bits + pieces

this past week has been crazy. it started off as sort of a blur with trying to figure out when to do my assignments or how to get my workout in when the house needs to be cleaned and dinner hasn't been cooked yet. somehow, i got through the week and got in most of what needed to be done. i'm looking forward to getting through next week without feeling totally insane. and then it's off to albuquerque on thursday :)

here are some bits and pieces of 2015 so far..

1. we bought and assembled this new elliptical. i've been participating in a biggest loser type challenge with my in laws since december. i ended up winning the $50 prize last month and we've started again in january. let's hope this elliptical helps me win the new prize (of $120!!) this month. ;)

2. i love doing anything and everything with my husband/best friend. a lot of our date nights end up with us at home after dinner and a drive, just hanging out while smoking hookah with a movie on. these are some of my favorite moments. :)

3. the husband had ordered me this pretty necklace but when it wasn't shipped almost three weeks later, we assumed it wasn't coming. ended up showing up randomly which made my day. thanks, my love.

4. i tried waffle house for the first time after i got married. it's one of our favorite places to go for a casual breakfast. and we eat our eggs/waffles the same way. ;)

5. on cold mornings i like to turn on the husband's car for him while he's showering so it's warm by the time he's ready to leave for work. his way of thanking me is bringing home these pretty flowers for me. i just love him. <3

6. i love a nice case for my iphone. especially pretty, henna design ones. ;)

back to school

this past november i made the decision that it was time for me to go back to school. it's been a good two years since i last attended college. back in my single days, school seemed impossible to keep up with. i was too busy with friends or watching netflix. but now, being married and having like a million other things to worry about, i'm realizing how much harder this will be now. regardless, here i am, signed up for two online classes and two on campus. but i'm determined to stay focused and find a balance between school and housewife responsibilities. welcome to adulthood, shahira ;)

this past weekend i went shopping for school supplies with the husband. i'm like a stationary lover. pens get me excited. i'm a nerd like that ;) this is always the most fun thing about going back to school.

 ^^brand new pens and pencils. why do these things make my day?? 

 ^^hubs passed down his old pencil box thing from his college days. lol 

 ^^my planner ;)

^^reusing my old bookbag which was a gift from hubs when we were engaged :)

today was my first day of classes on campus. the plan was to be ready and out of the house by 9:15. guess what time i woke up(after sleeping through like four different alarms)? 8:55. yup. i looked at the clock, blinked like fifteen times hoping i was reading the time wrong. but i wasn't. i got up and freaked out, naturally, thinking i'd be late on my first day. i've never straightened my hair so fast in my life. i was rushing through everything, had no time for breakfast, and forgot to grab a bottle of water. way to start off the semester, eh? 

even then, i was on the road by 9:25. and how long did it take me to reach campus? nine minutes. that's a good 25 minutes early for my first class. so i basically rushed through everything, drove a little too fast on the mostly empty highway, and reached school with too much spare time. i assure you, thursday will be a lot different than today. ;) 

^^i almost forgot how to use a pen ;)

my online classes (history and econ) seem relatively tough. i've never taken anything online before so hoping i can keep up. math seems doable, and my world lit professor is crazy. she's super intellectual and went on and on about things that went straight over my head. so basically school is going to be tough and life just got a whole lot more busy for me. but i'm hoping i can handle it. wish me luck? ;) 

two thousand and fifteen

happy new year!
i'm so excited for 2015 :)

2014 was absolutely amazing. the husband and i went on some awesome adventures. i became closer to my family and my friends. i went through a lot of changes and learned so much about life and love. being married to my best friend is truly a blessing, alhamdulillah. :)

to welcome the new year, the husband and our two friends took the train to downtown atlanta to watch the peach drop.
we ended up getting stuck in this HUGE crowd of people trying to see ludacris performing. once we managed to get out that mess, we walked around trying to find the best view of the peach drop. in the middle of that, a fight broke out between this guy and girl. they threw the first punches right as we were walking by. it was crazy lol.

finally we found a good spot and got ready to ring in the new year.

 ^^red lips were a must. obviously ;) (p.s. i'm snapchat obsessed)

 ^^on the train with friends!

 ^^peach drop

 ^^this wasn't as cool as i thought it would be lol

 ^^^waiting for the fireworks

^^new years kiss from the boy

once the countdown and fireworks were over, we ended up finding this little hookah cafe type place open so we hung out there. we had coffees and smoked hookah for about an hour then it was back to the train and towards home again.

i'm thankful for the memories already made, and the ones we have yet to experience this year.

here's to worrying less and loving more. here's to cherishing every moment, and instead of wanting more, being content with the countless blessings we already have. 

once again, happy new year, friends and family! :)