Thursday, March 28, 2013

Car Buying Pt. 2

Hey y'all,

So now that you know I have a COROLLA, I figured it was time for the adventures of car buying part 2. If you need a re-fresher here is part 1

So I left you with the discussion of dropping from three possible choices to just one. Well it was a hard decision between the Corolla and the Volkswagon Jetta, however, the Jetta was at the top of my price range and the Corolla I would be more comfortable with my payments. So I slept on the decision and woke up feeling confident with the Corolla. 

But, to make sure, it was off to test drive the Corolla again. I test drove one day after work and felt really confident with my decision so it was time to begin the process of loan paperwork (aka signing away your life). 

So I looked at the dealerships in my area and one had my perfect colored Corolla and worked with my bank often since I was blessed with a car buying services (meaning no haggling prices down, I had a guaranteed savings so my car just had to add in the taxes and all the fees).

So my parent's drove up on Friday to go to the dealership with me, since it is very intimidating to go by yourself for your first purchase and after another test drive (this time in my actual vehicle) and three hours I left with Cora the Corolla. 

Well, low and behold as soon as I drove out of the dealership I realized I couldn't see my dashboard at 8pm and had to drive back with my interior lights showing the way and they then showed me the button. Whoops.

I spent most of Saturday running errands and reading about my car's buttons in the booklet (I still haven't finished reading it). I love my beautiful new car and I am really glad with my decision.

It rained all of Sunday so there was never a really good picture of her this weekend.
Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

WILW

Hey y'all,

Sorry this post is so late. This week I am loving....


....MY CAR!!!! I have a new Toyota Corolla. I will explain more about my decision late but here is a picture of Cora the Corolla.
....that it is a short work week. I am still constantly having to remind myself that I have Good Friday off so only one more day of work this week!

....catching up with friends. This past weekend I got to celebrate LJ's engagement at Top of the Hill and tonight I am grabbing dinner with some more friends from college. It is always great to catch up with people I haven't seen in almost a year!
...eating well. I know that I have gained some weight thanks to the winter months/holidays and my love for mac and cheese but I have been finding some great blogs and recipes thanks to Pinterest and it has been some great motivation. To see some of my food finds click here!

....walk at home videos by Leslie Sansone. I love that I can put in a DVD and have an encouraging walk/zumba-like experience all at home for those cold days you don't want to go to the gym. Plus, walking a mile in 12 minutes is a great workout!

What are you loving this week?


Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Friday, March 22, 2013

Bracket Time!


Hey y'all,

Going to the University of North Carolina will make you become a basketball fan. While I would rather watch football if I had the choice I will always pull for the Tar Heels during March Madness. While it might kill my chances in the office bracket, I do have UNC up until the Final Four (let's hope!). For now though, after last nights games I have 12 right so far so things are looking good.

And here is a video that is making it's way around my office this afternoon:


Peace and Blessings (& GO HEELS),

jDl

New Keys, New Keychain....

Hey y'all,

So it looks like I purchasing a brand new car TODAY(and yes in my mind I said it like the Price is Right announcer)! So in anticipation of my parent's visiting and heading to the dealership I am dreaming of a new keychain for these new keys. Here is what I am thinking....

Smathers & Branson's Bow Ties Needlepoint Key Fob $25
LIFEGUARD PRESS/Jonathan Adler Keychains $18

Whale
Elephant

Options from Etsy:
Acrylic Monogram Keychain $16
Acrylic Monogrammed Chevron Keychain $9.95
Custom Personalized Monogrammed Polka Dot Acrylic Round Clear Keychain 2.75in $12
PREPPY WHALE Personalized KeyChain $10.50
Vineyard Vines $29.50
Whale Tote Key Chain
Whale Key Chain
All thoughts and suggestions are welcome and help me pick out a monogram decal!

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Thursday, March 21, 2013

An Important Cap....

Hey y'all,

For those of you still in school, I wanted to direct you attention to sCe of Summer Wind's post from Tuesday as she featured some cute decorated mortarboards (the cap from your cap and gown). I was very excited to see that my monogrammed Carolina cap was featured. Head on over and see some amazing inspiration.
 
Mom and I at the English Graduation Ceremony

My mortarboard(minus the pearl boarder).
My sorority sister sCm actually decorated it since she has amazing crafting skills. I absolutely love it!
And here are some I found on Pinterest I liked (there is so much inspiration on Pinterest including this board):

Source: Abby on Pinterest

Peace and Blessings, jDl

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

BlogLovin & Literary Junkies Link-Up


Hey y'all,

Since the lovely Google Reader is disappearing, I thought I should join the world of Bloglovin. For those of you who don't use a blog reader, carry on with this post/link-up with the Literary Junkies!

1. What are you currently reading? Tell us about it.

I am currently reading a few books....

