TGIF, Battle at Bristol!

Battle at Bristol

It is no secret that I am a Kentucky fan true and true. But, I was so immediately attracted to my now husband, that I completely ignored the fact that he was a Tennessee fan, and from Knoxville. I've learned to adapt, and I've learned to wear orange, but I will never put aside my love for the Wildcats. 

Anyways, this weekend is the Battle at Bristol. If you aren't familiar with that, Virginia Tech and Tennessee are going to be playing a football game inside Bristol Motor Speedway. Yes, it is as crazy as it sounds. My in-laws had to reserve tickets THREE years ago. Needless to say, the hype around this game has been going on for years, and the weekend is finally upon us. I'm hoping it will be a lot of fun, but an 8:30 kickoff makes for a long day. 

Kentucky Football 

Speaking of good ol' Kentucky, how about that game last weekend?? How many more days is it until basketball season? I am not a fair weather fan. I will cheer my heart out for Kentucky on all occasions, but that does not mean it is not disappointing to see a team flat out blow a 25 point lead. I don't act like I know enough to try to point blame on whose fault it is or isn't, but for the first time, I do feel pretty confident that it is a coaching problem, not a player problem. Kentucky has one of the best recruiting classes they've had in a long time, and the first half last weekend proved it. Then comes the second half, and it's like they were thrown back out there with no direction. Maybe they were. Here's to hoping for a miracle against the Gators tomorrow! 

Painted Furniture

I mentioned last week we were going to paint our very small foyer - and take off the existing wall paper. Y'all, it was hard work. We are very pleased with the results though! In addition to painting the walls I also decided to paint a small table we had in that area that served as a catch all for mail and keys. It was originally black, and I am just not a lover of dark colors. Honestly, I hate black furniture. I think it can look nice, but in my home I just want things light and bright. So I painted it, and it turned out awesome! I'm not really sure what I expected to happen, but it definitely looks better than I could have imagined. Naturally now I want to paint everything. 

Gilmore Girls

I am SO excited for the Gilmore Girls revival! I have been re-watching the entire series from the beginning, and it is just so good. I tend to re-watch most of the series every fall, and it is even more excited this year knowing that in late November I'll have new episodes to watch! I am definitely team Logan, maybe Jess. Dean drives me crazy, especially in these earlier seasons. What about you? 

Corn Hole Bags Galore

A few weeks ago, a girl on a local Facebook page was looking for someone to make custom corn hole bags. I'm always trying to have a little extra cash, so I thought I'd volunteer. (I definitely undercharged her.) Then I decided to add them to my Etsy shop, just to see what would happen and the orders started pouring in. And by pouring in, I mean four orders in two days. But still, pretty good traction for a new item. So I spent most of Monday getting all of the embroidery on the bags, and Tuesday and Wednesday assembling. I love to craft and make things, but there is only so much that I can make for myself, so it is really fun to be able to still put that to use, but for other people. I'm sure my husband appreciates it too. Is Corn Hole a thing where you live? I think people also call it bags. It is a staple at all tailgates around here, and barbecues, and back yards. Basically any time at least four people are outside hanging out, someone is bound to breakout the Corn Hole boards sooner or later.

What are your plans this weekend?

Have a great weekend, y'all!

xoxo

linking up with:

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

TGIF, heading out for the weekend - again

Kentucky Football

I know I mentioned we were going to the UT game last weekend - which we did - but I am always going to be a 100% Kentucky fan and I was SO excited to see all of the score updates with Kentucky leading South Carolina - and AT South Carolina! Luckily the UT game started about an hour and a half before the UK game so when we got home after the game, I was able to watch the end and watch UK seal the deal! If you aren't a Kentucky fan, you might not understand the excitement, but let me tell you just how exciting it is that we beat South Carolina - it was the first time since 2009 that Kentucky had won a road SEC game. 2009 - as in SIX years ago. Let's see if we can pull off another win this weekend against Florida! GO GATS!

