HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Hey Y'all,

I hope y'all have a happy and safe Halloween!

WILW {October 30}

Hey y'all,


...that I am having dinner before chapter tonight with my baby sister, kDi (yes those initials do spell KID). It has been only a few weeks since seeing Beauty and the Beast so I can't wait to catch up just the two of us and then we will both be home for the holidays!

...since I was a band nerd in high school I love this video of the Ohio State Marching Band 


and this one


or if you Michael Jackson this one


Seriously, I think I love their band director for picking these themes and having amazing band because I can promise practicing every week for a different show is tough!

...the Biggest Loser Season 15. I have always love the Biggest Loser but this season is filled with incredible stories of individuals who are trying to change their lives for a second chance.

...planning adventures with Allison. I love that we are getting to hang out and I get to know her through our small group this fall but it is going to be a fun night next week!

...tomorrow is Halloween! I am dressing up for work since there is a bit of a competition and it is hard to find a work appropriate costume but I am dressing up as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's so let's hope it turns out ok!

via

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Stripes and Polka Dots: Kate Spade Agenda

Hey y'all,

Finally I have a computer and can post on my Kate Spade planner! I know that my Erin Condren Life Planner review is one of the most popular posts on this little piece of the internet so I had to tell you all about my KS planner. While I loved the customization of the EC planners the way the planner was set up is not practical with my life and I hate that there are no lines in the planner. I bought the EC planner before I had my full time job and while I used it, my life with my job does not fit into morning, noon, and night categories. Also, I carry my planner everywhere so the EC was a bit on the large and bulky side not to mention pretty heavy. I am a super picky planner person so please do not take my review as the end all be all. 

I ordered the Kate Spade agenda from Lifeguard Press once all the options were revealed since I had been contemplating a new planner for the new academic year after a year of the EC life planner working but not being in love with it. 

I purchased the 2014 agenda in black stripes (it is currently sold out at Lifeguard Press and Swoozies but there are other cute patterns available). I love the mix of blush pink, black, white, and gold. I am a huge fan of kate spade new york and of course this planner looks lovely in my Flicker Sophie bag.

The agenda opens to reveal fun festive polka dots as well as a place to write your name and address if your precious agenda goes missing as well as a pocket to collect any loose papers. I always put the mail I need to send out in the pocket as a reminder.

Following the pocket is a section for random notes. I am one of those people who hates to mar this section with notes and lists so I try to use it sparingly unless it is my last resort. I think I just like the look of nice, clean, lines.

Each month is tabbed for easy access and the tabs are laminated. That was one of the things I loved about the Life Planner and was glad to see that the Lilly Pulitzer planners fixed this year. Each month features a saying and inspiration for the month on a blush colored page. October reads "be the first.  it's more important that first place."

Now onto the meat of the planner with the pretty cream pages. Each month is placed over two pages with a notes side on the left. I tend to only write major things on the month at a glance page such as friends in town, sorority meetings, days off from work, etc. 

Yes I have a color coded section and it is the only thing that keeps me sane. Here is a week from the beginning of September right about the time my computer died.

I love that the agenda is set up similarly to the Lilly Pulitzer agenda that I used in college but without the little designs everywhere or the sticker pages. If you love your Lilly Pulitzer agenda and are about to enter the work world check these planners out. I love the large amount of space for each day and all the lines. In college I had a color code system per class and now each category of my life has a particular color(I use the Sharpie pens in various colors).

What planner do you use? Are you a color coded person like myself?

Weekends are for Carolina Wins, Pumpkins and GreatGreatGrandlittles

Hey y'all,

My office has a case of the Mondays but it is ok because I had an amazing weekend that I think the quiet will help.So let's get right to my weekend re-cap.

Friday.

Friday I left the office and ran back to my apartment to grab the letter shirt from All that Jas that had arrived in anticipation of Big/Little reveal Saturday. After chatting with the roommate before she headed off to work I headed to the gym. After watching Family Feud while getting some time on the elliptical I headed over to Target to grab some things for dinner. My apartment's fridge has been having issues so I did not trust the milk I put in there for any meal. Luckily the fridge had a temp fix by Friday and will get the new part this week! It was a relaxing night and I was able to get in some reading and me-time.

Saturday.

CW and I outside of the suite we had lunch in.

After getting up a bit early to get ready I was off to Chapel Hill for a work function that included a tour of the Loudermilk Center for Excellence and the Kenan Football Center as well as lunch before the Boston College/Carolina game. It was a lot of fun hanging out with some of my co-workers at a Carolina game and we had some great seats to watch Carolina win against Boston College!

