Best Friend's Day (fiance version)

I'm really lucky. No, I mean super duper lucky. I have had a wonderful day with my best friend; we hung out at NASA On The Square downtown, we got sushi, and we traded in some video games for the Mass Effect series on xbox360. We've just been hanging out and gaming all day long, being our fabulous nerdy selves.

The best part? I get to kiss him between battles and I get to hug on him while we learn new tactics and derp around.

I've been a gamer girl my whole life, but my fiance has unleashed a monster in me. See, I wasn't allowed to have video games as a kid, but I could play tabletop games (i.e. Dungeons and Dragons, that sort of thing) and some computer games (Tomb Raider WAS my childhood, which might explain my love of firearms). I never had a gameboy, or playstation, or xbox.

So now that I'm an "adult" and have been with the fiance, I have access to allllll sorts of games. He even gave me his old gaming computer when he upgraded to a newer one. And a few years ago I bought my own xbox360.

Monster = me.

Do you know how many games I'm playing through right now? Oh good grief, it's too much. And I'm SO happy about it.

I'm an adult, yes. But my summer is consisting of: planning my wedding, getting a job (interview on Wednesday, fingers crossed!!!), learning music for my recital in the fall, and gaming gaming GAMING.

Here's a list of games and series I'm loving or have recently finished and wish I still were playing...

Bioshock (beat the 1st one, playing Infinite now)
Assassin's Creed series (I'm on Revelations)
Mass Effect
Battleblock Theatre
Red Dead Redemption
Tomb Raider (any/all of them)
Deus Ex
Half Life 2

yeah, it's a good summer so far :)

But I'm just grateful to get to spend my day of nerdiness with my best friend and true love <3

----




What games are you playing?
Follow me on twitter and instagram at AlexandraAnne27 to see more of my gaming adventures!

xoxo, alexandra anne 

My First Anniversary

I have a myriad of interesting nicknames; my favorite of the odd ones include "List girl," "girl who has to know," and "date girl." When I say date, I don't mean getting all dolled up and going out on the town (although I LOVE dates like that), I mean I keep track of time and countdown to things almost religiously. For example, how long has it been since I lived in Italy, how long have I been in Houston, how long til I see my family again, how many hours have I sat in this chair, etc etc etc.

Well, October 4th is a day I have been counting down to for a while now. I didn't even know originally how wonderful a day it would become. First off, it will be my 1 year anniversary with my wonderful man, my guy, my boyfriend Michael.

If I recall correctly, he asked me out on October 3rd, 2011, and I accepted on October 4th, 2011. That's when our relationship started. Our first date was a little less than a week later. :) I don't think I realized back then how much I would fall for this guy, and how much fun we would have! Honestly, I didn't even want a relationship back then. If it weren't for God tugging at my heart that night, I wouldn't have even talked to him. But I am so so so glad I did!

The night he met mom and two of my best friends :) 

His 20th birthday, where I met all of his friends for the first time; talk about nervous! I ended up loving all of them and they're all *my* friends now too ;)

My little brother wanted to be in pics too, so cute!!

Right before our first movie date! Sherlock Holmes 2 :) Such a fun time, even though I spilled popcorn in his new car... whoops =P

We took Jessika (one of many best friends) out to coffee after her recital this summer, and she snapped this shot. I call it, starbucks hug ;)

He's so handsome :) :) :) this was right after I graduated high school!

Can you tell I was sick? We visited Jessika and Jarrod that weekend, and got some early morning pics. I like this one. 

This summer, before I left for school, he took me on a sueprise picnic! I was definitely shocked. He and our moms planned it all out and deceived me ;) good job guys. One of my favorite dates for sure! 

That weekend at Jessika's :) I love this shot. I trust him so much!

Hehe ;)

After my senior recital in July :) 

 Anyway (sorry for the cornucopia of pictures...I'm just happy!)

I am super excited that we have been together for a year now!

But wait....there's more ;)

As of early September, I've been even MORE excited for October 4th. Why?
He's coming to visit me in Houston; yay!!!!!
First, I get to see my best friend/boyfriend for a whole weekend, but also, he is bringing me a part of home. That's what he represents to me right now. Not just someone whose hand I hold, but someone who is part of my home life. I won't see my family until Thanksgiving, which is still 2 months away, so it'll be nice to have part of that here. (Don't get me wrong, I love Houston, and love my new home! But my family will always be my family, so naturally I miss them).

Ever since M got his plane ticket, I have been counting down the days on a little chalkboard in my room ;) yeah, I'm slightly obsessed with countdowns. But it's part of my positivity and optimism. See, my system is such: I try to find something positive to look forward to in each day. It makes the days more enjoyable, and I  then become truly appreciative of each day! (We're never guaranteed tomorrow, make today count!)

So, on October 4th, I might ignore the world for a bit, but I will be cherishing each moment for sure.

Siblings and myself, Christmas 2011; I miss these kiddos!!