Cocktails for Three
Described by GoodReads:
Roxanne: glamorous, self-confident, with a secret lover -- a married man
Maggie: capable and high-achieving, until she finds the one thing she can't cope with -- motherhood
Candice: honest, decent, or so she believes -- until a ghost from her past turns up
At the first of every month, when the office has reached its pinnacle of hysteria, Maggie, Roxanne, and Candice meet at London's swankiest bar for an evening of cocktails and gossip. Here, they chat about what's new at The Londoner, the glossy fashion magazine where they all work, and everything else that's going on in their lives. Or almost everything. Beneath the girl talk and the laughter, each of the three has a secret. And when a chance encounter at the cocktail bar sets in motion an extraordinary chain of events, each one will find their biggest secret revealed.
In Cocktails for Three, Madeleine Wickham combines her trademark humor with remarkable insight to create an edgy, romantic tale of secrets, strangers, and a splash of scandal.
I am only about halfway through the book. It is interesting but not my favorite of Madeleine Wickham's. I will finish but I'm not sure if I would reccommend it.
The Fallen Star
GoodReads Description:
For eighteen year-old Gemma, life has never been normal. Up until recently, she has been incapable of feeling emotion. And when she's around Alex, the gorgeous new guy at school, she can feel electricity that makes her skin buzz. Not to mention the monsters that haunt her nightmares have crossed over into real-life. But with Alex seeming to hate her and secrets popping up everywhere, Gemma's life is turning into a chaotic mess. Things that shouldn't be real suddenly seem to exist. And as her world falls apart, figuring out the secrets of her past becomes a matter of life and death
I am currently at the beginning of this book. It is on my nook as my book to read when I go to the gym but this past week I have been doing a lot of exercises at home so I have yet to pick this one back up.
2. Recommend a book that has changed your perspective on life.
I read this book as part of a Bible Study and it will change your mind and your heart as you realize your perspective on the world and how it relates to your relationship with God. We all need some strategies against the Battlefield of the Mind.
3. What book do you recommend the most to people?
I read so much that it is always so hard to reccomend just one book. I tend to reccommend authors or series I enjoy and it really depends on the person I am reccommending to, but I tend to reccommend Jane Austen, MaryJanice Davidson's Undead series, ANYTHING by Sherrilyn Kenyon, as well as the Argenau series by Lynsay Sands & Imortals After Dark series by Kresley Cole.

4. What are the top 3 books on your "to-read" list?
I just went to the local library yesterday and picked up the following:
The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin
Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close
Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
A Rogue By Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean
First Date by Krista McGee
Right Where I Belong by Krista McGee
Jessica's Guide to Datine on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

5. What do you "do" while reading? (i.e. listen to music, eat) Any weird reading habits?
I tend to read while listening to music but I can really read everywhere.

Join on in with the link-up!
Pink Heels Pink Truck

Monday, March 18, 2013

The Adventures of Car Buying

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Hey y'all,

This past weekend I went home to my parent's house in order to begin my car buying experience. I mean, my mom is kind of an expert having been there for the test drives of my older siblings as well as for her own car. So I thought I would share my experience and some tips!

So my need to purchase a car comes from the fact that the car I currently drive is on loan from my parents. The car I currently drive was one my parent's purchased for the four kids could learn on, drive to high school, etc.  I was actually the first of all the kids to even have a car at college (in-state school perks). It is a decent car, however, my little sister is craving a car for her Senior year at NC State and since I had the car since my junior year at Carolina it is time to return it to her. So, as with my older siblings, the one year after my college graduation deadline is coming up and it's time to be financially responsible for my own vehicle. SCARY!

Step one in this process was to work on a budget, both monthly payment and total of the car so I had a starting point in my research. With bills, student loans, food, etc. I know I have a very specific budget to keep for my car and insurance payments (goodbye shopping, hello car loan). I also talked to my bank and made sure that I was pre-approved to know where my financing would be.

After I began my budget it was on to step two, Research. I knew I wanted a four-door sedan with air conditioning, a radio and power windows. The rest: color, bluetooth, cruise control, etc. were all extra things. I would not compromise on a radio but I would color. I also began to check out what was in my budget parameters and their various safety scores. I plan on having this car for at least 7 years so safety and gas mileage are important. I also decided I wanted only a new car (a warrenty and no worries are a beautiful thing).I looked at places like Edmunds, Car&Driver, and KBB for information.

