Wrapping>>>Cleaning

Is everyone done with the Christmas shopping?? Everyone but me?!

I'm feeling seriously behind. I mean, I just officially finished decorating on Sunday...sheesh! I absolutely LOVE buying Christmas presents, but those males in my life consistently stump me.

I can ramble off a laundry list of things I want for Christmas at any given moment (#materialistic), but for some reason guys just aren't the same way. OR...if you're Matthew you give me a completely unrealistic suggestion: A 3D PRINTER! I'm sorry. What? Yeah. Not happening.

One of the reasons I LOVE Christmas presents is because I experience a legitimate HIGH when wrapping them. I love the paper! I love the tape! I love the ribbon! I love the bows! I love perfectly folded corners!  And if you have my present in a bag....a BAG?!  I'm judging you (Haley...).

I somehow always end up wrapping everyone's presents for each other because I enjoy it so much. This is usually how it goes: "Nooooo, Mom! Pleeeeease don't make me clean up the kitchen....I'll wrap presents instead??" DONE.  

Below are some presents with  lovely wrapping job, if I do say so myself. I will be striving for beauty with my wrapping this year. I will be sure to share some pictures of my masterpieces!

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#Thankful

Sitting at work. The day before Thanksgiving. When I should really be sitting at home in Atlanta. It's 9:30 but lez-be-honest...it might as well be 2 o'clock because I'm ready to roll out like Ludacris.

I'm still a little emotionally torn about not bringing the kitties home with me for the holidays, but Matthew promised he would visit them every day! And yes, we are spending Thanksgiving apart because I AM  going home BUT duck season opens Thanksgiving Day... no comment.

Can we just take a moment for a little TBW (throw-back-Wednesday)?? This time last year I was unemployed and spending my holiday in NYC for the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Oh how things have changed in just a year!

waiting for the parade!

Thanksgiving dinner at Carmine's

So this happened yesterday...I broke down and bought the newest One Direction album. Those British boys sure sing some catchy tunes. This is what I have to look forward to during my 6 hour drive home today.

#unashamed

Things I'm thankful for:
There are new episodes of the Kardashians airing weekly
I'm finally getting a laundry room in our house
We can officially listen to Christmas music
I have 2 beautiful children (kitties) who love me

and most importantly...
I am so incredibly thankful for an awesome God who provides all the blessings in my life, including friends & family who bring me love, encouragement, and laughter everyday!

Happy Thanksgiving!

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Back at it

Desperately trying to get back on my blog game here. Does it sound bad if I say, "I've had better things to do with my time"? Well. I just did.

October completely flew by. Like drank a Red Bull, grew some wings, and took off before us. So after suffering in 80 degree heat throughout the month, November is here and slapping us in the face with cooler weather. And I don't hate it.

You know what else flew by? MOVING. I swear, one minute I was sitting in my apartment with 5 of my best friends talking about our drunken shenanigans from the night before, and the next thing I know my apartment is empty and I'm in a HOUSE.

OUR HOUSE.

I haven't quite accepted it yet. But I'll get there. Of course there are still boxes I have yet to completely unpack and I still can't remember where I have put everything, but that will come with time. Good news though - the kitty's new favorite thing is running from one end of the house to the other! Yay for plenty of room for activities!!!!!!

In the mean time, the 3 mini pumpkins I bought to "decorate" with have officially rotted, which means to me it's time to decorate for CHRISTMAS! Literally, Kim...I can't wait.

Here's just a few Christmas decorations I'm swooning over. Let's pray I can't find them online to purchase anywhere or else we will ALL be in trouble.

 

HAPPY FRIDAY!

 

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Praise da Lort!

This pretty much sums up how I'm feeling today. Thank you, Madea.

I have 4 of my very best friends (who are also my bridesmaids) coming to visit for the weekend and I could not be more excited! We are doing a cooking class tomorrow in hopes that we can learn a thing or two about the kitchen.

