It's My Birthday!!!

{source}

Only, I'm not.

I refuse to believe that!

Although, if I'm being perfectly honest, I did feel that way until a couple weeks ago.

Somehow, I had an epiphany as I was driving in my car.

I realized that I have 25 whole years until I'm 50.

I got this!

There's so much I can do in that time.

Right?

abso - freaking - lutely!

But, first, a reflection of sorts.

Here's what I was doing 10 years ago...celebrating my 16th birthday!

I was getting the keys to my first car & trying to navigate "successfully" through high school.

In the ten years since this moment, I have:

graduated from high school & college

moved out of my parent's house

gotten my first big girl job

totaled two cars

bought my own house

gotten married

traveled internationally to - Hawaii, St. Thomas, St. Maarten, San Juan, Roatan, Grand Turk, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, Nassau, Costa Maya, Cozumel, and London

bought a car on my own

& so much more!

Have an extra sweet today & celebrate my birthday with me!

{tweet a picture if you're so inclined @mrsgrapejuice}

Oh...and, Happy Easter!

{source}

happies & crappies: birthday edition

Since my birthday is on Easter this year, I thought I'd take time to write out some happies & crappies! I haven't done it since the inaugural post, so I am very excited to be back at it during my birthday weekend.

happies
~ I made it through this past week with Spring Break/Easter/My Birthday as the light at the end of the tunnel.
~ I made it to Spring Break!!!
~ My students were very impacted by the story of Jesus' death and the concept of Easter. It made my heart full.
~ I am running my first 5k: The Color Run today!
~ I got birthday cards & gifts in the mail. :) {hello, Vera Bradely gift card!}
~ I got my new Vera Bradley monogramed canvas Tutti Frutti tote bag just in time for my trip to the beach.

crappies
~ It rained a lot & was cold.

It's always good to have more HAPPIES than crappies!

Have a "hoppy" Easter, everyone!

March Cara Box: My Name Is...

This is the third month that I have participated in the Cara Box swap!

This month, the theme was "My Name Is" and centered around the first letter of each recipient's name.

I sent my box to Ashley @ Always Ashley.

Here's a picture from Ashley of what I sent her.

I got my box from Elizabeth @ Building a Family of Dorks.

Check it out!!

C is for...

cooking {I can't wait to make the Slutty Brownies!}

magazines with "C" themes

candles

cosmetics {masks, nail polish, satin hands, & makeup}

It was a great box for my birthday month!

It made my birthday so much better!!

This is a great way to meet other ladies.

Join us in April by clicking the banner on my sidebar!

As always, thanks to Kaitlyn @ Wifessionals for all her hard work and coordination.

That Time I Became a Princess {part two}

So, yesterday, I began my tale of how I became a Disney princess! You would think that the training would be the hardest part of becoming a princess, but it was surprisingly not. The hardest part was finding a Rapunzel "costume" of which my husband approved. Now, I have to confess that I did wait until the last minute, per my usual style, but it was still hard to find something perfect.

Here's what I eventually came up with:

{before I did my hair}

 {with my hair added}

{and from the back}

hair: child's Rapunzel wig

shirt: reebok

skirt: sparkle skirts

shoes: brooks {which Mr. GrapeJuice gave me for Christmas}

nails: play date by essie

For the wig, I had to get a little creative. All the wig hair came attached to headband crown that was supposed to rest on my head. It was very uncomfortable, and I knew it would not last 13.1 miles. So, on the Friday before race, I got a brainstorm to see how the hair was attached. I was praying that it was attached with hot glue...and it was! So, on the way down to FL, I ripped it all off!

Then, I spent the next two hours trying to figure out how to pin it into my hair for the race & taking pictures of it.

Mr. GrapeJuice, however, had no problem finding the pieces he needed. I'm not sure where all he got his pieces because he got most of them online, but I will say that I had to remove the sleeves from his blue shirt to make it "perfect" for him. Oh, my over zealous husband! =]

Here he is striking his Flynn Rider "pose:"

Stay tuned next week for more about my transformation! I will finally post pictures from the race and our trip to Disney World the days after we became royalty. =]

That Time I Became a Princess {part one}

Once upon a time, there was a girl named Cassie {that's me!} who knew all along that she was meant to be a princess. But, not just any princess, a Disney princess!

{here I am as Cinderella}

So, she decided that, somehow, she needed to become a Disney princess. She studied, like any good student, by watching every.single.movie with a Disney princess storyline. Of course, she had to review what she had learned by watching the movies over and over again. Then, she learned all the music too because every Disney princess sings.

{my sister and I rocking out}

Cassie lived her life content as a pseudo-Disney princess until she was 25 years old. A couple months after she turned 25, she registered to finally become a real Disney princess. How did she do this? By registering to run in the Disney Princess Half Marathon!

So, logically, she had to figure out which Disney princess she was going to be. There are just so many to choose from: Cinderella, Snow White, Aurora, Mulan, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Tiana, Belle, Ariel, Giselle, and Rapunzel! Cassie had several friends who told her she should be Snow White because of her light skin tone and dark hair color, but she chose a princess that she meshed with better. Due to her awesome personality, she picked Rapunzel! They have a lot of similarities.

And, look who showed up on race morning?!?!?!?!?!?! Cassie about peed herself when Rapunzel came out!!! She was just waiting in line to take a picture with the beautiful backdrop, and then Rapunzel wandered over so others could take pictures with her. It was so awesome and really pumped her up before the race!

Stayed tuned tomorrow to see all about the race!!

The Leibster Award

A couple of weeks ago, the lovely Sara over at ms. sunshine honored me with The Leibster Award, which was so sweet of her!

