à la mode

I love this week.

2011-12-13T23:00:00.002-06:00

Let me tell you why:

I've been listening to a lot of Christmas songs, and that always puts me in a great mood. Our favorite local radio station has been playing Christmas music nonstop, and last night I may have downloaded 55 Christmas songs... Here's the ones I got: A Very She & Him Christmas by She & Him (after listening to it for months on Spotify), The Christmas Sessions by MercyMe (maybe my favorite... it's got all the classics), Hey! It's Christmas Vol. 1 and 2 and Carol of the Bells by BarlowGirl (my favorite version of this song right now).

My sister came up for a surprise visit last night and was able to spend the night with us. We ate really good food, drank coffee (umm... three times... I'm a little embarrassed to admit that) and had really good conversations. And tomorrow, I get to drive down to her house to stay a couple of days.

On Friday, my love and I are going out of town for the weekend to visit some of my very favorite people. I'm so excited. Our weekends at their house are usually spent around the campfire, making s'mores and eating great food, shopping and thrifting, discovering new movies, talking about old times and having really wonderful late night conversations.

Tonight my little sisters, our mom and I finally saw Hugo. I thought it was brilliant and so beautiful! And it was the best 3D movie since Avatar, if you ask me. I can't wait to see it again already.

On Saturday, we spent the morning serving our city's unfortunate families, providing Christmas gifts and food to help them make it through the holidays. Serving others is so important to me, and the whole thing was very humbling. After, we met up with my Grandmother and lots of ladies from her hometown at Crystal Bridges, and then Mom, Richard and I discovered a really great new coffee place. I'm obsessed with their vanilla honey latte!

I hope your week is going as well as mine! I'm so happy and thankful right now. It's a good point in time for me. :)

2011-12-11T23:20:00.001-06:00

It's been 13 days since I last posted? How did that happen? I guess time flies when you're as busy as I've been these past few weeks. I've been busy with school work and finals, family events, Christmas shopping, Christmas decorating, a short road trip and just all the things that go along with day to day life.

Tonight I downloaded 54 Christmas songs. I guess you could say I'm really in the Christmas spirit this year. Last year, it just seemed like Christmas snuck up on me and then flew by. I loved it, of course, but I just didn't get very into it. So I'm making up for that this year by keeping up with old traditions, starting new ones, spending every day with loved ones and making every moment special. There are so many things I want to do this season! It feels like it's moving by so quickly, but I'm determined to squeeze in everything I want to do. I'm really, really happy right now.

Here's a peak at my Christmas tree. I never thought I'd be one of those people with a themed Christmas tree, but purple and silver sounded like a great idea, and I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll show you the details of our tree and some other Christmas decorations around our apartment soon!

2011-11-29T23:24:00.001-06:00

I've been sick this week, but my family's pretty Christmas trees (yes, that's trees with an "s." One tree is not enough in this family) made me smile yesterday when I popped in for a visit. Our family does Christmas really, really big. My mom is big into decorating the inside of the house, and my dad, brother and Richard go crazy with Christmas lights around the house and yard. There is something so peaceful about Christmas decorations. I love the look of a lit, decorated tree with presents piled underneath, garland, ornaments and all of the creative decorations my mom has put around my family's house. Everything looks so cheery; this is truly my favorite time of year!

I'll post about my Christmas decorations this week, too. Do you celebrate Christmas? If so, do you go all out with decorating?

1. What you see when you walk in the front door!

2. The big living room tree.

3 & 4. Cute ornaments from my childhood.

5. Stockings on the mantel for my siblings and I and our pets.

Please excuse the mess.

2011-11-27T23:31:00.001-06:00

We just got back from a week-long trip two hours south to visit our families. We had such a wonderful Thanksgiving week, despite the fact that Richard's hometown flooded Tuesday night and many houses and businesses around town were damaged. We had the best time visiting with our families and friends. We ate so much good food (specifically Grandmother's cranberry sauce, Aunt Rin's sweet potato casserole, and, of course, my dad's deep-fried turkey). And, as you can tell, we did way too much shopping. (I'm not even sure how all of this fit in our car on the drive home!)

I'm glad to be home, and I'm even more excited about the fact that I only have two weeks left of this semester. But I came home sick and am very worried about how I'm going to manage to accomplish all the things I have to accomplish this week when all I want to do is snuggle up on the couch with a blanket and a box of tissue.

How was your Thanksgiving?

Red cup.

2011-11-17T22:35:00.001-06:00

I'm officially in the Christmas spirit, thanks to this little red cup and A Very She & Him Christmas. We've finally started our Christmas shopping, and I love bundling up, grabbing some coffee and heading out into the cold with my love to shop for our family and friends. It's such a happy time of year!

If you're wondering why I haven't been around lately, let me tell you. I had four tests and lots of homework. I have been working on three articles for the paper. My best friend came to visit for the weekend. We went to the opening of a world-class art museum, which opened in my town last weekend (more about that later); went to Eureka Springs; ate lots of good food and shopped for books; spent hours in my bed, talking and laughing about old times and reading David Sedaris stories to each other and drinking wine; and just had a really great time together. Basically, I've been super busy. It's that time of the semester when everything starts getting really stressful, and hard tests/projects/papers become a daily occurance. Sigh! Thankfully I will be done with this little thing called college in May.

How are you?

I feel bad for people who don't like football.

2011-11-08T23:46:00.000-06:00

There is nothing like college football (and more specifically, SEC football). Nothing compares to cheering on your favorite team alongside 72,000 fans, calling the Hogs and participating in all the other fun, silly traditions that countless University of Arkansas students and Razorback fans have been participating in for so many years. I'm so proud of where I go to school, our football team and the many traditions that are so important to our student body!

I went to the Razorback game with my mama on Saturday. We played South Carolina, and we killed 'em, 44-28! Although we were ranked 7 in the nation last week and beat a Top 10 team, our ranking is now 8. I don't understand that reasoning at all,
but I guess we'll take it. It was sooo cold, and we didn't have very good seats, but it was still so, so, so much fun!

So, the point is, if you don't like football, I feel bad for you. You really don't know what you're missing out on. Just saying. ;)

*I haven't charged my camera in over a month, so I apologize for all the poor quality iPhone pictures you've been seeing over here lately!

2011-11-03T22:49:00.001-05:00

This week was so rough. It seemed like everything went wrong, although now I realize that it certainly could have been much worse. Still, it was a tough week for me. But I prayed a lot. And you know what? Those prayers were answered in ways that I couldn't have imagined, and for the most part, everything ended up working out. It was a hard few days, but it served as an excellent reminder that I'm not in control, and I need to be more faithful and trusting.

One thing that did make me happy, though, was walking out on my balcony and seeing how beautiful this tree is right now! I don't know how I didn't notice it until just yesterday. (And I didn't edit that picture at all... it's really that bright!)

Happy November!

2011-11-01T14:26:00.000-05:00

Can I just say how happy I am that Halloween is over? I never get really into Halloween, but this year, I was feeling it even less. I didn't dress up or put up any Halloween decorations or do anything exceptionally fun. But I can't tell you how happy I am that it's November! That means Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away, which means I'll get time off from school and get to see my wonderful family. That also means that Black Friday is soon, and I'm one of those weirdos who gets sick enjoyment out of that. It means the end of the semester is coming up! And most importantly, Christmas is right around the corner, which means I can finally start listening to the She & Him Christmas album loud and proud without worrying about being judged.

1. Driving home from Branson, Missouri last weekend.

2. My poor little panda sister sprained her ankle the day before Halloween.

3. Pretty leaves and watching the sunset from Mount Nebo.

4. Scattered leaves on the Senior Walk.

5. Sparkly pumpkins and homemade caramel apples.

6. The entrance to my parents' neighborhood is gorgeous right now.

Beirut

2011-10-28T23:24:00.003-05:00

I'm in love with Beirut right now, and this song (Goshen) is one of my favorites. It's beautiful and magical. What bands are you really liking right now? I'm always looking for new music!

Guess who's going to graduate in May!

2011-10-27T22:30:00.000-05:00

{The trees on campus are so pretty right now! I'm going to miss this place a tiny bit.}

Tonight I applied for graduation! I can't believe I'm finally going to get out of here! (I kind of didn't really think it was ever going to happen.) It's such an exciting, scary, unsure and overwhelming feeling. It's terrifying to think about moving on and leaving behind the routine that's become my life. It's even more terrifying to think that I probably won't be in this town a year from now; who knows where I'll be? But I know good things are going to happen.

