Happy Friday!

I am so excited for this weekend I can hardly contain it. I get a top 25 matchup in Lane Stadium, it is a night game, and two of my bff's are making their way to the 'burg this weekend! Seriously, the only thing better would be if Stuart could make it up here this weekend (or down here or over here... in fact I'm pretty sure down and over would be correct).

Heidi: sorority sister, bff since 6th grade, future bridesmaid and teacher extraordinaire :) Love this girl y'all. She is one of those forever friends.

 May or may not have snuck into this situation meeting my ultimate bff Frank Beamer (google the man if you don't know who he is... there is a style of football named after him!)

 Becoming grandbigs together!

 Casually nose nuzzling at a social.

 Graduating from college together!

 Still throwing deltas as alum in Atlanta this summer for her 22nd birthday!

Summer before freshman year of college. We are such little babiessss!

I cannot wait to make some more memories with her this weekend. We literally spent all of college glued to each other's sides, and there is no one that is more of a sister to me than her (except maybe my actual sister). She moved her butt all the way to Atlanta to teach 4th graders for TFA. I couldn't be prouder of her!

Also, so pumped I get to pair this with a sweatshirt or white longjohns, skinnies, socks (lots of them!) and my fake frye's this weekend. It may not be SEC classy, but I will be warm and I love love love this vest. I can't waittt!

Also, it is the maroon effect game so I will be sporting the maroon side complete with a giant Go Hokies button. I will also wear my bow if I can find it. :)

Happy Friday y'all and tune into ESPN 2 at 6pm tomorrow night to pick me out. I sit right behind the band in the student section and I will probably be the one screaming and jumping up and down for four solid hours. Make sure you tune in early enough to catch the entrance... it truly is the best in college football.

As you can see, I am more than excited about all this weekend has in store for me. Hope y'alls is just as good!!!

It's Okay!

I thought I'd hop into Neely's  blog hop today, especially since I love a good reason to rationalize some choices ;)

It's Okay...

• That I can't spell okay just "ok." It drives me nuts for some reason. I also don't like yay spelled "yeay" and yeah spelled "yea." I'm anal, I know.
• That I got choked up watching Sister Wives tonight and catching up on Grey's Anatomy before that. I may or may not have yelled at Cristina for a choice that she made that really frustrated me. Nbd.
• That I have come to the conclusion that listening to audio books on my ipod may be the only way I can make it through training for that 1/2 marathon.
• That the book series I am listening to is Harry Potter. No, I have never read any of the books. Yes, that is okay... kinda. Haha.
• That I decided there was something wrong with the sizing of the jeans I ordered from Lands End Canvas. My rooms tried them on too and she confirmed my conclusion, haha.
• That I only find the time to blog between 8-10 pm. I really need to start scheduling posts.
• That I have already planned out my outfit for Saturday and I may or may not be excited about busting out my VT columbia vest early this year. It is supposed to be a high of 47!
• That I know I need to wash sheets, straighten up and check to see if I have enough towels for Heidi and Jim this weekend and yet I am still on the couch. I have tomorrow to work on it as well!

Have a great Thursday y'all!

A Few Fun Things

I've gained some new followers recently and I thought I'd do a post sharing a little bit about me :) I love recipes and have loved doing Neely's blog hop, but I decided to take the day off!

1. I love making lists... see the format :)
2. I wear the same jewelry every day (with an earring exception). This includes as follows:

• My pearl ring Stuart gave me last Christmas. I love it and it is so classic and soooo me!

• My class ring. It is really similar to this one but is white gold with a mother of pearl center and an old style VT scripted instead of the one shown. It also has BA on one side and 11 on the other :) Found here.

 

• My Pandora bracelet. It is the classic style and almost full! I love what each charm means.
• My Michael Kors watch. Lovelovelovelove this watch! Found here! I can't get the picture to load but it is the Quartz in Gold and Silver!

