TGIF: Alton Brown is coming to town!

These temperatures are killing me! We're supposed to go to a soccer game tomorrow and the HIGH is only 47. You read that right, FORTY SEVEN. Y'all, that is cold. What's been going on with you this week?

Alton Brown's Tour

About two years ago we saw Alton Brown on his tour when he stopped in Louisville and it was so much fun! When he announced he was doing it again we knew we had to get tickets, and we invited our in-laws to come as well. My husband's mom loves Alton Brown! I am really looking forward to having visors this weekend, and going to see AB. Have you ever watched his show on the Food Network, Cut Throat Kitchen? It. is. hilarious - I highhhly recommend it. It is similar to Chopped, in that it starts with four chefs, and one is eliminated each round. But instead of weird ingredients, the chefs can bid on sabotages to give to each other. Seriously, check it out. It comes on kind of late on Sunday nights, but I promise the entertainment is more than enough to keep you awake and attentive.

Super Soft Chocolate Chip Cookies

For whatever reason last week I decided I was in the mood for chocolate chip cookies. I don't have a go-to recipe yet, so I naturally searched Pinterest and came across a recipe that promised soft chocolate chip cookies - which is exactly  how I like mine. So I made these. I'm not sure if they are actually really soft, or if I undercooked mine, but the recipe delivered. Five days later and they are still just as soft as when they came out of the oven. I liked this recipe, but I didn't love it. Do you have a favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe? I think I'm still on the hunt for one.

Simplified Photo Challenge

If you've been following my Instagram, you may have seen my posts this week marked #SimplifiedPhotoChallenge. This challenge is being hosted by the Simplified Planner and Emily Ley. If you are not familiar with the Simplified Planner, you should check it out. I currently have the Weekly-Academic Version, and I think next year I will definitely be getting the Daily. I just need some more space for what feels like never-ending to-do lists. Anyways, the Simplified Planner created this challenge as a way to encourage you/us/everyone share some photos this month! So far I am 7 for 7! Today's challenge is "Spring Cleaning" which I have been working hard to do all week, so I don't think I'll have a problem marking that one off the list. Head on over to my Instagram and check it out! {@legallysouthernblog}

FitBit Alta

I received the FitBit Alta this week as an early birthday gift and I love it already! It just feels so much nicer than the Flex. It has a screen, as compared to just five dots that light up. Okay, more complex than that, but you get the idea. I will have more on the comparisons next week! Do y'all have a fitness tracker? Which one is your favorite?

Getting Crafty

For my wedding I made a lot  of the decorations we used at the reception, like a. lot. In doing so, I also took it upon my self to monogram and embroider 200 napkins. Yes, 200. I had only had my sewing machine for about 6 months when I decided to take on that project, and in the time that I started until the wedding, that is probably all I used that machine for. Now that the wedding is over, the only things I've monogrammed lately are the cuffs of some of my husband's shirts, and I can finally get back into actually sewing and making things. This week I made two pillow cases - which yes, I realize are not the most difficult things in the world. But it has been so fun to plan that out, buy the fabric, actually do the sewing and end up with something that I  made. Naturally I put them straight on the couch with out a picture, but when I get home this afternoon I'll try to snap one real quick (while the living room is still clean), and put it up on my Instagram (another shameless plug, and reason to follow me). What are some of your favorite things to sew? I seriously want to make like 100 pillow cases, but I know that is 100% unnecessary, so I need some new things to add to my list!

I hope y'all have a Great Weekend! Thanks for stopping by!

xoxo

linking up with:

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

TGIF: Hoppy Easter!

I thought this day would never come. This has been one of the. longest. weeks. ever. I don't know about you, but I am more than ready for the weekend!

Easter

I cannot believe it is already time for Easter! I feel like this year has just flown by! My aunt and uncle invited us over to their house for Easter and I am really looking forward to that. We have been assigned deviled eggs and  I just found the most delicious recipe for pimento cheese topped deviled eggs so I am really looking forward to that! :) What Easter traditions do y'all have?

Spring Cleaning

We moved into our house about three months ago and I feel like we have been unpacking ever since. Granted, it is due in large part to the fact that we have fortunately been receving wedding gifts for about half of that time, so as soon as we think its all squared away, something new arrives. Last weekend my mom came up and she was SO helpful in having us get eveyrhting unpacked and put away. Plus, she works at the local public school at home and was able to take a lot of things we had duplicates of, and were going to donate, back there to give to families that need them, which made it much easier to get rid of things. I'm hoping this weekend, now that all of the wedding gifts have been unpacked and put away, I can get back to getting the rest of the house in order - i.e. the piles of clothes that are still in our guest bedroom. I know we will need to make some major purges to make it all work, and I am actually kind of looking forward to that. However, it is not something that I've always been good at. One of my best/worst traits is finding a reason to keep everything. If y'all have any hard and fast rules that work for you, or other good tips please send them my way. My closet, and my mother, will thank you!

