TGIF: Spring is almost here!

TGIF is no understatement. This has been a long week. That's how we all seem to feel on Fridays, right? This is our first weekend back in town as a MARRIED COUPLE! And I am so so so happy to not have anything really planned. I'm sure there will be a good deal of unpacking presents, and cleaning, but there will also be so much lounging and I cannot wait! Do y'all have any big weekend plans?

Meal Planning

If you saw my post on Monday, you'd know I was trying out meal planning for the first time. It has been really nice to have a brand new dinners and recipes to try out every night. But, I think I will try a different approach next week. This week we had a few crock pot meals, but they all only took 4 hours, so we ended up starting them when we got home - which kind of defeats the purpose. We also had a few meals that just took an hour or less to prepare. While none of that is super time consuming, it is still just another task to have to complete every night. Another meal to prepare, and another kitchen to clean up. I know, life.
I think for this upcoming week I'm going to get the plans together at least by Saturday so that we can go to the grocery on Sunday morning and pre-prepare a lot of items during the day Sunday, even if it is just chopping onions or crushing garlic, that's still one less thing to do during the week. I think it is definitely a trial and error game, but I have been pleased so far! Do any of y'all meal plan? I am still seeking any and all advice on what you think works and what doesn't - please share!

The Bachelor

I'd like to say that this is my only guilty pleasure on TV, but I think the truth is that all reality TV is my guilty pleasure. Oops.
Anyways, this week's episode of the Bachelor was the famous "Fantasy Suite" episode, of which all of the girls took advantage. At the risk of approaching a touchy subject, I honestly don't know what I would do in that situation, as either the contestant or the Bachelorette. I think the bigger news on the episode this week however, was that Ben said "I love you" to TWO girls. That's right. TWO. I'd always assumed it was an unwritten, or actually written, rule that they were not allowed to say it back to the contestants because if it was clear to the fans and audience who was favored, then there was less incentive to continue watching. Well, I guess you get around that by saying it to BOTH of them. I mean JoJo was genuinely shocked, she's watched the show enough to know that normally they just dance around it. I can kind of see where he's coming from, but I feel so bad for both of the girls because the fact that he said it back, right now they both think that they'll get the final rose, and obviously that is not going to be the case. I'll be very interested to see "After the Final Rose" that airs after the finale and how the runner-up really felt about it all.
Unfortunately we have to wait two weeks - this upcoming week will be the "Tell All" episode, which is always full of drama. Y'all, I can't help it. It's like a train wreck that I can't look away from. Please tell me I'm not the only one.

DietBet (again)

Do you know what happens when you go to an all inclusive resort for 6 days? Let me tell you. You will gain at least five to eight pounds. Like a solid gain of five pounds, not just, "Oh, I think I gained five pounds at Thanksgiving dinner." Legit. So I am back on the DietBet train, well actually, I've been on it in a maintainer which requires that I stay within 2% of my starting weight - which I am currently over. For now I've also joined a Kickstarter which requires you to lose 4% of your current weight within 4 weeks. I have completed three of these before, and won two of them. I think my chances are pretty good on this one (knock on wood) because I am going from an almost stationary lifestyle of work and wedding planning to 5 days a week at the gym. Fingers crossed!
To find out a little more about DietBet and my first experience with it, check out this post.

Post Wedding Blues

I have officially been married for thirteen days and it has been more wonderful than I could have ever imagined. We went on a honeymoon the Monday immediately following the wedding, so I am finishing up my first week back at work. I came across a lot of articles while I was planning the wedding that said after the wedding you will have "Post Wedding Blues" because it will all be over and you won't have any planning to do. Well, at least for now, that couldn't be further from the truth. I enjoyed planning my wedding, but it was A LOT of work, and took up A LOT of time. I am so happy to have more time to spend at home with my husband (!), and it's time that we can just hang out and eat dinner and watch TV instead of going to Michaels and Home Depot and making seating charts and painting candle holders and assembling signs and monogramming napkins. You get the picture. I'm sure I will feel a little sadness that it's all over, but it's only over because our marriage is starting, and isn't that what it's all about?

Orange is the New Black

Maybe I watched all three seasons within a week and a half, maybe I didn't. Spoiler: I totally did. And since there are only three seasons, I am desperately waiting until the summer for the new one to air. As with most shows like that, I'll probably forget about it, and rediscover it after it about a month after it's released. Have any of y'all watched it? What did you think? I am super interested in trying to find out how realistic some of the things that happen are, but I haven't had much luck on that research. Only a handful of articles with interviews by the producer and previous inmates.

