In a Nutshell

Let's start this up again!

2013-12-30T14:29:00.000-08:00

I decided with all of the amazing life changes that have been happening in my life, I wanted to start blogging again!

So, for the first new entry, I thought I would share my favorite of all the changes. Drumroll please...

I'M ENGAGED!!!!

To the man of my dreams. I couldn't be happier. I'll share fun wedding projects/plans along the way. But first I thought I would share our amazing engagement photos taken by the amazingly talented (and stealthy!) Whitney McGillicuddy, of Looking Glass Photographie. Click that link to check out her Facebook page.

Thank you Whitney for capturing our special day!!

Tone Up While You Work!

2012-09-05T11:12:00.003-07:00

"I don't have time to work out"

I hate that statement. I really believe that if you are truly committed you can always find the time to squeeze in some sort of work out, no matter what the schedule. Growing up I have always had a busy lifestyle. In high school I took AP classes, did shows at school while I was doing community theatre, and then when I wasn't doing that, I was cheerleading. And when I went to college, I went to a pretty intensely scheduled performing arts academy. So over the years I've figured out a few tricks to squeeze in work outs whenever I can. Often times my work outs are spread out throughout the day, because I don't have the time to have one hour long work out. So, on the days that my schedule doesn't allow, I do stuff like this...

1. The brush teeth crunch. No really. Every night when I am brushing my teeth to go to bed, I do crunches. It may seem kinda silly, but hey! I get at least 50 or 60 crunches in before I have to spit =)

2. Bathroom calf raises. Every time you go to the bathroom, do calf raises while you wash your hands! I also do this while I'm washing my face!

3. This one I haven't tried yet, but I saw it on a website and I wanna do it next time I have laundry to fold. Instead of sitting while you fold, do a wall sit. Eeek! Talk about motivation to get those socks done fast!

4. Stair it. Always chose the stairs! Ok ok, sometimes the elevator is tempting. But really, unless you are about to be late for a meeting, then use those legs! I have stairs in my house, and I NEVER, no really I mean never, walk up them. I run up them every time. Ok so it's no half marathon. But its SOMETHING

Ok. None of those were ground breaking. But really, doing some crunches here and there during the day, or running up a few flights of stairs will make a difference, even if it is just a teeny one. The main thing is that it reminds you to be active. An active lifestyle, is a healthy one =) So let's MOVE!

VLOG Alert! First Song Cover-Eek!

2012-09-03T15:08:00.000-07:00

DIY: Add a Little Color to your Life!

2012-08-24T18:02:00.001-07:00

I was in a decorating mood recently, and I was getting real tired of the only color in my room besides the green walls being purple. I needed something bright, fun, and vibrant! So I decided to DO IT MYSELF and add some color. The first thing I did were these awesome jars! A couple of them are mason jars from Joann's, but the others are old spaghetti sauce or jelly jars that I just washed out...

A little acrylic paint on the INSIDE of the jars...and voila! I loved the way all the colors turned out. Most of them I mixed to make just the right shade I wanted. So cute, so functional, and so easy. I also sprayed a little clear spray paint on the inside of them after they were dry to help protect them.

And onto my desk...which needed some serious sprucing. So, some new knobs from Anthropologie's sale bucket for only 3 bucks a piece...

And some sanding and yellow spray paint on an old dingy kitchen chair...

And I'm instantly cheerful every time I look at my desk =)

The last project was the easiest, and cheapest of them all...I got some frames from the dollar store...

Poor ugly little frames...A little acrylic paint that I already had, (I mixed some custom colors for that too) and...

Beautiful, colorful frames to show off my adventures, and loved ones! So...get to it! Is your room feeling drab? Nothing a little paint and some imagination wont fix ;)

Awesome Beach Hike, Adventure No. 6!!

