No More Negative Nancy's

After spending this beautiful weekend with family and friends, I realized I needed to get rid of some negativity in my life.

*Cue the soundtracks tagged with "sad" "cry" "breakup"* 

It came to head last night when I finally became fed up with my boyfriend after feeling constantly disrespected and not given the proper attention I deserve. I am dealing with a huge family issue at the moment and constantly feel like its made less important when I discuss it with him. Honestly, I just know that there are so many more important people and things that deserve my time than someone who can't give me any of their time about something that is at its utmost importance to me. I also read this article and realized how horrible our relationship is. How horrible is it that I can apply 8/10 out of those scenarios to our relationship? I'm never the dramatic type, or the type to vent on a social site such as this, but it is what it is. He destroyed this relationship, he destroyed me. I am done with it - at least for now.

I'm being brave.
I'm letting go & embracing positivity.

Karma

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For those who are always looking to try something different *raises hand*, Karma should be the first place on your list. I have only had Indian food a few times before and have definitely had mixed reviews. This time though? Totally impressed. I went for my birthday dinner this year because of the fantastic reviews it received on yelp and wanted to share some foods that neither my family nor boyfriend had tried before. Even my Nana, the pickiest and most dramatic person I have ever met to date, enjoyed her meal.

We ordered the tandoori gohi (cauliflower marinated in special, somewhat spicy sauces) for an appetizer and it was very yummy. The restaurant also brings chips and two sauces to the table, one that is spicy and a milder, green sauce. For my meal, I ordered malai kofta and it was absolutely delicious. The sauce was the perfect consistency and the spices were not overwhelming. Of course, naan was also ordered for the table, garlic and plain, and it was some of the best naan I've ever ate. Everyone else ordered some variety of a meat dish, two chicken dishes and a shrimp dish and everyone thoroughly enjoyed their meals. On top of having delicious foods, the service was quick and friendly. The atmosphere of the restaurant was also very nice and not busy at all.

All in all? Best Indian food in Philadelphia - hands down.

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These images are not of my dishes at the restaurant, but examples of what the dishes looked like. 

The B's & C's

B's & C's - also known as  Boyfriends & Ciroc.

They make for an interesting combination I suppose. I spent my weekend visiting my boyfriend in Jersey and it was relaxing (when we weren't fighting...surprise). The two of us splurged on Friday and bought a bottle of Ciroc instead of my usual vodka of choice: pink lemonade Burnetts. Let me just tell you - that shit is jesus juice. Chaser? What chaser? Thats how yummy it is and I'm usually a huge chaser fan. As in let me chug a can of coke after my shot please. And then eat a chip. The chug-chip method is the best I have yet to come by. Strongly recommend it. Whenever I come into a few extra dollars it will definitely be my go-to choice of vodka now.

As if I wasn't treating my body bad enough, the two of us got Taco Bell breakfast Sunday morning. If you aren't already aware, I am a huge TBell fan. When I heard they were putting out a breakfast menu I was more than excited. Well let me tell you, it did NOT disappoint…obviously. I ordered the waffle taco, sans meat, and the boyfriend ordered the breakfast crunchwrap. I could have eaten fifteen waffle tacos because those things are dangerously delicious.

I am back home now and ready to start my week and stop eating so shitty. FYI -  I am writing this while stuffing my face with homemade guacamole and chips… you be the judge of how well I am adhering to that motto right now.

Here's what I'm listening to: 

Fall in Love - Phantogram

Stress Less

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Thank god it's Friday! 

This week was my first week of classes starting for the spring term and I am already getting stressed. I'm sure my fellow college students can agree that time management only takes you so far before finals week encroaches and you're engulfed in your textbooks for hours on end. Stress has so many negative effects on your life that go beyond you wanting to just curl up in the corner with a bottle of whiskey. Just me? It is really detrimental to your health too. I've made a list of things that I do to keep me stress free especially when I feel totally overwhelmed with schoolwork.

• Go for a walk
• Take a hot shower or bath
• Breathe
• Exercise 
• Go to bed a little earlier
• Sign up for a yoga class
• Enjoy a hot cup of tea or coffee
• Focus on what you can control
• Paint your nails
• Blast your favorite music
• Ask for a hug
• Smile

What keeps you stress free & happy?

Why You Should Watch Game of Thrones Right Now

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I've been obsessed with the HBO series, Game of Thrones, since it premiered in 2011. I've been re-watching it with my boyfriend to get him caught up to the season that premieres this Sunday at 9! Re-watching the show I've realized how much the show itself and the characters have really evolved over the episodes. There are so many reasons that make up a quality TV show, but Game of Thrones just really embodies all of the qualities so well. Because of this it appeals to such a large demographic. I have listed some of the specific reasons below that make the show so awesome to me.


// Dragons
Hello? Must I even explain? How awesome is it to watch a show that successfully implements fantastical attributes like dragons? GoT managed to pull this one off in a totally not tacky way.

// Characters You Love to Hate
The show really tugs on your heart strings often, even in the first season, but it pulls at my hate strings (is that a thing?) even more. Sure there are plenty of characters you just totally love and wish you were them, but there are also a few that you want to burn with green wildfire.

// Eye Candy
What ladies, or gentlemen, want to watch a show without someone to crush on? My crush is totally Jon Snow. Ugh.

// Messy but Suspenseful Plots

Re-watching the seasons over again, I have managed to really get a full grasp of what actually happened and catch some things I missed before. The story lines are very intricate and in-depth, but they all play out so well that you end up on the edge of your couch every episode. 

// Powerful Women Roles
It doesn't take long for any watcher to realize how feminist the show really is. A lot of the extremely important characters are women. The female characters are all extremely positive role models, exemplifying strength and independence.

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If you haven't started watching it, I recommend a binge-watch to catch up. I don't know anyone that doesn't love this show and I'm sure you won't be disappointed either. This season is going to be epic. Season 4 premieres this Sunday, April 6, on HBO. 

My Camera & I Go to Austin, TX

As you saw earlier this week in the post below, my empty stomach and I went to Austin, but my camera came with too! I haven't posted a lot about it much lately but my true passion and love lies in photography. I've been taking photographs for at least 10 years now, studied it in high school, took classes, and even went to an art school in Manhattan for a year. I really just realized I didn't need to be spending thousands of dollars learning about a craft I already knew so much about but thats a different story.

I post a lot of pictures to my blog but most of them are taken just on my iPhone so they're obviously nothing special. These photographs are taken all with a Canon 7D in RAW format. Each one tells a different story in itself of the city and I find they all really do Texas a good job in justifying its uniqueness.

This is only a small selection of a larger body of images that I took while I was there. I didn't want to inundate this post with too many images. 

I really do enjoy looking at them. 

I hope you all do too!