lessons learned

brother's graduation photoshoot, 2014

1. Being single means being confused.
2. You can make your own Bulgogi Beef Jerky! Say what?
3. Also, you can make giant pancakes in your rice cooker! You're welcome.
4. Need some summer reading inspiration? I'm excited to re-read The Giver since the movie is coming out in August!
5. "And there’s no place where He isn’t. He is with me. Always."
6. Summer brings all new opportunities for napping. How long should you nap?
7. I always bake my bacon in the oven (because splattering oil makes me nervous!), but I've never WHACKED my butter to soften it.
8. I received my first real paycheck this week (!!!), tax deductions and all. This has definitely been on my mind.
9. Joy the Baker + nail wrap collab? This might be the best thing ever. (P.S. I'm super interested in monthly subscription packages because I'm going to be moving to the middle of no where pretty soon)
10. It might come as a surprise to some, but I can really relate to this article.
11. God wants all of me.
12. I need to stop being afraid. 

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

taking video selfies on my 25th birthday eve, may 2014

1. It's almost #summatime. which means I probably need to get on this bikini boot camp plan.
2. A new way to pit & peel an avocado
3. There's a right way to hard boil an egg. 
4. Hello Kitty airplane meals exist!
5. I don't need a receipt for a donut.
6. I used to love Taco Bell chicken quesadillas in middle school. Now I can make them at home with the discovery of their spicy mayo!
7. Don't be a hypocrite.
8. The more we give, the more we are broken & reshaped into looking more like Him.
9. It's all about perspective.
10. McDonald's has a secret menu.
11. I had a roommate who insisted in storing her bananas in the fridge.
12. Beauty is not perfection.

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

the end of the san gabriel river bike trail leads to the ocean, january 2014

1. “Great people don’t do great things. God does great things with surrendered people.”
2. I have the same chicken-and-egg dilemma. 
3. Now I can find donuts wherever I go - I just need that new iPhone.
4. Now that it feels like #summatime, I've brought out my summer clothes and my drawers definitely need #13.
5. "say twinsies!" twinsies! Who knew a boy and his dog could be so darn cute?
6. Cinnamon can lower your blood pressure and blood glucose! I love cinnamon!
7. My BFF has total wanderlust. I can't wait to travel with her in the future! In the meantime I live vicariously through these travel guides. 
8. Happiness is not your relationship status. 
9. I'm still totally into the off-shoulder style. Love this dress.
10. Why Easter is still important to me today.
11. #12 is helping so much with my Pinning.
12. I need to add these restaurants to my bucket list!

xoxo, allison

p.s. my bff comes back in 11 days! and then we can bike to the beach again!

LESSONS LEARNED | GOD ABOVE ALL

These past weeks have been pretty challenging for me. Yes, family is good, friends are good, work is good, but something has just seemed a little off to me. And day by day, I've been realizing how much I look to others and things to find my happiness and fulfillment instead of from God. I've been doing a lot of reflecting, spending more time in The Bible, and praying, because at the end of the day, it’s God’s perfect love that has rescued me. 

Here’s some bible verses to encourage you today:

• “For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.” Isaiah 41:13 NIV
• “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20 NIV
• "For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." Psalm 100:5 NIV

LESSONS LEARNED | PARTY IN THE HALLWAY

"Until God opens the next door, praise Him in the hallway." 

This was a quote that one of my friends had posted on Twitter and I instantly fell in love it it. More often than not, we focus on the door being closed and no open windows that we forget about the One that is in charge of it all.

I often become stressed out when a door gets closed or because I feel like I have failed in a specific area. I’ve caught myself numerous times feeling like a door is never going to open up again or that I’ll never find a way out of the situation I may be in. I love the imagery this quote presents because it causes us to think beyond the cliche. We are used to talking about “God opening doors” and “man closing doors.” The door has always been our focus but this quote challenges us to embrace the hallway.

The hallway is the place of preparation. It’s the place where you process what God is doing. It’s the pathway from one level to the next. When the Spirit beckons us to the hallway, it’s taking our focus off our immediate surroundings and putting it on God. 

Some doors will not open until we praise God in the hallway and until we recognize that what we are going through is for our good and for God’s glory. My favorite verse, Jeremiah 29:11, assures us that God has our future mapped out and wants to work for our good and not evil. Though it may be hard at times, we have to learn to fully trust and rely on Him (Prov. 3:5-6) as our source of hope and strength.