Hope you've had a great week so far, let's get this weekend started!

Happy Friday!

xoxo 

linking up with:

Oh Hey Friday | Five on Friday |  Casual I Friday | xoxo Rebecca | High Five for Friday | Friday Favorites 
Wednesday Showcase

TGIF, oh hey August (almost)!

THE BAR EXAM IS OVER (And I promise that is all I will say about that until we get results). I hope y'all have had a great week and have a great weekend ahead. I am so excited to just lay out at the pool before I head back to work on Monday - hopefully the sunshine will cooperate :)

one

I finally moved out of the apartment that I lived in all three years of law school and it is so weird. I have been more or less living with my finance for about 6 months, but as of today I no longer have my own apartment. It's kind of a weird feeling, but it's also freeing knowing that now that we officially live together I have a say in a few things around the house more - at least I think I do.

two

My Emily Ley Planner officially went into service this week! I purchased this planner in May and have been dying to use it since the minute I picked it up. If you haven't heard of Emily Ley, I would encourage you to check her out. Her goal in life is to make things Simple in the prettiest way. I had been using the Lilly Pulitzer Planner, which would have lasted me until the end of the year, but with a wedding in February, I really wanted a planner that started in the Fall and went through next year so I could truly plan ahead for all of the events in the coming months. I am really looking forward to using this planner, and will definitely be sharing some of my favorite features. What kind of planner do y'all use? Are you loyal year after year to the same one?

three

I started an Instagram for the blog- see some of my posts on the right - so if you want to add me I would love that. It's a little sad right now, but bear with me and hopefully it gets a little more exciting. Plus it will give you a peek into a bit more than whats here on a weekly basis.

four

The success of this diet has been really great, so much better than I could have imagined. I'm not sure the last time (if ever) I lost more than 5 or 6 pounds at a time, so it usually was just enough to make my clothes a little loose or in most cases, they just fit better. This time around however I have found that a lot of my clothes no longer fit after losing almost 20 pounds. I mentioned last week that I have placed a shopping freeze on myself, just as a measure of self control, but if this trend goes on I might have to make an exception. I stopped working during the last month of studying so I hadn't really been wearing anything but norts and tee-shirts for the past few weeks and I guess hadn't noticed such a big change. Then earlier this week I was packing and trying on outfits for the bar because we have a certain dress code and none of my skirts fit. I'm hoping this weekend to pull out my sewing machine and figure out if I can tailor some of my clothes, or if I just need to donate them and repopulate my closet. Have y'all been in this situation? Any suggestions?

five

If you do your own nails I highly suggest Essie's new "Gel Setter" because it. is. perfect. I had been using Sally Hansen's Diamond Flash because it made my nails shiny, it dried fast, and kept my polish on for at least 4-5 days, which is pretty good in my book. It was time for me get a new bottle because I was running low and I'd heard great things about Essie's new top coat and thought I'd give it a try. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. Plus, I am currently using the same brand for my base coat, color, and top coat so I really feel like I have my life together right now! Ha!

How has your week been, any big weekend plans?

Happy Friday, Y'all!
xoxo

linking up with:

Oh Hey Friday | Five on Friday |  Casual I Friday | xoxo Rebecca | High Five for Friday | Friday Favorites | Merry Monday

Creative Corner | Wednesday Showcase | Weekending | Turn It Up Tuesday

TGIF, the sun is out!

Y'all, it has been a verrrry long week around here. More or less, all of my friends are studying for the bar right now and we are less than enjoyable to be around. I'm pretty sure the only human interaction I've had in the last week is with the random people that I just saw hello to while I'm on a walk, i.e. not any real interaction at. all. I cannot wait for this test to be over.

SUNSHINE
The sun is finally shining bright over my old Kentucky home! This week has been so so nice and I have been able to go on a walk/run almost every morning or night. I do my best to be a positive person, but sometimes surroundings just take over my mood and weather is one of those surroundings. So I am so glad that the rain is gone (at least for now)!

source

Diet Bet
I did it! Almost. I am in the final stretch of a 6-month "Transformer" and have met my goal weight and lost 10% of my initial weight. So, I just have to hold strong for a few more weeks and I'll win! This has honestly been such a transformation for me and I truly feel like I have accomplished something - with the added bonus of making some extra cash!

