Nora Roberts' Land

I have decided that if I could live in any sort of fantasy-ideal world, it would be Nora Roberts' Land. Every time I read a Nora Roberts book, I literally feel like I am wrapped in a fairy tale land. Sure, there's a little bit of drama, but there's always a happy ending. I can sit and read one of her books in a day. And, that's what I have done on countless occasions.

This was one of my favorite series of books that I have ever read. The Bride Quartet series followed 4 friends who owned their own bridal business. Each book was about one of the girls finding love. And I absolutely loved how Nora Roberts titled each book after the occupation of each girl within the business (Vision in White for the photographer, Bed of Roses for the florist, Savor the Moment for the baker, and Happily Ever After for the overall planner). I anxiously awaited in anticipation for each of these books to come out after reading the first one. And on the day each one came out, I ventured to Wal-Mart and purchased and then read all in a single day.

Her most recent series, The Inn Boonsboro series, came out a few months ago. There are only 3 books in this series and the second one came out today! (I have yet to go to Wal-mart to buy it because I'm trying to decide if my sun burn can handle actually going outside of my house, but we'll see). The first one was absolutely fantastic. Again, each one of her books is like traveling into a fairy tale land that gives you the slightest inkling and hope that things can actually work out like that in real life.

Like most small girls, my mother always read me fairy tales about a princess being swept off her feet by her prince charming. I realize that the real world is not a fairy tale and that shit does actually happen, but there is someone out there who can sweep me off my feet, right? Someone that I will fall completely head over heels in love with and who will feel exactly the same about me? I'm going to stay in my Nora Roberts' Land and believe that. :)

Draft: NFL AND Beer!

Sorry for the hiatus. I literally have been going nonstop since returning back from Spring break! And although I realize this was over 2 weeks ago, it has been crazy since then!

My school's Relay for Life was last night. This is the last big event that my club is responsible for, and while I know it is important, oh my goodness is it a lot of work! It was a crazy and stressful couple of weeks, but I thought overall it was fun. The sponsor of another club stayed out with the students later than I did, which was nice, considering that I still woke up at 7 this morning to go and make sure everything was cleaned up and put away. Yes, I know, all-star teacher of the year. :)

The DRAFT has begun. Today's the last day, and with the exception of the second pick of the first round, I'm pretty proud of the Browns. I'd say they're stacking up to have a positive season. I CANNOT wait for football season. And I'm pretty pumped the roommate decided to invest in Direct TV so that I will be happier during all of football season. And, can we quickly talk about the fact that my mother is on a mission to get me to Berea, OH for training camp to hook me up with the new lineman they drafted? Reason why she wants to do this? His last name is Schwartz. Oy vey.

Last weekend was our high school prom. Yes, it was weird being on the chaperone side of things, but it was fun to go out and have a few beers after! This weekend is also my dear friend KB's birthday! We're going out to celebrate tonight. Should be lots of fun.

This school year is wrapping up quickly, and I can't say that I'm entirely sad about this. I am so mentally exhausted from this entire year, I'm ready for my summer break! I'm still not entirely sure what I'm doing yet, other than going to the gym more frequently, but I do now that I plan on relaxing, hanging out, and enjoying the time off from being a grown up for a while!

April Showers, Allergies, and Abita

Happy April Fool's Day! While I was planning this great trick on my roommate, I thought the better of it and decided against it (I mean, he's the one who gave me the idea of putting gummi bears in the top of the shower head) simply for the reason that I fear retaliation. I'll do something, I just can't decide what yet.

My allergies have been TERRIBLE this year. I didn't really realize that I had allergies until last year when I moved down to the low country. Well, I do, and they suck. My eyes get so itchy, and then my contacts start irritating me, and then I start rubbing my eyes, and then I have red eyes like crazy and my students ask me if I have been crying or what I have been doing before school. (Precious little gems, right?) Anyways, allergies are definitely NOT one of the things I love most about spring.

One of the things I DO love most about spring is that my favorite beer in the entire world is out! I first had Abita Strawberry when I was in Clemson. My best friend who came for a visit brought some and I have been hooked ever since. After getting on the Abita website and realizing they do not sell this brew ANYWHERE within 50 miles of where I live, I got slightly disheartened. However, because I have the best parents in the world, they went and bought me a case at Total Wine. When I went home for a couple of days, I bought another case and traveled back to my humble abode with about 7 six-packs in tow. :) It's a great beer and I am going to continue to enjoy it while I can!

In other exciting news, I passed my teaching evaluation! It's been a crazy hectic year with all the additional paperwork and stress of being observed for an entire period, I am so relieved and thankful that  I am done with formal evaluation. Now, it's time to celebrate and start working on the Master's degree! And just to drive home the fact that I seriously have the BEST parents in the world, they sent me the most beautiful flowers to school. (And thanks for showing me what my flowers for my wedding will be, because these are GORGEOUS.)

