i hit it big!

First things first. I have an exciting Saturday coming up! Another cool thing about Mary Kay is that you get to attend all these exciting trainings. I will have an all-day training on Saturday with a professional make-up artist from New York, Lori Hogg. Y'all, I am too excited! I had never heard of her before, but when I googled her I found out she is quite famous. I can't wait to learn all sorts of new exciting tips to make y'all (and me) even more beautiful :) Lori is seen below in this picture with her brother. He attends all the events with her to be the "organizer."


I enjoyed some retail therapy yesterday afternoon. I hit up quite a few stores in the mall because I desperately needed some Fall dresses. Thankfully, I didn't walk away empty-handed! I got this dress below at Old Navy for only $0.97 :) I had a gift card there from my birthday that I hadn't used yet.


I have some black leggings and a black leather bomber jacket that would look great with this. Brown would also be acceptable in my opinion. I love this dress! I saw it on the hanger and didn't think I would be crazy about it but once I tried it on, it was a winner. It's satin, moves so easily, and it has pockets! This will be great for the holidays.

I also hit up JC Penney. They seem to be my tried-and-true place for dresses. I always find one there for under $30. HERE is the one I got yesterday. It's extremely comfy! I tried on several other sweater dresses but this is the only one that had a good fit. It was on sale for $24.99!

I also decided that I needed a cardigan with some Fall color. I have neutral ones right now (black, white, tan, navy) and one that is teal. I scored this mustard colored one at Forever 21 for under $15.


I think this will be perfect with the sweater dress above and with tons of other cute Fall clothes. I swear by cardigans. They are one of the best fashion inventions ever!

Of course, I can never pass up the accessories section of F21. It's just so cheap and cute! I scored something similar to this beauty for under $5.


Yea, what won't go with this?

I also grabbed some cutesy things for sweet Gracyn and some books for Lily. She absolutely loves being read to! I won't post pictures of any of them so they are a surprise to Mommy. Even though, I'm pretty sure her hands are full and she won't have time to check my blog ;)

I finally got to meet the sweet girl and I was so caught up in holding her that I didn't even bother to grab my camera. I mean the smell and warmth of a newborn is like no other. I promise to have pictures soon :) Lily was being such a sweetie. She referred to Gracyn as "my baby" and was proudly sporting her "big sister" bow and t-shirt. I can't wait to have a picture of the two of them. Blessings all around!

It's a cold, rainy day today. I can promise that when I graduate next year I won't miss walking up the hill in the rain. Not at all.

Hope you all are having a great Thursday :)

2sday

Happy Tuesday, y'all! Creative spelling there, don't ya think?!

So, we are all still beaming about Gracyn. It's so fun to say her name along with Lily's. Because of my 5-hour night class -- which I already hated anyway -- I have not yet met the sweet thing. But you can bet your behind that I will be at the hospital this afternoon. Mom made me even more jealous last night when she sent me this picture from the hospital.


She's just perfect. As you can imagine, this has been a great week and I'm having a hard time seeing anything bad these days. It's nice to have things put in perspective.

Funny story -- I sent Nathan a picture of her and he said "she looks huge!" Haha, yes she's definitely healthy! So thankful for that :)

On to more fun things. I am really contemplating a subscription to Southern Living magazine. Everytime I search around on the internet for something I usually end up there. They have a really good deal for a year subscription. I'm going to have to think about it for a day or two (mainly because I don't like spending money on impulse). Have any of you ever read it before? They also have a website. Lots of fun decorating ideas, recipes, etc. The domesticating skills are kicking in again ;)


I'm going to have a bit of spare time tomorrow afternoon and I'm hoping to shop around just a bit. I would really love to find some cute Fall dresses. I absolutely love wearing dresses. They're easy and no fuss... perfect for when I'm observing in schools. However, most of mine are sundresses and just aren't appropriate when it's barely reaching 60 degrees. Here's some pics of some cute ones I found.



Have you all hit it big anywhere recently for dresses?

I have a fun MK manicure party coming up on Thursday. We have some cute fall colors and this is the first time I've ever done anything like this. Some sweet girls have volunteered for me :) I'm really excited!

I hope you all are having a fabulous day! Enjoy the beautiful weather :)

she's here!!!

I'm a big cousin again...