Travel Pro

This is the third, yes third weekend in a row that we are heading to Knoxville. Before that we'd also gone to Hilton Head for a week, and after this weekend, we only have one "break" weekend before we're on the road again. This pretty much par for the course for us during football season, and now with what feels like a gazillion wedding appointments, but I have really turned into a travel/packing pro at this point. (except that I didn't unpack from last week until right before I was packing for this weekend - oops) Plus, I feel a lot more justified in buying all of those super cute matching Vera Bradley items!
Do y'all have any tricks or tips for being on the go all the time?

Dirty Guv'nahs

Y'all. The Dirty Guvs are retiring and I am so sad! They are a band out of Knoxville, and we saw them for the first time New Years Eve 2013, and then again soon after when they just happened to be playing a show here. A couple of months ago they announced they were "retiring" and would have a few final shows. Originally their only show near us was going to be next Friday in Knoxville, and we just knew that we couldn't get down there in time on a Friday. Then they announced a second show (!) for this weekend, and on Saturday - so of course we did our best to get tickets and were successful! I am really looking forward to the concert tomorrow night and so excited we'll get to see them one more time!

Monogram Mania

I'm on the Reese Witherspoon train of thought - "If it's not moving, monogram it." My shirts, my shoes, my computer, my phone, you get the idea. However, I am also just as aware that not everyone shares the same love for monograms as I do. As I'm thinking abot the different gifts that I want to get my bridesmaids it is taking all that I have in my to resist having monograms on every. single. one. What are your thoughts on monograms??

Guilty Pleasure - Real Housewives

Confession time. Watching the Real Housewives of Orange County with a glass of wine in my hand is the best part of my Mondays. Please tell me I'm not alone on this.

Have a great weekend, y'all! GO CATS!
xoxo

linking up with:

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

Wednesday Showcase | Turn It Up Tuesday

TGIF, it's football time in the Bluegrass!

okay, okay, I know, its football time everywhere :)

Football Tailgating Season

Y'all. There is nothing I love more than a good tailgate. I love to plan them, I love to go to them, I just love everything about it. We didn't get to go to the UK or UT games last weekend because we had to  meet with the wedding planner (see below), which was pretty much the opposite of a football game. This weekend we're heading to the Tennessee v. Oklahoma game in Knoxville and I am so excited. Not only is this going to be a big game for Tennessee, but they are also doing "Checker Neyland" again, and it was a lot of fun last year. From what I understand it started as a big push from a couple of fans to get everyone to wear either white or orange, depending on where your seat is, so that from far away it looks like a checkerboard. And let me tell you, it. was. awesome. It actually worked, and worked well. And honestly you didn't have to be that far away to see what was going on. Basically from anywhere inside the stadium you could look across and it looked like a checkerboard - I was very impressed. Here are a few pictures from last year, and I'll be sure to document it again this year because it seriously looked photo-shopped it was done so well.

Wedding Planner

After having a couple  lot of moments of extreme stress over trying to plan our wedding and trying to coordinate everything that needed to be done, as well as keeping all important parties informed, I finally decided that we definitely needed someone for day of coordination, and preferably someone who could help out a little bit along the way. Luckily my mom was able to talk to a few people at home and found a woman who can do as little or as much as we need, which is perfect. We met with her last Saturday and I feel 100x better about everything. There were definitely still some stressful moments because me, my finance, my mom, and both of my fiance's parents were there - so there were a lot of opinions. But, I could tell she was working towards what I  wanted to make happen and not getting bogged down with all of their ideas as well. I'm hoping this will be a much smoother process and all of my winter wedding fears will subside. Well, most of them at least :)

Unpacking

I have finally (almost) finished unpacking from moving out of my apartment and it is so nice to come home and not see boxes and boxes everywhere. I also did a major purge of some clothes and my closet, at least for now, is very organized and looks great. I invested in getting all new hangers for my dresses because I just think it looks so much better when all of your hangers match, if anything it can give the illusion of organization. I'll try to include a few pictures soon. Working with a small closet is always a struggle, and especially trying to use the empty space on the sides that I can't really get to. If y'all have any suggestions, it is still a work in progress and I am always looking for input!