Who am I kidding...we are doing this to EAT! Needless to say, we aren't a very domestic group.

So remember that little thing I mentioned the other day about a house??? Well we are officially HOMEOWNERS!!!!!! I don't think it has officially hit me yet, but I'm sure it will soon considering I have to be out of my apartment in a week. Oh and those save-the-dates I thought would be printed last week? Didn't happen. BUT I am picking them up today. Say a little prayer for my sanity please.

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FOR THE DAWGS

I'm kind of hesitant to even post about this because I'm superstitious and didn't post anything after last week's big win but...

HOW ABOUT DEM DAWGS?!!!!!!

Like is this real life?? Am I dreaming?? Are you SURE I'm seeing straight?? Well according to the AP polls this week I am not dreaming.

Dan tho. How can you not love him?

I think I'm still hoarse from all the screaming. The best part about back-to-back game weekends in Starkville is not just winning, but being able to visit and celebrate with all my friends. We are quite the normal group.

*candid*

Meanwhile...back in the real world...I'm still planning this little thing called a WEDDING. Let's pray that I have my Save-the-Dates printed by the end of the week. That way I can spend my weekend addressing them. Lucky me! 

Oh, and did I mention we bought a house?! YES. A HOUSE. As in a structure for Matthew and I to cohabit TOGETHER (with the kitties of course!). So let's add moving and furnishing a home to my to-do list. Nbd. Pictures to come once the house is officially ours!!!

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New Energy

Not many people know this, but I just finished up the Advocare 24 Day Challenge. I was VERY skeptical about the whole Advocare program to begin with because I thought it was just another fad. One of my good friends here in Greenwood is an Advocare distributor full time and answered any and every question I had. So after much contemplation and coming to the realization that I needed a little shove push to get wedding-body-ready, I decided to DO IT. 

Results???

It was great. Would I do it again? FABsolutely. It was a little pricey but definitely worth the investment. I loved waking up everyday knowing exactly what I would eat for breakfast (protein shake) and head into work feeling energized without drinking coffee (OMG...I know). The best part - I wasn't experiencing my usual 2:30 slump. Now that the cleanse is over, I am out of my products and missing them GREATLY. If I didn't just have to pay an arm and a leg for a hospital bill I would definitely be buying more.

Just to clear this up...my main purpose of doing the challenge was to have more energy to exercise after work, and complete any necessary wedding planning. NOT to lose weight. BUT...I'm not hating fitting comfortably into my work pants either :)


This weekend is Bulldog Bash in Starkville and I.CAN'T.WAIT. There are still SOOO many friends that I haven't seen since I've been engaged (206 days till the wedding btw) and it is going to be a big ole dysfunctional reunion!

Can't wait to see these broads!

I am way overdue for some laughter, pretty weather, and tailgating. Now if I can only figure out how to suppress my excitement and make it through work tomorrow and Friday....HAIL STATE!!!

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Klassic

As an avid Kardashian viewer and lover, I am extremely embarrassed to say that I JUST watched the #KUWTK season finale last night. I'm a slacker...I know. But literally Kim...it was so good! It actually made me really excited about planning my own wedding (minus the whole France and Italy aspect). Maybe even a little emotional too?? Few things make me emotional. But the Kardashians seem to always somehow do the trick. The simplicity, yet extreme attention to detail, turned out beautifully. I'm so envious!

**Shout-out to my fellow K-dash lover Paige Watson for always being there to discuss all things Kardashian with me**

I love how everything down to the last detail was planned perfectly and so classic.

Even North is so chic!

I made a quick trip down to Orange Beach for the weekend and spent some time with my Mom and Grandmother in the sun. To our own surprise...my Dad flew in on Saturday and provided plenty of wise words and entertainment.

 

I can't wait to see my family AGAIN this weekend. This will be the first time I've been home since we've been engaged and I know there will be lots of wedding planning items to check off my list. Wish me luck!

