Sunday, March 8, 2015

Sunday Sayings {Colossians 3:12}

Hey y'all,

As usual, I like to take my Sundays to reflect on the past week, plan for the upcoming week, and dwell in verses and sayings that inspire me. This verse from Colossians has been on my heart as a list of virtues I want to strive for. When someone wants to know about me I want my friends to list me as compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, and patient. This verse just laid on my heart heavy since the past few months I have let other things come before my service to others and I am glad that I have service built in to the weekends of March. 
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What has been on your heart lately?

Friday, March 6, 2015

February Favorites {2015}

Hey y'all,

I have seen a few bloggers post about their favorite things and I have always loved watching beauty bloggers post their monthly favorites so I thought I would join the band wagon.

Knit Infinity Scarf. This past month has included some crazy weather in North Carolina (think 6 inches of snow) so I have been loving the super warm scarf my bestie, aMl, got me for Christmas. It is so soft and warm and has made these freezing temperatures bearable.

Hard Boiled Eggs. I recently got back into eating hard boiled eggs. I love boiling them on Sunday evenings and storing them in my fridge for the week. They are perfect to top a salad or to make deviled eggs with. 

Kodiak Cakes Pancake Mix. Y'all, the Kodiak Cakes Power pancake mix is delicious and has a ton of protein in it so you will feel nice and full all morning. This has been so handy since one of my favorite snow day traditions is making pancakes. This mix just requires water so it's so simple. Check out Target to find the mix!
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Patagonia Fleece. For Christmas my parents got me my second Patagonia Re-Tool Snap-T pullover. These fleece pullovers are perfect in the winter and I wear both of mine constantly. I have a berry colored one as well as a royal blue one. Since Patagonia just released their spring colors in the Re-Tool Snap-T Pullover, a lot of the past colors are on sale, including the blue one I have. Check it out here.
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Lips are Moving Station. Thanks to Dorothy's post a while back I created a "Lips are Moving" Station on Pandora. It is the perfect station for working out to. I love creating Pandora Stations and then taking those songs I like and making a full playlist on Spotify.

Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. During my snow days and delays, when I wasn't cooking up a storm, catching up on netflix, or working out I did a couple different beauty things like painting my nails, taking a bubble bath and falling back in love with the Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque. This minty masque is under $5 and really helps your skin by absorbing excess oils.
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My last favorite of the month are my parents. They were so sweet to visit and celebrate my birthday. I felt completely spoiled and very loved and I had so much fun just catching up with them since I hadn't seen them since Christmas time. 


What are your favorite things/events from February?

Monday, March 2, 2015

100 Random Questions {Part 1}

Hey y'all,

As I continue to work on the vision of this blog I thought I would do a couple get to know you posts over the next few weeks. I saw this post of 100 random questions and thought this was a great jumping off point. I mean, you can read the Meet Jessica section so here are some things you might not know about me. Since 100 questions would make for the longest post I have written to date I thought I would break this up into two posts and you can read questions 51-100 next Monday.

Q:  Do you sleep with your closet doors open or closed?
A: I think it tends to be open. I always sleep with my bedroom door closed but the asjoining bathroom and closet doors remain open.

Q:  Do you take the shampoo and conditioner bottles from hotels?
A:  No. I tend to bring my own shampoo and conditioner to hotels since I have thick curly hair that needs all the moisture ever.

Q:  Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out? 
A: In. Fun fact, I rarely sleep under the sheets. I sleep under the comforter but the sheets are so restricting that I tend to leave them be.

Q:  Have you ever stolen a street sign before? 
A:  No, I have never heard of the appeal of stealing street signs. Sorry.

Q:  Do you like to use post-it notes? 
A:  Yes! My work desk is covered in them and I might have an entire drawer full in my desk at my apartment.

Q:  Do you cut out coupons but then never use them? 
A:  Yes. I love coupons and I try to use the ones I cut but sometimes I'm not the best at check on them. I do recommend the Southern Savers website for help getting into couponing.

Q:  Would you rather be attacked by a big bear or a swarm of bees? 
A:  I would go with neither but if I have to choose I guess bees?

Q:  Do you have freckles?
A:  Yes. 

Q:  Do you always smile for pictures? 
A:  I try to. I don't think I look great in a serious face mode and then there are the silly pictures which I tend to make a fish face for.

Q:  What is your biggest pet peeve?
A:   I have a handful of pet peeves. I hate when people are late without sending a polite text stating they are on their way. I have a bit of road rage when people drive dangerously. I also hate people who call single initials, monograms.

Q:  Do you ever count your steps when you walk?
A:  I tend to count them when going up stairs. For regular walking, I have a Fitbit Flex that tracks my steps.