Goodbye to the Pastels :(

While I was unpacking and getting my closet organized, I also started putting away all of my summer clothes. It was definitely a good thing because it cleared up some space in my closet, but I just hated to put them all away. Don't get me wrong, I love boots and oversized sweaters as much as the next girl, but I love bright colors, pastels, seersucker and sun dresses. I am also an extreme rule follower, so when Labor Day came around I knew I had to put them all away for now. That being said, it is barely going to get to 70 today, so I guess mayyybe it was time to pull out my fall clothes anyways. 

BigBrother

Do any of y'all watch Big Brother on CBS? My mom and I have literally been watching it since the first season - which I can not believe was 17 years ago! I've since been able to get the finance into it, to the point that he sometimes is more interested in it than I am. They are down to the final 5 now and I honestly don't know if I like any of the ones that are left. I kind of felt like this season there weren't any major stand outs that I was really pulling for. I do think John is hilarious though! If you watch it, what are your thoughts??

Have a Great Weekend, Y'all! Go CATS! 

xoxo

linking up with:

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

Wednesday Showcase | Turn It Up Tuesday

TGIF, Spring Break!

I'm pretty sure this has been the longest week ever! Happy Friday, Y'all! 

1. Spring Break!

I. am. so. excited! Spring Break is finally here! We are heading down to Hilton Head for the week and I cannot wait. It has finally warmed up a little bit here, but I am so looking forward to knowing that it is going to be in the 60s and 70s consistently. Hopefully I'll come back with a little color. Check out yesterday's post with some of my favorite mix & match swimsuits for this season! 

2. Sunday Funday 

You know how some most people head to the grocery when a snow storm is coming? Well. I went to Hobby Lobby, and I don't regret it one bit. Unfortunately, I ended up having to go to actual work that week and didn't get to craft as much as I'd planned. Luckily we had a relatively free weekend so I spent all day on Sunday painting. When I was at Furman it seemed like we were painting posters and gifts all the time with Kappa, but law school doesn't quite provide the same opportunity. Here's a little something I painted, what do y'all think? (In case y'all weren't already aware - am in love with Kentucky and Furman!) 

3. I have the best fiancé 

Do y'all remember when I posted this dress a few weeks ago and mentioned how much I loved it?? Well, luckily for me, my fiancé reads this blog and took it upon himself to order it for me as an early spring break gift. Let me tell you, it is even more perfect in person! This is one of my absolute favorite necklines (not sure if there's an actually name for it), and it fits perfectly! 

4. Moot Court Board Training

Ugh. We had training on Thursday night to "re-vamp" how the scoring is supposed to be done for the 1L oral argument competition and it was a giant disaster. The "new" score sheet was not significantly more objective than the prior one, and yet we still had to spend an hour talking about how it was so much better and would produce so much better results. I think it is a great idea to work on making this judging more cohesive because it really is all across the board, but this was a failed attempt. And it took an hour. I know, I know, an hour isn't that long in the grand scheme, but we're leaving tomorrow and I have stuff to do, ya know? Anyways, sorry for the vent!

5. MARCH MADNESS

Y'all. The best time of year is finally here! MARCH MADNESS! I am SO SO SO excited. Kentucky is doing so well and it has been such a great season! They're 31-0! The first game of the SEC Tournament for Kentucky is today at 1:00pm since they had a double-bye. I have no idea how I'm going to keep paying attention at work, but I'm sure I'll find a way. Do y'all have a favorite team? Is anyone as excited as I am?

PS - I found this workout for March Madness, think something like the Bachelor workouts. 5 push-ups for each foul, 1 minute plank if someone fouls out, etc. I am so looking forward to trying it, and as much basketball as I'm about to watch in the upcoming weeks I should be in great shape by the end!