3. I have a BA in English that I graduated with in May. I'm currently pursuing a second undergraduate degree in Human Development: Child and Adolescent studies. I'm hoping to graduate in May and start the process of becoming a Child Life Specialist! Check out why I decided to stay for an extra undergraduate degree here.
4. I love to bake. Seriously. I also love to eat what I bake. That is the problem!
5. I am currently training for a 1/2 marathon to raise money for St. Jude. That is how I will be celebrating my 23rd birthday :) Check out more here. There is a reason I am running and it is in memory of two very, very special little boys!
6. I'm hokie born, hokie bred and when I die I'll be hokie dead!
7. That being said, I'm dating a Wahoo from UVA. My parents 'bout died when I told them. Fortunately, after 2 1/2 years, they got over it. He rocks. Even if he does wear orange and blue.
8. I still use AIM like it's 1999. Most of my besties that live far away still use it so we can communicate.
9. Delta Delta Delta, can I help ya, help ya, help ya? I've made some of my closest friends and maintained one very special friendship through my sorority. Our philanthropy is St. Jude and is the main reason I want to be a Child Life Specialist. There is also a little boy named Nick that stole my heart and changed my life. His birthday is coming up next week and I already have a post planned out. He was the strongest little man I have ever had the pleasure of knowing.
10. I watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S. every night before bed. Every night. I have every season on DVD. I know I won't see any scary commercials if I stick to my DVDs, haha.
11. I've got some great people in my life. My family is absolutely the best, and I have a little sister that is the complete opposite of me in every way. I still love her. I also have some really close friends that I am so grateful for.
12. I'm a nicknames person. For example, my boyfriend and I call each other "Boots." I have no idea why. I also refer to my roommate (whose name is Nicole) different variations of J. Nikki (her first name is Joy), Coley, Joyous Nicole and various others.
13. I'm really picky and really impatient. I'm working on it.
14. I'm saved by the big JC. He is the man, fo sho.
15. My blog name is something I came up with a long time ago. It is also in my AIM screen name. That picture is of a bunch of my favorite sorority sisters at the beach a few years ago. Props to you if you can pick me out.  Also, I'm from the beach, I've worked at the beach and I love the beach. My first kiss with Stuart was on the beach. My first slow dance with a boy was on the beach. I spend every minute of my summer on a boat or laying out on the beach with my bff (wearing SUNSCREEN! hence the pale complexion). Needless to say, I'm a beach girl. But I do love living in the mountains as well :)

Fifteen is enough. I tend to be wordy (whoops, that was sixteen) so sorry 'bout it. Props to you if you made it all the way through!

Fall TV

I'm back on the wagon and linking up with Neely and Amber for their Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge! :)

Today's topic is fall tv! Sadly, I don't have a DVR but my roommate and I make it a point to watch certain shows together. Other ones I catch online later :) Some of my old favorites include:

• How I Met Your Mother
• Castle
• Grey's Anatomy
• Bones (shortened season this year, so sad!)
• 30 Rock

Some I watched new (or want to catch) are:

• Up All Night (so cute!)
• Body of Proof (semi-new, short season last year)
• New Girl
• Pan Am

Some that should be cancelled:

• Grey's Anatomy- I love this show but it has really seen better days, I think this should be the last season!
• Desperate Housewives- Another one that has had a great run, but that I am glad it is in it's last season.

Side note- Anyone else a big Brothers & Sisters fan and peeved they just cancelled the show without as much as a finale? So ticked!!! I miss my Sunday nights with the Walker fam :(.

Have a great Monday y'all... I have work, two classes and studying for an exam left to do. Come on weekend!

Happy Sunday

I had a great weekend this weekend... and took my camera out zero times. Sad, I know. But I did have a great weekend overall. I got to Charlottesville Thursday night and Stuart took me out to eat/watch football at Outback, a perfect little date :). We got up Friday and ran an errand or two but then headed back to his place because it was nasty and rainy outside. We ended up just hanging out most of the day and spending the night watching a movie and drinking a few beers with his roommates. Saturday early I got up and ran, and then headed to Fredericksburg to meet Jim and watch the Tech game at Green Turtle. We ended up doing some shopping and running a few errands in dt Oldtown Fburg, and it was absolutely adorable!

 via their website

I got a great new maroon cardigan I am planning to wear to our game this weekend from Express. I tried to find it online, but apparently they don't have it anymore- I got it on super sale!

Today Stuart and I ran to Bodo's and got bagels and coffee and just hung out listening to records most of the afternoon, since it was pouring again today! We ran out a few hours ago and got the stuff to make some whole wheat pasta with Italian chicken and tomatoes, salad fixings and ingredients for peanut butter m&m cookies. Delicious!

I'm currently procrastinating studying for a big Psych Ed test I have on Tuesday... and even though it is only 9pm, I would love to get in bed! I'm heading back to Bburg early tomorrow morning- it is so hard to leave Cville, but hopefully this long distance thing won't last too terribly much longer!

Have a great Sunday y'all!

Happy First Day of Fall, Y'all!