As soon as we step through the next open door, we are standing in another hallway where God is preparing us for the next good thing He has for us. They never end because our preparation and our praise should never end. I challenge all of us to praise Him in the hallway because our praise is the key to the next open door. 

xoxo, joyce

lessons learned

painting for fun

1. Need to make this conditioner concoction. Need to get to the beach!
2. Joyce and I both live down the street from Target. SOOL (story of our lives). At least we aren't the only ones.
3. I'm a binge watcher. This explains so much. 
4. Cows have best friends. This makes me so happy. 
5. To say Sawubona is to say, I see you.
6. I usually have leftover egg whites. Maybe because I avoid recipes that leave me with egg yolks. No more!
7. The red bean paste at the market is so expensive! Now I can make my own!
8. God is holy, and righteous, and awesome, and it is good and right to fear Him. 

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

"Be who you want to be with."



I've been following Melisa's blog for awhile now and completely connect to everything she has to say. During this sermon she speaks about relationships and the lies the world tells us. She quotes one of my favorite verses that a good friend from my Bible study used to recite to me in times of doubt:

"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well." - Psalm 139:14

Take a listen to hear what she, and more importantly God, has to say.

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

celebrating Christmas in January, 2014

1. In 2014, I want to stay the same.
2. So in college, post-frat party I shouldn't have just removed my roommate's makeup and sent her to bed?
3. I really want these old-fashioned dating habits back. 
4. Currently doing these 5 things.
5. They got rid of lime skittles? I thought the green apple flavor was seasonal!
6. Baking is a science- says my favorite baker ever. 
7. "I want more, I always want more. I am a bottomless pit of more. And so are you."
8. God can't pour his blessing into hands already full. 
9. "This life isn't for me."  
10. As I wait for the world, I need to remember who I am. 

some of these lessons have been a long time coming. thanks for waiting.

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

Disneyland Christmas parade on Thanksgiving day, 2013

1. "I'm NOT a perfect person. I'll wait."
2. Lend $25, change lives, get it back, do it again.
3. Get on the kale salad train! Everyone's doing it. Remember my apple & pear salad at Thanksgiving?
4. All attention is not equal. Amen!
5. I've been eating apples the wrong way my entire life. 
6. The invisible bicycle helmet. Mind blown. 
7. I'm not smart enough to be a citizen. Are you?
8. There is more than 1 way to tie a bow. Actually there are 25! (I might actually wrap my presents with ribbon this year.)
9. This would certainly solve my problem of not wanting to carry around a huge purse. 
10. You don't need Photoshop to create masterpieces.
11. It's true, I can't live without sweetened condensed milk. 
12. Often times I'm driven to distraction. 

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

defintion: (of two or more people) very close-knit; friendly; allied. Derived from the idea of "partners in crime".

1. It's kind of ridiculous how well Joyce and I know each other (I called to tell her I changed my mind about something. Before I could say three words she told me she already made the switch. I said bye. We hung up.) 
2. It's also hilarious how often Traci and I finish each other's sentences. (Most people just think we're speaking crazy gibberish.)
3. Pumpkin curd is totally a thing. As in, a thing i need to make right now.
4. He's not your prince charming. Amen.
5. A birthday party in a box is pretty much as cool as my ice cream party in a box.
6. You can cut an onion without crying like a baby. 
7. Don’t give a man a promotion when you know he should be fired. Praise him on the honeymoon. Until then he’s just auditioning.
8. Coconut rice pudding may be even better warm.
9. This is the exact advice I needed, since those important but not urgent things never seem to get done.
10. The Refrigerator Rise Trick just in time for Thanksgiving.
11. The best buttermilk substitutes...so you don't have to run to the store one last time.
12. HAHAHA...
13. THE cutest thing ever.
14. "To be irreplaceable, you must be different." - Coco Chanel

happy thanksgiving eve!

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

Natalie & Traci in the Disneyland parking lot on Joyce's birthday celebration, November 2012

1. My bestie is totally my accidental boyfriend.
2. Joy the Baker is Bonkers Awesome! in her new video series. #WCW
3. Don't miss out on today.
4. I'm guilty of apologizing all the time. Apparently it's a girl thing.
5. To make homemade vanilla extract, all you need is a vanilla bean and some bourbon.
6. Gruyere cheese takes at least 6 months to mature! (p.s. these pictures are stunning)
7. Toothpaste as a quick fix totally works! I love that you can find most of these things at home.
8. You only have to cook pork to 145 degrees not 160. I found out just in time for this bacon goodness.
9. Always double check the size of canned ingredients. I totally added double the pumpkin and ruined my pumpkin and banana marble bread.  
10. Always check expiration dates on graham crackers. I tried to be fancy and make a graham cracker crust for my pumpkin pie but I didn't realize they had expired January 2011 until I ate it (yuck!). The filling was amazing though!
11. I am loving the pumpkins, pomegranate, and brussel sprouts recipes that are circling the interweb. Learn to eat with the seasons.

