Grad school was totally worth it!!!

I have had this post in edit mode for a couple of weeks, then my friend Lisa posted something similar and I thought "Crystal, you need to get your enthusiasm out there as well!" So, here it is; my "I love my job and grad school was actually worth all the pain" post!! Enjoy :)

I just spent my Friday morning (well, 2 weeks ago...edit mode, remember) sitting in a conference room with 3 other interns, a psychologist that I totally respect for his intellect and wit, and 4 male offenders who are in on life sentences, awesome no?! It was a panel to discuss life in prison, viewpoints on the corrections system, and life in general. lt was amazing!

I spend 2 mornings every week in the best process group you could ask for. (Non psych people ~ process group = group therapy format that has no specific plan or outline, its just open to the process.) Seriously, I leave the room every single time thinking something along the lines of "wow, that was the most insightful / amazing / thought provoking / emotionally draining and yet fantastic, 2 hours of my academic career so far!"

I have found myself saying or thinking "my job seriously rocks!!" at least a dozen times in the past 2 months. Seriously, who gets to say that? I know I'm an intern who is new and fresh into a long career that will be filled with stress, work politics, and general bad days. I get that. But, it will also be full of such amazing cathartic events. I love that psychology challenges me, I love that it is literally never boring, that it requires continual lifelong learning, and that it makes me feel good about what I do. I am continually amazed by the human mind and am so stinking happy to be around other people who are also amazed by it and are as excited as I am to discuss those amazing complexities.

Seriously, I have the best career in the whole world, and Im just entering the path!!

Happy Monday {50th Ed.}

Happy Monday Everyone! This is my 50th Happy Monday post, wow! Well, here is what is making me smile...

Skype
I am not a huge fan of talking on the phone, I just think it is too easy to be distracted and not fully present for the person you are talking to. Skype is so much better! Not only can you see the person and read body language, but you are forced to be truly there and engaged with each other. I have a few regular Skype dates with friends (Hi Lynn!) and family back in Seattle and I really look forward to them!

Crazy Stupid Love

I watched this movie on Saturday and really really liked it. At first I was upset because Julianne Moore plays almost the exact same role as she did in The Kids Are Alright, and I just don't like that character. But, it got better, the story was good, and I adored both Steve Carell and Emma Stone's characters!

Has anyone seen this movie? Isn't this part the cutest scene ever? She is stinkin' adorable!

Eggnog...everything!!
I love this time of year, there is eggnog everywhere! Shakes, coffee creamer, I just made some cookies (yum!), and my favorite, Eggnog Chai Lattes!! Oh, my poor waistline :)

Fun tights
There is just so much potential...

Big loose curls

Im obsessed with trying to make my hair look exactly like this...

That is all for me this week, what is making you happy?

Happy Monday {49th Ed.}

Happy Happy Monday Everyone! Here is what is making me smile this week...

Whimsical Fairy Tale Houses
It just doesn't even look real, I love it!

source

This guy

Too cute :)

Purple Starry Shoes

I need these!!

buy them here

Rocking Bed

That's right, I said rocking, the bed rocks! Plus it is just plain gorgeous.

got a bunch of money? Then go here

Beach huts that levitate over the ocean

Look at the tub!! Plus the deck/dock is just heavenly...

What is making you smile?

Quotation Wednesday {35th Ed.}

This quote is from a great book! Have you read the Perks of Being a Wallflower? If not, go do it, now! I love this quote though. I think it is hard sometimes to hold 2 seemingly contradictory emotions or ideas. It is entirely possible to love and hate, to dream with fear, to be happy and sad, all at the same time. The trick is to learn how to accept that and live within the contradiction.

Happy Monday {48th Ed.}

Happy Happy Monday everyone, here is what is making me smile...

Baggy Cozy Fall Outfits

I love absolutely everything about these looks, they are comfy and scream fall!

see more of her cute outfits here

this one is just too perfect for words!

Bright Tattoos
I find it interesting that there seems to be 2 types of tattoo people, those who like color and those who only have black and gray. I am definitely a color type!

gorgeous, no?

loooove this one!

Banana French Toast
Really any kind of french toast, but banana...oooh, or banana nutella french toast, yeah I think I am drooling!! We had brunch at a place called the Happy Gnome (which was awesome by the way) and there is really no better meal than lazy Sunday brunch with calorific french toast and mimosas :)

source

Rusty Taco

Sounds bad, I know, but name aside, this restaurant rocks! They have really really good authentic tacos and all you can eat chips with fresh made guacamole, yum! Plus, it is right next to Trader Joe's so it is our weekly Sunday lunch stop.

What is making you smile lately? 

Oh and ps: Happy Halloween!! 