Today is the first day of fall, and we kicked it off at midnight with champagne and cupcakes (okay, those were really for Jen's birthday). But needless to say, I'm thinking after my run in the rain I will be hitting up Sbucks for a Caramel Apple Spice. :)

That leads me into day five (so sad I missed day four!) of Neely and Amber's Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge, which is all about things to look forward to about fall!

• Colder weather! It has been 70's and rainy here, but the humidity has been extreme, making this girl all glowy and sweaty... not cute.
• Fall clothes! Y'all I love me some boots. Like seriously, it is an obsession. I think I have five pairs currently and I am borrowing my bff's dad's cowboy boots (I have GIANT feet) to bring the grand total to six. One of my favorite pair is the Target fake Frye boots. They are perfection y'all. Find them here. 

• New TV! We love TV at our house. Castle, HIMYM, Modern Family, Body of Proof, Greys. And that's just my list! My roommate is the real TV junkie and she is the best at finding new shows!
• The smell. I love fall smells. Pumpkin, apple spice, anything with a spicy fall scent. I'm thinking this candle would smell lovely :) Found here.

• Halloween, Thanksgiving, my birthday and the St. Jude 1/2 Marathon! 
• Snuggling close in the car after apple picking with Stuart.
• College football Saturdays. They may be my favorite thing!

Well, I am off to convince myself to do a quick run in this nasty weather. Have a happy Friday y'all!

Hocus Pocus

Well y'all it's time for day three of the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge with Neely and Amber!

Today is having to do with Halloween. Now I'm going to be honest. I haven't been out and celebrated Halloween dressed up since I was a sophomore in college (and for good reason). Honestly, I couldn't even find pictures from that night or any of the Halloweens before, haha.

I did find a few pictures from a shopping trip at Target before Halloween when we decided to put on some fun costumes. I know this hot dog is pretttyy saucy!

 And obviously the chicken costume is super attractive as well :)

But that is about all I have by way of Halloween. Last year on Halloween night a bunch of my sorority sisters came over and we "watched" a scary movie... but I'm pretty sure we just drank wine and talked, haha. I've also spent a Halloween in Charlottesville, but to be honest I can't remember what I did. It is the only time of year that I like Halloween movies and I always ALWAYS watch Hocus Pocus, clearly I am a 90's kid!

 via

Hope the sun is shining where you are, it's been quite a rainy few weeks in Virginia (although I know some of y'all are dying for rain- I would love to send some your way)! Tonight I get to catch up on schoolwork I missed because of a sinus infection and will obviously be watching the premiere of Modern Family. Love that show!!! There is also a new show on ABC called Revenge coming on tonight that my roommate and I both are interested to watch. Will any of y'all be tuning in? Let me know what you think of it!

Happy Wednesday!

Fall Fashions and Trends

I'm linking up with Neely and Amber again for the Fabulous Fall Blog Challenge! Today's topic is Fall Clothes/Trends/Makeup! Disclaimer: I am very classic and simple in my style and I tend not to jump on the trend wagon too much. I also don't stray from my usual makeup routine...ever, haha.

All of these outfits I found on pinterest and I would love it if you really wanted to buy these for me for fall!

 I seriously love sweater dresses, especially with tall brown flat boots. This three quarter length is perfect for fall, but I would probably do a pop of color with the clutch!

 I own pretty much everything in this minus the bag and earrings and it is definitely one of my go-to fall outfits. I love nautical anything!

 Love this with the classic Longchamp :) Beautiful colors for fall... I can picture someone apple picking in this outfit.

 Green Green Green! Super trendy for this fall and a beautiful pop of color with great neutrals.

 Love the bow on that nautical (again!) shirt and the swing short trench which are also great for this fall!

I need this orange dress (and a different skin tone that works well with orange). It's a great shape and I adore the 3 quarter length sleeves. Very Mad Men-esque.

I also love leggings with long tunics/dresses for the fall with one of my FIVE pairs of boots... I love boots y'all. The best fall/winter shoe. I hop straight from my sandals into some boots. Although a pair of leopard Tory's might steal the show if they ever magically appear on my doorstep, haha.

Have a great Tuesday y'all!

P.S. A couple of you have left me comments lately and I have wanted to reply back but your email addresses are no-reply@blogger. If you get a chance, bop into your settings and set up your email so I can email you back! Thanks loves :)

Fall Traditions

Fall is my absolute f-a-v-o-r-i-t-e season and I love that Neely and Amber are doing a link up starting today!