Have a great weekend y'all, and GO CATS!

xoxo

linking up with:

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

Mix it Up Friday

winter whites, aka a place holder for spring

As I sit here on this snow day, I can't help but yearn for the warmer days of spring. After five years of living in South Carolina, I think I had let myself forget just how cold and annoying winters in Kentucky can be. The worst part is how long I have to wait to wear my favorite Lilly dresses and pastels. Luckily, winter white has become a real thing and keeps things bright during this dreary season.

Here are a few of my favorites keeping me occupied while I'm waiting to pull out my seersucker :) 

sequin sweater

sequin sweater -- I received this sweater for Christmas (after a lot of well placed hints) and I am in love with it! It is SO warm, while still looking cute and put together. Plus it is such a nice, light white color that it keeps the dreary winter days nice and bright - a necessity in my book

colored cords

colored cords -- I have about five pairs of colored cords and I am always looking for more. Corduroy tends to be considered more of a winter/fall material so it still works well for this time of year, but you can play with that and use them as a great way bring some color back when it feels like spring is an eternity away

colorblock sweater

colorblock sweater -- this piece might be sightly more spring than winter, but it is a sweater, so that means you can wear it now, right?

fit & flare dress

fit & flare dress -- pairing a pastel with black is always a great way to make it work in the winter while still adding a pop of color to your wardrobe and fit and flare dresses look great on everyone!

pixie ankle pants

pixie ankle pants -- How cute is this color?? These pants are currently on sale for $30 and they have them in a dozen colors - what more could you want? 

How do you bring in color to your winter wardrobe? Or do you love and embrace the chance to wear all of the dark colors that the season will allow? 

Have a great day y'all & stay warm!
xoxo 

linking up with: 

Celebrate Southern | Trend Spin | Shop My Closet | What I Wore | Because Shanna Said So | Spotlight Weekly Link Up

TGIF, Happy Valentines Day, Y'all!

I can finally breathe - things around here are starting to slow down and get back to a routine and I am so grateful for that. As a big planner, I cringe when there is constant chaos, which is essentially what the last few months have been. Some good, some bad, but certainly chaotic nonetheless. There were a lot of quick updates earlier this week, as well as my favorite update - my engagement! But I think it is still so important to consider each week five things to be thankful for, excited about, etc. - living a positive life is one of the most beneficial things we can do for our own state of mind, as well as those surrounding us.

1. Moot Court is Over

For those of you also in law school, you're probably well aware of the time commitment that comes with Moot Court. For those who are not, let me provide a brief explanation of the process: for this particular competition we were responsible for writing a brief for the position of our choosing, and preparing arguments for both the Petitioner and Respondent. After writing the (25 page long) brief, we then have to start practicing our arguments for both sides, for a couple of hours -  multiple times a week. It was 110% worth it, but I am just so glad to have some of my "free" time back to run errands, read for class, and more importantly - sleep! -- Side note: Moot Court is similar to the undergraduate Mock Trial competitions, except there are dozens of areas of law that you can complete in. Anyways, it was a wonderful experience and I am so lucky that I had the opportunity to travel to Florida in the middle of winter, but I am definitely ready to have one less thing on my plate!

2. Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day has always been one of my favorite holidays. It's probably due in part to the fact that I've almost always had someone to share it with, so I've never had a reason to be bitter about it. But, I also think its because there is nothingggg going on this time of year, most of the Christmas spirit is gone, and it's just plain cold. In comes Valentine's Day to perk everyone, okay almost everyone, back up. It's also probably because there are few things I love more than chocolate, so for me this holiday is definitely one of my favorites! What kind of plans do y'all have for Valentine's Day?

