Top Two Tuesday and Weekend Ramblings

First off, head on over to Taylor at the Undomestic Momma, and link up with her always adorable, Top 2 Tuesday :) This week's theme is the top two outfits you are loving for spring :)

1. This adorable Nautical look from J Crew. My sister bought me the shirt for Christmas, and I am loving it now with skinny jeans and brown boots, but I love the thought of transitioning it for spring with a high waisted khaki skirt! Too cute :) 

via j crew

2. I am a bridesmaid in a wedding this summer and I am loving this Banana Republic one shouldered dress for the rehearsal dinner. I love the light purple and the classic, clean lines. I'm begging it to go on sale ;). I'd probably pair it with my platinum Jack Rogers, or maybe some strappy sandals.

 via Banana Republic

Now, for a weekend update :). This weekend was so much of a whirlwind for me, with the beginning of sorority recruitment! We got into bed late and got up early every day, preparing for the girls. I am more nervous about their party lists than they are, I think! We had to call a girl early Sunday morning to let her know she had been dropped because of grades, and that was incredibly hard. On an up note, my baby sister seems to be doing incredibly well and enjoying herself at that. 

I am also happy to be back in my own bed :) The Holiday Inn in Blacksburg is lovely (no seriously, they have granite countertops) but nothing tops being back in my own cozy place. That is not to say that I didn't absolutely love my roommates, or that I don't miss my rg partner, Heather. For real, we have had the best time together, constantly laughing and really leaning on each other when we were having a hard situation with the girls. I wish I had pictures, but honestly, we all look rough throughout this process, haha.

On another note, my bff has granted me permission to give out her blog address, so go check her out! Heather is a grad student, getting her masters in Education to become an elementary school teacher, so she probably has a lot in common with some of you guys!

Have a great Tuesday :) 

Baking cookies and Psych

As I pack up my life for the next four days, without any hope of coming back for things I've forgotten (I will literally be a mile from my house and cannot come back for anyyyyything, nuts I know) I have started watching Psych. HILARIOUS. Have y'all ever watched it? Highly recommended, I love the mystery aspect of it, but it's not weighed down with heavy drama like most mystery shows these days. 

I have a confession. Normally I make cookies from scratch, but today I'm being lazy. I bought the premade dough from WM last night, and my rg partner is coming over to help me make them. To be fair, I didn't get the break and buy kind, I did get the rolls you have to divide yourself, haha. I'm making like sixty and I didn't want to dirty all the bowls, haha.

I'm back to my crispix and soy/almond milk addiction. Just ate some for lunch, yuuummmmmmmm.

I know this is entirely random. Oh well, my life is entirely random right now.

You'd think since this morning is my last morning to sleep in for a while, I would have taken the opportunity. Nopppeee, my lovely body woke me up about eight thirty.

wilw :)

Even though it's almost Thursday, I thought I'd do a quick link up to Jamie this week :). I'm loving a few things this week.

1. I'm loving that I get to see my pnms tomorrow! I can't wait to help these little babes find their true home and start the best time of their lives ;). Even though it will be clouded with little sleep, chattering teeth and probably some crying girls, I know it will be worth it in the end!

2. Speaking of, I am loving my rg partner and all of the great girls I have met. I am constantly laughing and I cannot wait to spend more time with them this weekend. I do however miss my girls in the dolphin tank (sorority house) and I am counting down the days until I am reunited with them!

3. I am LOVING that my best friend has started her own blog :) If and when she gives me permission, I will share the link with y'all. She is precious, adorable, and a great friend, and I know you future teachers will relate to her! 

4. I am loving feeling back to normal after my tonsillectomy, and I am loving that the weight I lost from the surgery hasn't been gained back. Now if only I can keep it off... especially for the wedding I am in in a mere five months. AHHHHH I cannot believe I am old enough to marry one of my friends off. 

5. I am also loving that my guy bff is talking about starting his own blog. You know who you are.. cough Jim cough, and I can't wait to read it. Mainly because it will be about Call of Duty, weekend excursions back to the 'burg, and the lovely King George County. 

6. As always, I am loving this sweet boy. If you would, could you say a prayer for him tonight? He fell off the side of a mountain (no joke) while he was snowboarding, and we think he has a mild concussion. He did make the decision to be driven home by a friend of his, and should be going to the doctor in the morning, but I am nervous about him sleeping tonight. This is a picture he sent me this afternoon, after his spill. Poor thing.

7. I am loving that my baby sister is going through recruitment. I am so so so so so so excited for her (not to mention nervousss!) She is going to do really well, and I know the houses will love her :) ( I know, we look nothinnnggg alike!)