I have been catching up with some of my non-teacher friends recently which has been so sweet and nice to feel like a real person again. One of my sorority sisters and I had dinner recently and we decided we are going to attempt to have a beach weekend sometime over the summer. It will be like a big reunion for everyone! Today, I'm going to lunch/brunch with one of my dearest friends who I graduated from CU with. Josie and I had 3 classes together the spring of our sophomore year and we have been great friends ever since (she is also really the reason that I ended up living where I live right now). I am introducing her to the FABULOUS Charleston Cafe this morning.

My good friend Maria introduced me to this place and I haven't turned back. The food is absolutely delicious and I am so excited to go and catch up with Josie! Happy April everyone!!

Progress, not Perfection

I can't remember if I already posted about this, but this is the Jenny Craig slogan that I had to keep telling myself when I was on this program. While this is totally true, and I try to remind myself of this on a regular basis, this saying does somewhat infuriate me. I'm one who likes perfection. I try to be what, in my mind, is perfect and I have much distaste when I feel like I achieve anything less than that. However, I do feel like I have made some progress over the last two weeks that I'm excited about.

1. Physical Fitness progress - Two weeks ago marks the day I joined a gym! Seriously, this was the best life decision I have made for my life in a while. Last week, I woke up at 5 on Monday and Wednesday to workout before school. And let me tell you, I felt great. This week was a little bit of a disappointment - I only woke up on Tuesday and went to the gym. After traveling on Sunday, I was exhausted on Monday and couldn't make myself get up. Thursday night I went to see the midnight premiere of The Hunger Games (which is a post for another day) and only got a total of 4 hours of sleep. Now, my first thought as I'm reflecting on my working out for the past 2 weeks is "YOU ONLY WENT TO THE GYM 3 TIMES???" Of course this is my first thought. And when I say it like that, it sounds really insignificant. But I'm trying to look at it this way.....Yes, I only went to the gym 3 times. But that's 3 more times than I have worked out in months. So, I have made some progress. Stay tuned, because I'm convinced that this week will be filled with more progress, working toward perfection. Oh, and weight loss goal of the moment - lose 10-15 pounds before Memorial day. (That's approximately 5 pounds per month. Totally doable).

2. Spring clothing progress - Last weekend when I was home to see my momma, I realized that I have an addiction to shopping. I realize that there are plenty of worse things I could be addicted to, but I SERIOUSLY have an addiction to shopping. After dropping a good chunk of change at the Ann Taylor Outlet store, I thought about ways to cool down this addiction. I have literally been thinking about this for quite some time, but the more I think about it, the more I realize something. Yes, I like to shop. I get such a high when I make a purchase that I know is going to be a cute outfit or something that will make my life a little bit happier when I use it. And after I buy something, I always wonder, "Okay, what else can I buy?" But it's not like I'm going out to buy anything illegal or detrimental to my health. I simply like having new clothes to wear, new shoes to show off, new bags to tote things in, and new jewelry to accessorize with. Yes, it's a bit of a problem. But I pay all my bills, so why shouldn't I spend my money on things that I like, right? Side note, I went to Target last night on a mission for workout shorts and I ended up buying the CUTEST navy jersey dress that is actually long enough that I can wear to work. I'm SO excited!

3. Paranoid progress - Okay, so everyone knows that I was robbed in December. Even before that, I would sometimes have a hard time falling asleep because I was convinced that someone was going to break into my apartment/town house/home/whatever. Call my paranoid, but I inherited this from my mother and that's just how I roll. I've been doing better since moving in with a roommate, but when your roommate is a soccer coach who has away games and doesn't get home until usually after 11 and you go to bed at 10 because you're a grandmother at heart, my sleep cycle has been interesting this week to say the least. I swear, every time I try to go to sleep, I hear a car door shut in front of one of the neighbors house and I'm convinced that someone is about to come break in. Paranoid? Yes. But my goal is to try to make some progress with this. How do I plan to do this? Glass of wine before bed. :)

4. Staying in touch progress - Last weekend when I was home, I saw one of my best friends who I figured out I have not seen since my brother's graduation! It was so good to see her and catch up on life. On my drive back home from the A, I caught up with my BFFL who lives in New Orleans. We literally talked from Atlanta to Augusta. 2 1/2 hours on the phone? Yes, I would say I've made significant progress with catching up with my sweet college friends who I miss so much. Now if only I would quit playing phone tag with another friend, would actually see another since we live only a few hours from each other, and make more progress to talk on the phone more often.

I really think life is full of progress, though people do want perfection. I know, personally, I have done some things and made some changes that are for the better. I am looking into so many new things and am so excited about whatever is yet to come! Happy Saturday everyone!

