The Big 2-4.

Last week, two things happened:

I baked my own birthday cake, turned 24, and Hubs came home from his first deployment!

Okay, so maybe that was three things. 

To sum it up: it was an emotional week. Recent, national events reminded me to stop, enjoy life, and keep in touch with loved ones. 

Birthdays, to me, are what a New Year's Day is to others: it's a time to review the past year, evaluate my successes and failures, and outline what I would like to do before Earth completes another rotation around the sun. 

I'm not exactly sure what things I would like to accomplish before I turn 25. But I know when I read my previous reflection on turning 23,  I have to laugh. I had no idea what the entirety of the year had in store for me, and as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20.

I hope that my 24th year has as many adventures as my 23rd, if not more.

Speaking of adventures, now that Hubs is home, I have someone to share outdoor excursions with. Here are some of the photos I took on my birthday while hiking on base.

The moose came out for my birthday.

 Hubs, during our hike around Knik Arm.

The tide was coming in, and I decided to stand on a frozen mound of mud.

I felt like The Little Mermaid.

Knik Arm.

 At Six Mile Creek.

I couldn't be happier to have Hubs home!

Find me on Instagram to keep in touch & share photos! 

I Spy...The First of Many Anchorage Editions!

I know I (still) haven't written as much as I used to, but I am working on remedying that. I (still) have a slight fear of outfit posts and, to be honest, the snow here makes me not want to do anything but cozy up with my furbabies and watch chick flicks. I also never realized that living in a 3-bedroom house would take up so much time to clean.

So I've been going through old posts, thinking of ways I could write and share my recent experiences with all of my readers. I came across my old "I Spy" posts, and figured one was long over-due.

Also: just so everyone knows, I am a Nordstrom employee. As such, I am in no way instructed by the company as to what to post in regards to what I purchase & choose to share with y'all.

Now that I have that off my chest--I hope y'all enjoy the photos, as well as the weekend. Please send sunshine thoughts to Alaska; it has snowed over a foot in the past week!

Housewarming Gifts From My Father.

Heart-Shaped & Gluten-Free Chocolate-Chip Cookies.

A Retweet From the Land Down Under.

Six-Mile Lake on Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson.

A Lemon Drop at Glacier Brewhouse. 

A Moonrise.

Kate Spade Coaster (1 of 4), from Nordstrom.

A Simple List for Hubs.

Primping & Color-Blocking: 

Cap-Sleeve Turtleneck from Maurices, circa 2007. 

Pleated Skirt from Anthropologie, 2013.

On The Road: from Austin, TX, to Anchorage, AK.

It's barely been a month since I've said so long to my life in Austin, and already so much has happened! John and I have both started working again, and we already have a house on base to move into next month. Slowly but surely, John and I are adjusting to life in Anchorage, and soon, we'll be ready for the winter...I hope! To help myself along, I recently splurged on a new peacoat.

Double Breasted Pleated Peacoat from Steve Madden.

I told John that it's the first new winter coat of the season--not the last! He scoffed at this, asking, "How many coats does a girl need?"

I have yet to determine the exact number, but I'm thinking four, at least. I want one with a vibrant and loud pattern, as well as a black one...and red! I've always wanted a red winter coat. I think the contrast with the snow will make it stand out. And of course, I will also need a coat with double-lining, for when the weather is severely cold out. 

What type of winter wear do you prefer? The coat I am wearing is a short wool, and it's very cozy. In Austin, however I could get away with just wearing a sweater or light jacket all winter long.  

Speaking of Austin, I finalized my photos from the Great North American Adventure I took last month. What I have posted are just a sample of what I saw, and I hope y'all enjoy them!

Goodbye, Austin.

Between Austin & Amarillo: "Anyone home?"

Wind Power: we saw fields of windmills in every state we crossed.

A wind propellor, at the Amtrak Station in Lamar, CO.

Back to the state where John & I first met...awww!

Couldn't resist this photo, as John is a long-distance relative of General George Custer.

General George Custer died at Battle of the Little Bighorn, in 1876.

With Biscuit in Garryowen, MT, edge of where Battle of the Little Bighorn took place.

In Bozeman, home of the Montana State Bobcats.

At the Clark Fork River in downtown Missoula, MT.

The "M" on the hillside is for "University of Montana".

With my sister/actress/singer/songwriter, Alyssa.

Wildlife Land Bridge--I wonder if the woodland creatures know of its existence.

Flathead Lake: the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River.

The resort town of Bigfork, on Flathead Lake, where John & I met in high-school.

The goofiest brother-sister portrait, ever!

(Everything I'm wearing is from Target.)

On our way through Canada, with our trusty Milespost & prayer quilt.

Leaving Edmonton, Alberta; home of the world's 5th largest shopping mall.

Enjoying ice-cream in my new H&M sweater & Simply Vera Vera Wang jeans, in British Columbia.

Headband & Sunglasses: Target. Crossover Bag: ModCloth.

At Mile O of the Alaska Highway in Dawson Creek, B.C.

So close, and yet so far away! from our destination.

Buffalo, napping, in the Yukon.

Lunch/Construction Break in the Yukon.

Finally in Alaska!

The only moose John & I saw the entire trip, outside of Anchorage.

Come back later this week for my post on West Edmonton Mall, North America's largest mall!

P.S. Are we still not following one another on Pinterest or Instagram?
If so, my handle on both is thatchelseagirl--leave yours in the comments!

From Anchorage, With Love...

Hi, everyone! I deserve a slap on the hand for not keeping y'all informed with my adventures since leaving Austin, but to be honest...I haven't had too many. Well, too many that were fashionable, anyway.

Let me begin by telling you how I arrived to Anchorage:

The day after I resigned from my position at Liquidation Channel, John and I hit the road. The trip took us from the heart of Texas to the panhandle of Oklahoma, then through Colorado and up to Montana by way of Wyoming. From Montana, my home state, we passed through Alberta, where we stayed in Edmonton for two nights. 

Edmonton is home of the world's 5th largest shopping mall. It was the world's largest mall until 2004--having grown up in Montana, my family used to frequent it in the nineties. The West Edmonton Mall is still the largest in North America, and while I didn't shop at the WEM like one would expect me to, John and I did cover a lot of ground in our 8-hour visit (I smell a blog post dedicated to the WEM). 

From Edmonton, John and I made our way through British Columbia and into the Yukon Territory, and onward to our Alaskan destination of Anchorage. 

We've been in temporary housing on base for two weeks, and I am not sure when we will have a housing offer. But don't fret for me, as I am making friends and having fun, as well as applying for jobs. Wish me luck?

Actually, I don't need your luck--I saw a double rainbow on my FIRST ALASKAN HIKE EVER.

Taken on Labor Day, 2012, from Flattop Mountain Trail.

Double rainbows are lucky, right?

I digress. By the end of this week, I should have all of my photos edited. Perhaps a post will pop out from them. I wish you all a fab & fashionable weekend!

Just below the summit on Flattop Mountain.

P.S. What do ya think of the new look?!