8. I am loving that I get to SLEEP IN tomorrow :)

Good Nighhhtt! 

Brittany at Sweet, Sassy and oh so Classy tagged me to share seven things about myself. She has the cutest blog, so y'all go on over there and check her out :)

Here it goes!
1. I worked at one of the beaches about five minutes from my house, selling hot dogs all through high school. I got to hang out on the beach all day during the summer, but I wasn't responsible for human life... perfect job!

2. I am obsessed with my ipod, and its subsequent demise this summer has left me heart broken... I am hoping Santa heard my requests for an ipod touch ;) Maybe it will even encourage me to start running again! 

3. Adoption has been weighing on my heart lately, and I am excited to see how God has it planned to play out in my life. Whether it be a career, a personal choice, something I support financially, it is definitely going to be a part of my life someday :)

4. I. DONT. WANT. TO. GRADUATE!! I know there are some people that are dyyyinnnggg to get out of school and out in the real world. I am not one of them. I loveLOVElove being at Tech, where I live, my roommate, my friends, ect, and I am kicking and screaming for an extra semester... unfortunately with only nine credits left, I am out of luck.

5. If I could wear leggings every day, I would. I love being cozy, and long cardigans, leggings and sweaters are SO SO SO cozy! What do you think? Are leggings pants? In the sorority world, leggings are most definitely pants, but it drives my boyfriend c.r.a.z.y. haha.

6. I'm a big traditionalist. As in I am not a big fan of change. We are doing Christmas a little differently this year, and I am not happy. However, I am excited to embrace some of Stuart's family traditions as my own :)

7. I don't have a facebook right now, and as sad as it is, it actually is a nice change for a little while. ( I am a recruitment guide for girls going through the sorority recruitment process, and since we have to disaffiliate, we are required to take down our facebook... I'll be back on Jan 24th!)


Merry Christmas everyone :)

What I'm Loving Wednesday :)

Head on over to Jamie's and link up with What I'm Loving Wednesday :)

This Wednesday I'm loving :

That I took my last exam this afternoon! It kicked my butt, but I'm glad it's over. Annndddd I never have to see syntax again!

 Syntax

Spending the night in with my lovey rooms watching this movie while the snow rolls in :) (Nevermind the 900 Tridelta newsletters I have to address)

IMDB

Tory Burch Leopard Flats. Now if only they were college student budget friendly :(

Nordstrom

That my best friend is graduating this Saturday and I get to help her celebrate! Love you Hev :)

(Us being silly at a concert this summer. I'm pretty sure we were singing to each other, haha)

Peppermint Soy Hot Chocolates... mmmmmmhmmm

Starbucks

My Tridelta Lily scarf that I got as an early Christmas present for HALF off. Wooo, love a good sale!

 Lily Pulitzer

Making homemade Christmas presents for my favorite people :)

and this boy, of course ;)

 Have a great day :)

Misc. Monday

It's another Monday! Don't forget to link up with Carissa :)

1. It is FREEZING here right now. And no, I don't mean 31 degrees. I mean a high of 18. With a feels like temp of 1. RIDICULOUS. If it's gonna be that cold, at least have some snow going on!

2. I really should be working on the two projects, three tests and sorority newsletter I have due by Wednesday. But all I want to do is bake cookies! And lay in bed and blog. And watch Christmas movies. Ugh, who invented finals anyway?

3. Busy busy times ahead. In the next two weeks, I have to finish finals and projects. Send out 1000 newsletters to Tridelta Alumnae. Watch my best friend walk across the stage :). Finish her present! Celebrate Christmas with my fam. Finish Christmas shopping! And have surgery :(. Most of it will be fun, if I can get through the finals part!

4. I get to see my Linkous Lady, Grace today. Grace is a girl I mentor (with two other sisters) that is in fifth grade, and she is seriously my favorite person ever. She always has the updates on what boys are cute, and even facebook chatted Taylor, one of her other Linkous Ladies last week. She is a trip and a half.

5. I need to get the motivation to get out of bed and into the shower! 


6. Enjoy your Monday :)

Long Week

As I talked about in my last post, my dear Poppi went to be with Jesus Monday afternoon around 3 o'clock. I got the phone call shortly after, and instead of wallowing, I went straight to my Rho Gamma meeting. I got to meet my little precious pnm's (potential new members) and I got to laugh with my amazing Rho Gam partner, Heather, and it was just what I needed. I also had a rg staff meeting after that, so I was busy until about 11 o'clock that night. It was a nice distraction.