Q:  Have you ever peed in the woods?
A:  I think I have way back when I was a little girl scout camping, but that was years ago.

Q:  Do you ever dance even if there’s no music playing? 
A:  All. the. time. I'm also a big car dancer so I hope people are entertained when we sit in traffic.

Q:  Do you chew your pens and pencils?
A:  No! Gross!

Q:  What size is your bed?
A:  A Full. It's just me and it's the perfect size.

Q:  What is your song of the week?
A:  Hmm. I am really loving Lonely Tonight by Blake Shelton featuring Ashley Monroe.

Q:  Is it ok for guys to wear pink?
A:  I think it's fine. I think it needs to be done well.

Q:  Do you still watch cartoons?
A:  Not unless I am babysitting. I do however, still go to the movies to see kids films. Over Thanksgiving, my family went to go see Big Hero 6 together and the youngest of us is 22.

Q:  What is your least favorite movie?
A:  Pretty much any movie that is what I consider "stupid humor." I don't like the Hangover series or Dumb and Dumber.

Q:  Where would you bury hidden treasure if you had some?
A:  I can’t tell!

Q:  What do you drink with dinner?
A:  Water. I haven't been a soda drinker for over a year now.

Q:  What do you dip a chicken nugget in?
A:  BBQ or Ranch

Q:  What is your favorite food?
A:  Beef Stroganoff. My Mom's recipe is the best. It is more of a tomato cream sauce than a gravy. I can post the recipe if I get a lot of requests.

Q:  What movie could you watch over and over again and still love?
A:  Pride and Prejudice (2005).

Q:  Last person you kissed/kissed you?
A:  My last kiss was actually my first kiss. Since I don't kiss and tell I will leave you with that.

Q:  Were you ever a boy/girl scout?
A:  I was a girl scout. I started as a Brownie and quit after I bridged to Cadet.

Q:  Would you ever strip or pose nude in a magazine?
A:  No. I have some major standards of modesty in my life I would like to uphold.

Q:  When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper?
A:  I didn't get around to Christmas cards this year so the last note I sent off to a friend would have to be in late November??

Q:  Can you change the oil on a car?
A:  Nope, but the people at the Toyota dealership are more than happy to help Cora the Corolla.

Q:  Ever gotten a speeding ticket?
A:  No and lets knock on wood that it doesn't happen!

Q:  Ever ran out of gas?
A:  No and it's a fear of mine that it could happen.

Q:  Favorite kind of sandwich?
A:  This is tough. I'm partial to clubs and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Q:  Best thing to eat for breakfast?
A:  For the weekdays: greek yogurt and fruit. For the weekends: scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes!

Q:  What is your usual bedtime?
A:  10:30pm is the goal. I have to be at work at 7:30am so I try to get a good amount of shuteye.

Q:  Are you lazy?
A:  I don't consider myself to be lazy although we all have those days.

Q:  When you were a kid, what did you dress up as for Halloween?
A:  A clown, a gypsy, a hippie, a ballerina, etc.

Q:  What is your Chinese astrological sign?
A:  The Horse.

Q:  How many languages can you speak?
A:  One. English. I did take five years of French and three years of German so I can comprehend them a bit but I can't really speak them.

Q:  Do you have any magazine subscriptions?
A:  I don’t currently. I had one that I let run out. In the past I've had Vogue, Self, and Seventeen but I wasn't reading them enough to make it worth it.

Q:  Which are better legos or lincoln logs?
A:  Legos!

Q:  Are you stubborn?
A:  Yes. It does cause some tension sometimes, especially if you ask my Mom about my stubbornness.

Q:  Who is better… Leno or Letterman?
A:  Fallon. Although, let's be honest. This girl doesn't stay up past 10:30pm most nights so I mainly watch clips from the shows.

Q:  Ever watch soap operas?
A:  Yes. When I was in middle school, I watched Port Charles but I never got into General Hospital or the rest of the Soap Operas.

Q:  Are you afraid of heights?
A:  Yes. I don't do roller coasters, hate flying,  and I didn't even go to the top of the Eiffel Tower. I am a big fan of being on the ground.

Q:  Do you sing in the car?
A:  YES!

Q:  Do you sing in the shower?
A:  Not usually. I sometimes sing when I have the ipod going while taking a bubble bath but I tend to only sing along, not just sing to sing.

Q:  Do you dance in the car?
A:  Yes! My sister and I might have a few coordinated dances to songs.


Stay tuned for next week for the other half of the questions.
What was your favorite thing this past week?

Sunday, March 1, 2015

Sunday Sayings {Rest}

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Hey y'all,

Thank you for allowing me to take time away from my blog and coming back now that we are all back on schedule. We can often get bogged down with various commitments and work but it is most important to remind ourselves to recharge and relax. Some of my favorite ways to relax are to go to the gym and sweat it out, to take a bubble bath, to paint my nails, take a nap, open up a book. We must remember to put down the phone and shut down.