Gracyn Elle
10/24/2011
2:24 pm
9.5 pounds
21.5 inches
Proud Daddy says she's a pretty girl :)

We've known for several weeks now that she would be here on this date. However, I didn't want any creepers to know so I never said anything about it. We are so thankful for this blessing and I can't wait to watch her grow up!

Welcome to the family, sweet girl :)



ps - picture overload over the next few days...

insert screams here.

Y'all this has to be the best $20 I've ever spent. I was blown away by him! I didn't think anything could top Jason Aldean's concert in February, but I was wrong. He is such an entertainer and is excellent at interacting with the crowd! If you ever have the chance to see him... do it! I'm already looking up dates at when he'll be around again. Anywho, here's a brief and random synopsis of the night -- along with some pictures.


#1. Nothing beats a concert on a college campus. The atmosphere can't get better!
#2: It doesn't matter if the doors open 30 minutes later than they're supposed to. We still got good seats!


#3: Luke Bryan can play the piano... very well.
#4: He also does cover songs of Lady GaGa, Alabama, and the "big butts" song... very well.


#5: He will shine the spotlight on a 50-year-old woman who gets really into the "big butts" song. I was laughing so hard that I cried!
#6: He will also pull a big ole country boy on the stage during the song, "Country Girl, Shake It For Me." Yano, just so the country boys can show off. He will then invite said country boy backstage.


#7: You will see a group of people dancing around like drunk idiots, then realize you actually know those idiots. And they haven't had a sip of alcohol.
#8: He will record a music video for "Drunk On You." Yes, that is my biggest accomplishment thus far in college.


#9: He will make his way 10 yards away from you to sing "Rain Is A Good Thing."
#10: He will frequently dance, shake his butt, and smile when he's 10 yards away.

Insert screams here. ;)

yes, please

Happy Thursday, y'all! It's quite a chilly one around these parts, but no complaints from this girl. The cooler weather encouraged me to drag out my boots this morning and I am loving it! I think a cup of hot chocolate will be calling my name quite soon :)


It's going to be quite an exciting and fun night! After work, I am heading to Kristen's apartment to fix myself up a bit for the concert. Gotta look cute in case I run into any celebrities ;) Next, we are getting some yummy supper and are then heading to Diddle. We are praying we get great seats! The tickets are general admission so keep your fingers crossed for us. We are pumped... it's going to be a great concert. Plenty of pics to come next week :)

On another exciting note... my Dad is refinishing the coffee tables and end tables for Nathan's place. We are wanting the stain to match the dining room table and the stain right now has a few scratches on it. I can't wait to see how it turns out -- Dad is super talented at doing that stuff!

There's not much going on for me this weekend. Nathan has to work every single day. Yes, even Sunday. Huge bummer! We're hoping to just get a few things done around his place and can hopefully still have some time to chill out with one another. I will use the extra time to myself to study for a test and quiz I have coming up next week.

That about does it for me today. This work day is going by extremely slow! Of course, that may be because I'm ready for 7 pm to be here :) I'll leave you with this picture and two words.


YES, please :)

take a look inside my brain

I don't know what it is. Maybe the super comfy, fleece sweatpants I'm wearing today. The cooler weather. The trees showing bare limbs. Either way, I am now listening to Christmas music. It has begun. Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed but I can't help it. My favorite? Carrie Underwood. The girl can belt it out!

Moving on. I am completely caught up on work-related stuff and school work. And it's only Tuesday, people! I'm actually working on stuff this afternoon that will get me ahead of the curve. That's a first for this semester. Time really is flying by though... only 5 weeks until Thanksgiving break. A bit scary that the Holidays are so close. No complaints from me, though :)

I'm actually hoping to nail down some of my Christmas list this afternoon. Normally, I have most of done by now. Not this year, though - ha!