3. Future In-Laws In Town

This weekend my fiance's parents are coming into town and I am so excited. We have such a full weekend ahead, but I am really looking forward to it. They've been wanting to come up for a UofL game for a while, and this weekend that all finally worked out. Plus - they haven't seen the Yum Center yet, where U of L's games are played, and it is awesome, so I'm excited to see their reactions. As someone who grew up going to SEC games, the concept of having alcohol and sporting events was so foreign to me, but as a member of the Big East, then American Athletic, and now the ACC, the Yum Center is allowed to serve drinks at UL games. Obviously this is not the most important reason to go, but with Woodford and Kentucky Ale bars inside the concourse, it is really fun.
I'm also looking forward to taking his mom to Louisville Stoneware, a local stoneware factory that has some gorgeous pieces. And of course we're going to have some delicious meals around town - definitely one of my favorite things to do when people come to visit! Some of the last few times we've been with his parents I've felt so stressed because it is just so much wedding talk all the time, so I'm really hopeful that this weekend will have some wedding talk, but more of a relaxed atmosphere.

4. Gym Classes

A few weeks ago one of my friends reached out to me about working out together a couple of times a week to help keep us both accountable and I am so glad she did. Around the same time, I also joined a 24-hour gym, which is beyond great, but it's nice to change it up and workout with her as well. Because we're both still in school, we have access to the University's gym, and fortunately U of L has a great set of classes available to students. So far we've tried out Zumba, Cycling, and Boot Camp. Boot Camp was soooo much more difficult than we thought it was going to be. I mean, I'm not exactly sure what either of us thought we were getting into, but it was very intense and we felt like everyone else in the class was already a pro athlete. Instead of Boot Camp, we tried Cycling this week and it was far more manageable, while still getting in a great hour of cardio - I would highly recommend it. Zumba has also been a lot of fun. My friend was a dancer, so her coordination is about a million times better than mine, but I still love how fast it goes and how different it is from most workouts. This approach works so much better for me because I tend to get bored easily, but with Zumba its a new move and a new song every two-four minutes. I know some people prefer to work out on their own, but these classes have been so great for me over the past few weeks. What are some of your favorite classes? I'm always interested in what others tend to prefer or dislike.

5. Back to the Blog

Y'all I am so excited to be back here and sharing with you! I have always been somewhat creative and in law school there just isn't much of an outlet for that. I miss the days of crafting for my little and making banners for the DH at Furman. This blog has given me some of that creativity back and I love it. I might not be (I know I'm not) the best writer, but hopefully y'all can enjoy some of the stories/advice I share, and if not I'm always open to suggestions. Like I said earlier this week, I do have some ideas in mind for future posts, but if y'all have any other ideas or things you want to know about law school I'll be happy to address those as well.

Have a great weekend, Y'all!

xoxo

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|  Oh Hey Friday | high five for friday | Friday Favorites | Five on Friday |

TGIF, welcome to the weekend

Happy Friday, Y'all! These past few weeks have been so busy, but in such a good way. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving, but also looking forward to finally being done with class/finals and having a chance to relax. Here's a quick look into my week -

1. The Moot Court team I'm on had our first official meeting this week and I am so excited! I know, it sounds so ridiculous, but I was on the team last year and really enjoyed it and I'm so looking forward to the experience again. Plus, my teammate is one of my close friends, which is way better than being paired with a random person like I was last year. Do you think its harder or easier to work on a team with your friends? There are definitely pros and cons - i.e. making sure you actually work and not just play, but I think the pros deffffintely out weigh the cons!

2. If you are in law school you might understand, and if you're not, just think back to high school. There are so. many. cliques. We like to call them "friend groups," but lets be honest - when you get six or eight girls together, tensions rise and feelings get hurt. That being said, tonight we're having a girls night - no boys allowed! And I am so hopeful that some of the tensions we've all shared lately are going to work themselves out and be alleviated, at least to an extent. Plus, who wouldn't be looking forward to facials, manicures, and wine??

source

3. After today we only have two more days of classes left and that is really blowing my mind. Mostly making me anxious, but it is also so hard to believe that this semester is almost over. I still have SO much to do. I really need to follow my own advice of sticking to a study plan, because lately I have been way too lenient on myself. I also really need to work on getting everything on my to-do list actually done. This weekend is going to be my most efficient and effective yet, and honestly I don't really have a choice. But, luckily I'm not working again until after finals and with class being almost done I will have so much more "free" time to outline, study, and all of those fun things! If you have any motivation tips please send them my way, I am obviously in desperate need!