2012-08-20T20:11:00.001-07:00

"So, Summer, I have an idea. How 'bout you just never end...cuz I need more days like today. K thanks" =)

Today was an awesome day at the beach with my friends Brian and Caleb. Uh Brian...I guess you are the most adventurous person I know cuz...so far you are winning by a landslide. Anybody else wanna compete? Let's go have an adventure together =)

The day started with a trip to Neptune's Net for some grub, the we went to Pt Magu and spent some time on the beach. The water was cold...but a nice break from this crazy humid weather we have been having lately!

After that Brian suggested we go for a hike, he warned me it was pretty intense...but I was stoked to go =) And actually it was kinda an intense hike, but sooo fun and worth it. I just had to not think about the fact that if my foot or fingers slipped I would fall to my death. =) First we had to shimmy sideways on this crazy wall by our tip toes and fingertips...

Yeah see the side of that? We were just kinda clinging to it for dear life and shimmied on over =)
And then there were the balance beam moments...

But man, they were worth the views!

We even saw some pretty cool fossils...

And met some new friends...

I had never touched a sea anemone before! It was so cool how they suction cupped themselves to your fingers! I liked to think of it as their way of shaking hands. I introduced myself to as many of them as possible. =)

It was such a fun day. And I was so proud of myself after this hike! Brian even said I was one of the most willing people he had ever taken on this hike! I felt very brave =)

You know looking at all of God's amazing creation really makes me think...what a considerate God we have. In the last few months God has given me SO many reminders and cool opportunities to show me his love, provision, and that He is my ultimate source of joy. Really, He is the greatest adventurer of them all. I can't wait to continue to honor the fact that I'm made in His image and be the best adventurer I can be.

LA Art Walk, Adventure No, 5!

2012-08-12T10:01:00.000-07:00

Hey Guys!

I'm here with my next adventure today...No 5! (Look at me go!) This last week my good friend Laura and I (also my awesome biking partner!) went to downtown LA to experience the Art Walk. This was something both of us have literally wanted to do for years...and never had. Why do people do that? Well no more! We went, and had an awesome time!

See, look how happy we are! =)

This was a day full of lot's of laughs, and new inside jokes. We definitely met some...interesting people and saw some...interesting art. =) A lot of it, however, was pretty awesome!

And when your walking in downtown, there is always something interesting to see.

This amazing spot we found completely by accident after riding the Angels Flight Railway. (Which was so adorable) It's the "Shortest Railway in the World" and dates back to 1901. 50 cents, and you've got a ride! After our ride we were on top of the Water Plaza, and amazing outdoor show venue that has free performances all summer...how awesome is that? Next adventure? Yes please. =)

We found this amazing art outside by accident as well. Oh the things you find when you're wandering around downtown LA at night. I even made a friend.

If you guys ever get a chance to, you've gotta go down to the art walk. There is tons of awesome art to see, food and drinks to have, outdoor shops to look at, people to meet, and places to explore! I'm so glad I finally did what I said I wanted and had this great experience!

DIY ART! (Bucket List Item #1 down!)

2012-08-06T16:11:00.001-07:00

Hey guys!

It's been awhile since I posted, I know. But I was on our high school's summer camp with all the students this last week. I had a great time on the DELTA! It was great to try new things, relax, connect with the girls, and rough it!

While I have always been a pretty outgoing person, I definitely need my "me" time to refresh me. So after a week of being surrounded by a hundred people with no where to hide (no offense guys, you're all awesome) I had a nice evening in last night. It was just me, some music, and a lot of paint! It was glorious =)

I've been wanting to replicate this picture I saw on pinterest for a while now. So I finally tackled it. The point was to not spend any money, so while this inspiration piece has four canvases, I accomplished a similar look using just two.

INSPIRATION:

Pretty, Huh? So I rolled up my sleeves, and gave it a go! Here is my version...

TA DA!! What do you guys think? I was so happy to get this done finally. And what makes me even more happy...I put doing this painting on my bucket list! (I needed some things that I could do right away with my budget on there) So I can now go to my wall and take one item off! Woo hoo!