Then Nat and I packed up and headed for Crewe, VA; population less than 500. When Nat was allergic to my cousin Christy's cats and needed benadryl at midnight, we had to head to the only thing open past nine pm, the fasmart. Yes, fasmart. Even the closest wm was thirty minutes away. Needless to say, we had a great time playing with all the babies (Alena Grace, 6 mos; Kaleb, 16 mos; Kaiden 2 1/2 yrs; Jackson (known as Jacket by his little cousins) 5 yrs and Maddie, 9 years). Yes, I know Maddie is not a baby, but I remember when she was! I got to feed, change and make them smile, which totally helped me to cope with what was going on.

Seeing Poppi Wednesday afternoon before the visitation was the hardest part for me. Not eating and his illness had him drop a ton of weight, and his face didn't even look like him. Only from the nose up did he look like the man I know. It was also hard hearing Kaiden ask for his Poppi, and having to explain to him that Poppi went to Jesus a few times. He is two and a half, so he didn't understand. He was so sweet though.

The funeral Thursday afternoon was nice, and Stuart even drove down from Charlottesville for it. I think my family was really appreciative. He even held a baby for the first time, haha. The graveside was at my great-grandmother's church, and I got to see her grave and my great-grandaddy's grave for the first time. Her house was right next door to the church too! We then headed back for a dinner that the church ladies put on for us, complete with fried chicken and home-cooked meals. Alena Grace fell asleep on my lap, and some lady had the audacity to ask me how I went to school and had a baby, haha. I let her know immediately that she was not my baby!

We headed back to Bburg on Friday, and I got a little work done before completely breaking down. I knew it was coming, and Stuart ended up coming down and spending the weekend with me. It was exactly what I needed. I had a Red Robin Free Burger coupon from my birthday, so we went to see Due Date(free drink coupon!) and then went to Red Robin for an early dinner. We came back and studied a bit for finals, before watching another movie on the Wii and heading to bed. He just left an hour ago, and I have been saying lots of prayers because it is snow/rain/sleeting outside.

I need to go hop in the shower though, because Heidi and I are driving to Charlotte to go pick her boyfriend Paul up from the airport. Paul goes to school in Chicago now, and I am so excited to see him! He was supposed to fly into Roanoke, but the weather is really bad in Chicago, so they cancelled his flight and he hopped on another one to Charlotte, which is about two and a half hours from here. Say lots of prayers for a safe trip for Paul and a safe drive for Heidi and I.

I know this was boring, but this was a week that was hard and I wanted to have it for my records, just to remember.

Blessings!

Misc. Monday

I really need to start making blogging more of a priority! I log on and read everyday, but I need to learn to write more! That being said, here is an update, through the form of Miscellany Monday. Just as a warning, no camera cord = no pictures! I promise I'll update when I can.

1. My birthday was last Thursday... yes I share my day with Britney Spears. I turned the big deuce deuce, and all I heard all day was, "how does it feel to be old?" I did not love that part. I did love my sweet boyfriend and friends showing up Thursday night for my own little holiday themed Birthday party/pregame. There were probably thirty people here, and we scarfeeedd down some food. Probably my best birthday yet :)

2. For a second part of my birthday, my parents sent me down to Charlotte for the ACC championship game. LOVE MY UNDEFEATED IN THE ACC HOKIES! The game was freeeezing, but so fun. I even had a nice chat with a Florida State fan... and I have hated them since 1999 (we lost to them in the National Championship game. I was eleven. I still hold a grudge haha)

3. The ground here is c.o.v.e.r.e.d.  in snow. I love snow, especially around Christmas. What I don't love is having to venture out and drive in it. Especially with other idiots trying to drive in it. Alas, it is beautiful.

4. I need your prayers. More specifically, my grandfather needs your prayers. He has been sick and hanging on for a month now, and last night the nurse told us it would probably only be hours. Needless to say, he's not with Jesus yet, and as painful as it is to lose him, we are praying that God would take him to take away his pain. He is the most amazing man, and one day I fully plan on posting about him. He is my poppi, a man who didn't have to be my grandfather and a dad to my mom, but who took it on just because he loved us. Isn't he cute? This picture is from my cousin's wedding two years ago.

5. With everything going on, and this being the end of the semester, I could use a few prayers too. Fortunately my professors are willing to work with me considering my family situation. I still have a ton due in the next week though.

6. I love this season. I love hearing the Christmas story over and over, and seeing the lights, and knowing that without this season, there would be no hope for mankind. Without CHRISTmas, there would be no Christ. God loved us so much, he took the faith of a young girl and placed the destiny of the world in her belly. It is so amazing, isn't it?