I can't believe Wednesday is almost over.

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

pumpkin carving party, 2013

1. "I'd rather have the right God than the wrong man." #singleandnotwaiting
2. During this time of transition, I've started to measure my success by the friendships in my life.
3. Apple pie doesn't have to be round. 
4. Since I'm always running to keep up, I guess I haven't been walking with any men in love.
5. I'm totally not ready for all the dinner parties that are coming up. But I totally agree with #11.
6. We can still find community with the strangers in our lives.
7. I'm not the only one who's curious about what others are listening to on their headphones.
8. I should be drinking coffee between 9:30 and 11:30 am. But this probably only applies to people who have regular sleeping schedules.
9. The Dum Dums mystery flavor has been revealed!
10. Authenticity is not a look. 
11. There is a proper way to freeze produce. (No wonder my broccoli always ended up mushy and gross.)
12. Brookies are still a weakness of mine. Must bake these soon!

learning lessons could be cool.

xoxo, allison

lessons learned

L.A. Live District, 2013

1. Don't look back. 
2. The beauty of God's creations amaze me everyday, but seeing any of these places in person would be mind-blowing.
3. Just in case you knew anyone who loves donuts (*hint hint*) you should probably know how to throw a fancy donut party.
4. My college roommate used to whiten her teeth like #6 all the time. I'm itching to see if  #8 will really work.
5. Baking soda can also be used to make natural home cleaners. 
6. Rocks and pipes can make some pretty neat looking tie-dye. Good thing I have a bottle of navy blue dye in my closet waiting to be used.
7. I've forgotten what it feels like to read a good book. Post-grad, this seems like just the perfect time to start. Autumn weather and rainy days - here I come!
8. A little late for end-of-summer, but Cat always says, "Everything tastes better with corn!"
9. Becoming more balanced is important. I'm trying to do my Private Victory every night in the form of reading Jesus Calling and writing letters to God. 
10. If you love super crispy bacon as much as I do, you're welcome. 

I hoped you learned something new. XO Allison.

lessons learned, week 3

sunset at coronado beach, 2013

1. Maybe the reason why I fall for boys is because I occasionally suffer from princess syndrome.
2. The infectious disease doctor/mentor at my rotation site is actually MacGyver!
3. Even though the English language is so difficult to learn, we still don't have words like these.
4. I'm such a Yes wo-man, I need to start saying "I don't" more often!
5. Someone figured out how to waterproof an iPod shuffle. Didja know?
6. I used to do this in college and the next day my friends would tell me that I should have been studying instead of curling my hair... little did they know it was so easy and little did I know that other people had the same idea.
7. There is always something new to learn about make-up. Must try #15 ASAP!

I hoped you learned something new. XO Allison.

lessons learned, week 2

sissy, summer 2010

1. Prayer inspiration is always good. I've started collecting some new ones this month.
2. I've been exfoliating all wrong!
3. You can make CHOCOLATE zucchini cake. I've always been hesitate to try to bake zucchini bread because it seems weird, but CHOCOLATE zucchini cake?!? I may just have to give it a try.
4. My calves are out of shape! I did this exercise two days ago and I'm still limping. I love Cassey though, she's totally gotten me into working out.
5. Summer is over (even thought it doesn't feel like it) and I've only been to the beach three times since I returned from my cruise and  I didn't even get to play in the water. Must go to the beach to play before it gets too cold.

lessons learned, week 1

besties eating shaved ice, 2010

Every week I learn something new about myself, about the world, about life in general. I love learning random facts about random things and I've realized I learn the most from the people around me. So I've decided to share some of the lessons I've learned this week with you. Hopefully, you like learning and you learn something new!

1. I'm a six. What number are you? Find out here (scroll past the top paragraphs to get the questions).
2. Carbonated water can defrizz your hair. Can't wait to try this with the sparking water in my fridge that I usually add to apple juice. 
3. It's super easy to waste hours on YouTube...especially when you have an exam the next day. Since I've been on lockdown for the past two weeks, I just want summer break to start already! 
4. Time flies so fast (I can't believe I'm done with pharmacy school!), but it's the people who have been with you since the beginning that keep you grounded. 
5. No matter what life is like. God is still good.