Pretty in Pink

2012-07-25T23:10:00.001-07:00

Pretty in Pink by rachelbalich featuring wedge shoes

Adventure No. 4!

2012-07-21T19:51:00.000-07:00

So today I got to have a really fun adventure. A bunch of us from church went down to Santa Monica and biked the boardwalk. It was SUCH a pretty day outside! The sun finally broke through later in the afternoon, but the whole day it was warm, and I was by the ocean...so I was happy!

I was happy already just being on my way!

So I was READY to go! I had my little hat...and I had my cute romper on from Target (thanks, Mom) and I rented my bike...and then I leaned over to my friend Laura and told her something that I haven't told may people...

"I never learned how to ride a bike without training wheels as a kid..."

I know...I'm all sortsa embarrassed about it. Sure I wobbled around on one a few times when I HAD to as a kid...but since I was never taught, I sorta just said "forget this!" and put my roller blades on. So, I was slightly nervous that I wasn't gonna do as well as I would hope.

Oh my goodness.
That is pitiful.
And so embarrassing.
But true.

So I had avoided bike riding moments until now...but not anymore! I'm tired of not doing things now just because I had never done them as a kid. May be a bike ride doesn't sound that adventurous to you, even now as I type, it sounds kinda silly. But that's ok.

Long story short...I got the hang of it...sorta. I fended for myself for about half the way...then my awesome friend Laura asked if I wanted to ride tandem. She had never done it before and wanted to try. It was so fun! We were cracking up the entire way about what a cute "couple" we made.

And let me tell you...when it comes to riding tandem in the back...I've got skills ;)

Aren't we cute? =) After our ride we walked to Tender Greens where I had the most amazing meal (complete with a to die for cupcake) in the world. And don't even get me started on their lemonade!

Poundcake cupcake with blackberry frosting? My day/life was complete.

So there was my adventure for the day...may be nothing too grand, but I got out, I did, I experienced. And I now have a new mission...get really good on a bike...because it was so fun! (not to mention this post is just a little too embarrassing =) Adventure No. 5...here we come!

OOTD: Casual Feminine

2012-07-17T08:07:00.000-07:00

What do you guys think of this look?
The shirt was one of my garage sale finds! Its Forever21 brand.
The shorts were a steal a few summer's back at Ross.
The shoes are from Target
The bracelet is Forever 21 as well.
Some stud flower earrings and a top knot and I was all feminine, all the way! What do you think?

The Men in My Life

2012-07-15T20:35:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I was planning out all the many blog posts I have in my brain to share with you all. And it dawned on me, that here I am telling you all about myself and my adventures, and I barely even dive into one of my main sources of support in my life. The men in my life.

My dog, Linus, and my cat, Fox. Why, what did you think I meant?
Now I already did a blog way back when introducing you to Linus, so if you would like to see his baby pictures, scroll on back. But for now, I'll just show him to you as he is. BIG =) Now, to some, Linus may give off a different impression than he means to. (He's very protective of my family and I. We call ourselves his "peeps"). But even though when he barks he may sound like he wants to have you for dinner...

He really is just a big softy. If puppies had a school picture, this next one would be Linus'

In all seriousness though, I LOVE this dog. To sound incredibly cliche, he has seen me through a lot of hard times. Whenever I'm upset, he knows. If I start to cry, he rushes up to me, licks the tears off my face, and sits with me. One time I was really sick, he started laying toys next to me on the couch. Usually if he wants to play he holds the toy in his mouth and begs. But this time, he just began setting them next to me one by one. He would set a toy down, lick my face, and walk away. By the end of the day I had all of his toys. What a generous little guy =)

Then along came Fox. Now, Fox isn't technically my kitty. He actually belongs to a friend, but he has been living at my house for around 9 months now....so he is sort of like my foster child. Regardless...I'm his mommy. =)As soon as Fox and Linus warmed up to each other, they were inseparable...

Fox's favorite pastime is being under, or in things...