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Morning Lull

I just hit my morning "lull" at work where I'm unmotivated to do anything productive and decided to browse all my usual blogs. Then, as if the blog gods were speaking to me, I had a moment of realization and told myself  "update your own freaking blog!" And here we are.

Over the weekend we moved out all the crap stuff in the Starkville house that Matthew's parents just sold. Kind of bittersweet considering that's where Matthew and I first met. Side note - Who is the sentimental person I've become?! Fortunately for me...any of the stuff Matthew wanted to keep was then transported into MYYYY apartment. Great. But really, I shouldn't be complaining because I gained another couch and a 55" TV in my bedroom. 

Last week we took engagement pictures and a midst my sweat stains and excessive mosquito swatting, I think they might have turned out half decent. In situations like this where I am anxiously awaiting an email with a link that will direct me to view all the pictures I have NO PATIENCE. I mean we took the pictures Thursday afternoon...so why wasn't there a link in my inbox at 8:00 AM the next morning? Is that asking too much?! Whatever. I'm over it. 

Please pray that I come across some patience today.

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Happy Mail

One of my absolute favorite things in the world is walking into my apartment and finding MAIL in my box! Or the frequent occasional package that just sits there waiting for me to walk in and discover. Not that is the best! I have been so blessed by some sweet friends sending me mail over the past couple weeks. These little notes mean the world to me!

My best friend Elizabeth sent me the most WONDERFUL surprise in the mail - a box full of engagement happys! Including Champs! Because lez-be-honest. When is Champs not appropriate?!

In case you are living under a rock, (or just not in the South) these outrageous temperatures we have been experiencing are really starting to take a toll on me. A good day is one where my make-up hasn't completely melted off my face by 5 o'clock. Cue the permanent under-boob sweat and unforgivable thigh chaffing.

Couldn't have said it better myself.

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In Sickness & in Health

I told myself I wasn't going to be one of those people with a blog...who doesn't blog. Because that is one of my absolute biggest pet peeves. I just want to say to those bloggers: "Ya know. I'm reading your blog for entertainment during this never ending work day, but since you never post, here I am bored and you are officially losing me as a reader!"

Last week I was sick with a stomach virus from the Devil himself. I was literally out of commission for the entire week and it was miserable. HUGE thanks to my sweet fiance for taking me to the doctor, emergency room, and letting me stay in his bed all week and infest him with my nasty germs. That's true love right there. But I'm baaaaaack! AND...

WE HAVE A WEDDING DATE!

And a venue! So woo-hoo to us - may the wedding planning madness really begin!

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And so it begins.

It's Tuesday. At 2:30. And like I have every afternoon for the past week at work, I am sitting here trying to think of what I have done that is actually work related. Because it seems my brain is going through a rotation where every 3rd thing to cross my mind is wedding related. The madness is HERE people!

Here are just a few of the millions of thoughts rotating through my mind...

Where will we get married?
Heck, WHEN will we get married?!
Who are we going to invite?
Is that dress ugly?
Will the kitties like sharing a bed with Matthew?
How many people in the wedding party?
Who exactly will those people be?
Do you think people will come?
Will that dress look good on me?
Is Matthew going to like that dress?
Where are we going to live?
Are these Oreos on the wedding diet?
...just to name a few.

It has barely been a week and I'm surprised Pinterest hasn't locked me out for excessive pinning activity.

During one of my (many) frantic moments this week I was playing 20 questions with one of my best friends, Allison, (a recent bride who also knows a thing or 12 about event planning) and she gave me the best advice: enjoy being engaged. And I have clung to it so far! So in the midst of all this madness, I am going to make a conscious effort to enjoy life as an engaged couple with Matthew and hope that we don't kill each other enjoy this process!

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DC and....

What a wonderful week it has been and it's only Tuesday! My weekend was full of so many exciting things, I don't even know where to begin! Hang with me until the end, because I don't want to leave anything out.