It amazes me how quickly my college years have passed by. Four years ago, I was a freshman at Missouri State University in Springfield. It was a campus where I knew no one, a town that I knew very little about, and it was 12 hours from my home in Auburn, Alabama. The two years I spent in Springfield were incredibly full of ups and downs. It was thrilling! It changed me so, so much. It's where I fell in love for the first time, got my heart broken for the first time, lived away from my parents for the first time, made friends with people I'll never forget and experienced my first taste of true freedom.

By the end of my sophomore year, I knew I didn't belong in Springfield anymore, so I transferred to the University of Arkansas, which was only 30 minutes away from my family's new home. I love it here - it's where my family is and where I met the love of my life, after all - but I've never felt like I belong here. It's been a great place to study journalism and spend my early 20's, and I'm thankful for the time I've had here. But I'm ready to move on to the next stage of my life, with this wonderful man by my side.

So yeah, I applied for graduation tonight. I guess it hasn't really hit me yet that I'll be out of here in May. The next few months are going to be a wild ride, but I'm so ready!

(Also, look at my pretty new blog design! Camilla over at Champagne Bubbles made it for me, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out. She was such a joy to work with! I'd recommend her to anyone who wants a pretty blog makeover. :)

Hi! Ten facts:

2011-10-20T19:31:00.005-05:00

{Pretty roses in pink paper for my sisters.}

1. It's been cold here. By cold, I mean 20 something degrees in the morning and high 40's/low 50's for highs. And while everyone else is complaining about the drastic change in temperatures, I could not be happier. Hello, scarves! Hello, sweaters!

2. This week was my fall break. I spent it in a tiny town in Missouri with my love, where he's on a three-week business trip. I pretty much locked myself in our hotel room and got lots of things done. It was so nice.

3. I've started doing yoga pretty much everyday. Well, at least one sequence of poses each day. My arms are getting more toned; my body feels so much stronger; my posture is improving; and, most importantly, I'm learning to let go of tension in my muscles. It's truly the best feeling!

4. I got a 108 on my first test in Editing. Then I got a 95 on my second one and was disappointed. Too bad I can't borrow some points from that class and send them over to my Biology class!

5. I finally enjoy and am somewhat good at thrifting.

6. Tomorrow I'm filming a TV show. Let's not talk about it.

7. I've been traveling a lot lately. More about that later.

8. I discovered that I really like hiking.

9. I really love the people in my life.

10. I plan on spending the rest of tonight in my bed with iced coffee and all the magazines I've neglected over the past couple of months. Hooray!

Wanderlust (again)

2011-09-23T13:59:00.004-05:00

Australian independent filmmaker Rick Mereki spent 44 days traveling through 11 countries, and these beautiful short films document the places he visited, the things he learned, the people he interacted with and the amazing food he ate. A few weeks ago, I talked about having some major wanderlust. I always, always have a case of wanderlust, but after watching these videos, I think it's possibly even worse.

P.S. Isn't Rick Mereki handsome?

P.P.S. Found via A Cup of Jo.

Life in Instagrams

2011-09-18T19:37:00.004-05:00

Life has been treating me really well lately. I have nothing to complain about. School and working at the paper are stressful, of course, but both are incredibly rewarding. Want to see a little bit of what I've been up to lately? Here are some of my favorite Instagrams from lately:

We went to the beach. Here's the rides on the boardwalk from like a bazillion feet in the air.

The beach!

The view from the bayhouse we stayed in. It was lovely. And would you believe that a tropical storm came along and blew all that water away from the shore the next day? It was so crazy.

Packing for a weekend getaway.

The most beautiful candy store!

I love head scarves. Even when I do put them on crooked.

I'm writing a fashion column at out paper. It's wonderful to get paid to do what you enjoy!

Sheldon loves sweet tea. We love Sheldon. ♥

I love Fayetteville!

2011-09-01T22:48:00.003-05:00

Today I'm over on Bucket List Nation, a blog about wanderlust and travel and Kalyn's really beautiful bucket list, talking about just a handful of the things I love about Fayetteville. You should read it, and all the other posts on BLN. It's one of the most inspiring blogs I've ever come across.

Today in numbers.

2011-08-23T20:54:00.002-05:00

Number of flights of stairs I climbed: 16.

Number of dollars it will take to fix my car, which broke today: 165.

Number of dollars I spent on parking: 12.

Number of dollars I spent on breakfast and lunch: 11.

Number of classes I had: 3.
Number of stories I edited or wrote today: 4.

Number of times I laughed because my PR teacher is Dolly Parton with dark hair: 15+.

Number of hours I worked: 5.

Number of hours I slept last night: 6.5.

Number of hours I'm going to sleep tonight: 10.

I hope tomorrow is better, less tiring, and filled with more things I want to do and less things I have to do. But I'm pretty sure that last part is impossible with my school + work schedule this semester. Sigh.

We live in a beautiful world.

2011-08-22T22:48:00.004-05:00

I've had some major wanderlust lately. This isn't good, because I just started my final year of school and a new job, and I need to be concentrated on where I am right now. But this world is so overwhelmingly beautiful, and I can't stand the thought of not exploring as much of it as possible. I've never been content with staying in one place (even though I love where I live). I want to see it all. Here are some things that I'd love to do or see:

Dreamy Santorini, Italy.

Tubing in Colorado. I've been to Colorado twice, and it's possibly my favorite state.

Italy is beautiful, apparently.

Italy, again.

Beautiful views in Montana.

On the beach in Portugal.

A fern canyon in the California Redwoods.

Canoeing in Slovenia. Gorgeous.

And yeah, I'm hoarding all of these images (and more!) over on my Pinterest. See, I told ya... I'm truly obsessed.

And then I got Pinterest and was never productive again.

2011-08-15T20:47:00.003-05:00

Do you have Pinterest? I'm addicted and completely smitten. I've always hoarded pretty images of food, fashion, homes, and people on my desktop, and I'm very happy that Pinterest allows me to have a massive organized collection of photos online rather than in random folders on my computer. My desktop is happy and thankful for Pinterest, too. Here are some of my favorite images that I've pinned:

I think this is the prettiest outfit ever. I would wear that skirt everywhere.

I need this in my home. So beautiful.

A pretty wedding in Arkansas. I love my state.

This is next up on a list of DIYs for our apartment. Found via this blog.

This is one of the prettiest headboards I've seen.

This is a photo of the Grey Dog vintage boutique in Fayetteville, which is in a 1973 Airstream camper. I discovered it while writing an article on it for our newspaper. It's such a perfect, inspiring shop, and the owner, Molly Clark, is the nicest girl I've met!

These colors are pretty. Found via this Tumblr.

This bed looks comfy, and those colors are so pretty.

I've never been a beach gal, but I can't think of anywhere I'd rather be than right here, right now.

If you don't have Pinterest, sign up, follow me, and I'll follow you back. It's fun!

I'm twenty-two!

2011-08-10T21:23:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday was my 22nd birthday. And it was my best birthday ever. That's saying a lot, because I've had some really good birthdays (for instance, my friends threw me an insane 17th surprise birthday party, and I turned 18 on a cruise ship in Mexico with my very best friends).

It was so good because I got to spend it with most of my favorite people: my family, my friends, and my love. On Friday, I went up to Springfield to hang out with Ashley and other friends. We ate good food and danced. On Saturday, we went to Red Velvet (!) and I ate a red velvet cupcake and drank raspberry bubble tea... and it was so good, I may have ordered peach bubble tea immediately after. Elsie even gave me red heart shaped sunglasses for a birthday present! Then we came home, and I got to go to dinner with 12 of my favorite people on this earth. And I finished off my birthday by opening sweet, unexpected gifts, eating a cake that was as beautiful as it was delicious, and listening to live music with my favorite girls. It was the best! I'm a lucky girl.

Photos:

1. The adorable Sweet Shoppe at Red Velvet.

2. My birthday cake was made of buttercream white roses. So pretty and tasty.

3. The sunglasses Elsie gave me for my birthday! And the letters I made for Richard and I, which sit on our dresser.

4. Raspberry bubble tea + red velvet at Red Velvet.

5. Card from my little sisters! I'm not sure why it's upside down.

6. Nanna made me cupcakes!

7. Vintage ballet flats from Nanna (she also gave me a Polaroid camera!).

8. Chandelier above the dance floor.

Things.