Today is all about fall traditions (and I love me some traditions!):

• Heading to Carter's Mountain for apple picking in the fall. Stuart and I love doing this and it is right outside of Charlottesville. They have the best apple cider and apple cider donuts!

•  Of course, Hokie football, or any college football for that matter. Best way to spend a Saturday, either tailgating and heading to a game or snuggling on the couch with some yummy food and watching the games on TV.

•  Hot Cinnamon Spice tea. One of the places on campus sells it and Stuart's mom ended up finding the tea bags for me on one of her shopping trips. Mmmmm, my favorite! (found here)

 

• Decorating the apartment! I love decorating for any season, but since our apartment is mainly black, tan, maroon and orange, fall decorations are a must! (This isn't my place but we do have those sconces and I love the candle pillars and light up pumpkins, found here)

Link on up and share yours over at Neely or Ambers!

Weekend Recap

It seems like weekends just fly by 'round these parts. Although, I imagine they fly by around other people's parts too ;).

This weekend was my first home game this season and I was ready. Like most of the US, we had a cold front hit this weekend and it really felt like fall. I went out and got some new fall decorations and had my outfit all planned out for the game Saturday. Here are a few pictures :)

the fam jam :)

We found the Hokie bird!

 

Right before the line up for Enter Sandman! Love Lane Stadium (and our awesome seats this year!)

We tailgated as usual and let me just say that I love a 4pm game. I got up in time for a nice run, made some brownies and made the necklace I am wearing for the game from an old t-shirt as well as this orange and maroon one. It is super easy and all you need is an old t-shirt and scissors, that's it. I made the orange one to go with my maroon BR cape, and this orange and maroon one to wear later in the season! The tutorial I used is here.

I also made these for my mama for her birthday which was last week (along with some Kate Spade sunnies from the sista and I both). Obviously we needed a big Hokie one and I made her a little ODU one to go in her office. They were so easy to make, but a little tedious. I can't find the tutorial I used, but basically you buy a wire wreath and cut ribbon and tie it around. You could do all one color, but I broke it up into team colors and I even threw in a little white ribbon with footballs on it. So easy and cute! 

I'm not ready to be back on the grind, but I do get to make my way to Cville this weekend to see my sweet boy, so I guess it will all be worth it. Have a great night, y'all!

Catch-Up!

Sorry it's been so long y'all, I just get caught up in other things! Here are a few bullet points from the last couple of days (sometimes that's just the easiest!)

• I ran 4 miles yesterday! I can hardly believe it myself. It wasn't fast and it wasn't pretty but I did it and I am proud of myself. I know I'm just at the beginning of this journey but every mile towards those 13 counts for me at least :)
• I am making a ribbon wreath for my momma for her birthday and it is frustrating the bejezus outta me. This isn't mine, but you get the idea. I'll try my best to post a picture of the finished product :) (found here)

•  I am O-V-E-R my cell phone. It's an old en-v from Verizon and every time i set it down it turns off. It even turned off during a phone call from Stuart yesterday. I cannot wait for my new phone come October. I'm crossing my fingers for an iPhone y'all.

 (via)

• Saturday was a heart attack. My hokies tried to give the game away to those awful pirates down at ECU (I'm saying this is becoming a reaaalll rivalry!) and then I sat in a bar with Stuart (and Coley, thank goodness) where UVA hit an early lead and then tried to give that away too. I think I needed a massage when I get home my body was so tense. Thank goodness we play a team that shouldn't be too much of a challenge this weekend!
• Fall weather is coming! I cannot wait to pull out my boots, cardis and skinny jeans this Friday, and it is supposed to be perfect football weather Saturday (as long as the rain comes in the morning like it's supposed to) :)

•  My weekend basically starts tonight! I just have one class tomorrow, a nice long run and then a day of shopping ahead. Friday I have one class and some gym time too, but my long days are Monday and Wednesday and they are over! PTL!
• Fall decorations babaayy! I have been getting some great idea's on Pinterest and the lovely Katie over at Loves of Life posted this absolutely adorable Fall bucket list that will be printed and up as soon as I get a new print cartridge. Y'all go check Katie out. She is one of my absolute favorite bloggers and has the cutest little babe. Not to mention she has some great WW tips and looks absolutely a-m-a-z-i-n-g!
• Dance Moms obsessed. Y'all I need therapy. My roommate introduced me to this and it is an amazing train wreck. This woman, Abby Lee, runs a tight ship and sometimes those mommas are more babies than their children. That's not to say that Abby can be a little hard on them. Plus the dancers are so talented. I swear it's like Toddlers and Tiaras but with real talent (and you get to follow the story of the parents instead of different kids every week). Check it out! It comes on Lifetime at 10pm EST. That's Abby below, yelling at one of the mommas!

 via

Have a great Wednesday night y'all!