When he was just a couple of months old, he was a TOTAL cuddler. He slept in my arms the whole night! =) So cute. Now that he is older he is a bit more independent, but he still likes sleeping in my bed. Which I don't mind at all! I mean who WOULD mind waking up to this hunk every morning?

I'm so glad I got to introduce to you to these stud muffins. Who are the most important furry members of your family?

ABRACADABRA! Adventure No. 3

2012-07-13T10:57:00.000-07:00

I love it when an adventure calls for dressing up, don't you? That's why I was SO excited when my friend Brian asked me to come with a group of friend's to the MAGIC CASTLE in Hollywood. If you know anything about the Magic Castle, then you know it is a very exclusive club, and you can only get in if you are a member, or are a guest of one. Needless to say I was pretty excited. I've always loved magic. As a kid I had a magic kit that came with a book, cards, a wand, etc. I walked around the house doing "tricks" for my family. I'm sure I had some exceedingly clever name like "The Great Rachel." =)

I was also so excited because I had an excuse to wear the dress I scored at my friend's garage sale for $5! (Plus the shoes I bought from her too!)

I looove this dress. I even got compliments from women I didn't know at the Magic Castle on it! Score!

I paired it with a purse of my mom's that had a vintage feel that I felt really went with this look. Slap on some garage sale heels and a rose pearl bracelet from Forever 21 and I was good to go!

I can't wait to try this dress for another event. A friend of mine suggested cowboy boots for a more casual event. How about a night out at the Malibu Winery, or something like that? Ok. =)
The only bummer thing was that we weren't allowed to take pictures inside. So I scored a bathroom shot once I got the chance =)

My friend Lauren said the bathroom made her feel like she was in Moulin Rouge. I couldn't agree more! What girl doesn't like light bulbs around a mirror, I mean...really?
I took a few shots before we went in. My friend Katie and I, the outside of the Castle, (which doesn't even begin to do it justice, this place is to die for beautiful inside) and all the ladies outside the door. Don't mind my awkward pose in that one haha.

I had SO much fun at the Magic Castle. I even reached my one and only goal for the whole night...I got called on and got to participate in a magic trick! (Which completely BLEW MY MIND!) If I'm ever really really wealthy...may be I'll be a member and go, oh I dunno, every two days or so ;)

Adventure No. 3...you might be my favorite yet. On to the NEXT!

Sabo Skirt...Must Check it Out!

2012-07-10T13:39:00.000-07:00

Hey guys! As you know I've been loving the website Polyvore.com. It's such a fun way to create your own look and to discover new online clothing stores that you would have never seen before! I recently stumbled on a website that I HAD to share with you guys. The clothes are fun, bright and very original. It's called saboskirt.com, and no, they don't just sell skirts, they sell all kinds of clothes and it's all fabulous!

Here are some of my favorite looks on the site:

Aren't those looks amazing?? Now, they are on the slightly more expensive side, but they aren't outrageous so I feel like getting a special piece here and there for special occasions would be the way to go. May be when my clothing fast is done I'll have a special event just so I can snag one of these looks! Haha =)

Side French Braid Tutorial

2012-07-08T17:28:00.001-07:00

Hey guys! Check out my 2nd video!! Woo hoo! Super easy and fun hair tutorial!

BANG! BANG!

2012-07-07T11:59:00.001-07:00

I'm on a roll, guys. Recently, I decided I was gonna start really living life to the full and take advantage of not being in school.

I
Love
It.

So for adventure No. 2 my friends Katie, Brian, and I all went to the shooting range. Brian wanted us to teach him a few things about guns. Right...that's it. It was such a fun day. Every one should try this once in their life...it makes you feel like a secret agent. Especially when you get to shoot a glock 23 .40 cal. That's right, I just used that in a sentence. Watch out bad guys.

This was my favorite one to shoot, I felt pretty hardcore.