Financial Fitness

Just like there is no wrong time to start a new diet or work out routine, there is no wrong time to start getting your finances in order. In fact, as we approach Tax Day, this is probably one of the the best times to get your finances in order. If anything, just to impress your accountant :) But seriously, being financially fit is just as important as keeping your health in check. Earlier this week I wrote a post about just that. How to assess your finances and how to determine where you stand and what kind of changes you might need to make. As someone with an accounting background I really enjoyed covering the basics - because that's exactly what it was - the basics. But like anything, that's where you have to start. Let me know what y'all think, or if there is a more specific topic you'd like covered in the future!

Financial Fitness

Wedding Photos

We have received about a dozen wedding photo teasers at this point, along with our wedding video (!) and I am dying to see more! I love to scrapbook and do project life, but part of me also just wants a regular old album so that I can keep, look at, and share as many photos as possible. I'm also considering the option of doing both - but that might be a little over the top. What have some of you done with your wedding photos?

FitBit Alta

I've been eyeing this baby since the first email FitBit sent about it a few months ago. (FYI - FitBit: Your Ad Campaign worked on this girl). I love the pink band option that you can choose, I just don't love the $60 price tag just for the band. I currently have the Flex and I've been debating whether I wanted to upgrade to this one, and if it really is an upgrade because it still doesn't measure heart rate, and as far as I can fell it doesn't measure flights of stairs either. But, it does tell you if you are getting a call or text, and it tries to keep you active by reminding you each hour to make sure you've taken at least 250 steps. So the jury is still out, but now that it's available I've had the chance to read real reviews on Amazon and I think it might just be my next purchase - or birthday gift request :) Have y'all seen it in person? Do you have one? I am dying to know all about it! The ads make it look really pretty, but in terms of all the specs and display options I can't seem to narrow down exactly what it does or doesn't do!

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 

TGIF, Back to Work

I have officially been back at work for a week and I am honestly so glad. My boss was generous enough to give me a full month of to study for the bar, so it has been a while since I've been at the office, but it has been a pretty seamless transition getting back into my work schedule. Although, it has made for a longggg week. How has your week been?

one - getting organized

I may end up doing a full post on this later, but I just wanted to share with y'all a quick before & after of my bathroom. As I mentioned last week, I have officially moved out of my apartment and moved in with my fiancé. I already had quite a few things here, so adding everything that was also at my apartment made for a lot of stuff. Getting organized is one of my favorite things (I know, weird), so aside from the time that it takes I've been really enjoying getting settled and giving everything a place. The bathroom is always a big struggle for me because I like to think that I need almost everything everyday. Obviously, that's not true. As you can see in the pictures below, I made an effort to keep a clear counter because I think that makes the biggest difference - kind of like how making the bed seems to make your bedroom look 10x cleaner. It's only been about a week, but I've been good so far about making sure it still looks this way, hopefully I can keep it up! 

two - relax

Last weekend we spent almost all day Saturday at the pool and it was so nice. I spent a lot of Thursday and Friday finishing up my move, so Saturday was the first day all summer that we were finally able to just lay by the pool and not feel guilty at all! I am looking forward to a few more weekends spending the days by the pool while it's still open.

three - Fitbit Challenge

I did my best to stay active while studying all summer, and I think I did a pretty decent job. We were in the habit of working out every morning before we went to class or started studying so that we wouldn't have any excuses. Most of my friends, on the other hand, became rather sedentary. I get it, we all deal with stress differently, and I personally feel better when I can work out, but I realize thats not the case for everyone. Anyways, we're all back and active and in a "Workweek Hustle" challenge this week and it is all I can do to keep up! I've been getting 10,000 to 12,000 steps each day and I am still barely between 2nd and 3rd place. It is so nice to have this kind of competition though because it keeps us all very active and accountable!