2011-08-09T22:35:00.003-05:00

Things I'd rather be doing than working right now:

*cooking Pioneer Woman recipes. Specifically this or this.

*repinning pretty pictures on Pinterest.

*reading my favorite blogs.

*eating a Big Mac. Yes.

*playing Super Nintendo with my lover.

Things I'd change about my life right now:

*I want crisp fall weather and chilly snow days, not this 110+ degree junk.

*I want more time to study the books I found at the library about where I'm from. What a nerd, I know.

*I also want more time to read magazines.

*And, I want more time to go to the gym or do yoga, too.

*nothing else.

Journaling.

2011-08-01T12:20:00.001-05:00

I'm terrible at keeping a journal. And believe me, with all the opportunities, excitement, drama, and craziness that's come along during my 21 years of life, I should have been keeping one. I tried buying pretty, fancy journals, but I'd only write in them once or twice and then retire them forever. I tried keeping a personal blog, but that didn't work either. I tried writing little snippets of what I did each day on my calendar, but somehow, that even seemed to take too much time.

I'm a writer. I plan to spend my life writing for a living. I love to write. So it doesn't make any sense that I haven't been keeping a journal all these years. And I really, really wish I would have.

Right now is the start of a really big year for me. I'll be 22 this Saturday (eek!). I'm starting my final year of my undergraduate degree. I'm working as an assistant editor for a newspaper. I'm only a few months from entering the real world, getting a real job, buying a house, doing grown-up things. Things are about to change a lot.

On that note, I'm going to attempt to blog regularly, at least 3 or 4 times a week, even if it's just a picture or a quote or a few words detailing what happened that day.

But not this week! I'm leaving town tomorrow to celebrate my birthday all week... Look for me next week! ;)

Happy birthday, Arkansas!

2011-06-15T20:43:00.005-05:00

It's no secret that I love Arkansas. I've traveled all over the country and in a few other countries, too, and nothing compares to this place I call home. No, I don't believe Arkansas is the prettiest place in the world (although parts of it are absolutely gorgeous), and I know it's not the most exciting. But it's my home state, and no matter where I go, my heart will always be with the people and places I love so much here.

Today is this beautiful state's 175th birthday, and to celebrate, the Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism released a list of the top ten places to visit here. I read this list, and while I agreed with part of it, I decided to make my own list.

Here are my top 11 (I couldn't narrow it down to just ten!) favorite sites in the state:

My very favorite: Sunset Point on Mount Nebo in Dardanelle. Two of our best friends live at the base of this mountain, so we're able to go there a lot. And that makes me really happy. Sunset Point makes me happier than just about anywhere else on this earth.

Downtown Eureka Springs. There's nowhere in the world like it. I especially love the Flat Iron Building.

Bathhouse Row in Hot Springs. Most of the bathhouses are no longer used, but it's so fun to think of how packed this place was in the early 1900s when people believed the springs had magical healing powers!

Mount Magazine in Paris. It's the tallest mountain in the state, and it's my favorite place for long drives in the fall.

Walton's Five and Dime. Aka the original Walmart! This is in Bentonville, where I live. This place is so cute and old fashioned. Living in the same town as the Walmart Home Office means lots of opportunities to meet all the celebrities who are always in town. That's my favorite thing about living here!

Twin Falls in Jasper. There are just no words for the beauty of it.

Thorncrown Chapel in Eureka Springs. I adore this place! It's so peaceful and gorgeous.

Arkansas-Texas state line in Texarkana. Taking a picture in front of that sign never gets old.

Petit Jean State Park in Morrilton. The history of Petit Jean is so rich, and the views from the mountain are breathtaking.

Haw Creek Falls in Fort Douglas. I have so many wonderful memories of picnics with my Nanna and Poppa here. It is lovely.

The State Capitol Building in Little Rock. Oh, it's pretty!

And here is one to grow on (that makes 12, oops!):

The University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. Old Main is my favorite (and the most famous) building on campus. And there's nothing like Razorback football!

What state or country do you live in? Have you ever been to Arkansas? If so, what did you think of it?

*Photo credits: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13.

Summer via my iPhone.

2011-06-06T14:26:00.013-05:00

Hydrangeas. Weddings. Coffee smoothies/iced coffee (I might have a coffee problem). Night swimming. Sweet tea in Mason jars. Lemon meringue pie. Flea markets. Road trip planning.

I'm enjoying this summer so much already! ♥♥♥

This week:

2011-05-11T19:17:00.001-05:00

I rode roller coasters and waterslides with my love and some friends and got a major sunburn.
I had the privilege of attending a keynote address given by the Dalai Lama. It was amazing. More on that later.
I planted some things: basil, parsley, and pink zinnias, to be exact. Let's all cross our fingers and hope they grow (unlike those pretty gerber daisies I killed last year).
I had breakfast early in the morning with my Nanna. She made chocolate gravy and biscuits, and all felt well in this world.
I got to spend an entire day with my oldest sister. This rarely happens! It was so fun.
I realized that I ~~need~~ have to stop drinking so much caffeine. But that will have to wait until next week when Starbucks no longer has half price drinks. Eek!

*Photo of my little sister Hali on her 10th birthday last month. See, caffiene addictions run in our family!

I like where I live.

2011-05-10T18:15:00.007-05:00

I love it here. I love sitting on top of the mountain with Richard, drinking coffee and planning our future together. And that last picture? That's the view of our favorite mountain from the other side of the river. We think it's beautiful.

Oh, and I love fresh flowers, too.

*Even though we got a fancy camera last month, I still love taking photos with my iPhone. ♥

The border between Arizona and Mexico

2011-05-03T13:16:00.001-05:00

This cracks me up. Oh, how times have changed...

{via Kenza}

Friday.

2011-04-29T14:40:00.002-05:00

Yes, I did wake up at 4 a.m. to watch William and Kate tie the knot. And it was so worth it; the wedding was gorgeous, classy, splendid, and regal. Why can't I be Kate Middleton? (By the way, Kate requesting to go from "Kate" to "Catherine" overnight aggravates me to no end. Plus she got that fancy new Duchess title... she is still Kate Middleton to me!)

This week was so crazy. I had a presentation, a paper, events to attend, an article to write, tons of reading to finish, desserts to make for a friend, six loads of laundry to wash and put away, a messy home to clean, kids to babysit, phone calls to make. Ugh. I'm so happy it's Friday, and school gets out next week!

Tonight is date night with my love. And I'm really excited. That is all.

Wednesday.

2011-04-27T22:22:00.003-05:00

This dreamy print makes me smile, and it also makes me want a beach vacation.

I'm planning to do some serious redecorating in my apartment this summer, and while I still have no idea what style I'm going for in my bedroom, bathroom, and living room, I can imagine that this gorgeous print by 20x200 would be gorgeous just about anywhere.

{via A Cup of Jo}

New Orleans

2011-04-22T13:38:00.011-05:00

Yesterday, I flew down to New Orleans to be with my boyfriend who's been working here for a few weeks. I kind of have a love-hate relationship with New Orleans. Most of the people here are friendly, the history is so rich, and there is nothing in this world that can compare to the French Quarter. But the humidity keeps my hair inexplicably frizzy and the sheets on our hotel bed feeling clammy, and I'm not a fan of the rotten smell of the stagnant water in the French Quarter. I can absolutely get over that, though; I'm so excited to spend this weekend eating great food, exploring my favorite historic places, and finally being with my love again!

Here are some of my favorite photos from my last visit to New Orleans:

Charbroiled oysters with shrimp and mushroom fondue at Drago's.

St. Louis Cathedral - my favorite.

Eerie St. Louis Cemetery #1.

Beignets and iced cafe au lait at Cafe du Monde.

The sweetest home in the French Quarter!

Bee Sweet Cupcakes. This was the first cupcake shop I'd ever been to, and it started a long, unhealthy obsession with red velvet cupcakes for me.

Life is hard.

2011-04-19T12:24:00.006-05:00

But it sure is beautiful.
{photo by Naomi}

Tuesday

2011-03-08T14:13:00.004-06:00

These prints by Christine Lindstrom are so magical and inspiring. They all remind me of one of those really good dreams that you don't want to wake up from!

happiness

2011-02-06T19:00:00.012-06:00

Sometimes, all it takes to make me happy on a Saturday afternoon is sparkly nail polish, a stack of magazines, a new ring, & mini-red velvet cupcakes.