Southern Weddings/Project Life
So Southern Weddings is one of my favorite bridal magazines because it has so many features of real weddings, and of course because it's focus is on the south! The only downside is that, like a lot of bridal magazines it doesn't come out very often, so I've only been lucky enough to really enjoy one issue - but another one is due out in November! Anyways, I love it! And then there's ProjectLife, which is a form of scrapbooking/photo organization that is just so pretty and so clean and so organized. It's essentially a lazier form of scrapbooking, but still takes plenty of time. Well. Southern Weddings and Project Life teamed up and created a Wedding Kit for Project Life that I had been lusting over for months and last week my future mother-in-law sent it to me! I cannot wait to have the time to really get into it and start planning out how to compile it - and of course to find more reasons to take pictures! I'm sure I didn't explain that very well - but I'll have a post coming up soon with more details!

source

National Ice Cream Day
I don't think it was much of a secret that National Ice Cream Day was this week. Generally I get annoyed with all of the "National ______ Day" posts that seem to be going on like every other day, but this might just be my favorite. I could eat ice cream every day for every meal if it meant I could also still win that DietBet, but alas, I've learned to limit myself. However, when National Ice Cream Day came around, I just had to indulge. I hope y'all enjoyed it as much as I did!

Shopping Freeze
Last fall I put a month-long shopping freeze on my self just to get a better idea of the things I needed and the things that I didn't. It also allowed me to decide when there was something that I actually wanted, or just something that I wanted in the moment. If it was something that I actually wanted, and still wanted when that month was over, I was able to justify the purchase a little more than if I just saw it, wanted it, and bought it on the spot. So, we'll see how this one goes, but I think it was certainly a benefit the last time. Have y'all ever done anything like that? Or do you have other self-imposed tests for when you want to make a bigger purchase?

Happy Friday, y'all! Have a Great Weekend! 

xoxo

linking up with

Oh Hey Friday | Five on Friday |  Casual I Friday | xoxo Rebecca | High Five for Friday | Friday Favorites | Merry Monday

Motivational Monday | Wednesday Showcase | Turn it up Tuesday 

TGIF, rain, rain go away!

Happy Friday Y'all! (I know, I know, its been about a million years since I updated this - but I have good reason and I promise I'm going to be more consistent in the coming weeks and months!) In the last few months I have graduated law school and have been studying for the up coming bar exam - which I am terrified about. Basically, anytime that I'm not studying, I feel guilty - hence the lack of blogging :/. However, I've recently realized that I still need a creative outlet, sooooo I'm back! :) Here's a peek into my week - 

1. I know I told  y'all about DietBet a few months ago when I started it. Well, I am happy to report that I have successfully reached my 10% goal! However, I still have to keep that stable for a little over a month to officially win the final pot - but I am feeling SO great, and I am surprised at how many people have noticed. I can certainly tell a difference in the way clothes fit - and having to go down a size (!), but I think we can all agree, when someone else notices, you really feel like you've made progress. 

2. Have you ever had a scone? A cheesy, dense, savory scone? If not, you need to have one - now. We've been going to a local coffee shop here to study and they have the. best. scones. Generally I would steer clear because I know they're packed with calories, but I've been sharing it with my fiance as our lunch - along with a chocolate chip cookie - so I don't feel all that guilty. I've made scones before, and they're actually easier that you might think, especially for such a delicious outcome. Although, it is quite difficult to only eat one when you make them yourself, so I usually only make them now if we have a brunch or something like that to go to. But - point of all of this is - go. eat. a. scone. Please :) 

3. The good and bad of rain. Honestly, it has rained here for no less than 10 days in a row. Okay, maybe there was one day that was only overcast, but seriously it has been non-stop. Weather like this always tends to put me in a bad mood, its just so dreary and grey and dull. Fortunately, it makes it that much easier to stay inside and study, so I guess that is the one, single, benefit of rain. 

4. FitBit. I've had a FitBit for a little over a year now and have used it off and on. I'm pretty obsessive about it, so when I didn't have time to be active, it just made me feel bad when I wasn't able to reach the suggested 10,000 step goal. However, as I've been working out more I started using it again and now it has all of these crazy features - one of which is the ability to challenge your friends. This can take place in the form of a "Work Week Hustle" where you have to see who can get the most steps M-F, or "Weekend Warrior" where you see who gets the most over the weekend. Anyways, now some of my friends have a FitBit too and we've started these challenges and it has honestly made all of us so much more active! I think its probably because we're all very Type-A and very competitive, but hey, whatever works, right? 