What's your favorite way to relax?

Friday, February 27, 2015

Dropping the Ball

Hey y'all,

I am so sorry for going radio silent since January. Work has been crazy and we have had three snow storms in the last two weeks alone. I mean, I live in North Carolina for a reason. I love the snow but being an adult requires driving in some bad conditions if your office doesn't close and driving in the snow is not fun.

Over the past few weeks I have contemplated giving up on blogging but I love the community that is here on the inter-webs. I thought about all the various things I foresee for this blog and I think I am going to do a couple tweaks. I mean, I will have graduated three years ago in May and I have learned a lot in the past few years. A few of my sorority sisters who are current seniors, KR and AJ, joked that they need lessons on adulting and that I should teach them all I know. I figured that I might start a small series on things I have learned over the last few years called Adulting 101. Things like, how to budget, meal planning for one, creating a work wardrobe, etc. So if you have any ideas for this series of what you want to see go ahead and place them in the comments below.


So now for a quick update of fun things that happened while I was away.
 
Gracie Gold warming up before the Free Skate
I spent four days in Greensboro, NC volunteering and attending the US Figure Skating National Championships. It was a lot of fun working backstage and seeing a lot of important figures in the figure skating world. One day when not volunteering I went up to watch the Senior Men's practice for the long program and attended the Senior Ladies' free skate. It was so cool to be in the arena and you can feel the energy supporting the beautiful athletes. I even was retweeted by Smuckers, one of the main sponsors of the event and my tweet was on the jumbotron.
I found the elusive Strawberry! 
I turned 25! I am officially a quarter of a century old! My birthday weekend actually had some kind of last minute change of plans since my baby sister, kDi, ended up moving to Ohio my birthday weekend so my parents visited me the following weekend. 
For my actual birthday, my roomie rHm got me some Dunkin Doughnuts munchkins and then we headed off to a cycle class. After getting our sweat on, I went to the Carolina Inn for afternoon tea with my roomie as well as part of my sorority family (one of my littles, mGk, and one of my grandlittles, kBm). It was a lot of fun and I highly recommend going to tea at the Inn if you have a chance. I had the Strawberry Delight tea and it was delicious along with all the treats that came with the tea including the best blueberry scones. After tea, I rounded out my birthday with a nice casual dinner at Bad Daddy's Burger Bar with a few friends. It was the perfect way to round out a fun and busy birthday!

The following Saturday, my parents had returned from Ohio and they took me to the local outlet mall for some shopping. It was a great day and we found a lot of deals. After shopping for a few hours, we drove back to the Triangle and headed to the Angus Barn with my roomie. If you have never gone and live in North Carolina, make a reservation and go. The Angus Barn had delicious food, great service, and an amazing atmosphere. Perfect for celebrations. 
Happy Birthday to me!
Between all the celebrations I have been busy babysitting, running (I'm training for the Tar Heel 10 Miler), and dealing with the busy start of the spring semester at work. 

However, last weekend, I took a mini break from all of my errands and typical weekend duties and I ran the Shamrock 'N Run 5K in Chapel Hill presented by Kappa Delta. It was a very cold morning (think 20 degrees before wind chill) but aJe was a wonderful running buddy and I was able to run a personal record. 

What have y'all been up to? What do you want to see for this blog?
Outfits of the Day? Adulting 101? Lifestyle? Workouts? Recipes?

Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Treat Yourself Tuesday

Hey y'all,

As most of y'all know, C.Wonder is going out of business. The newer line to prep obsessed closets will be closing soon and recently I checked on the website and everything has been marked to 75% off! Since it's my birthday month and my current Longchamp is looking a little worse for wear considering I purchased it at the start of my sophomore year of college and I graduated in May 2012 I thought it was time for something new. I thought I would showcase a few other things you can treat yourself to with very limited guilt.

I purchased the Nylon Easy Tote in black but I love the navy and khaki options as well.
Nylon Easy Tote Originally $88 now $22
Here are a few items that caught my eye while browsing the sale:
Stacked Jewels Drama Necklace originally $88 now $22
Decorative Jewelry Box (in multiple colors)
 Originally $78 now $19.50
Luxe Suede Crest Pouch originally $98 now $24.50

There are a lot more items still on the website so go and splurge a little!
Are you shopping this amazing sale?