Last week, we had two big snowstorms, so I only had to go to school one day! We watched movies, drank coffee, trekked through the snow to get takeout & went sledding everyday. Last night, we braved the roads, & I took my love out for his belated birthday dinner. Then we went to see a movie with my family. It was such a wonderful week & weekend!

A little vacation in Louisiana.

2011-01-17T00:43:00.019-06:00

{Spanish moss at the St. Francisville Inn}

This past week, I went down to St. Francisville, Louisiana with Richard, which is where he will be working for the next two weeks. I'll be honest; I've never really been a fan of Louisiana. I'm not big on humidity, swamps, alligators, or land so flat that you can see for miles (gotta have my mountains in sight!). But this trip changed my mind a teeny, tiny bit. I'm definitely not considering relocating, but I kind of fell in love with the historical homes, Spanish moss, and soul food (fried chicken, collard greens, cornbread, oh my). Plus, I'm all about a change of scenery from time to time.

{This is what happens on a Friday night in St. Francisville. In a town with 1,500 people, no Walmart, and only three restaurants, you kind of have to make your own fun.}

{We passed by this cute church on an evening walk through downtown Jackson.}

{My love at the Magnolia Cafe. We loved their crawfish salad and Mag special sandwich.}

{And guess what we did on Saturday night! Yep.}

{Beautiful Louisiana State Capitol in Baton Rouge just before dusk.}

{That place is huuuuge.}

{Downtown Baton Rouge is lovely.}

{Byeee, Baton Rouge. Byeee, Richard.}

goals.

2011-01-13T13:19:00.006-06:00

I'm not a big fan of making New Year's resolutions. It's just that I can never seem to keep them. There have been so many years that I've said I would get in excellent shape, become more organized, get all A's... and those things just never happened! Although I'm not big on resolutions, I believe in setting realistic, achievable goals; for me, it is the best way to accomplish things that are important to me without being too harsh on myself.

Here are a few things that I hope to accomplish this year and practice throughout my life:

1. Stop worrying so much. I'm a worrier, and I tend to worry about things that a) don't matter or b) are way beyond my control. It is such a self-destructive habit, and this year I'm going to work on not stressing out over insignificant things.

2. Get healthier. I need to exercise more, eat better, drink more water (and less sweet tea), and take my vitamins every day. I want to live a full, long life, and there is no better time than the present to develop healthier habits.

3. Be a better sister, daughter, granddaughter, girlfriend, friend. I think I am a good sister already, but I know that I need to be an even better role model for my little sisters who are 9 and 12. Plus, I want to spend as much time with them as possible before they grow up and realize they are far cooler than I will ever be.

4. Be more giving of myself. I believe our purpose in life is to serve each other, and I don't feel like I have been serving anyone but myself lately. It is time to forget about myself for awhile and focus on the needs of others.

5. Spend more time in prayer and studying scriptures. Everything else will follow.

Give thanks.

2010-11-22T13:17:00.005-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving week! This is my second favorite week of the whole year... I'm so happy it's finally here! I'll be visiting my family for the next week- sooo excited to see all of them, eat turkey & dressing, & score some great deals at 4 am on Black Friday (yes, I'm one of those people)!

Here are a few things that I'm incredibly thankful for: my Heavenly Father, my love, my weird family, my even weirder friends, cold weather, Tetris, the blogs I read daily that give me so much inspiration, sweet tea, red lipstick, & all of the silly little things that I take for granted every single day.

What are you thankful for? Have a wonderful Thanksgiving with the ones you love the most!

update.

2010-11-15T21:42:00.006-06:00

i have kind of fallen in love with my state this autumn. especially the mountains- the views here are so beautiful. and the trees! i have never seen such beautiful reds, golds, oranges, and yellows on fall trees like the ones we've seen this year.

thanksgiving is so soon. i'm so excited to eat fried turkey (yesss, fried) and sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and casserole and all of grandmother's cooking and pumpkin desserts.... i make myself so hungry sometimes.

i have exactly 14 classes left until the end of the semester. bring on the winter and snow and christmas (and good grades, please)!

i'm happy that i have friends who will play apples to apples with me all day & night, watch youtube until 3am, and wander around walmart looking at baby clothes & kitchen gadgets. yes.

i love taco john's queso and churros. the end.

Is it really only Monday? It must be at least Thursday, right?

2010-11-01T20:35:00.007-05:00

Today I am:

*thankful for hot tea with lemon and honey, Nyquil/Dayquil, Robitussin, Vick's Vapor Rub Patches (have you seen those? brilliant!), warm blankets. It's my third time being sick in a month, and I've got a serious smoker's cough (and I don't smoke).
*thankful for my love. This has been one bad month, and I'm not certain that I would still be sane without his love, support, and kind words.
*thankful that my love doesn't make fun of me for saying funny things in my sleep.
*thankful for soup, sweet tea (always), Wendy's Frosties, Momma's Mexican cornbread.
*thankful for the new Taylor Swift cd. Yes, I'm one of those people.
*thankful for the movie Elf. Sophomore year, I watched it every single day for about a month. While getting ready for school in the morning, after school, late at night, middle of the night...- oh yeah!
*thankful for my family. All of them. Momma, David, sisters, brothers, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. They are hilarious, supportive, honest, wise, caring, selfless, beautiful, and I love them very much.
*thankful for health insurance and Obamacare (on my parents' insurance until I'm 26? Thank you, sir).
*thankful for answered prayers. Nothing is more important or more amazing than that.

On the Road to L.A.: Route 66

2010-09-28T23:54:00.017-05:00

And the road trip posts begin! On the night of July 12th, Kristal, Jaime and I loaded up Jaime's brand new Honda Pilot (and I do mean we loaded it up... pack rats, we are) and rolled out of town just before midnight. Before we even made it 60 miles to the state line, Kristal had a new nickname, and clothes started coming off (I promise, this is not as risque as it sounds). We drove all night, thanks to Red Bull, gas station coffee doctored up with just about fifty packs of sugar and ten ounces of half and half, and good music. We drove all the way through Oklahoma, stopping at sketchy gas stations throughout the night, and made it toAmarillo, Texas just after the sun came up. And we made sure to sing "Amarillo By Morning."

After a little nap and a shower, we slipped on our sundresses, grabbed ourselves some Starbucks (Starbucks will be a common theme in this road trip story) and hit the road. Oh, and Kristal made sure to sing "On the Road Again" every single time we hit the road! Before getting out of Amarillo, we stopped at the Cadillac Ranch, which is a sad, rundown, muddy place, but we loved it.

We only drove 400 miles that day, because we took Route 66 for much of the way and stopped in lots of cute nearly abandoned towns to photograph old motels and restaurants. Route 66 is magical! It's such a unique part of history, and I'm so happy that I was able to experience it. We drove through the rest of Texas and made it to Tucumcari, New Mexico before dusk. Tucumcari is such an intoxicating Route 66 town. The motels and restaurants there are classic, picture perfect little places.

We continued to drive through New Mexico. We ate the best burgers and fries of our lives at a gas station in New Mexico. We also met a mean old man at a gas station and saw a crumbly, broken old church in New Mexico. We saw the lowest clouds ever in New Mexico! We stopped at Dunkin' Donuts for some necessary iced coffee and treats in Albuquerque, New Mexico. We really just loved New Mexico.

We stopped at a hotel in Gallup, New Mexico very late that night for some much needed sleep and a shower. Ohh, that's right, our shower DID NOT WORK. Insignificant things like broken hotel showers are what make life interesting, eh? I do believe so.

The Cadillac Ranch

Pssst. Don't let them fool you. They're not Caddies!

The Vega Motel in Texas

There was all kinds of pretty antique furniture outside of the Vega Motel. I wanted to take it all home with me!

The halfway point between Chicago and Los Angeles on Route 66.

Ugly Crust Pies!

This place was not so fabulous anymore. :(

"And this, dear friends, is how you do a cartwheel." Kristal, myself & Jaime in Texas.

Cutest motel I ever did see. Tucumcari, New Mexico.

Another abandoned Tucumcari motel. The beds were still made... very eerie. And the pool was full of grass.

Feetsies.

Busted church. Creeeeeps me out, still.

Oh, New Mexico.

(Sorry this is so long and detailed. I just love experiencing every moment of this wonderful trip all over again, and I feel like it's one of those stories where you NEED to know all the details to understand just how perfect it really was!)

Road Trip to Los Angeles

2010-09-27T22:09:00.009-05:00

In July, I went on the road trip of a lifetime with two beautiful, hilarious, smart, sassy ladies: my sister Kristal and her cousin Jaime (yes, it is possible for Jaime to be my sister's cousin, but not MY cousin... we come from a silly family).