4. I just discovered this skirt (thanks for the email LOFT) and I think I'm in love. What do y'all think??

skirt (Loft)

5. I'm going to my first UK game of the season on Sunday and I cannot wait! In case y'all didn't see, UK destroyed Kansas, the #5 team in the country! I really enjoy football game for the tailgating, but its not my favorite sport to just watch. I LOVE basketball season and I am so excited it is finally underway! I'm hoping to see a great win on Sunday - Go Cats!

How has your week been?

Have a Great Weekend, Y'all!

xoxo

linking up with:

living in color | Oh Hey Friday | Five on Friday | high five for friday

TGIF, oh hey November

I seriously can't believe we are already one full week into November!

1. Study Schedule

After coming to realization that exams are coming up verrrry soon, I finally sat down and planned out how and what I am going to be studying for the next few weeks. If you are anything of a planner like I am, this can be so beneficial to have it all spelled out in front of you and can really keep you on track. The caveat being, for me at least, when I have something planned out specifically and it doesn't happen I tend to have a (usually) minor panic attack. So - plan some free time and allow for breaks, if you've planned to have a drink then you have to, right?

for some Planning Tips check out this post 

2. This Week is Over

I know I always say it's been a long week, but this has seriously been one of the worst weeks to date. It has finally set in that exams are less than a month away and that brings on its own level of stress. In addition to that, there has been major(ish) drama with the Moot Court Board at school so that was just one more thing to deal with. Luckily that has been resolved, but it was just one more thing, major or minor, that I didn't have time to deal with. Plus I got in a kind of fight with the boyfriend on Sunday night and there is still some lingering tension from that. So when I say Thank God its Friday, I really truly mean it!

3. Running

I am not "a runner" and I'm not sure I ever will be. Running is so hard for me, but I've been really working to build up to certain times/distances that I can do relatively comfortably. This week I ran for 55 minutes. That was a huge accomplishment for a girl who quivered at the thought of having to run for more than 5 minutes this summer - literally. So, I do not want to be one of those people that talks about running all the time because a. it's annoying, and b. I'm not good enough to be annoying. But I just wanted y'all to know, 55 minutes, anything is possible.

4. MY Jacket 

Well L.L. Bean finally had another 10% off sale, which is about the most they ever do, so I finally decided to buy this jacket that I have been eyeing for quite some time now. I am SO excited for it to come in and I will be sure to let you all know if it lives up to the lofty expectations I have of it in my head!

5. Weather 

The weather here has been out. of. control. It goes from 70 to 35 in the blink of an eye and I am not loving it. Luckily it seems to finally be stabilizing, unfortunately that means it is becoming consistently cold. While I prefer sunshine and warmth over the cold any day, I am glad that I can finally pick out my outfit for the day or week and not have to wonder what kind of temperature change I might have to deal with. Plus, I can wear scarves pretty much every day now and not look ridiculous. For the record - I refuse to acknowledge that "summer scarves" are a thing.

How has your week been?

Have a Great Weekend, Y'all!
xoxo

linking up with: Oh Hey Friday | Five on Friday |

Election Day

If you haven't voted yet please stop reading this and go vote. As Americans we are are so so so fortunate to have the right to vote. I know that may sound cliche, but it is still true. I registered to vote when I was 17 - this was allowed because there was not going to be an election until after I was 18 - and there has only been one election (including primaries!) that I haven't voted in. And in my defense I missed it because someone on my Freshman hall was supposed to be in charge of absentee ballots and let's just say they dropped the ball.

Sticker Source

Anyways, voting is something I take very seriously and I truly believe that everyone else should too. Not only does it give you a voice, no matter how big or small, in the outcome, but in my opinion it gives you the right to complain. I know that sounds silly, but all the time people are complaining about politicians and their actions. If you didn't take the time out of your day once a year to vote it doesn't make sense that you deserve the right to complain when they are just trying to do their job.