This next one scared me a little bit hahaha...But it was SO COOL. And I was the most accurate with this one, so it was really fun to shoot. There is something strangely satisfying when you hear the *ping of hitting your target. Here is a shot of Brian teaching me how to use this massively large gun haha.

Who says a girl with fabulous nail polish can't shoot a semi automatic weapon?

And here's a little collage of a few more pics from the day.
Check out Katie's face in the bottom photo...hahaha that was her face after she shot the first gun...priceless.

So adventure No. 3? Oh...don't you worry, It's already all lined up. Just keep on checking in to find out!

Trash to Treasure: DIY Summer Shorts!

2012-07-05T12:01:00.000-07:00

I love summer time. Shorts, skirts, dresses...I love all the "beat the heat" solutions =). This summer I really wanted to have lot's of different options for shorts, but I only had a couple pair.

So I made some! I was cleaning out my drawers and realized I had a few pairs of jeans that I never wear anymore. The first one tore after the second time I ever wore them...I was soooo sad. The second pair were all destroyed at the bottoms because I never got them properly hemmed...whoops. And the third were a distressed pair that I had bought that were now...far beyond distressed. These jeans were distressed, depressed, and falling to pieces, literally.

So in order to get a nice even cut,I took a pair of shorts that I already had and really liked the length of and put them on the pants, so my pants were "wearing" the pair of shorts.

Then I drew a line with a pen so I could follow along the nice curved shape you need. Then, snip snip! I folded the edge up and ironed them with a lot of steam. I'll go back later when I can use my sister's sewing machine to put in a stitch. What do you think of my new summer creations??

June Favorites! First VIDEO BLOG!

2012-07-02T23:23:00.000-07:00

My very first video blog!

OOTD Simple Black

2012-07-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I decided to sport my new heels with some oldies but goodies from my closet. I kept it very simple...but I felt very chic! What do you think?
Black tank: Forever 21 Low rise flare jeans: Forever 21 Pumps: Two Lips Bracelet: A friend got it for me from the Philippines, Ok Ok so not a totally fair thing to try to match =)
And there's my "Simple Black" look!

Garage Sale HAUL!

2012-06-30T16:53:00.001-07:00

So a friend of mine recently had a garage sale, and she was putting a lot of her clothes out. So like the little bargain hunter I am...I went for it. Ok Ok...about 7 months ago I decided to not buy clothes frivolously for a year. I only bought if it was something I needed. (Like my pants ripped, I need to replace them, or for performances where a specific costume choice was needed)

I caved.
She is super fashionable.
SO after this...It's back to strict Rachel! I can be strong!
But we might as well drool over what I got...FOR ONLY 40 DOLLARS!(Most of the stuff was brand new, and high end...can you blame me?? Yes you can.)

Want a closer look? Sure ya do...we all love some Steve Madden...

These one's are super fun too =)

I love the lace detail on this top! So feminine and pretty =)

But my favorite purchase of the day was this H&M dress...it's so sweet. Now I just need to go somewhere fun to wear it!

Ok so THAT'S IT! NO more clothes...ahhhh...If an opportunity like this comes along again it's gonna be all sortsa hard. But I had to spread the word...when a fashionable friend has a garage sale...GO.

Trends I'm Lovin!

2012-06-29T10:35:00.000-07:00

This summer it seems like everywhere you look...everything is NEON! And I am lovin it! I love the bright colors and bold patterns. So fun for summer. I also love the white short trend. It's bright and airy and it makes you look super tan. (Something I am always down for!)

I decided to jump on the bandwagon and mix the two trends together! What do you think of this mixture?

My sister and I enjoying the sunny day in Santa Monica!
Here is another one of us!

And this was just too cute not to share! A drinking fountain for pampered pups, of all sizes! Topped off with free doggy treats! How cool is that?

And that was our "trendy" shopping day! What trends are you loving right now?

Put a Cherry on It!

2012-06-27T21:26:00.000-07:00

This last week my family and I decided to be completely adorable and take my Grandpa Cherry picking.
That's right we picked cherries, and no, I don't mean from the shelves at Trader Joes.