Friday, January 9, 2015

Five on Friday

Hey y'all,

It has been a crazy busy week for me. As the first full week of work after the holidays and the first week of classes for students I feel like I'm ready for the weekend to start. As usual, I thought I would share five things on this Friday that have been on my radar.

one. TriFABB meet up tonight at Flywheel! Tonight, TriFABB is meeting for their monthly meetup. While this is only my second TriFABB event I am ready to meet everyone as well as enjoy another Flywheel ride. You can read all about my first experience at Flywheel here. Let me know if you are attending!

two. Downton's Back! This Sunday brought the return on Downton for it's fifth season. For those of you who love Downton Abbey, I thought this video of Lady Edith, Mrs. Patmore, and Mrs. Hughes playing Cards Against Humanity was too funny. Warning, this is not the most appropriate video!




three. Happy Birthday, Duchess Kate.It's our favorite Duchess' birthday and of course I had to give her a shout out. I mean, who else has flawless hair, became a princess, and makes the best facial expressions at Wimbledon? 
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four. Book Club this weekend! This weekend I am hosting book club for my friend's group on Madame Tussaud and then on Monday is my work book club's meeting on What Alice Forgot. I guess I need to get reading!

five. Christmas in the Billionaire's Bed. Speaking of reading, while home over vacation I was able to do a lot of reading including this cute and sweet holiday Harlequin book.
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Whatever possessed Emma Braithwaite to move to Silver Glen? She had no illusions that being in Aidan Kavanagh's hometown would reignite the love they'd shared in England years ago. But now that Aidan's returned for his brother's Christmas wedding, it's clear Emma's explosive attraction to the billionaire has lost none of its power.
She is the cool English beauty whose betrayal once shattered his heart. So Aidan's not looking for reconciliation -- all he wants is Emma in his bed! Needless to say, Emma has other ideas: she's not settling for anything less than commitment this time.

My opinion. 
This was a really cute heartfelt story about two people who have a past together and the various misconceptions they believe until discovering those feelings never really stopped. I liked it as a cute read around the holidays.


What are y'all reading? What are you up to this weekend?

Wednesday, January 7, 2015

Wednesday Wishing {Lilly for Target}

Hey y'all,

I'm sure most of you are just recovering from the Lilly Pulitzer After Party Sale but there is some even more exciting news. Lilly Pulitzer is teaming up with everyone's favorite super store, Target, this spring to create fifteen exclusive prints by Lilly Pulitzer artists. The collection will be available in stores and online beginning April 19th. The 250 piece collection includes apparel, accessories and shoes for women and girls as well as home decor, outdoor entertainment accessories, travel essentials, and more. This seems like the best way to kick off spring and summer!
According to Refinery29's article on the collaboration, all of the items will be more Target price friendly as well! Items will range from $2-150. So for those of you like myself who are budget Lilly lovers get ready! Time to start saving for April!
You can follow along with more information at Target's blog or the Lilly for Target account instagram.


Happy Shopping!

*All images are from Target's blog post found here.

Tuesday, January 6, 2015

I'm Back: {Goals for 2015}

Hey y'all,

I am so sorry for the long delay in posting. I ended up getting sick right before Christmas and it was a busy time at the office. I was able to spend a week at my parent's house relaxing, baking, going to the movies (the Hobbit & Into the Woods), and celebrating the birth of Christ. The spring semester starts this week so hopefully I can get back in a nice routine.

Speaking of routine, my word of the year is consistency. I often get really excited and plan on working hard on one thing and then life gets in the way so being consistent is my major goal.

Here are my other goals for the year:

-read 105 books. I love to read and this goal just pushes me to remember to turn off the computer and get reading. Social media can be consuming and getting lost in a good book is a great alternative.

-run a 10 miler. I am signed up for the Tar Heel Ten Miler in April and my goal is to run the entire race! I'm starting my training plan TODAY so we have plenty of time to get in some runs before the big day.

-work on my flexibility with weekly yoga. I was a dancer for most of my childhood but have since let my flexibility go to the wayside. I'm thinking that Sunday yoga would be a great way to refocus before the start of the work week. I went to my first studio practice at my gym on New Year's Day and it was great to spend an hour focusing and stretching.

-maintain a budget. I am that person that writes out the budget and loosely sticks to it but my goal is to be diligent about purchasing especially with my main goal of paying off all my student loans and my car before I'm 28.

-keep up healthy lifestyle. Last April I began to workout more and change my eating habits and I want to keep up those changes and focus on them a bit more especially after a bit to much holiday party eating.

-blog 3x a week, minimum. I love the outlet of blogging and all of the different people I have met through my blog so my goal is to consistently blog 3 times a week. 

-Stop wasting food. I think this is hard for a lot of people and cooking for one can be hard but after reading this blog post I knew I had to add this to my goals list.

What are your big goals for the year?

Thursday, December 25, 2014

Merry Christmas!

Hey y'all,

I just wanted to wish you a Merry Christmas! I hope you enjoy the day with your family.