I don't care if you are Republican, Democrat, Independent or whatever else. I don't care if you vote straight ticket or spend an hour deciding on every single office. I don't care if you live in a city with a population of 10,000 or 10,000,000. Please, please, please appreciate your right to vote and go do it!

the Skimm

Also - if you don't already read the Skimm, you should. In case you don't know, the Skimm is a news service that provides quick and to the point daily news right to your email. I discovered the Skimm about seven or eight months ago and I can't remember the last time that I didn't read it first thing in the morning. More importantly, recently they have really been pushing for everyone to get to the polls and "Pop the Campaign", which I obviously whole heartedly agree with. In fact, they have even created an Election Guide, which I would strongly encourage you to check out if you aren't sure who to vote for. I know not every state is covered, but a lot of them are and I was pleasantly surprised with the amount of detail that was provided.

Have you voted yet?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!!
xoxo

Tailgating Essentials

We're about halfway through the football season and I have already been responsible for four tailgates. "Responsible" makes it sound like a bad thing, let me clarify, I have already been able to enjoy planning four tailgates. Not to mention the dozens and dozens I have attended and planned in the past.
Let me tell you, it takes some planning, but it is all SO worth it. Here are a few things that I never go without.

Large Tote Bag or Basket

At some point I may include a true "Tailgating Checklist" which would include a lot of small things like napkins, forks, trashbags, etc. and you need somewhere to put all of those things. I have a big Lilly tote/cooler or an LL Bean tote that I usually stick to. I think the Large or Extra Large is ideal for the LL Bean totes, I use the Large and have never had to worry about having enough space. You need something that is big enough to hold all of the paper products and miscellaneous items you need as well as any day-of odds and ends you want to toss in. A bag or basket would be fine because ideally this will remain in or near the car, so it doesn't need to be super easy to carry or anything like that. Here are a few options that I think would be perfect.

1 | 2 | 3

Cooler

There are literally hundreds of coolers, but some are better than others. My boyfriend has a Yeti, well actually he has two, and we always use those. They are definitely on the more expensive end, but those suckers work. They work so well that we can actually pack the cooler the night before with ice and it will still be cold for the entire day of tailgating.
If we are going to grill and have frozen/cold food we try to take two coolers. It's not that I'm all that worried about cross contamination, but sometimes we just need the extra space.
I also have a Lilly tote cooler that I will occasionally put my champ and OJ in, mostly because I want to take any excuse I have to use it. Depending on what else we're bringing, sometimes this serves as our catch-all bag as well.

Tundra (45) | Roadie 

Hand Sanitizer

One Word. Port-a-Potties. Some do have that weird hand sanitizer foam in them, but that is not something you want to count on. This is one easy item to toss in your bag and one that you will definitely be glad you did!

Food

Recently we have been plagued with noon kick-offs which makes it much more difficult to plan food wise. Depending on how early we want to get up is really the deciding factor. Last year for the Tennessee-South Carolina game we were in Knoxville and started tailgating at 7am. This tailgate included breakfast sausage, biscuits, and hashbrowns - all on the grill - and it was great. One game this year we just picked up a couple dozen donuts and some beer cheese and that worked out fine as well.
When the game is set for a 3:30 or 7:30 kick-off it is much easier to plan out what kind of food and how much to bring. It is important to make sure you have enough food to go with all of the drinking that is probably going to occur. We always tend to overdo it on food, but I would much rather that be the case than to have too little.

Drinks

This is also something that definitely depends on what time the game starts/what time you want to start tailgating. As I mentioned, we have had a lot of noon game this year so I have been having a lot of mimosas and bellinis - no complaints here. We generally try to have a small variety of drinks, usually some beer and occasionally bourbon, but again, it really depends on the length of the tailgate.

Water 

Because duh. But seriously, you need to bring water or gatorade or something that isn't alcohol. This is good for hydration, but also sometimes you just want something else to drink and this is often forgotten when you are picking up things last minute.