Our view at lunch.

I work with a lot of other Carolina Alums and a few of them were at the game so we had to snap a picture.

With AC who is so sweet, I love that I get to work closely with her daily.

 So I left the game in the middle of the fourth quarter in order to make it over to the PBX house in time for one of the biggest events of the semester, Big/Little reveal! My family welcomed a new little addition, gBl and I am so excited for the Fish Fam!

My Grandlittle, kBm has a grandlittle now!!

Last photos as just Big and Little

REVEAL!
Welcome Home gBl!

FIRST FAM PHOTO!

I love these girls and I can't wait to get to know my ggglittle better!

 The night ended with watching DCC: Making the Team, doing some dishes and then having some heart to heart talks with the roomie until after 1am.

Sunday.

After my usual morning babysitting I ran home to begin working on my mess of a closet. I keep putting off cleaning my closet which is the messiest part of my room but I was able to clean it up a bit before heading with the roomie to grab a pumpkin for carving! We checked Aldi but their selection was limited and luckily the Target had a great one. After church we headed home to make a yummy dinner of shrimp in a vodka sauce over pasta and corn. It was then time to carve so we threw on the Princess Bride and to the sound of "as you wish" and discussed our love of the film though it had been forever since we had seen it but could still quote the entire thing. 

And being the people we are, our pumpkin had a minion design. I mean, it fits in with our collection...

I hope your weekend was filled with lots of fun!

Off to the Fair, North Carolina's Homecoming.

Hey y'all,

So a few months back, the concert tickets for the State Fair went online and I knew a few people after the Florida/Georgia Line tickets (I mean $10 for them is an amazing deal) but my sorority sister lSc ended up tweeting that she had bought two of the Scotty McCreery tickets and wanted to know if anyone was interested. I said of course since I am a huge country music fan and who doesn't love the Fair. Really though, I had not been to the fair since my senior year in college and it used to be a yearly event with my sorority sisters so I was glad to go again. Although the concert was a Monday night it meant the fair was not terribly crowded which I loved. 

So here are some tips for attending the state fair as well as some random photos! ENJOY!

OOTD for the Fair. 

Boots: Belk/Jeans: Target/ Top: OLD NAVY/Scarf: Gift/Bag: Vera Bradley

I think simple as far as fair clothing goes. Jeans, boots and flannel is the way to go for chilly fair evenings. 

Always take a photo of the section you park in. It seems crazy but after a few hours at the fair the worst is forgetting where you parked in the middle of the football stadium.

THE FAIR!

We had great seats for the concert and it was great going with a friend who also didn't know more than Scotty's big hits. With Scotty doing some covers and some new stuff I would say we knew a little more than half of the concert which is fine with me.

YES THERE WERE GIANT BEACH BALLS THAT CAME TO THE CROWD DURING THE CONCERT. 

I can't make this stuff up.

After the concert we were starving since it was 9pm and it was time to indulge in the fair food. Tip, always go with someone who will not judge you when you want fried things.

Yes we did stop for fried food after grabbing some BBQ.

Fried PB&J and Fried Oreos. 

I had the Oreos since they are one of my top fair foods.

If you are able grab a funnel cake to share and head to watch the fireworks!

Other Tips:

If you are not a rides person, THAT IS OK! There is so much going on with the petting zoo, animal and other exhibits as well as concerts too.

Never look at the carnies in the eye when walking past game booths, I can't tell you how much I hate being catcalled like that.

Limit your fried foods. The fair is expensive so go in knowing what you want to spend and enjoy but don't go overboard. 

People watching is probably one of my favorite fair activities and it is free so enjoy seeing all the people who come out.

Go on a week night if possible, it is less crowded and you will have more fun walking around than getting stuck playing real life bumper cars.

Plan where you will park ahead of time and expect lots of traffic. If you go in with that mindset you will be less likely to have road rage and just enjoy your time.

Have fun!

The entire evening was a great chance to catch up with LC. She is one of the most hysterical, sweet people, crafty(she can seriously paint anything even Toms you can check out some of her work here), supportive and I love that we can vent and share similar experiences. While I am sad I will be missing her birthday celebration next weekend I am sure we will celebrate again with Catching Fire. 

Now I am off to detox this week and no more fried food like that until the next fair.

What are your favorite things to do at the Fair? Any other tips? Favorite fried treat?

WILW

Hey y'all,

This week I am loving....