We drove 1,580 miles to Los Angeles, taking Route 66 for much of the trip, passing through Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and sunny California.

All we expected was to spend a few days in Los Angeles, visiting the Hollywood sign, soaking up the sun on the beach, and exploring the city. But it kinda ended up being a V.I.P. sorta thing when we were invited to work on the tv show Plain Jane and stay with the show's director.

I've never been on such a trip- we saw so much, laughed so much, ate so much, drank so much (Starbucks, duh), relaxed so much, and experienced so, so much. I have tons of good memories, good photos, and good stories to share, and I can't wait to finally be putting them all on this little thing! I will start posting road trip recaps this week.

Weekend!

2010-09-24T17:41:00.001-05:00

I'm trying to be a good person. Really.

I am always nice to old people. I attempt to care about what's on the news. I take my vitamins when I remember to. I have (almost) managed to control my temper.

But this week I ate a dozen cupcakes all by myself (at least they were tiny!). I skipped three days at the gym. I stayed up all night, every night, and as a result, I was really grouchy. I ate fast food every day. I did poorly on two tests at school.

Luckily I only have one obligation this weekend: writing an article that I'm convinced is never going to come together. I plan on spending the rest of it visiting with my family who will be in town, taking long naps, watching my little sisters perform as Oompa Loompas in Willy Wonka, and reading the giant stack of magazines that my bedroom floor has accumulated.

What do you do on the day your love leaves for a month?

2010-09-21T21:15:00.005-05:00

You crawl back into bed, pull the covers over your head, & skip your class to sleep for hours because you are cold, sad, & sleepy. When you finally wake up, you immediately start shopping for plane tickets to go see him in a few weeks. Then you leave the house only to go get a gigantic cup of iced coffee which you drink while reading a stack of magazines on the couch. You fill the living room with flowers so you won't be sad every time you walk in the front door. You paint your nails, go to the gym, clean the kitchen. You wash, dry, fold & put away every piece of laundry in the house. You drive aimlessly, go to your parents' house twice, eat three cupcakes.

That's what. And that's only half of it.

There are 733 miles, 4 states, & roughly 30 days between us. I am not a fan of business trips. Not at all.

*photo via weheartit

Have a happy weekend!

2010-09-17T13:49:00.006-05:00

This weekend is going to be really good because:
a. I get to see my lover for the first time in three long days.
b. I got a 98% on the really awkward play I wrote for my theatre class.
c. I have no homework.
d. We are (hopefully) going to the mountains!
e. Weekends > weekdays.
f. We've been working out a whole lot lately... so we're going to reward ourselves with lots & lots of unhealthy food. Like cupcakes, pizza, a burger & enchiladas. Yay!

My love leaves for Michigan for a whole stupid month on Monday. So we will definitely be cramming as much as possible into two short tiny days. I miss that handsome fellow already.

I hope you all have a happy, safe, relaxing weekend with someone you love!

*photo of one of our favorite places in the whole state, Petit Jean Mountain. We're obsessed with those views!

flowers from my dear

2010-09-14T20:28:00.008-05:00

I kind of think gerber daisies are the loveliest things on this earth.

Thank you, darling. You're my favorite.

*And yes, that is a hamburger phone. It is maybe one of my most prized possessions.

a love letter

2010-09-10T00:55:00.008-05:00

Dear Lover,

I love your back rubs. back scratches. back massages. and foot massages, too.
I love it when you wear that blue v-neck shirt I got for you. It is very sexy.
I love your bed time prayers and words.
I love that you never, ever complain about always being the big spoon.
I love your silly songs, and I love that you love my silly songs, too.
I love it when you play with my hair while I'm driving.
I love it when you load the dishwasher/take out the trash.
I love how much you love my parents, sisters, grandparents, aunts, etc.
I love how much they love you, too.
I love how excited you get about cooking on the grill.
I love that you know how to fix everything.
I love that you don't mind having tea parties with me.
I love that you talk British sometimes.
I love your gigantic shoe collection, even though they're huge (size 15) & take up too much space.
I love how you tell me that I'm a good singer, even when I try to sound bad.
I love that you are always up for a spontaneous road trip.
I love that you are big and manly and tall and tough and strong.

I love your faith. I love your sweet spirit. I love your weirdness.
I love your kisses. I love your face. I love your hands.

And really, Lover, I just love you.

hello, hello!

2010-07-07T00:38:00.005-05:00

it has just been brought to my attention that i never, ever blog anymore. sorry guys. i am probably the worst blogger in the history of blogging.

this summer has been quite uneventful in the sense that i've taken no fancy vacations, nor have i done anything terribly worthwhile. in a way, this makes me a happy lady. at the same time, i feel lazy & boring! but i cannot remember a summer that has been so relaxing.

i have seen lots of rainbows. gone on lots of picnics & mountain drives. spent so much time with each of my sisters. met an octopus (!!!). learned to cook an array of fancy desserts & made my first roast which got rave reviews & made me a happy lady.

i went bowling lots & lots of times (and my highest score is still 84... embarrassing). had weekend guests. went to a lovely friend's wedding in a field in missouri. went rafting & i got big-time injured. went on a tulsa adventure with my baby sisters & boyfriend.

i spent a friday night in a garage on a ranch with my big family in louisiana, playing instruments & singing gospel songs. saw the biggest fireworks display of my life while laying in a field next to the river with some of my favorite people. ate lots of barbie snowcones with my boyfriend.

these little things have brought immeasurable happiness into my life as of late. my life is bursting at the seams with love.

next week, i'm road tripping to california with two of my favorite women. hopefully i'll remember to blog with lots of stories & photos of what is going to be an amazing trip!

it makes me sad that these don't stay in bloom all year.

2010-04-13T23:01:00.005-05:00

it also makes me sad that i waited until a cloudy day to photograph them. :(

easter weekend.

2010-04-05T12:36:00.005-05:00

i think i'm even more tired after this busy weekend than i was before it started.

on saturday, my baby sisters had a convention for church in which they performed in a play & received gold medals for pretty little sculptures that they've been working so hard on! after the convention, my family headed down south to grandmother & grandaddy's house to eat lots of good food & celebrate such a special day. i went to richard's church, & it was easily the best church service i'd been to in a loooong time.

after a huge lunch on sunday with both sides of our family, my cousins, siblings, richard & i played with guns & grenades, watched my cousin robert play on the roof in a ghillie suit, & had a full-on brawl with confetti eggs in the garden & in the street. my family is crazy. i love them.

spring break twenty ten.

2010-04-01T11:30:00.007-05:00

my spring break was pretty uneventful in comparison to last year's trip to the bahamas. i did close to nothing, but it was unbelievably lovely to have an entire week to relax. it was certainly full of up's and down's, but i'm very thankful that i had some time to regenerate.

good things:
a foot of snow on the first day of spring! yes, i consider that a good thing.
birthday party in little rock. i love the loony bin comedy club.
visited some family friends in texas for a few days!
watched about a million movies. read about a million magazines.
finally read david sedaris' me talk pretty one day.
actually got to spend some time with my family. sister & nieces included.
lots & lots of good food. grandmother's cooking (the best food ever), la huerta in russellville, & lots of junk. this is enough in itself to make my week.
after the snow melted, things started to turn green & the pear trees & dogwoods started to bloom! hooray!

bad things:
got SUN POISONING! do not ever ever ever get that. it was the worst pain i've been in since my rib cartlidge got inflamed & infected (yeah, how does that happen?)
school meeting on my first day of spring break. (seriously. who does that?)
aaaand, it was way too short. but school ends in 27 days!

a very long list of happiness!

2010-03-17T00:35:00.007-05:00

So, maybe I forgot that I even had a blog. Maybe I have been so swamped with school that I have utterly neglected this little thing. Maybe I should be studying right now instead of blogging. Maybe I don't care.

I found this list tonight that I made when I was going through some rough times a couple years ago. I had just gotten my heart broken. It was very hard for me to realize that I still had so much to be thankful for. When I found it just a few minutes ago, it served as a beautiful reminder for the lovely things in this world that I enjoy so much.