5. Less than one month until vacation! Everyone I've ever talked to - well every attorney I've ever talked to - suggests going on a vacation for at least a week after you get done studying for the bar. Well, fortunately for me (and my fiance), his family was already planning a trip to the beach, starting about one week after we get done. I cannot wait. I know the weather at the beach can still be rainy and cloudy, but it has to be better than what we've been dealing with here. And, being on vacation is always such a nice break with so many fewer responsibilities :) Do you have any fun trips you've been on this summer - or have planned? 

How has your week been?

Have a great day, y'all! 

xoxo

linking up with:

Oh Hey Friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday | Casual I Friday | xoxo Rebecca

TGIF, snow... again.

Welp. Apparently Louisville has been on the national news because of so. much. snow. Oh, by the way, it's March! I am pretty sure that the entire country is yearning for spring because this record low temperature and record high snow is getting old. Anyways - I hope most of you didn't have to deal with the same mess that Kentucky got slammed with this week because it is no fun!
How has your week been?

1. Snow Day Pros

Normally when there is a snow day I still have to go to work, which is kind of disappointing. I have the opposite school schedule as all of my friends, so the days they want the school snow days, I usually don't because I know it means I'll still have to make my way through the snow to work. Luckily (?) this snow was so bad that my boss emailed me Wednesday night and told me not to worry about coming in. And it's a good thing he did because the snow was even worse that they predicted and certainly outstayed its welcome.

2. Snow Day Cons

I was supposed to go to a concert on Thursday night and it got cancelled because the band couldn't get here. I 100% understand that, but I was still so disappointed. The band is called Sundy Best. They are a band from Kentucky and I am obsessed, but I've never had the chance to see them in concert. Luckily they have already rescheduled and I'm still available! I'm not really sure how to describe their music, I guess it's kind of country - but more of the twang and less of the more recent "pop." A lot of their songs are about Kentucky, so that is a huge reason why I like their music so much. Don't y'all always find it comforting when you're listening to music and you just get what they're saying? That's how it feels when I listen to Sundy Best, so needless to say, I am going to be very excited when April 2 comes around!

3. Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred

The worst part about this snow is that I haven't been able to go to the gym for the last two days. I know it doesn't seem like that long, but since I'm doing the DietBet that I told  y'all about last week, I've tried to be really dedicated to a set schedule of working out. One of my friends likes to do the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred, so I thought I'd give it a try since its available on YouTube. It was so much more difficult than I anticipated for a 25 minute video, but I am so glad I did it. If y'all are looking for a quick workout I would highly recommend trying it out, I'll definitely be doing it again - if I can make myself. 

4. Cricut Explore Air 

My future mother-in-law called me a few weeks ago to ask if I would like a Cricut for my birthday (which is still a month away) because there was a new one out and she knows how much I love to craft. Of course I said yes! It arrived in Knoxville this week and she's going to give it to me when we pass through there on the way to Hilton Head and I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have been looking at so many different projects to try and I have no idea how I'm ever going to get anything else done. Ever. I know it is supposed to be so easy to use, but I also know it does about a million different things, so I really hope I can use it to its full potential. Do any of y'all have a Cricuit? I would love to hear some tips, I'll take any and all! 

5. Spring Scarves, is that a thing?

I used to think "summer scarves" were ridiculous. But then I realized how easy it is to throw on a well co-ordinated scarf and instantly look put together, or throw a bright scarf on over a grey tee and you've brightened up your whole outfit. Enter, my new appreciation for summer scarves. MondayDress just posted this picture of new scarves they have and I think I want them all. They are so bright and colorful and remind me a lot of a Lilly scarf, but with a much lower price tag. What do y'all think? 

Have a great weekend, y'all! What are your plans?
xoxo 

linking up with: 

  Oh Hey Friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday | Casual Friday | xoxo Rebecca

Mix it Up Friday

TGIF, bye February

It is February 27 - one day, ONE day away from March. I get that February is a short month so technically it does go by faster, but I truly feel like this February has flown by. Of course part of that could be the fact that what seems like the entire eastern United States has had at least a solid week of being snowed in.
Here are a few things I've been up to this week - how has your week been?