This award is for those of us bloggers who have less than 200 followers so we don't give up.

Since I received this award, I have to tell you 11 things about myself & answer 11 questions Sara asked me.

Then, I have to nominate some bloggers & give you 11 questions to answer!

11 facts about me

1. My thumbs are two different sizes.

2. I am addicted to running races - 5ks, 10ks, half marathons.

3. I watch movies over and over again, especially Disney movies.

4. I am an avid book reader.

5. I love the way the sand feels between my toes with a sea breeze in my hair.

6. I am a terrible housekeeper.

7. Up until last summer, I was never able to maintain a tan.

8. My favorite holiday is Christmas, except when my birthday falls on Easter.

9. I love being a part of the Cara Box exchange.

10. I want to own my own business.

11. My husband is awesome, even though he frustrates me 95% of the time. ;P

Sara's questions

1. How did you come up with the name of your blog? the answer is here

2. What are your blogging goals? This blog is just to chronicle my life and adventures. If I gain followers and interest, then so be it. :)

3. If you could travel back in time to witness any historical event, what would it be? the birth of Jesus

4. If you could travel back in time to have dinner with any historical figure, who would it be? Jane Austen

5. If they were making a movie about your life, who would you want to play you? jennifer lawrence, without a doubt

6. What is your dream job? anything where I don't have to bring work home so I don't feel torn between my job and my family

7. What is your dream car? bmw m3 convertible

8. What is your favorite book? right now, I'm loving the Delirium trilogy by Lauren Oliver

9. What is your favorite movie? there are so many. right now, pitch perfect.

10. Who is your favorite musical artist? right now, straight no chaser

11. What is your favorite recipe to make? garlic chicken thighs with roasted red pepper risotto {found at tasty kitchen & on one of my pinterest boards}

My Nominees

Chelsea @ Freckles in our Eyes

Sarah @ To Be Mrs. Collier

Ashley @ Always Ashley

Jill @ The Strawberry Blonde Life

Amanda @ worthy of Agape

My Questions to You

1. If you were on a deserted island, what one book would you want with you?

2. What are three things you are thankful for TODAY?

3. What is the craziest thing you have ever done in your life?

4. What is one thing you would most like to change about the world we live in?

5. Do you think you are the same person in life as you are in my head?

6. If you woke up tomorrow having gained one quality, what would you choose?

7. Would you rather lose your old memories or never be able to make new ones?

8. If you could be any age for a week, what age would you be? Why?

9. If you won a million dollars, would you quit your job?

10. What is the one thing you are most proud of?

11. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?

Made My Heart Melt

 {source}

Yesterday, I went with my family to see Oz. It was a great movie, and I really hope that they continue with the series.

But, that's not what made my heart melt.

What made my heart melt happened about 30 minutes into the film.

An older gentleman who had gone back to the concession stand to refill his drink wandered into our row. He seemed confused and disoriented. I asked if I could help him, but he was determined that he had just temporarily displayed the woman he was with. So, he sat down at the end of our row. I warily watched him and was genuinely worried about it, but I didn't know what to do.

Then, my niece came to the rescue...well, she and her pea-sized bladder did! ;) She marched up to me and announced that she had to go potty. Being the awesome aunt I am, I scooped her up, and we made our way out to the bathroom. While we were in the foyer, I kept my eye out for someone who was searching for the lost gentleman. I had no luck. :(

Maybe 10 to 20 minutes after we got back, my husband stepped out to use the bathroom. On his way out, he stopped to ask the gentleman if he was in the correct theater. The man was adamant that he was. So, my husband went on his way. Lo and behold, there was a concerned woman the concession stand looking for the man. My husband informed them where they could find the lost man.

Apparently, the man was in the wrong theater, as we suspected. He wasn't there to see Oz; he was there to see Jack the Giant Slayer.

I'm so thankful that my husband and I {but mostly my husband} took the initiative to help the older gentleman find his way.

31 days of blogging {days twenty six - thirty one}

list ten things you are thankful for

my husband

my family

my health

my friends

my job

my talents

my life

my faith

a world of possibilities

time {even though there aren't enough hours in the day to do everything}

my day job vs. my passion

I am a teacher; I shape young minds. The more I get into the business the more pressure I feel because of how important my job is every moment. However, I would give it all up to stay at home, keep house, and run my own business.

cruise a thesaurus & pick out ten words you sound like

optimistic//trusting//enthusiastic//anxious//compulsive

prepared//affectionate//dedicated//gracious//faithful

favorite TV shows & why you like them

BONES :: I love Booth and Brennan; plus, they solve some pretty cool crimes

How I Met Your Mother :: I love the gang! I can only hope my life is as awesome as theirs one day.

New Girl :: I am Jess. This show is honest and makes me laugh.

Castle :: Beckett and Castle have a great dynamic. I love to watch them solve crimes too!

NCIS :: Who doesn't love Gibbs?! And, Tony & Ziva are super cute together, whether they realize it or not.

Once Upon a Time :: I just love fairy tales. :)

movies you can watch again & again

Pitch Perfect

Tangled...or any Disney Princess movie, really

Harry Potter

When In Rome

Dear Frankie

Leap Year

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Enchanted

what is your wish for the new year?

for a happy, fruitful life

31 days of blogging {day twenty five}

favorite holiday tradition and why

 

my favorite holiday tradition is decorating for christmas. when my husband and i put our ornaments on our tree, we listen to christmas music, drink hot chocolate, and dance around the living room. it my favorite time of the whole year and, to me, makes a house feel like a home.