Family back home: I miss you lots. You should visit too ;) I'll see you soon though. I love you so much and thank you all for supporting me on this crazy adventure!
Friends back home: I'm sorry for not writing back quickly all the time. But I love ya'll and we must catch up when I am back home! (Feel free to visit ANY time; I have a couch hehe)
Friends in Houston: thank you for making me feel welcome :) I can't wait to meet more of you! It seems every week I make a new friend. This is a lovely town, and I am proud to call it my new home.

Have a good rest of the week, ya'll!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo, alexandra anne <3 

Texas Is Hot

Hello!!!
Can it be? Is it she?

Yes, my friends; I'm posting!
I apologize for the lack of posts; I guess that's what happens when you move and start college. Mamma mia! Life is crazy busy! But I am in love with music, life, and my Lord!

Some quick thoughts (because I do need to get to sleep early, hehe)

*I love being a vocal performance major at the University of Houston Moores School of Music :) I have mostly music classes, and love meeting others who are just like me. We're all crazy passionate about what we do, and I enjoy the material I'm learning.

*My dorm is: small, nice, friendly, loud (girls at 11pm AND 2am...), cozy, mine. My room has slowly but surely become my new "home." That's kind of surreal to me, but I'm glad I'm making myself a home. I live in Houston, Texas. This is my home. (Someday I'll get used to saying that hehe)

*8am classes stink. Especially when you live on the other side of campus..... oh well, a 20 minute walk never killed anybody.

*I went to my first football game ever. Yup, I'm 18, and I had never been to one. (Homeschooled, aaaand, never really gave a darn about sports...sorry ya'll...)

*Whenever I tell people I'm from Alabama, they all go "Bama" in a funny southern accent. Really guys? Is that what we sound like?

*While I don't care for sports, I do love school spirit! (Free t-shirts are fun too). GO COOGS!

*I miss my Alabama family/friends a lot, but I love all the people I'm meeting here! UH (University of Houston) is such a diverse school! My friends consist of mostly music peoples, and people I live with/near.

*I do not care for fire drills at 9pm

*Texas is hot. My face melts when I walk outside (then I freeze whenever I'm indoors, because the AC is always ridiculously high).

*I can't wait for ya'll to visit me ;) You know you want to. <3

Have a lovely weekend!!!
xoxo, alexandra

ps. Here are some pictures to tide you over, since I'm way overdue anyway. <3

Student ID; not super attractive, but it is the magic key to everything!

My first football game! Too bad we lost...boooooo...

Tier One school, booyah! 

Where I live!! My tower is the South tower, the one on the right.

View from my room desk. Note the lovey picture in the corner ;) 

One of my new friends! This was at the Class of 2016 tailgate 

My amazing-voice-teacher's room! I love voice lessons so so much!

Insta Tuesday Time!

Linking up with Jane at Taingamala for some instagram funness!

Let's see what my week has looked like in instagram pics! :)

Took my siblings to the park, and here I am sitting under a weeping willow; while I am not a "tree hugger" I DO love love love trees! I just love pretty nature :) :) :) My dream home is in a land with lots of trees.

Rockin the workout clothes and amazing headphones; this is how I study ;) 

Paleo friendly brownies! I really need to make a recipe page or a recipe post. 

New jeans from khols! They fit SO great! Which is saying something, because I have the silliest body. Small waist, shapely buttocks, and huge thighs (best friend calls them thunder thighs, well, they ARE strong!) so finding jeans is an adventure full of pain. But, I succeeded in my quest XD 

Speaking of quests, I love tabletop games! This is our group of pathfinder characters, I play with the guys every Sunday, and my character is the rogue on the right sporting a hooded cape and a longbow. Nerd to the core, right here.

Gotta love when the neighborhood pool is empty! :) Took my siblings, quite lovely!

Kiiiiiiiiiiind of obsessed with rings lately; this one was an early birthday gift from my momma.  My birthday is four weeks from tomorrow! 

LOVE this dress. Wore this on the "surprise" picnic boyfriend took me on last week. So comfy, and very girly ;)

 

What has your week looked like? Link up with Jane!
I'm headed to Houston tomorrow, so I'm SUPER excited. Hoping to get some awesome pictures (when I travel I tend to forget to take pictures...it's sad) and I'll instagram them for next week!

xoxo, alexandra anne 

Ciao & Howdy!

Hey readers :) How's your week going? I bought jeans yesterday, which is pretty exciting for this girl who mainly sticks to skirts and dresses and the like. (Can I say, I love Plato's Closet prices?!? YEAH! I'm oh so thrifty you see...) and I also attended a movie night with boyfriend and his guys. We had some good laughs, and some good pizza, and I was thoroughly entertained by Captain America and Mystery Science Theater, both of which I had never seen.

Tomorrow I am SUPER excited to meet up with a girly who went to U of Houston as a music major, and we have mutual friends HERE in Alabama! Small world right? We'll be grabbing coffee and such, I can't wait to hear her stories :)

Today I'm linking up with Mrs. Monologues for the monthly blog star link-up! (Where, I have to write about myself....k.........I always feel so vain....)

First off, Hi! I'm Alexandra Anne, but I go by...well, that IS what I go by. I have a plethora of nicknames, you see, and each one has a story and special meaning. You can read about that here.