1. DietBet

Have y'all ever heard of DietBet? I feel like for a while it was popping up in a lot of fitness magazines as one of the "great ways to motivate yourself" options. I had personally ignored it because I wasn't sure I trusted actually betting money on the internet, and conceitedly thought I didn't need to lose enough weight to warrant the risk. I. Was. Wrong.

I have this friend who is on and off a new diet every other week, not in an unhealthy way, but more in an "I love food" kind of way. I get her. But, recently she's decided to really take things under control so she signed up for DietBet and was telling me all about it, and after the aforementioned week long snowday spend mostly eating and drinking, I thought maybe it wasn't such a bad idea. So I signed up, for two different bets. They have the option for you to lose 4% in 4 weeks or 10% in 6 months. I thought to jump start the process, I'd do the 6 month one as well as the 4 week one. I am so excited! My official start date on the 4 week one was February 24, so I have until March 24 to lose 4% of my body weight. I am so looking forward to feeling better (and lighter) and will be happy to share any information about this with any of you who might be interested. Honestly, I was a little skeptical at first, but I am really hopeful in the end results. [not sponsored, I'm just legitimately this excited that I had to share it with y'all!]

2. Composites

So we had law school composites this week. Let me just say that sorority and high school senior pictures were way easier. You just had to show up in a tank top, put the cape on, and make sure your hair, makeup, and pearls were in place. Law school composites comparatively were such a hassle having to actually wear a suit jacket and blouse. I know it probably looks nicer, but after four years of something four times easier, it was just slightly on the annoying side. Okay, end rant.

3. Registry

So you know how last Friday I mentioned we were going to register at Belk on Sunday? Well, thanks to all of the snow that came last week, and the fact that the South is sorely unprepared for more than a few inches of snow, the roof caved in. I didn't even know that was possible, except that one time it happened to an NFL dome. But seriously? When my friend called to tell me I almost didn't believe her.
Luckily there is another one about 45 minutes away and since I was so determined to get the process started we headed up there and luckily were able to at least get our feet wet. I had no idea there were so. many. thing to decide. Not only do you have to decide how plush you want your towels to be, but also what color, and how many. Then, in addition to regular dinnerware and china, there are serving dishes and platters to choose from. I am looking so forward to this because it means we are planning what our future home will be. However, next time we head out to mark a few things off the list we're definitely going to do some research before we get to the store. Do y'all have any registry tips?

4. Free Weekend

This is the first weekend since school started back in January that we have no plans. Zero. And I couldn't be happier. The last two months have been a whirlwind, and I'm so excited to know that we are going to get to sleep in on Saturday and Sunday, and I can finally get some things done around the apartment that I've been dying to tackle. I'm one of those people that needs to have a huge block of time available to complete a big task. I totally see the benefit of just cleaning up 15 minutes a day or whenever you have time, but sometimes I think it's just time for a deep cleaning and I need 6 hours to do that. This might be the first time that I am this excited not to have plans!

5. Contouring

Okay. So I am not trying to look like Kim K., but I would like to figure out how to contour just to make my face look a little brighter and less tired looking. You know what I mean? A few months ago I received the perfect highlighter in a Birchbox and have been obsessed since. Of course when I wasn't looking, it seemed like there were contouring tutorials everywhere I looked. Last weekend I was trying to find one before Barristers to try out and couldn't find anything that I felt comfortable doing - i.e. that was simple. So here's my plea, if y'all come across a relatively easy/well explained tutorial please send it my way!

BONUS: I think I've mentioned it before, but if you don't already, you should seriously consider subscribing to The Skimm. I'm not even sure anymore how I first found out about it, but it's a news outlet of sorts. They send an email to you every morning with the prior day's top stories and the most concise (and witty) explanation you could ask for. It seriously takes less than 10 minutes to read, but you get so much quick news. Plus, it his my inbox no later than 7am, usually earlier, so it is perfect to read on your commute to work (assuming you aren't driving!) or while you're enjoying your morning coffee. Seriously, sign up. You won't regret it!

Just in case you aren't enticed already, here's an excerpt from earlier this week:

The Skimm

Have a great weekend, y'all!
xoxo

linking up with:

|  Oh Hey Friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday | Friday Favorites | Casual Friday | xoxo Rebecca
Mix it Up Friday