Day 1

I figured if I kept myself more accountable by blogging about my exercise efforts that I will stick with it. Today was day 1! :)

I got up this morning at 5 to go to the gym. I have to admit, I had a big decision to make: go workout or go back to bed. Well, I did not succumb to my usual laziness, and I got my butt to the gym! It may have only been 30 minutes on the eliptical, but that is a start for me. I am trying to decide if I am going to do every other morning and then attempt the afternoons on Tuesdays and Thursdays. We will have to wait and see how that goes tomorrow.

I've also been eating better. For lunch, I've been taking vegetables and pita bread with hummus, greek yogurt, and a fruit bar. It's not much compared to how intense I was 3 years ago. But it's baby steps. And I think the most important thing is that I'm being conscious of my decisions and knowing that I need to get my butt in gear!

A Fresh Start for Spring

I really do love springtime. Despite the fact that I may gripe about the pollen (and as I have come to realize, the intense allergies that I have this time of the year), spring is probably my favorite season. I love getting to wear cute, warm clothes, but that there's still a breeze and it's not as humid as it is in the summer. I have started my spring time off right this year. This morning I got up and joined a gym! I found one that is about 10 minutes up the road from where I live. It's only $20 a month, which is the cheapest that I found of any gyms around me, and it opens at 5 AM in the morning. Since I am paying for it (and no, it's not coming out of Mom and Dad's wallet) I think I will be much more motivated to go and get up in the mornings. I'm super excited and I am definitely going to start this new life venture bright and early on Monday morning.

I also cleaned. Well, my minimal version of cleaning....I dusted my room and cleaned the bathroom. That's a big step for me (especially if you know me). I reorganized my dresser and thought about cleaning out my closet (although that will probably be another day).

Of course, my fresh start for spring involved shopping. I got my tax returns and purchased a couple of things to keep me fresh and happy at the start of this season.

Happy Spring!!!

Window Shopping Saturday

So, this week's window shopping is going to focus on spring and summer items. In case you haven't been following the weather, which has been quite terrifying where Mom and Dad live, it has been in the 80's down here! I busted out the sandals on Wednesday and haven't gone back since. After getting my tax returns, and still trying to decide what my next pair of TOMS is going to be, I've been looking around for some fun, warm clothing to not only look into purchasing, but to also motivate me to get my but in gear and get to the gym! I am planning to join a gym after my next set of tax returns come in. So, here it goes!

1. Michael Kors Sondra Sandal

I was unaware that MK actually made shoes in my size. But now that I have discovered that he does, I have become addicted to his shoes. I bought a similar pair of sandals to these from JCREW last year (see in a previous post), but these are much more versatile than those. I love the color of these shoes (they also come in a light gold and orange) and that I could wear them either with a pair of shorts or capris or with a cute sundress. It's a pleasure to meet you Michael Kors. I look forward to our future together. 

2. Lilly Pulitzer Jia Dress

After finally receiving my Sloane Dress, which I LOVE and cannot wait to wear!, I have become even more obsessed with Lilly Pulitzer. I was obsessed in college, but I never pursued my obsession in buying a dress. I guess it was because her dresses always seemed out of my price range and I couldn't ask my parents to spend so much money when one of them had been out of work for so long. Now that I have my own income, life has changed OH so much. :) I like this dress in that it looks like it's long enough for me to potentially wear to work with a cute cardigan. In addition, it's in my new favorite color combination, coral and turquoise. Be on the lookout for a post exclaiming my excitement when I have finally bought  this as a present to myself. 

3. JCREW 5 inch Chino Shorts

I recently purchased a couple of tops from JCREW (addiction I know) and I had these shorts in the shopping bag up until I actually checked out. I ended up not buying them, but I think once spring break hits I will be changing my mind. I LOVE that these shorts come in all different inseams, meaning now that I'm a grown up I cannot wear the super short shorts that I did when I was in college. I also love that these shorts come in different fun vibrant colors. This green is only one of the fun colors they come in (they come in pink, too!). I'm definitely going to be picking these up in the near future.

4. Talbots Watercolor Rose Full Skirt

I can hear my mother saying, "Ugh, you like that? It looks like a sofa pattern." I am not one who normally likes prints, but this is adorable. I love that this is a full skirt and that it has a springy feel, but it can also be worn in the summer. I just think it's super cute and would be a great addition to my wardrobe. :) 

It is now pouring outside. I'm going to an oyster roast at a bar with my friend today at some point, while my other good friend wants to go out tonight. Now, as most of you know, I am not much of a bar person. I'm okay every now and then, but going out is stressful for me. I think it's a combination of mild social anxiety and because once I start drinking, there's no telling how much money I'll spend. Not to mention, I always feel like a giant when I go out, unless I'm with my college friends. I have this bad tendency of having really good friends who are short. In college, that was not the case. And truthfully, my best friends from school are all tall. However, my friends in Chucktown are not. And it's raining, did I mention that? Going out in the rain is just NOT something that is appealing to me. WE shall see. Happy Saturday everyone!