Random Simple Pleasures {13th Ed.}

Simple Pleasure #13 ~ Dog Walks at Dusk
Ok yes, I really enjoy walking the pups! In particular though, the scenic route that we have, in the fall, at dusk is just awesome!

view of the river from the park

Domino kicking up some leaves :)

another of the river

and the St Paul skyline! (ps: Im particularly proud of this pic because I had no tripod and
2 dogs tugging at me to keep walking!)

I love fall

I absolutely adore fall! Seattle is great, but I really missed the changing seasons while I was there. There is something so beautiful and comforting about fall that is just impossible to describe. Here are some of my favorite highlights though that just cant be beat out by any other season....

The oh-so-beautiful leaves
I love everything about fall leaves; the colors, the smell, the sound they make when you walk through them, and how they make the whole landscape look different each day.

source unknown (but I wish it was my backyard!)

Pumpkins
Everything about them, from picking them out, to carving them, to making tasty seeds!

local pumpkin patch

Plus, pumpkin flavored everything!
Coffee, chocolate, cheesecake...yum!

Crock-pot meals

Yum!

our minestrone

The fact that it is the perfect temperature for all of my favorite clothing items...
Boots

cute! (source is full of awesome fall pics)

Scarves

Sweaters
Seriously, what is better than a sweater?

how cute is Zindle's?!

My favorite accessory; sleeves!

yup, I love them!

Ahh fall, you are so perfect, why do you have to ever give into winter?

Quotation Wednesday {34th Ed.}

I strongly believe that it is very important to experience new places, either through travel or moving. That is why I love this quote so much, because I often find myself when I travel. There is a psychological phenomenon called a dissociative fugue when someone disconnects from reality and unknowingly travels to a new place. By no means do I intend to romanticize the psychopathology of this disorder, but there is a small aspect of it, the idea of a new discovery through travel, that is quite appealing...

"Sometimes you have to travel to a new place to rediscover the old you."-Terri Trespicio

ps: thanks Lynn for sharing the quote! :)

Happy Monday {47th Ed.}

Whew, its been awhile, but here is another Happy Monday for you! This is what is making me happy lately...

Drooling over boots
I need really want some new ones, so of course I am seeing gorgeous ones everywhere that I just can't quite justify...

Brian Andreas
I really love his art. Both the quotes and the drawings are just so whimsical and happy.

"for a long time she flew only when she though no one else was watching"

see more here

Cowl sweaters

Maybe it is because I am anticipating a cold MN winter, but I am obsessed with big cowls lately. Doesn't this just look awesomely cozy?

find it here

Sea salted caramel chocolate 

Anything with that glorious combination, yum!

That is what is making me happy this week, what about you? Oh, and Im happy to be back in the blogging world! :)

..crickets...

Oh wow, I have been gone for a month!! Where have I been you ask?

Ha, just kidding...well sort of! I started my internship at the prison and have been super busy! I really really love it though. It is so amazing to finally be doing what I have been working so for so long hard for.  More on that though over the next year. Here is a little picture montage of my past month...

First things first, I got my first new car ever and I looooove it!

Isn't she cute? Her name is Sprout :)

It was my grandma's 70th birthday on October 3rd, so my mom came into town from Seattle and we drove out to see her. It was awesome to spend time with my mom and to see my grandma on her birthday. My family is absolutely amazing!

2 weekends ago we went to a corn maze/fall festival with our upstairs neighbor, Roma, and it was surprisingly fun. There was a corn pool that was oddly comfortable, I kind of want one!

 Oh, and alpacas!! (which I also want)

Fall here in St. Paul has been absolutely gorgeous. The dogs have been enjoying extra long walks through the beautiful colors and leaves. 

As much as I loved Seattle, I forgot how much I enjoy the distinct seasons here in the midwest, fall in particular. 

Well, that is where I have been. Sorry to be so distant, I am getting settled into my new schedule and will be back to blogging as usual now, thanks for hanging in there. What has everyone else been up to? 

Ellen love

I have decided that any time I want to express something that I am passionately outraged over, I am just going to hire Ellen to write a monologue for me!

 I have so many incoherent ramblings that I want to spew about this Chaz controversy (watching him dance will make your children want to change their sex....really?!?!), but Ellen just sums it up in her adorably humorous way, thank you Ellen!

Quotation Wednesday {33rd ed.}

I loved this quote the minute I read it. It can be interpreted and applied in so many different ways; speak up for the underdog, don't believe everything you read, impart power to those without, ..... I love that about a good quote, it can be so easy to personalize and there truly is no wrong interpretation. 

"Until lions have their own historians, tales of hunting will always glorify the hunters."
-African proverb

Personally, I resonate most with the idea of speaking up for those who can not. Advocating for the disenfranchised, be it people, animals, or even ideas that are not recognized, is something I am passionate about so when I read this quote that is what I make of it. What about you?