Here's a little preview! We went to Windy Ridge Farm in Leona Valley. It was pretty quaint =)

My 93 year old Grandpa put us all to shame by picking the most cherries. He's awesome...I hope I'm like him when I'm 93. =)
I'm gonna count this as another small adventure. Something new, and different. What do you count as an adventure this week?

Adventure's Out There

2012-06-26T20:59:00.001-07:00

I had an interesting realization the other day.

I've always considered myself a pretty easy going person, with a couple of things I had to figure out about anxiety along the way. But really, I've always been kinda down for whatever.

But it's always sort have been me waiting for someone else to take me on their adventures with them.

But what about me? I don't want to be looking for people to go on adventure with, I want people to have to catch up to ME!

The time has come for me to start living life to it's full potential. Right now what I feel pulled towards, is working on my ever growing bucket list. And you know what,

I'M GONNA DO JUST THAT.

Life is short. Let's start living it. I was talking about this with my friend Nikki the other day when we went on our hike.

We decided to call this awesome hike our first adventure. It may be small, but as we said "At least we aren't sitting on the couch!"

This was BEFORE we started, so we weren't disgusting-uh glistening, I mean, yet.
Check out THAT view!

Oh just a random chimney...
Big or small...adventure's out there. WHO'S WITH ME??

Great Article From The Resurgence!

2012-06-20T21:45:00.002-07:00

I just read this awesome article on temptation on theresurgence.com and had to share it with you! It said that temptation is an invitation to worship. We either give into the devil and his schemes and listen to his lies...and act of worship, (ugh thinking about it that way really makes you stop) or take the opportunity to cling to the truth, that we are free and no longer have to live in bondange and obey our Lord and Savior...also an act of worship.

I just loved the perspective this gave and thought you might too!

JUST CLICK HERE

And All This Time I Thought I Was Boring

2012-06-19T16:46:00.001-07:00

Man...the last year has been a whirlwind. Finally graduating from college was a HUGE accomplishment for me. Now, Now, I know what some of you are thinking..."Rachel, you got your degree in jazz hands, how hard can it be?"

But really, AMDA was an incredibly demanding experience. If anything just for the TIME it took up. (Not to mention the insanely tiring dance classes, teachers that like to give you a day to learn a song and choreograph it, and and say things to you like "You look old...fix it" (OH YEAH...THAT HAPPENED)

But man, since I've been graduated...it's like a whole new world! I feel like myself again! I am going out with friends, going dancing, beach trips...and eleven rolls around and I don't turn into and old woman and fall asleep standing up!

And here I thought I was just getting old and boring. I just had this terrible condition called school.

Well here is to BEING GRADUATED AND HAVING A LIFE AGAIN!!!!

DIY Inspiration Board

2012-06-18T12:50:00.001-07:00

I got a little inspired the other night to craft! And what better to make when you are feeling inspired, than and INSPIRATION BOARD?

So I got in the crafting mood and got to work! This is a great way to display verses, quotes, goals, pictures, or anything else that your little heart desires in your home. All you need is some cork, a little fabric of your choice, and a hot glue gun (crafting's best weapon).

Here is the cork board before I jazzed it up...

Then you just cut out your material so you have enough to fold over the edges. First I glued down the long edges, then folded the short edges as if I was wrapping a present. (Thanks, Kat for that tip!)

Also, be sure to remove any kittens that decide to lay down on your work =)

With some extra fabric I added a little heart embellishment and and I was done!

And here it is in my room with all my "inspirations" on it.

I started a "bucket list" and put some of the items up on my board so as I finish them I can take them off one by one. I loved this quote I found by Helen Keller too...

"Life is either a daring adventure, or nothing at all."

And one of my favorite verses seemed to fit so well.

"With your help I can advance against a troop, with my God I can scale a wall." Psalm 18:29

LET'S DO THIS!