Things that make me so happy I can barely stand it:
Delicious coffee (particularly iced).
Writing something satisfying.
My little sisters and the things they make for me.
My gorgeous, loud, supportive family.
Good food: home cookin', sushi, cheap dirty fast food.
Feeling classy/glamorous.
Kisses with boys that I actually want to kiss.
Vacations.
Praying out loud.
Pretty desserts.
Cute socks, comfy pjs.
Bike rides in summer dresses.
Little animals.
Being spontaneous and frivolous.
Reading fashion magazines more than textbooks.
Love!
Things that smell like sweets.
Feeling skinny.
Thinking of all I have to be thankful for.
Finishing something.
Novel covers.
Exploring unfamiliar places.
Singing loudly with Spice in the car.
Baths in Mom's jacuzzi.
This list.
When my internet decides to be fast.
Laughing my head off.
Feeling cozy.
Cities- especially Chicago, Denver, and Atlanta.
Beating old games on my Super Nintendo.
The fact that I got out of Alabama.
Feeling like a guest in my own house.

Clean, crisp, white sheets and fluffy beds.
The views in the country and mountains.
Parle-ing some francais.
The fact that my future is promising.
Feeling accepted and welcome.
Smiling at strangers.
Babies and their clothes.
Sassy, classy, nice old ladies.
Skydiving.
Grandmother's cooking.
Forgetting bad memories.
Older men with good style.
Making pretty things.
Conversations with older, wiser people.

What things make you so happy you can barely stand it?

ice skating!

2010-02-28T23:14:00.006-06:00

Let me just begin by saying this: I was definitely not meant to be an ice skater.

Richard & I took Maci & Hali ice skating, and I don't remember this last time I saw my little sisters laugh so hard. It was Richard's first time, and he is a natural like Maci. They're so cute spinning around on the ice as Hali & I literally can't force ourselves to let go of the side.

And all those blurry pictures? That's us falling. Whoops.

And do you see how beautiful my sisters are? It amazes me. I love them.

weekend love.

2010-02-21T23:15:00.006-06:00

What a wonderful weekend. My love and I spent it in his hometown at his parents' house.

We played with my sister & niece Hannah on Friday night & laughed at The Hangover for the millionth time.

We spent all day Saturday with Richard's best friend David. We played arcade games, drank chery limeades, went on a mini-road trip & toured an abbey/monastery, stopped for chocolate malts & fries in the town where I grew up, gorged on greasy Mexican food, and went to Richard's cousin's 20th birthday party out in the middle of nowhere.
Today we slept terribly late, had lunch with Nanna (which ended up being an all-day event), and visited my grandparents before heading home.

I love simple weekends like this one! I'd have to say my favorite part came at the very end, sipping Earl Gray tea & reading magazines. Ahhhh.

a few thoughts

2010-02-18T21:47:00.005-06:00

1. richard & i agreed to keep our valentine gifts minimal. he surprised me with two perfect bouquets (he said one was simply not enough!), the silver nailpolish i'd been dying for, & some sugar scrub which was also on my wish list. the flowers are still so pretty & have served as an excellent pick-me-up this week.

2. i've had christmas music stuck in my head for the entire week. i'm sure richard must be so tired of me singing & dancing round the house to "jingle bell rock" & "rockin' round the christmas tree" especially because i don't know all the words & i keep repeating the same part over & over.

An Education

2010-02-17T23:29:00.010-06:00

I finally got around to seeing An Education last week, and let me just say that I was utterly in love. The story was beautiful, yes (although I wish it had ended a bit differently), and I love a good British accent, but it was the early 1960's London fashion that really sent me head over heels. There is nothing more lady-like than feminine florals in shapely silhouettes paired with red lips, a chic up-do, and pearl earrings. I left the theater yearning for false lashes, vintage florals and cardigans, and the perfect school-girl outfit. I could also stand for a cigarette holder and for my boyfriend to suddenly adopt a British accent.

my funny valentine

2010-02-13T19:27:00.007-06:00

i love love. all kinds of it!
but i won't lie, i'm not too fond of valentine's day.
i'm all for continuously displaying affection 365 days a year rather than obnoxiously exploiting it on february 14th with over the top jewelry gifts, giant teddy bears, chocolate hearts, and especially roses.

my love and i are having a tiny celebration with my sisters, brother, and cousins. tonight we're going black-light bowling and to play laser tag.

richard DID buy me my dream yellow coat, though, and i'd love to get some pretty flowers. no roses though! seriously, no roses.

{photo via weheartit}

love tree

2010-02-07T22:58:00.005-06:00

so, maybe i never took down my christmas tree.

i'm not terribly into football,

so tonight during our little super bowl party

(which i made some incredible blueberry cupcakes for!),

i turned my tree into a love tree.

it makes me so happy!

i just love it.

happy birthday richard!

2010-02-01T22:52:00.010-06:00

my love's 21st birthday was friday. i spent weeks planning a big party in fayetteville for him & lots of his favorite people. but by the time friday rolled around, we were completely snowed & iced in & unable to leave the house, much less drive two hours to fayetteville! i couldn't even get the poor guy to a liquor store so he could make his first legal alcohol purchase. :(

it was a big letdown, but i think i helped him to make the most of it. we went on the longest hike of my life even though it was frigid (he thinks we are bear grylls people) & discovered a beautiful cliff overlooking the river. we went sledding on saturday morning up in the mountains with my sister & two precious little girls. my niece hailey was such a good sport on our two-mile trek even though she was up to her little knees in snow!

it was quite inconvenient, but i absolutely loved our snowy long weekend together.

i miss spice.

2010-01-26T22:37:00.013-06:00

{adriene, me, russ & caroline - atlanta summer 2008}

christmas tree!

2010-01-14T13:33:00.008-06:00

Do you find the weeks following the holidays as depressing as I do? I don't know if it's the end of the holiday season or my return to school that has had me so gloomy, but it's been increasingly hard to be productive this week. It's so hard to get used to studying textbooks in the library after weeks of studying nothing but magazines next to my record player with a giant glass of iced coffee. I've left my Christmas tree up to keep from being entirely depressed, but I know that baby's gotta come down soon.

happy new years eve!

2009-12-31T13:05:00.005-06:00

what are you lovelies doing for new years eve?
richard and i are hanging out with my sister
and lots of people at our friends jaime & ben's house.
all i want is cupcakes and champagne!
so excited!

in the past decade, i celebrated three
big birthdays,
graduated from high school,
fell in & out of love,
started college at
missouri state university & university of arkansas,
moved from arkansas to texas to alabama to missouri and back to arkansas,
became an aunt (twice!),
met and became best friends with the funniest people in the world,
and experienced a million other beautiful things.
it was a decade of struggles, too,
and definite growth.
i'm so excited to see what 2010 and a new decade
have in store for me.

i hope you all have a lovely new years eve!
be safe! have fun! kiss somebody!

count your blessings.

2009-12-19T23:18:00.008-06:00

i've been in a funk. its just been one of those months
when everything seems to be going all wrong.

i didn't get the grades i wanted.
(it's odd that the classes i completely blew off,
i got a's in,
and the ones in which i worked my little tail off,
i got quite the opposite of an a)
i've been unbelievably busy.
i've not worn real clothes in weeks,
and i've never been one to go out in sweats.
i've lived in this apartment for over a month,
and it is still not completely unpacked nor clean.
i've parted ways with one person in particular.
someone who i swore would be in my life forever..
i've been grumpy. sad. worn out. stressed.
i could keep going, but i think you get the point.

i've been having a hard time, and it's been a constant struggle
to be aware of all the wonderful things present all around me.
i've been absurdly blessed, far beyond what i deserve.
and here are just a few things i'm so happy to have in my life:

my crazy, huge, lovely family, especially momma and those beautiful girls called my sisters. my hilarious, loud, supportive friends. this boy named richard; he is perfect. my health. my apartment. a closet full of clothes and shoes and purses. books and movies and records and iphone and ipod. faith. cupcakes! having a strong sense of what i want to do with my future. beautiful memories. forgiveness. nights that are spent with coffee, music, and collage making. trips to alabama to see spice. meaningful phone calls and cards and words. christmas. & really, just my life.

(pssst! i have a new hair color. it was supposed to turn out dark brown, but it is totally BLACK.)

i adore these beautiful little sisters. you can call them candlyfloss and babycakes.

cold/FUN day of riding roller coasters.

sisters at build-a-bear. we visit this place far too often.

thanksgiving re-cap.