Online Shopping on a Rainy Day

What's a girl to do when she is sitting on campus at work on a freezing rainy day with nothing to do? Online shop... DUH! And today's little feature comes from one of my favorite stores... J. Crew! Now y'all know I'm a poor college girl, so I usually get my J. Crew goodies at the end of a season :). Fortunately right now online J. Crew is having an extra 30% off sale. L.O.V.E.

Here are a few goodies I've found that I adore:

 I'm just wondering if this dress comes in a wine color and will be available in three or four years. Love this as a bridesmaid dress :)

This dress is onllyyyy 19.99 with 30% off! That is a mere $14 dollars people! And I love this color (it comes in a few more including white if you need it for sorority stuff!). Perfect to put in the back of my closet for next summer! 

Being a beach girl, I loveee some nautical stripes. I'm thinking this sweater would be perfect for a crisp fall day, complete with skinnies, brown riding boots and a pop of color via a pashmina or scarf. So many options! 

I'm a HUGE fan of cardigans and I love the different looks you can use them for. A good cardigan with a great tee or tank, a scarf, some jeans and boots is pretty much what I wear all through the fall :) This orange color could look great over a maroon top for a Hokie football Saturday :) (Orrrr maybe a UVA game with the boo?) 

I love white. I have ten different white longsleeved t-shirts in my closet currently. I have several white tops and tunics. I just love the crisp nature of it, and being able to pop different colors against it. I'mn thinking this chunky white sweater would look terrific as I sit on my couch drinking hot chocolate and watching some football. Perfection!

all images via

I'm attempting to run four miles after I leave work today y'all, say a prayer for me! I'm definitely going to need it. And today is being especially hard because I am freezinggggg and just want to snuggle in bed and take a nap because of all this rain. That being said, I am thankful for this rain, I know y'all in Texas are having some outrageous fires and people are losing their homes and lives and I have been thinking and praying for y'all.

Have a great Tuesday!



HOKIE HOKIE HOKIE HIGH!

Woo, it's my F-A-V-O-R-I-T-E time of year, football season! We got up bright and early this morning and headed out to a bar in order to try and see my Hokies play App State. Unfortunately, the bar we were at couldn't get the game, but fortunately Stuart's parents were kind enough to let us hang out in their hotel room and watch most of the game there. We won 66-13, so by the end of the third quarter we were okay to head out to Richmond to meet Heidi and Robby :)

We had a great dinner at the new Plaza at Short Pump and Heidi and I dragged our friends Robby and Corey around to shop for a while and we got to chat. I miss her so much and I was so glad to see her and eat and laugh with her and the boys.

I only have one picture from this weekend because I left my camera at home, a picture of Corey and I in our Hokie gear before the game. All those Hoos in Hooville were lookin at us pretty funny. UVA ended up winning too, which means there is a happy Hoo at home tonight. All in all a great day :)

Via my computer before heading out :) LOVE THOSE HOKIES!!!

Happy Deuce Deuce Boots

Happy Birthday to my sweet boyfriend :). This is going to be a pretttyyy mushy post, so feel free to skip it, haha.

Happy Birthday Boots,

And welcome to the deuce deuce club. This is the year you will no longer be the cool 21 year old, but you will enter responsibility as you graduate from college and look for your first real job. I am so glad I get to be beside you through all of it. There is no one else I could imagine sharing my life with.  Thank you for being the kind, caring, sweet, stubborn, persistent pain in the butt you are. I thank God every day for you, and I know I wouldn't have made it through the last two years, but definitely the last year or so without you and your support. I am so blessed to have you in my life. I know I wouldn't be half as sane without you.

I love you,
Boots

 Our first date (although we didn't know it yet ;) )

 Tech-UVA game my junior, his sophomore year. Go HOKIES!

  A candid kiss before a Tridelt crush party.

 His 21st Birthday!

 ACC Championship game this year. So glad I got him to wear maroon and orange ;)

 Mid-morning hike in Cville last spring.

 My college graduation.

His anniversary present this year. Kenny and Zac Brown in DC!

Have a great Friday y'all!