I'm anxiously waiting for the Luke Bryan concert on Thursday. It's going to be a great night :)

Have you picked up yet that this post is completely and totally random?!? ;)

I thought I'd do an update based on this post. I never ordered my Lilly planner. Not because I didn't reach my goal, but because I found one in Target that I liked better ;) I did reach my goal and I was extremely proud of myself. Since then, I am still exercising regularly -- about 4 days a week. However, I don't run everyday. I find that I get in "ruts" a lot of the time and get bored. When school started, I changed things up a bit. These days my routine consists of running about 1 days a week, the elliptical 2 days a week, and Zumba once a week. It helps me stay engaged and it helps my body have a variety of muscles working each week. I've been able to maintain this and I still feel great. I've stuck to my word and I could not tell you the last time I stepped on a scale. I'm over that. My clothes fit great... and most importantly, I feel better. I started having some stomach problems last Fall. I think it was a combination of stress and not-so-healthy eating habits. I literally had a bottle of Zantac in my night stand and took one every night before bed. I still woke up almost every morning and was extremely bloated. Not fun at all. I can't tell you exactly when... but those problems are long gone. It's amazing what happens when you actually take care of your body :)

But don't be fooled, I do not deprive myself of anything! Every now and then is not a problem... every day is. I love chocolate and I love carbs. For real, y'all! Moderation is key for me. Remember that every body is different and, if you're looking to become healthier, do what works for you!

My afternoon will consist of delievering MK goodies to my customers, homework, and hopefully a bit of R&R. Happy Tuesday, y'all :)

my list of gripes

So, we did something pretty fun this morning in my 8am class. We have "writing workshop" every Monday and it's a time for us to write about pretty much anything we want. Today, I wrote about the things that annoy/irritate/etc. me. My friend sitting beside me did the same and her list was longer than mine... so I didn't feel as bad.

I present to you all, the almighty list of gripes:

--when someone pulls out right in front of you then proceeds to drive at least 10 mph below the speed limit.
--when someone blocks the entire aisle of the grocery store with their cart. I am not wearing invisible clothes, lady.
--when someone is late and doesn't feel the need to call and tell you.
--when I forget to write something in my planner.
--doing the awkward "dance" with someone who won't move on the sidewalk.
--when my iPod goes dead while I'm working out at Preston.
--when the tree limbs drip water on me.
--windy days that tangle my hair.
--when a bird poops on my newly cleaned car.
--a five hour night class.
--when school completely takes over my life.
--washing dishes.
--suddenly losing the ability to parallel park.
--forgetting to charge my cell phone.
--getting sick the day after I observe at a school... Germ-X, please!
--always getting the noisy cart at Wal-Mart.

The list could go on y'all, but I'll stop there. After all, I am having a pretty decent Monday ;)

I leave you with a picture of lil sis. She had her Senior pics taken yesterday and I'm in love with them. They totally capture who she is.


I mean, really, where does the time go?!?

saturday seven

ONE. This day has been absolutely beautiful and the fall weather is continuing this week. I pulled out my fleece sweats -- my most warm and comfy ones. They'll serve me well as I walk my way up the hill this week.

TWO. I have compiled several Fall decorations over the weekend for Nate's place -- including a scarecrow and sweet "Welcome" sign. I can't wait to put up the sign tomorrow :) The end of the driveway has been needing something for quite a while.

THREE. I enjoyed the afternoon with my Momma today. Although it was just a trip to the grocery store, car wash, and to pick up some dinner, I still loved it! It's amazing what you cherish as you get older. If only I knew then what I know now...

FOUR. The Luke Bryan concert is this Thursday, y'all! This girl already knows what she's wearing. Shameful, I know.

FIVE. My domesticating skills are in full swing these days. I made, what I'm calling, a rag wreath today. I got the idea from Emily. She used burlap for hers and I hoped to do the same, but I could not find any :( So, I just picked up a yard of two types of fabric that looked good together. I'm pretty pleased with the end product and can't wait to hang it up on Nate's front door!

SIX. Little sis is getting her senior pictures taken tomorrow afternoon. Bittersweet. I'm excited to be doing her make-up. But, she's my toughest customer ;)

SEVEN. After I beautify her, Nathan and I are having a chill night at his place and I get to bring my choice of movie. This is the perfect way to end the weekend and recharge for the new week. :)

Hope y'all are having a fabulous weekend!

PS - pictures of the wreath and other decor this week... :)

laughter is the best medicine

What's the point in life if we can't laugh? I've seen these floating around on the internet recently and just had to share. I hope you're just as easily amused as me ;)










The last one -- yup, this is all my doings. I was writing some notes last night for my Geography class when I wrote this. Epic fail.