...that I was able to make it to the NC State Fair this year! I love going to the fair and since I missed my county fair for the past few years. I had the best date to the fair, my sorority sister lSc, and we had a ton of fun at the Scotty McCreery concert, but more on that in tomorrow's post.

...my parent's sent me this Halloween package today. Yes, I am 23 and I still get candy and a card.

...that it is Big/Little week and on Saturday I get to welcome home my great-great-grandlittle!

...I am going to the Boston College vs. UNC game this week through work. This will be my 3rd game of the season and I still have Homecoming's game against UVA so I am super excited to go to a total of 4 games for only $50.

...it is finally feeling like fall this week with temperatures in the 60s for a high. It has been perfect weather especially today.

...my new laptop so that I can get back in the swing of things including blogging!

What are you loving?

Who You Are

Hi y'all,

I found this video through friends on Facebook and thought I had to share with you, it is a great message and if you take 3 mins this is one amazing pep talk.

For the Ladies:

For the Men:

I hope you realize that YOU ARE AWESOME! 

James: Sunday Sayings.

Hey y'all,

I just started the She Reads Truth study on James and this weekend my church took a break from their study on Acts and went over a few verses of James 1. This verse really stood out so I thought it would be perfect for this week's motivation for Sunday Sayings.

I hope this verse helps you throughout the week! If you want to join in on the SRT study hop over to their blog.

Last Week's Shenanigans....

Hey y'all,

I HAVE A NEW LAPTOP! Yep, I am officially back to the blogging world and I am so excited to share with y'all about what has been going on. This past week has been chock full of lots of things and I would love to share everything. *warning: lots of photos ahead!

Last Friday my parent's were in town since they were amazing and when my little sister and I started to plan for a birthday celebration including Beauty & the Beast when it came to the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC) they asked if they could come and we said it was ok! So after work I ran home to get ready and wait for the family to arrive. We headed to the American Tobacco Road area for dinner and ended up at Tyler's Tap House. 

 yummy blue cheese chips to start.

herb chicken sandwich and garlic fries

After dinner we decided to take a stroll around the American Tobacco area before heading over and since my Mom had just gotten her iPhone that week so it was a chance to have an impromptu photo shoot and help her learn the settings on her phone.

with the birthday girl/baby sis

selfies with daddy

Then after our photo shoot outside we might have taken a ton of photos in the lobby before they opened the doors for seating.

And the photos continued inside as we waited for the show to start. I must say, thanks to my parent's for our amazing seats and a great night of broadway. The show was great and I might have been lip synching to all the songs since Beauty and the Beast is my favorite Disney movie. I mean, its kind of obvious that Belle is awesome and as a bookworm, who wouldn't want the library?

After that fun filled night you would think the weekend would calm down, but, I spent Saturday morning at Deb's Powderpuff Playoffs, it is the annual event held by PBX in honor of the former Faculty Advisor/current house mom who is a breast cancer survivor. 

The really old Powderpuff shirt I have.

One of the games: PBX vs Phi Mu

What was at stake. 

I mean who wouldn't want this trophy.

What was really great was my second little, mGk surprised me and showed up to the event. It was great to spend some time together and we even got a bib/little picture, our last before cFm found out her little (reveal is next Saturday).

It was a great event and I am so proud(as always) of my sisters putting on a wonderful philanthropy event. The money raised went to an organization that helped Deb in her time of treatment, Get Real and Heel.

Sunday was spent babysitting, cleaning, going on a date at the Duke Gardens and then unwinding with dinner before a Monday full of Chaos!

Monday was deadline day for work and then I left to grab my best friend, aMl, headed to Chick-fil-A and went to my small group before calling it a night. Tuesday was an exciting day for the bestie (I will reveal more later) and I was able to leave work a whole hour early due to dropping her off at the airport. As usual for our lives we promised to grab a picture while she was visiting but during those 24 hours I got a picture instead of the Dickey's BBQ we grabbed since she needed a BBQ fix before she was back to DC since they apparently can't make good BBQ (especially NC style though VA is a neighboring state). 

The rest of my week contained lots of Dayquil since I am battling a cold and then Thursday I did dress up for work for Zero Dark Thursday. 

And, eCs had a similar thought that morning since we were unintentionally twinning (yes people asked if we planned it since we are really good work friends).

Friday was employee appreciation day at Carolina so after free breakfast, lunch and a new water bottle I headed to BestBuy to purchase the laptop I am currently using. 

That was my week in a post, how was your's?

 Have you seen any Disney shows on stage?