I guess we found out what vacation means for me when it comes to blogging. I've been lazy. If I've been at home, I've only been laying in bed all day catching up on tv shows. I just haven't gotten around to doing much of anything else (while at home, I mean), but better late than never, right?

1. This past Thursday, Andre and I celebrated five years of togetherness. We have had fantastic times, and truly terrible times, but we've made it through the thick and thin and I cannot wait to spend many more years with him. He's always on my list of favorite things, but I thought I'd share that with y'all, too.

I recently roasted some super simple broccoli in the oven. Made with no extravagant ingredients and even my boyfriend loved it!

This week's been a busy one, with a lot going on, especially driving back and forth for work. As of today, I'm on vacation for two weeks (with the exception of next Sunday, where I have to work a 6 hour shift). Therefore, you may or may not being hearing more from me this week! For now though, let's focus on this week's Seven Things Sunday!

1. Yet again another mug. This time, one found at TJ Maxx (Geez, I love that place!). "Courage," it reads on the front, and the back "courage doesn't always roar. sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'i will try again tomorrow.'" The saying really resonated with me, not to mention, my beautiful cat's name is Courage.

Picture from Target.com

3. I found this fantastic little cupcake shop in a hole-in-the-wall shopping center.They carried about eight everyday varieties of cupcakes and two "flavors of the day." I chose an everyday flavor, chocolate cream, a moist chocolate cupcake, filled with white chocolate ganache, with chocolate frosting on top. It was delicious. The packed it in a tiny cakebox, gave a frequent buyers card and asked me to like them on Facebook. I was excited to find something new. When I go to like them on Facebook, I find that Smallcakes is not a small hole-in-the-wall shop, but a chain of cupcake shops through the US, a little disappointing, but nonetheless, still a delicious cupcake shop that I will be visiting over and over.

This picture was found on Pinterest.

Recently, I read a post about choosing your "signature style," which got me thinking about whether or not I had one of my own. I have been told in the past that I never look the same twice. While some people may take this as a compliment, I see it as an backhanded compliment and it's something that I really hate to hear. So, I got to looking at old photos of myself, particularly my outfit of the day posts (see: Instagram @kaylakedavra). There were a few things I noticed.

A feature I am really excited to have each week on A Paper Arrow (or whatever the name may change to in the months to come) is "Seven Things Sunday." Each week, I will give you  a glimpse into seven things I am really into that week. While most things that are featured one week will still be something I'm into the next, don't fret. Each week I will share with you something new and fun and important in my life. So, with no further adieu, my first "Seven Things Sunday" post.

1. This pancreas mug I picked up at the Goodwill today is a true gem, and not because I'm on a never-ending search for coffee mugs with personality. What you will soon find out about me, (as in, in just seconds) is I have type one diabetes, the bad kind (okay, they're both really terrible), the kind that I have to take at least three shots a day, and that's if I don't eat anything. I was diagnosed when I was nine, so it's something that made me who I am, but it's also a burden that I would never wish upon anyone. The best way to deal with the tough things in life, like having diabetes, is to make them funny. So, I regularly reference my illness as diabeetus ("die-uh-bee-tus"), and when I find diabetes paraphernalia, it's a must to add to my collection. Hence, the pancreas mug below:

The new year is finally upon us and I am excited to see what comes next for me and those I love. I've packed up all of our Christmas things (besides all the candles that smell like pine. Seriously, I love that smell year-round), I had a fantastic and filling lunch with my family, and while I should have cleaned the house after packing up Christmas, I spent the rest of my day being lazy with Andre watching Dexter. So far, 2014 has had a great start!

Not because it's obligatory, but because I truly enjoy goal-setting, here are some of the major points I'd like to hit for the new year. Of course, change can occur any time during the year, yet I really enjoy the start of the year to set new goals and work my way towards them.

Blog more. I know, I stated this in my first post, but I really want to blog regularly and hopefully take off  with some followers who enjoy what I have to say.

Read more. I love to read. I used to read around four books a week, and I dwindled down to none. I know that life is so busy, but I need to take time out to just sit down and enjoy a good book. Whether I'm at home, or maybe on break at work, there is a way to make time to read.

Lose control. I always feel the need to be in control, to pre-plan every aspect of my day, week or month. I want to feel okay not being in control. I want to do something spontaneous and enjoy it, not freak out because things aren't going the way I plan. I want to just live freely.

Try more new things. Whether those things are big or small. It could be as small as trying something different at a restaurant or as big as going someplace new. I need to break out of routine more and find new things to love.

Worry less. There are so many things in life that are uncontrollable, and to worry about those things is a waste. I need to take that in and truly believe it. I have to stop worrying my life away.

Sleep less. I sleep so much. Oh, I have an off day? Let's sleep until 4 p.m. I can't do that anymore. I'm missing out on so much and it has to stop. Eight hours a night is enough sleep. If I need to take a nap for 30 minutes to an hour sometimes, hey, that's cool, too. But I just can't sleep all day anymore.

Take more pictures. I love pictures, looking back at them. They make me so happy and the memories are truly the best. I used to take pictures at every single moment, but I stopped. I want to get back into that.

Love more than I did yesterday. Each day I want to love Andre, my family, my friends more than I did the day before. Let my love grow endlessly and continue that until the end of forever.


So, what are your resolutions for 2014?