12 Days of Christmas, Days 1 and 2

I missed yesterday because I was so sick, and I still had so much to do, so I'm linking up for yesterday and today!





Day 1- Christmas/Holiday Traditions
Christmas is a big deal at our house. I love coming home from school and seeing the house decorated with everything Christmas, including Nativity scenes, Santas and snowmen. My mom also lights this candle that makes the house just smell like Christmas. On Christmas Eve we go to the 5 o'clock church service with our family, and my aunt and her family (and now Natalie and I's boyfriends), I love singing Silent Night with candles lit. We then go to Chili's! Haha. No one feels like cooking and it is on our way home from church. I always make sure my dad leaves a good tip for the poor waiter or waitress though. We then come home and my sister and I open matching pajamas and a book (my parents gave us the book to keep us occupied if we were too excited for Santa to sleep!). We usually end up watching a Christmas movie, either White Christmas (my favorite!) or It's A Wonderful Life, and then heading to bed. Around five or six am, my sister, who is almost nineteen STILL comes into my room and wakes me up to go wake up my mom and dad. We do, and then my dad heads downstairs, takes pictures of the presents, and we have to walk all the way around the house to walk in the opposite door we normally do, because we stop at the nativity scene and read a precious moments book of the Christmas story to remind us what Christmas is all about. Then we get to open presents! I open mine slowly, while my sister tears through hers, and my mom thinks every year I don't like what I was brought, but I just don't jump up and down like my sister does! We then head to my aunts in our pajamas and have breakfast and open presents there, before coming home, showering and having lunch/dinner with my dad's family. I love our Christmas traditions :)

Day 2- Black Friday/ Shopping Tips
I have never actually been Black Friday shopping! We play UVA every year, and I always end up heading to either Charlottesville or Blacksburg for the game (it's rivalry week- GO HOKIESSSS!!!). However, I am usually a pretty thrifty shopper.

1. Shop around, especially online. Figure out what you want and search it online for a lower price. If you get that price, plus shipping for less than what is in the store, perfect!
2. Pay attention to those sales that go automatically in the Junk mail. Sometimes there are great codes for things that are already on sale. This past fall, I got two dresses and a skirt from Ann Taylor Loft for eight dollars TOTAL!
3. Always, always, always look for coupon codes and shop using ebates. These can help you save money, and get money back! (can you tell I love shopping online!)
4. Homemade gifts are always the best. I know some of my favorite gifts I've given were homemade and a fraction of the cost of a bought gift. Painting a sign or making something specific to that person shows that you took the time to make something especially for them.

Have a great day!

Days 23-25

Finally back in Blacksburg :) And even though its raining outside, I'm still excited to see my Hokies play tonight :)

Catching up on days 23-25

Day 23- Favorite Vacation

Wow, I vacation all the time, haha. I've never been on a huge extravagant vacation, but I have been several places including Chicago, San Antonio, Philidelphia, Myrtle Beach, Hilton Head Island, Atlanta, Orlando and Knoxville. My favorite out of all of those was probably Chicago. It was my graduation present from my parents (along with my laptop) and I got to see my then obsession, now disgusted by, Oprah. My cousin lives in Chicago with her husband, so my aunt (her mom) came up too, and we went to see Wicked, shopped on Michigan Ave and ate at some delicious restaurants. I wish I had pictures from this trip! I'm sure my mom has some somewhere, this is before I got my first digital camera haha. So basically, the dark ages ;)

Day 24- Something You've Learned

I learn all the time, everyday. This year, I've learned the importance of patience, how to use InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator, the components of designing a website and various other things. I think what I learn and re learn everyday is to wait on God. If I do that, everything else falls in to place!

Day 25- Ipod Shuffle.

To be fair, my iPod is in constant shuffle state. I love everything, from old country, to classical, to new age, to rock, to a little heavy metal, and everything in between. I am however, desperately in love with 70's singer songwriters. Give me some Hall and Oates or Jackson Browne and I'm in heaven, haha.


1. Ants Marching- Dave Matthews Band
2. When I Think About Leaving- Kenny Chesney
3. Harmony- Corey Smith
4. Jump Around- House of Pain
5. Emergency- Paramore
6. Mr. Bojangles- Jim Croce
7. I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For- U2
8. Narcolepsy- Third Eye Blind
9. Dear Prudence- The Beatles
10. Heaven Never Seemed So Small- The Benji Davis Project

LoveLOVElove all of these songs. I highly recommend youtubing each one :)