2009-11-30T13:53:00.012-06:00

i hope you all had a wonderful thanksgiving!
my break was full of beautiful family and friends,
great food, and lots of rest.

i went black friday shopping with richard and my cousin brianna.
it was stressful, painful,
and i wasn't a fan of the 3:30 am wake-up call.
people are RUDE on black friday!
i forgot how one silly day brings out such ugliness in people.

on a different note, there are only seven more days of school!
SEVEN. count 'em, people!
i could not be more excited,
but i've got four tests and three papers this week. boo.

how was your thanksgiving? are you having a nice monday?

p.s. the polas are sights from around town. love this time of year!

happy thanksgiving!

2009-11-25T15:40:00.005-06:00

i've been a very, very, VERY busy girl.
and as always, i have neglected this little thing.

i've been sick. moved into new apartment with sister (while sick. boo). end of semester=school is crazy. papers, papers, & more papers. unpacking, decorating, cleaning, cooking, etc.

but i'm leaving in just a few minutes to visit
my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, great grandma, friends,
and my "favorite sister."

words cannot express how excited i am to see them,
and how much i need this break from school
and all the things that go along with my life here.

i truly hope you all have a wonderful thanksgiving,
surrounded by the people you love the most.

nawlins

2009-11-16T21:20:00.012-06:00

hello, lovelies!
it has been a while.
school, road trips, and (most importantly) finding my new APARTMENT
have kept me an extremely busy girl.

last weekend i flew down to
new orleans/nawlins/nola/la nouvelle orleans
to hang out with richard.
umm, it has got to be the most diverse city in the country.
the french quarter is beautiful,
but it literally stinks. like really bad.

my weekend was full of cupcakes (!),
food that i did not like (oysters/mussels/clams, ew),
walking and driving those scary streets,
visiting historical buildings and cemeteries,
seeing the ninth ward (the area hit hardest by hurricane katrina),
speaking to real french people (!!! i was unbelievably excited),
and lots of fun!

photos: st. louis cathedral, st. louis cathedral, french quarter home, st. louis cemetery

halloween.

2009-11-02T19:54:00.010-06:00

halloween is probably my least favorite holiday,

but each year i try to make the best of it.

this was the first year in so long that i didn't go to a showing of

the rocky horror picture show

or go to a party with friends.

instead, i dressed up as dorothy from the wizard of oz

(complete with toto in a basket!)

and played with my little sisters and their friends!

it was so fun.

we went to a carnival at church and played games,

went trick-or-treating under a beautiful orange sunset

(seriously, it could not have been more halloween-ish),

and stuffed ourselves full of candy.

my sister maci was a birthday girl,

and hali was perry the platypus from one of her favorite cartoons.

they made their own little costumes!

i don't know how they came up with either of those ideas,

but are they not just adorable?!

i also had some spooky fun with my dad, rachel, and my dad's now wife becky.

ghost hunts scare me. i swore i'd never go on another,

and this time i really won't.

how was your halloween? what was your costume?
i heard about lots of lady gagas!

billy mays and bob ross were also pretty popular. hilarious!

jenny lewis!

2009-10-28T16:59:00.008-05:00

One of my favorite summer memories would have to be

finally seeing my absolute favorite artist,

Jenny Lewis,

in concert at George's Majestic Lounge

with Richard and my friends Jaime and Ben.

I've been a little more than obsessed with this woman since I was 16,

and her show was honestly even better than I could have imagined.
I don't know how I made it all these years without seeing her live,

but this Jenny show definitely will not be my last.

Jenny's openers were Morgan Nagler from The Whispertown 2000

and Heartless Bastards,

both of which I absolutely loved.

By the time we left, we were all pretty exhausted and sweaty,

so we went over to Common Grounds

for some late night iced coffee and Greek pizza.

sunset point

2009-10-21T17:39:00.013-05:00

I know I'm slacking on the summer posts,

but I promise they'll be up eventually.

This summer was too good not to share!

But first...

Yesterday Richard and I drove up to Mount Nebo,

and while the views from Sunset Point are always beautiful,

they are exceptionally breathtaking at this time of year.

P.S. I downloaded ShakeItPhoto for my iPhone not too long ago,
and if you have an iPhone, you must get it!

a few of my favorite summer pictures!

2009-10-08T11:39:00.008-05:00

good news!
i've decided to do a (very, very belated) several-post re-cap of this wonderful summer.

my summer was full of concerts,
more road trips than i could count on both hands,
old friends,
cupcakes galore,
roller coasters,
jumping on hotel beds,
exploring new cities,
good food (for which i'm now paying the price),
absolutely nothing productive,
and many wonderful moments with wonderful people.

i could not have asked for a better summer.
the only not-so-good things i can remember are
a) a trip to the emergency room in may after a bout with my asthma/allergies
and b) a wisdom tooth infection which left me drugged up on vicodin for days.
i'm so thankful for the audrey hepburn calendar in my closet
on which i wrote each day's highlights.
i will forever look at that calendar and remember some of the best moments of my life.

here are five of my favorite summer pictures,
and believe me when i say that there are so many more waiting to be posted:

I'm sick.

2009-09-11T16:42:00.013-05:00

Burning-up-with-fever-excrutiating-sore-throat-stuffy-head-runny-nose-lay-in-bed-all-day sick. I've passed the last two days in bed and on the couch which has forced me to spend a great deal of time thinking about all the things I'd rather be doing:

1. Riding my new bike (it's similar to this one)
2. Eating a skinny chicken+rice+black bean+sauteed onion & pepper+salsa+chipotle sour cream burrito from Flying Burrito Co.

3. Shoe shopping for short booties and tall slouchy boots (since my old ones have practically deteriorated)

4. Baking cupcakes

5. Antique store/flea market shopping for furniture

Today I did four out of the five, and honestly I don't feel even the tiniest bit better.

But I did score some great slouchy boots, booties, and a dress. And last night I made some delicious French vanilla cupcakes. No one ate them, of course, because who wants to eat sick girl cupcakes?

But maybe that was my plan all along.

Excuse the poor icing job. They look really sad.

i'd just like to say that...

2009-09-01T22:23:00.004-05:00

i am thankful for my family. for supporting me in all of my last minute decisions. for giving me financial help when i need it (which is a lot, trust me). for putting up with my weirdness, mood swings, and last minute crazy ideas.

i am thankful for the university of arkansas. the fact that they accepted me and helped me work things out just days before classes started is unbelievable.

i am thankful for missouri state university for all the memories, fun, and my best friend ashley.

i am thankful for knowing exactly what i want to do with my life. it eliminates so much stress, and believe me, i do not need anymore of that.

i am thankful for the beautiful weather. fall's on its way, folks! it's been perfect for riding my new bike.

i am thankful for the interesting people i have met and have grown to love.

i am thankful for my new car. it has cruise control and a working heater, both of which my old car didn't have. hooray!

i am thankful for my hilarious, beautiful, smart, sassy friends. every single one of them. and the unforgettable memories of them that i hold so close to my heart.

i am thankful for the silly things. like sweet tea/hot tea/coffee, my iphone, crunchy peanut butter on honey wheat bagels, tea parties, front yard camping "trips." the list goes on.

i am thankful for the numerous amazing memories that this summer brought. stay tuned for many of them in picture form.

and, i am thankful for this blog. i know i neglect it too often, but i promise i'm working on that!

happy 4th of july!

2009-07-03T23:49:00.015-05:00

My favorite thing about Independence Day is that my family celebrates it literally for days. The weekend long celebration started last night and will continue going strong until Sunday.

I made yummy patriotic cupcakes for a picnic.

We bought a ridiculous amount of fireworks which I could not get to fit into one picture. I wish I would've taken one of all the debris from last night's 2,500 dollars' worth...

I hope you all have a happy and safe 4th! The rest of mine better include a hot dog, more fireworks, and a long afternoon at the pool.

you are so sweet, dancing to that beat

2009-06-24T20:38:00.009-05:00

Have you guys listened to Far, Regina Spektor's new album?
I already love it.
I can't say that I have a favorite song yet.
If you have heard it, what's your favorite?
Oh, Regina, how I have loved you since high school.
Thank you for giving me something new to listen to.

11:11

2009-06-22T23:14:00.004-05:00

Do you lovelies make wishes at 11:11?

I do every time I catch it,

But now that I've read its Wikipedia article,

I'm a bit creeped out.

{Photo via weheartit}

?!

2009-05-04T12:00:00.007-05:00

What is this? I was baffled when I saw this photo from Australia Fashion Week on Nylon.

the bahamas

2009-04-03T12:58:00.015-05:00

Just as I expected, my spring break getaway to the Bahamas with my best friend Adriene, her older sister Lauren, and their mother Lori was exactly what I needed to cure the month-long funk I was in.