Friday I FINALLY arrived in DC around 10:00 pm after a loooong day of waiting around at the airport. I was so happy to be back in DC reunite with my Keelz. We checked into the hotel, went to a great 24 hr diner, and eventually went to bed around 2:00 am. We woke up early on Saturday to eat breakfast and prepare for a day of adventures. Kaeley suggested we Metro over to Eastern Market and check out all the local vendors that fill the area on Saturdays. From there she took me to the sewer hole apartment she lives in and all I can say is WOW. I don't know how she does it. Then, we walked to the Capitol and she gave me a little tour of her building and told me all about her internships - I'm so amazed!

We joined a friend for a late lunch at Ted's Bulletin and it was to.die.for!!! I ate SO much that I skipped out on dinner. It was THAT good. After lunch we visited with more of her DC friends and eventually made our way to see Fitz and The White House. We headed back to the hotel (just in time for happy hour) to change and get ready to go celebrate a birthday in Georgetown. There are always so many things I want to do in DC and never enough time. Such a shame.

Sunday morning came and I was off to the airport. Little did I know...all the flights to Atlanta (from where I would then fly to Jackson) were VERY full. I sat in the DC airport from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm when I miraculously found a seat on a flight to Memphis. It was a loooong day full of misery, boredom, stress, and carbs that I didn't need to consume after all the bad eating I did Saturday. Matthew HATES when I fly because of all the uncertainty, so I knew he would be more than willing to drive to Memphis and pick me up if it meant that I would get home sooner.

I made it off the plane and Matthew greeted me at baggage claim. I was so relieved just to be back in the Central timezone. We headed to the car and just as I was getting in Matthew said he was having trouble with my bag (I too had issues with my bag earlier in the day so I knew how to fix it). When I came around the back of the car he was down on one knee, pulled out a ring and said: 

"So are you going to marry me, or what?" 

WE'RE ENGAGED! I am marrying the sweetest boy in the world whom I love with my whole heart, and I could not be happier! It still hasn't sunk in completely but there's plenty of time for that!

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FRIDAY FAVORITES

There are so many things I am loving these days that I decided to share them with a "Friday Favorites" post of my own!

Statement Earrings

At the beginning of the summer I was DYING for some Kendra Scott earrings. So naturally I browsed the web daily for the best deal, signed up for the Kendra Scott emails (for the coupons), came SO close to making an online purchase and THEN...I realized I could find them in here in Greenwood...of all places. Meaning I could actually see them in person, not pay for shipping, and have them in my hot little hands pronto. I purchased the turquoise pair for myself because I love how the color pops, and intended on the pearl-ish color to be my next purchase until Matthew's sweet Mom gave the to me for my birthday! Score.  The silver earrings in the middle were a birthday gift from my sisters because she knows I love anything and everything that sparkles.

1. Elle Earrings in White Pearl : I love these because they can be a classy dainty earring...or a statement earring. And the white literally goes with everything. Sometimes I wear these so much I feel like I'm abandoning my turquoise pair.

2. Emily Maynard Taylor Earrings : Remember cute little blonde Emily from the Bachelor/Bachelorette?? Well she has her own jewelry line with Towne and Reese and I want everything! She has different sales all the time so it would definitely be worth your while to check it out!

3. Danielle Earrings Turquoise and Gold : These look like they are really heavy but they aren't at all. The lines you see running through the stone are really not that prominent, but still make the stone appear very natural. And the color. So.much.sass!

Dixie Chicks Pandora

Literally so on point every.single.day. It's amazing what a little "Earl had to die" can do for your mentality around 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Not to mention the Miranda Lambert, Shania (yes, we are on a first name basis), Carrie Underwood, and other Country Music Divas that come on do not suck! Just do yourself a favor and stream this through your speakers for a little while. You won't regret it. 

I'm off to DC for the weekend to handle stuff with Olivia Pope! Be prepared for lots of pictures!

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