day: morning. i'm a cereal whore. i keep a rotation of 4-6 boxes of cloying, kid-friendly cereal on deck at all times. i have yet to perfect keeping a full box/full milk carton ration though. i eat one hot breakfast a week, maybe... if i'm not in a cereal mood. my top faves are Frosted Flakes, Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Fruity Pebbles, and Cocoa Krispies. Honey Nut Cheerios, Captain Crunch, and Golden Grahams gets honorable mention, but don't ever serve me cereal with raisins or marshmallows in it. i'll cut you.


Saturday


photo a day: empty. my sorority sister had a birthday potluck and we put in some work! i made my mac & cheese, since she liked it so much from my bday potluck, and i bought a bottle of Voület. It's a staple at our functions! try it out. it's a not too sweet Italian red wine with a bit of sparkle to it. great for parties and summer get togethers.

another roller coaster week. things started off kinda wonky but ended on such a high note... graduation, a wine festival, family, friends, love... i'm still smiling and my head is still spinning.

follow me on Instagr.am @_sarah_smile, same as Twitter


Sunday




photo a day: something i can't live without... my DVR. as a Capricorn, i hate to waste time. my DVR affords me the luxury of watching 3 hours of television in less than two! the downside... no commercials, although i don't know how much of a downside that is.




Monday




photo a day: where i stand. this is the front half of my living room. that open doorway on the left leads to my tiny charming kitchen. as you can see, i need way more pillows on my daybed/sofa and i should probably empty my recycling bin.




Tuesday




photo a day: pink. the fact that there is pink ink on my eggs telling me its expiration date makes me never want to buy eggs from the mini mart down the street again. but i'm broke and they were something like $1.29 for a large dozen. #shruglife




Wednesday




photo a day: technology. i've been keeping a secret. no, i don't love Apple products. but, i do have a job. i'm a tele-agent. you call with issues about your Apple products, i answer. it's a home-based position and i hate it. hate it so much that i no longer do it and have to return all of these Apple incentives. #NCT




Thursday




photo a day: something new. these are a pair of really cute and deceptively uncomfortable shoes my mom bought me for mother's day.




Friday




graduation day! if i'm honest with you, i was not looking forward to this day. graduations have been very anti-climatic in my experience. it's supposed to be a joyous occasion, then something happens and everything is ruined. someone has a bad attitude, doesn't feel like waiting, it's notoriously hot as hell... but i have to say, this was the best day ever! my family and friends really showed up, i actually enjoyed crossing the stage and was the first person in line, and the ceremony was really short and sweet. i enjoyed this day so much, i'm gonna post another picture!



these are some really pretty flowers, two bouquets of lilies. the white ones are from my father. the orange ones, my favorite, are from my boyfriend. i went out to lunch with my friends where i lavished over my accomplishments, the past, where we see our futures, and i opened my cards and cried. life was great right there over lunch eating cheap Chinese food, as it should always be.


Saturday


went to the Caribbean Wine Fest Saturday with my sorority sisters. this sea of people... that was just the mosh pit! there were twice as many people in the tents surrounding it. there was food and music and wine/drinks galore. it was a blast and a great way to end the week (^_^)