Layers 

Tailgating and football games are an all day affair. At least in Kentucky, Tennessee, and most of the South that means the temperature can change by twenty degrees from the time you start tailgating to the time the game is over - especially towards the end of the season. Enter: layers. A vest will be your best friend. I have found that as long as it is not forecasted to be literally freezing, a vest is generally enough as long as you are dressed relatively warm otherwise.  It is so much easier to take a vest off and on when you get hot or cold and it is much lighter to carry around. Scarves can also be a key player in dressing for the day and keeping you warm when the sun is coming up and when the sun is going down.

Check out some other great southern traditions at: Celebrate Southern Link-Up!
What are your tailgate essentials?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!
xoxo

TGIF, seriously

Y'all, this has felt like the longest and shortest week ever. I feel like Tuesday was weeks ago, but yesterday I still hadn't quite realized that we were so close to the weekend. Anyway, here are my five Friday highs for the week!

1. This Blog!
I have been considering starting a blog for a while now and Sunday/Monday I decided to finally go for it. Maybe its just the procrastination from school talking, but I'm really excited about what this can become.

2. Quilted Jackets
I simultaneously put a shopping freeze on myself and discovered the most wonderful quilted jacket. My boyfriend got me a Barbour jacket for Christmas last year and I LOVE it, but I have still been on the hunt for a more in between and a slightly nicer looking jacket for fall/early winter. Enter: Quilted Jackets. After much searching and comparing I have decided that this jacket from L.L. Bean is the one I need. My self imposed shopping freeze is over in a few weeks and I am fairly sure I will be purchasing this immediately. I allowed an exception if the jacket went on major sale during this "freeze," but of course that hasn't happened. If y'all have any jackets you absolutely adore please let me know, I am still looking just in case!

3. Kickball is Over
This is a little bitter-sweet. For the last eight weeks some of my law school friends and I have been planing on a rec league Kickball team. Let me tell you, we. were. terrible. As in we finished the season 0-8 terrible. So after about halfway through the season, lets just say no one really looked forward to the games. However, it was a great time spent with friends and occasionally we would head to Tin Roof after for a few drinks. I am definitely relieved to have another night available to do other things, but I did enjoy the time we all spent together outside of school/bars.


4. Kentucky Football
In case you haven't noticed, Kentucky is 4-1 this year. 4-1! I know, I know, there are still plenty of SEC games left on the schedule. But after beating South Carolina last weekend, things in the Bluegrass seem just a bit brighter. The game tomorrow is against Louisiana-Monroe, so hopefully we can pull out another win. Either way, the season is off to a great start and better than anyone would have imagined at this point.

Source: AP

5. 10K
So I've recently realized that maybe I don't hate runnig as much as I thought I did. I mean there are still a dozen things I would rather be doing, but as far as exercise and efficiency, running has become a new favorite of mine. So much so that this week I decided that I really needed to find a race so that I had something I was working towards. I generally only run for about 30 minutes each time I go out, but as that has gotten relatively easier and I needed another challenge. I'm really looking forward to pushing myself, but also just a littttle anxious about pretty much doubling my current run time. I'm sure I will blog more about this as my training progresses.

That was my week, hope you've had a good week too!

Have a great weekend, y'all!
xoxo

Welcome, Y'all!

A first post feels almost as awkward as the first round of rush, except in this case no one is getting cut. For those who have found my page, welcome! I am so glad you are here!

I am currently a 3L at a law school below the Mason-Dixon. I was born and raised in the South and I don't ever plan on leaving. 

I am from Kentucky and I will challenge anyone to have as much state pride as I do. I don't know what it is about the Commonwealth, but I am obsessed.

My goal with this blog is to chronicle my last year of law school, while focusing on tips for incoming and current law students, as well as what the transition is (and will be) like as I begin a "real" job. The posts will ideally range from study tips, outline strategies, and general advice on the law school side, to outfit options, job search ideas, and finding a balance on the transition end of it all. I am more than open to suggestions and appreciate any input regarding content or otherwise. 

Have a great day, y'all! 

xoxo

find me on twitter @legallysouthrn