four - the Skimm

I've mentioned it before and I'm sure I'll mention it again, but y'all. the Skimm is one of the greatest discoveries I ever made. It is a quick, free, and easy way to catch up on the most recent and pressing news around the country. I have never had the patience to read a newspaper for more than twenty minutes, and I am very guilty of just skipping the parts that don't seem interesting to me, which is pretty much everything. Ooops. But, with the Skimm I can get everything I need to know in under five minutes and in language that makes sense to me! Plus, right now they've got a series going with interviews of all of the presidential candidates. This has been really helpful especially since there are like a million to keep track of. If you have any of the same issues, but want to stay informed, I would highly recommend signing up for the Skimm. It comes to your inbox around 6:30am every weekday and that's it. No emails on the weekend, no extra afternoon emails, just plain and simple, once a day. You can either click here, or on the button on the side. Skimm on!

five - Ruth's Chris

We're going to Ruth's Chris for dinner tonight and I cannot wait! The food is SO good, the cocktails are always a lot of fun, and in Louisville its at the very top of a building so you can see the entire city while you're dining. I'm still trying to decide what I can wear that will give me enough room to breathe when we're done! What are your weekend plans?

Have a Great Weekend, 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

what is Prime Day? [but, really]

I'm sure y'all have seen by now - or maybe not - but Amazon has declared "Prime Day" in celebration of their 20th (!!!) anniversary. For the last week I keep seeing promotions for it, just claiming that it will be better than Black Friday, but I am yet to see any actual specifics on what kind of deals there will be. Thus - I have just filled my cart with some things that I've been thinking about getting, and would definitely be swayed if the right deal comes along.

one two three four five six seven eight nine   

one

I absolutely LOVE these pens, and I am less than two weeks away from being able to use my Emily Ley planner and these are the perfect pens for that. With so many colors to choose from, it makes my color-coding heart so happy! 

two & three

Recently my FiitBit was acting a little odd, and I was fully prepared to buy another one. I'd had it for almost a year, so I didn't feel like it was that big of deal. But I emailed customer service about the issue and they sent me a replacement! So, I decided I would splurge a little on some new bands - I'm not going to get both of these sets, but haven't made up my mind yet, which one I like the best - do y'all have any suggestions??

four 

Project Life is the greatest. It's a simpler form of scrapbooking, but looks just as nice - if not better because it is so organized! There are certain pages with different formats depending on the type of layout you're interested in. I've tried a few different ones, and honestly found it best to have a variety because rarely do your pictures all face the way you want them to. This seemed like a good time to stock up on another set. 

five

Y'all. These shoes. I think I'm in love. I've been looking for a new pair of nude heels because the little rubber thing on the bottom of my last pair broke off. I have a few pairs of Jessica Simpson heels/wedges and they are always so comfortable - and another great thing about these is that they're eligible for free returns, so if for some reason the sizing doesn't quite work I can easily send them back and get a new pair in just 2 days! 

six 

Now that I've been better about losing weight, I'd really like to know that I am accurately weighing myself. One of my friends has this scale and raves about it, and it's a best-seller on Amazon, so at a price of just under $30 it's really hard to pass up! 

seven

I don't think I could ever have too many pairs of RayBans. I used to have a pair like this, but I accidentally broke them :( and I've been lusting over another pair ever since. Even at this price, it's a great deal, but I think I'll probably still end up holding off for now since I don't really need them. 

eight

How hard is it to keep up with your bobby-pins? I swear for every 2 that I find on the bathroom sink, I've lost 4 more. I know there are a dozen ways that people suggest trying to keep up with them, magnets in the medicine cabinet, tic-tac containers, etc. But that was just never enough for me. My solution - stop worrying about it and buy them by the hundreds, so that's just what I did. I bought this pack of 300 about a year ago - and I do still have about 150, but I like to keep them in my cart just in case. Plus, sometimes they're only an "add-on" item, which means to be eligible for free-shipping, it has to be part of another order of $25. 

nine

These are the water-filters that go in our coffee pot. Hey, I'm just trying to be honest, this really is what's in my cart! The change the filter light came on last week and we couldn't find filters in any of the stores around here, so naturally my first instinct was Amazon, and low and behold, there they were! 

The one thing I do know about Prime Day is that you have to be a Prime member to take advantage. I started my Prime membership when I was in undergrad because as a student you get a year free and then a discounted rate, but I will certainly continue it. You really can't beat Free 2-day shipping on almost anything, and usually free returns. I would highly suggest it if you don't already have a membership, and I think even for non-students there's a trial membership available.

-This post is not sponsored, I just really think Prime is a great service and I also really want to know more about Prime Day, so if y'all have that information - please share!

What is lingering in your cart waiting for a deal?

Have a Great Day, Y'all!

xoxo 

linking up with:
Turn It Up Tuesday | Wednesday Showcase

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