The four of us had so much fun exploring the Atlantis Resort and the city of Nassau. The weather was far from beautiful most days, but the one or two days of sunshine we did have made it worthwhile.

I wish I could write out all the stories of the things Adriene and I did during our short stay in the Bahamas, but I don't think I could find the appropriate words to convey just how much fun we had.

This gorgeous bar off the casino became "our spot," and it's certainly where we spent the majority of our time, talking, laughing, and scheming.

After flying back to the States, I spent two blissful days in Alabama hanging out with Adriene and our other friends who I hadn't seen since last summer. It was so nice to catch up with them before heading back home for a few days to visit with family and friends. I returned with scalded, sunburnt skin, funny souvenirs, and a bad cold that I can't seem to shake (I blame it on the eight dirty airplanes I spent several hours in over one week).

coco avant chanel

2009-03-12T10:52:00.006-05:00

I've always had an unhealthy obsession with the life of Coco Chanel (I even named my hamster after her in high school), the French language, and fashion. Perhaps these reasons are why I'm beyond excited to see Coco avant Chanel, a Coco Chanel biopic which releases in France next month. Played by Audrey Tautou, Coco Chanel sports such Parisian classics as the timeless pencil skirt, classic pearls, the ever-popular striped shirt, and Chanel’s own creations, the tweed “Chanel suit” and the little black dress. And that is in the movie trailer alone!

The only downfall to Coco avant Chanel, which translates to Coco Before Chanel, is the movie's lack of subtitles. Even as a French minor, I can barely understand most of what's being said in the trailer.

[Photos via AlloCiné]

oh la la

2009-03-05T22:04:00.004-06:00

This woman's outfit is splendidly perfect. I know it's a little late considering that winter is passing, but I love the look of all black with one pop of color. I seriously adore everything about the outfit; the contrast of the black shirt and tights with the pink skirt, the timeless black coat, the fur hat, her red hair. I thought she was Jenny Lewis at first glance. My ultimate girl crush!

[Photo via Garance Doré]

fred flare

2009-02-26T13:24:00.006-06:00

I'm (unfortunately) a big fan of impracticality. My room and closet are full of impulsive purchases that I just couldn't resist because they were "cute." Fred Flare's impractical items have become my favorite (it's where I found my hamburger phone!), and here are some frivolous things that make me smile.

Hot shot camera ring - This would be so fun to wear.

And a birthday cake ring! I don't know why, but little cakes and cupcakes have always been so appealing to me.

A Disney Couture Magic Castle pendant. It'd be impossible to be unhappy while wearing this around your neck!

These are still just as cool as they were when I was a kid.

Oh, Holly Golightly, how I want to be you. (I wish it came with tasselled earplugs!)

This dress, possibly the store's most practical item, is so cute.

An ice cream cone lamp!

What would you do if you saw someone driving down the road talking into this hilarious cell phone receiver? I'd laugh, for sure. I wanted to buy it for my roommate Ashley for Christmas, but instead I bought her...

These funny mustaches! We've worn them many more times than we're willing to admit.

I think you get the point with the photos. But if you need some more giggles, check out these smiley PB&J earrings! This floral dress makes me long for spring. Don't mistake this "I am not a paper cup" cup for paper! Pick your nose party cups. These tiny plates give finger food a new meaning. Grandpa didn't lose his dentures in your cup, it's really just the ice. A a gin & titonic. Vintage stationery. The Dennis Rodman picture in this Let's Paint The '90s coloring book made me laugh more than it should've.

blah

2009-02-25T22:51:00.005-06:00

I've been in a funk for a little more than a week now, and I'm hoping my trip to the Bahamas in three weeks will cure it. I don't know what's wrong with me; my heart just isn't in a lot of the things I'm doing, and I feel like I need a very long break. Things are also so confusing and at a standstill, and it's put a major damper on my life.

Today I spent five hours in the park, and then on top of a parking deck watching the sunset. I spent six hours on the phone which is definitely a record for me. I'm going to make a list of the simple things that make me happy, and then I'm going to read magazines and call up some friends and do something crafty.

jeudi

2009-02-19T10:29:00.005-06:00

This week has been just as rough as the weekend was good. I've been so stressed out/worried/upset about school, money, deadlines for the magazine I work for, and of course, boys. I've even managed to make myself sick with all the stress and worrying. Here's to hoping the rest of the week starts looking up.

On a happier note, I bought this dress from Forever 21 that I have been wanting so badly. I can't wait to wear it with tights and flats this weekend. I'm going home tomorrow, and I honestly couldn't be happier. It'll be a much needed break after all this mess. Ashley (who bought a motorcycle yesterday!) may come with me, which would make it even more fun! I plan on spending the entire weekend jumping on the trampoline and playing silly games with my little sisters. I absolutely cannot wait.

you make me smile with my heart

2009-02-14T21:24:00.007-06:00

I hope you've all had a lovely Valentine's Day! I usually hate this time of year, but the past couple of days were splendid.

My roommate Ashley and I delivered cute homemade Valentine's cards to sweet people at an assisted living home,

drove around forever searching for the Post Office, shopped and dreamed of buying one of these to ride around campus (our goal is to race the bus), and bought and flew little boy's kites (mine was Transformers; her's was Spiderman).

Today we were very lazy and watched Little Lulu's A Bout With A Trout and Bargain Counter Attack, Popeye, Felix the Cat, and a ton of other really old cartoons. We spent most of the day in bed eating fried chicken and okra, red velvet cake, cherry pie, and donuts! I'm a little embarrassed to admit that we're so unhealthy.

Tonight Michael came over and surprised me with a dozen red roses, a sweet, cuddly teddy bear, more candy than I've ever seen in my life, and a hilarious card. We watched part of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog and snuggled.

Now I'm stuck working at the front desk until midnight, eating some of my chocolates, drinking Kool-Aid (why am I still 7 years old?), and working on my final story for the magazine! My deadline is tomorrow, and after that, I am going to sleep for days.

red velvet

2009-02-12T22:02:00.005-06:00

Today was gorgeous; it was such a relief after the rain, thunderstorms, and tornadoes we've had this week. It was one of those days that I just want to waste in the park with a stack of magazines and some sunglasses. But instead, I went to Starbucks to "work on homework" (although all I packed was my laptop, ipod, magazines, and some chapstick). I really did have every intention of calling more people to interview for the magazine I work for, but the music inside was far too loud for that. They played French music, and I was so excited to recognize most of the songs! I love Edith Piaf and Joe Dassin's Les Champs-Elysées. So, I curled up in a big chair in the corner, drank a venti iced coffee, wrote a ton, and fell in love with red velvet cupcakes. I read that they're 300 calories a pop, but they're just so good.

[Photo: via Sweet Cakes]

forever 21 love

2009-02-12T12:54:00.008-06:00

Forever 21's Shop By Outfit feature is really the best thing since sliced bread (and straightening irons, liquid eyeliner, and push-up bras):

I'm absolutely in love with that dress and those shoes.

paris, je t'aime!

2009-02-06T03:13:00.006-06:00

It's 3:18 a.m., and I'm wide awake, thinking of all the reasons I'd rather be in Paris:

[Photos: 1, 3, 4, 5- The Sartorialist; 2- Garance Doré]

forties fashion

2009-02-05T12:40:00.005-06:00

To me, forties fashion represents the hay day of glamour and all things glamourous. I love the rich colors, the chic gloves, the flattering silhouettes, the flawless make-up, the flashy jewelry, and most of all, the breathtakingly gorgeous shoes.

Some looks I love:

My grandmother has always told me I was born a half a century too late; I'm starting to believe it.

[Photos: 1-Dita Von Teese via The First Post; 2-1940's fashion illustration via Revamp Vintage; 3-Nanette Lepore's collection from 2006's New York Fashion Week via Zoozoom]

aller à la pêche

2009-01-30T15:11:00.009-06:00

It looks like someone stole my friend Ben's decorating idea:

Ben's added shopping cart and Madea's Family Reunion movie poster complete his living room's look, don't you think?

[Top photo: Domino]

ice ice baby

2009-01-26T20:43:00.008-06:00

Springfield is well on its way to looking at least somewhat like this. Except I imagine that by tomorrow, I'll be wearing a lot more layers than she's got on.

[Photo: What I Wore: Ice Storm via Midwest Jess]