I meant to write the word "influences." Yes, people, I am in the Education field and the brains of your children will soon be in my hands. I'm praying for them now ;)

Happy Wednesday, y'all!

what I've been up to

Well, y'all, Nathan has moved! Prepare for picture overload. Allow me to introduce you to...


The Bachelor Pad!


back deck



front steps -- planning to build a small deck in the Spring


bedroom




living room


bathroom



view from back deck... fall foliage is appearing :)


deck furniture -- LOVE it!



coffee table decor


living room again


dining area


kitchen


Things have already changed a bit since I took these over the weekend... hopefully, I'll take some more soon.

Needless to say, it was an amazing Fall break! Nathan has thoroughly impressed me. Every morning when I get there, the bed is made, dishes are washed, and laundry is going. Yes, he's the bomb! We enjoyed the new scenery over my Fall break. Friday was spent running errands, getting groceries, and eating with friends at Toot's. On Saturday, we piddled around before some of our friends came over to watch a movie and eat pizza. His parents came over for lunch on Sunday. It is bliss! I'm not even living there and I still love it! We only see each other on weekends so I'm dying to get back over there again. Although the to-do list will probably never end, at least we can scratch this off. We're such low key people and this is the perfect place to just chill. I'm so proud of Nate for all of his hard work and I'm so happy for him! :) Up next, an engagement?!?! ;)

#101

I hit triple digits with my last post. Go blog! ;) This particular post will be a hodge podge of unrelated things. Oh wait, that's every day.

I am so relieved right now. Anthropology test is behind me and I felt like I was very prepared! I am crossing things off my to-do list like crazy and am seriously setting a goal of actually enjoying my Fall break. I do not want to be a slave to homework! If I've read everything correctly, I'll only have one assignment over the break -- an online PE test. Not majorly stressing over that one ;)

This past weekend was good to me! The weather was perfect, y'all. I love nothing more than wearing a comfy hoodie and my favorite pair of jeans. I spent all of Friday afternoon preparing for my test so that was a bummer. However, the rest of the weekend was great! Nathan and I planted some flowers and trees on Saturday morning. We set-up Baylie's new home at his place. She has a nice big pen -- much bigger than the one she resides in now at his parents' house! We're hoping that she'll only have to be in the pen when Nathan is gone. As long as someone is there she doesn't roam off far. It was too funny the other day... we were setting up her pen, heard water splashing, and then saw her barrelling towards us. The girl loves her water even if it is only 60 degrees :) She has yet to "move" over there... that will come once Nathan has moved as well. Speaking of which, that should happen this weekend folks! He took a vacation day since I'll be on Fall Break and, along with his family, we're doing some major moving. I'm sure I'll have lots of stories after that experience.

Anywho, we also stained our deck. Correction - we stained the deck until we ran out of stain. I'm convinced we ran out of stain because Nathan didn't pay attention to the wind and the stain mysteriously blew onto the trailer. Yes, we were out there scrubbing the trailer with Mr. Clean magic erasers to get the stain off before it dried. Do these things happen to everyone?!? Long story short - Nathan got more stain on Monday and now it is all done. It needs to dry for 48 hours before we can move the patio furniture and mums on it. I can't wait to see all of that pulled together :)

After our day full of work, we spent the night with our friends around a bonfire, some good food, and cornhole. There's nothing like a small town life, y'all... lots of memories and laughs from that night!

We accomplished even more on Sunday. Nathan mowed, we cleaned up a bit in the garage, and did some beautify-ing to the trailer! Yes, that's my domain. We hung up all of the pictures/prints we have and, oh-ma-word, it is most definitely all coming together now. I will most definitely be getting pictures to share this weekend! We have all worked our behinds off for the past 6 months, but it is all worth it. Nathan is proud and happy - what's better than that?! :) We spent the afternoon watching hunting movies and the Dukes of Hazzard.


I whippped up a pot of Chicken Tortilla Soup and we were miserable after eating way too much. But it was a good kind of miserable ;)

In the meantime, I've managed to find another addiction on the internet. Zulily.


It's dangerous. I found it just in time to order stuff for new baby girl. Ironic, huh!? ;) I will be placing an order soon because the little stinker will be here before we can turn around!

I hope y'all are having a fabulous week :)