I'm an 18 (5 weeks shy of 19) year old, about to head off to college full time (I say full time because I HAVE taken college classes, and I HAVE lived on my own, but now I'm doing it all together) in Houston, Texas! I'll be at the University of Houston Moores School of Music as a vocal performance major. This leads me to my next point:

I sing opera. That music where the fat lady sings really really loudly and dresses like a viking? Yeah that stuff. Although in my case it would be more like, that music where the boy is played by a woman, or the woman is a gypsy who dies terribly, or the woman is a sister with very very loose morals, and such. (The joke about my voice type, mezzo-soprano, is our roles are: witches, britches, and ...well there's another word that rhymes but I won't say that on here, for the sake of being polite). 

My Momma blogs too! She also has an Etsy shop (see button on sidebar) and I love to play with her stuff. I mean, I don't periodically stare at her vintage collections...........of course not......... ;) 

I'm dating this guy; I write about him a lot. His name is Michael, but I mainly refer to him as boyfriend. 

I love vintage jewelry, and am obsessed with chandeliers. 

I love to cook for my family.

I love to dance in the kitchen ;) 

I love Jesus, and thank Him for the many many blessings in my life!

I am a nerd. For example, I spend my time as a halfling rogue in D&D, I shoot bad guys with Lara Croft, and I curl up with Neil Gaiman to see what adventures are ahead. I'm a bit of every kind of nerd, really. ;)

I lived in Italy in 2011, for 6 months, and fell in love with the country and with opera. 

My favorite colors are blue, red, and lime green. Aqua blue is my favorite though, if I had to pick one. 

I love to make new friends, and would love it if you would comment/follow, or message me! If you'd like to write for This Journey of Journeys, lemme know; or hey, I love just making new friends and chatting away the day :) 

I blog here (obviously...)

I check email here: chandelier27aaa@gmail.com

I am on twitter here

I wander aimlessly and post here

You can see my pics here

Nice to meet ya! Stick around a while, ok? :) 

T-minus One Month

Mamma mia......today marks three weeks until my orientation, and four weeks til I move in to my new digs at U of Houston.
I have a lot on my mind today, so it's perfect for an IT'S OK THURSDAY linkup with Amber and gals.

It's ok...


That I got my wisdom teeth out on Monday and still have puffy face today...


To cry because of overwhelming circumstances


That I'm listening to Demi Lovato right now (I really like her music, and she's an excellent role model for young girls)


That I said goodbye to Dad again today...I won't see him til Thanksgiving probably (he got to visit home for two weeks, but is heading back to Afghanistan til October) 


That I am moving in four weeks


To just need a hug


To blog to get all these thoughts out 


To make silly faces to distract myself (yup, I'm apparently 3 years old)


That I am turning 19 in less than 2 months (I just realized this the other day when mom referred to me as "almost 19." Huh. Last year as a teen. That'll be nice)


That I "stalk" my favorite bloggers :)


That I am longing for a good shopping session, and I'm not a shopper...it's strange. I'm the oddest female. 


That I love the nickname: Allie Anne (I really love any nickname if it is given in love)


That I spent three different times trying to get to the next level in Tomb Raider: Angel of Darkness (I haven't played this one before, so I recently got it on Amazon.com, and got stuck the other night, but as of last night I'm on a new level!! Currently running around Paris, but in the sewers....hmm)


That I could do nothing but listen to music all day


That I am leaning on God; that's always ok :) 

"Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving."- Colossians 4:2 

I'm SO Excited [And I just Can't Hide It]

Life Of Love's Challenge asks me what I'm looking forward to in the next 6 months. Ha! Heeeeere we go!

I am looking forward to:

*In six weeks (from today!) I move to Houston! EEEK!!!!!!! So excited!!! :) :) :) I finally got the name of my roomie, and in 5 weeks I go to orientation. I'm looking forward to that too. 

*Being a bridesmaid in my friend's wedding when I come home for Thanksgiving break :) My first bridesmaid role! Who doesn't love another excuse to dress up and party/celebrate?

*In 3 months (so, October) M and I will have been together for a year, so I am definitely looking forward to that mark. Each month I get super excited for the 4th, because that's another month we've stayed strong. (Oh, I'm looking forward to him meeting my Daddy tonight! First time!!!)

*Within the next month my new ipod should come in the mail! I ordered it last night; a 30gb ipod Classic. I just might have to do a post dedicated to it when it arrives (lol).

*I was looking forward to the new Tomb Raider game, because it was supposed to come out this fall. BUT, they postponed it to March 5, 2013 :( But I still can't wait. That's more than 6 months, but oh well! haha! 

*I'm also looking forward to Christmas break ;) as far as I know, we are planning to go through Georgia (visit my aunt and uncle) and then up to Edenton, North Carolina. That's one of my FAVORITE places ever. 

What are you looking forward to? 

Lemme know if you'd like to guest post on This Journey of Journeys sometime! Drop me a line anytime! :) 

Xoxo, Alexandra Anne