Step three was to make a list of all the possibilities before going out blindly into the world of test driving. My list looked like this:
Chevrolet Sonic or Cruze
Nissan Versa
Volkswagon Jetta
Dodge Dart
Kia Rio or Forte
Hyundai Accent
Ford Fiesta or Focus
Toyota Corolla
Saturday morning, bright and early, my mom and I adventured into the land of test drives. I must say I thought it was hysterical that at two different dealerships they thought I was sixteen. I know that I was with my Mom and buying my first car but nope, not 16. Test driving included lots of note taking (thank goodness for my May Book) and telling various sales people that NO I would not be making my decision that day (I mean I had to sleep on my college decision between Carolina and U of Richmond, of course I would sleep on a car buying decision).
 
So the next step was to whittle my list down to two or three and then have my Dad look at the specs to make sure that everything looked ok with each of the cars. My final three were:
Volkswagon Jetta
Hyundai Accent
Toyota Corolla
*Apparently I only like the foreign cars
 
All the cars got the approval of my Dad as safe and would be good first time cars that would stand the test of time. So the next thing was to compare prices and monthly payment to make sure I was comfortable. I have since made my decision.I only have to test drive the car one more time to make sure and then it is off to the bank. Here is to hopefully having a car by the end of the month!!!!
 
More to come soon! The rest of the weekend included hanging out with my parent's and Max the cat, a bit of shopping for work clothes, and eatings lots of great food.

What did your weekend entail?
 
Peace and Blessings,
jDl





Sunday, March 17, 2013

Sunday Sayings: Saint Patrick's Day Edition!


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Hey y'all,

So since it is Saint Patrick's Day, I thought it would be great to have an Irish Blessings themed Sunday Sayings this week! I hope you have a lot of fun celebrating the man who taught the Irish about the Trinity with the shamrock. So here we go:


via
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To read more about Saint Patrick the man click here for a special on Biography

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Thursday, March 14, 2013

it's all in the decals

Hey y'all,

So now begins my search for a car and therefore I need to find some cute things to decorate and personalize my car. I have been looking for some adorable additions for my future ride(color choice will be dependent on my car's color.) Now after searching on etsy and local places here are some my top choices, I need YOUR help! I have already purchased greek letters (PBX) for my car and a magnet. Now is the choice of my monogram and then the tough decision about how to display my pride of UNC. 

#1 Circle Monogram with Chevron/Polka Dot/Stripe Background
#2 Interlocking Font Monogram

#3. Polka Dot Interlocking Monogram Decal

#4. Lots of Options: Curlz/Interlocking/Monogram Script/Circle Monogram

#5. Interlocking Monogram with Circle Enclosure
Which choice is your favorite for my monogram of jDl?

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

What I'm Loving....

What Are You Loving?

Hey y'all,

This Wednesday I have a lot of things I have been loving so let's get sharing.

I'm loving...

...guacamole. I don't know about you but some days you just get a craving for things and have to have them. This weekend it was guacamole. I think it comes from having Qdoba with my little, kBb, last week but I ran to Harris Teeter this weekend and I am now content.
....LJ IS ENGAGED! Y'all don't know how excited I was when I got the text Saturday night that LJ had said yes to her charming guy, WS. LJ and I went through Pref Night together back in Fall 2008 and have been friends and sisters ever since.
Alumni Event Spring 2010
Graduation Day!
...the weather has been beautiful this week. This morning was cold again but yesterday truly felt like spring!

...winning a beautiful monogrammed clutch from Cotton's Pickings & Capitol Letters! Now is the hard part of a decision. I am thinking classic brown with dark brown stiching. Thoughts are welcome!
Purchase Here


...my new watches. Yes I did post about purchasing a watch after Spring Break, however, Anne Klein was having an amazing sale last week so I ended up with TWO watches under $95! It was a combination of a sale, clearance and a $20 off coupon!
Gold Tone Link Bracelet

Sporty Two Tone Watch (no longer available)

...test driving this weekend! Yes the purchasing of a car is quickly approaching. I have a deadline of this summer but I think by the end of April I will be driving A BRAND NEW CAR! This is my first really big purchase (apart from my education and apartment) and I am both nervous and excited so of course I will blog my experience and some tips for the rest of y'all. I am looking at 4-door sedans so if you have any recomendations please feel free to chime in!

What are you loving today?

Peace and Blessings,
jDl

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Darling Dresses

Hey y'all,

I don't know about you but I have been itching for beautiful dresses to enter my closet now that today there was some beautiful weather. As much as I love the winter (scarves, Christmas, hot chocolate, my Birthday) everytime March comes around I am restless to throw on a dress, bright colors and enjoy the sunshine. Thanks to wanelo.com (stands for want, need, love) I have found lots of gorgeous dresses I would love to add to my closet especially for some variety in my work wardrobe.

Here are some dresses I am loving....
Express

Express

LOFT

ModCloth

Lilly Pulitzer = the perfect Easter dress

Lilly Pulitzer

ModCloth

Hope's

Hope's

Old Navy
Have you found some darling dresses recently? Feel free to share!

Peace and Blessings,
jDl