TGIF, it's the freakin' weekend!

y'all, it has been a longggg week around here. I thought it was Tuesday was Thursday, so I've been ready for Friday for a while. How has your week been?

Criminal Minds Grace and Frankie

Well just as soon as I'd mentioned that Criminal Minds was our most recent Netflix obsession, we finished the entire series. Yes, all nine seasons. I told you, obsession. But fear not, one of my friends suggested Grace and Frankie, a Netflix original, and it is SO funny. The good and the bad of it is that it's a short sitcom, so the episodes go much faster and there is currently only one season available. So, expect a new Netflix update next week! Ha! But seriously, it is hilarious.
The first episode starts with two married couples meeting for dinner and the husbands tell the wives that they have in fact been in love with each other for twenty years and have finally deicded to leave their wives and marry each other. Y'all. So much emotion. And the main characters are some very well known actors - Martin Sheen, Sam Waterston, Jane Fonda (love her!), and Lilly Tomlin. If you've ever seen Law and Order, and I'm not sure how you could have lived life and not seen it, then you're familiar with Sam Waterston. Well. Let me tell you, the Sam Waterston in Grace and Frankie is nothing like he was in Law and Order, and he is still wonderful. Martin Sheen is his usual self, and is great as well. The cast is packed with familiar faces and you are guaranteed a laugh!

source

House Hunting!

My fiance and I are going to look at houses this weekend and I cannot contain my excitement!! We were planning to wait until after the wedding so that we didn't end up with too much on our plate, but timing wise finally decided this was the best time. My biggest "want" is a nice/large kitchen, mostly because I think kitchens are the more expensive and time consuming renovations, so if it can just be ready when we move in that would be perfect! I am so excited and so nervous at the same time - do y'all have any tips??

Catching Up with Old Friends 

One of my sorority sisters (and bridesmaids!) from Furman was in Lexington this week so I drove down to have dinner with her and it was so fun! I hadn't seen her probably in two years and she lives in Dallas so it is nearly impossible to get together, but she travels for work and finally made it to the great Commonwealth. Seriously, time with old friends is so good for the soul.

Bridesmaids' Dresses

Despite my hesitation, I ended up using an online-only* website for my bridesmaids to choose and purchase their dresses. Almost all of them have ordered and received the dresses and I have heard nothing but great reviews! This was such a relief for me because we all know it can be hard to find a dress that even two or three people like, but eight is nearly impossible. Well y'all, miracles do happen! Check out next week's Wedding Wednesday for more on choosing their dresses and the interactive process.
the * - there is a single store in SanFran, but as neither I, nor any of my bridesmaids are anywhere near the west coast, it is essentially online-only, which is also how they market themselves

Hitting the Gym instead of the Snooze Button

My number one goal for next week is to be better about going to the gym at least three mornings. I have been having a weird/annoying mid-day fever for the past week or so, and then use that as an excuse to sleep in, but honestly I'm not sure that's making a difference. What is making a differnce is me not going to the gym and losing out on that great stress reliever. I will go to the gym this week. I will go to the gym this week. I will go to the gym this week. I. will.

Maybe I need to check this guy out.

But seriously, if y'all have any suggestions to help a girl not hit the snooze button, let me know because I swear I've tried every trick in the book and sleep always wins.

Have a great weekend y'all!!

xoxo

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Winterizing My Beauty Routine

As much as I think I can pull off a "year-round" look when it comes to my makeup, there are still a lot of things that I alter, even if ever so slightly, as winter comes around. The great Commonwealth of Kentucky experiences all four seasons, with all of their extremities, and that can really start to take a toll on your skin. I'll be the first to admit that I am not the best at preventative measures, but in theory, I start trying to prepare myself, and my skin, for winter as early as possible. 

Bronze Palettes

Okay, so I guess this isn't exactly something that makes your skin feel better and stay healthy, but I personally hate to lose that natural summer glow and tend to supplement that with a bronze palate/ all over face color. Although this is something that is actually good for your skin when the alternative is the forbidden tanning-bed, so there's that! A couple of months ago I went to BareMinerals to try out some new foundation - which I love - and the makeup artist also used some "faux tan" all over color, kind of as contouring "light". She made it look super easy, and for the most part it is. Then I picked up this palate from BareMinerals and have since fallen in love! First of all, it comes with a guide so you don't have to know/remember exactly how to apply each shade. Secondly, while it is long, it is very thin and compact and travels very well. And since it's not a loose powder, there is zero chance of it spilling. If you love to have that glow year round I would highly suggest this palate or something similar! This one is currently available - and on sale! 

Moisturize x 100

Body

This is probably the most important thing that you can do for your skin in the winter - well really all the time - but especially in the winter. This is also probably the thing that I am the worst at, basically because I'm lazy. BUT I was recently given the opportunity to try out Curel® Itch Defense® Instant Soothing Moisturizing Spray and I am sold. Y'all this stuff is great. It's a spray, I know captain obvious over here, but seriously, that makes me 100x more likely to use it because it is so much faster to apply in the mornings when I'm usually always running late. Unlike most spray sunscreens you do still have to rub it in a little bit, but still wayyy easier. The only downside I've found to it so far is that the can gets pretty slippery after I've applied the lotion, so I try to spray as much as I think I need before I rub it in. 

Face

Moisturizing my face is the first thing I do when I get out of the shower because my skin is so dry. When I went to BareMinerals that day, I'm pretty sure the girl told me I should be putting it on twice a day because my skin was just that dry. I like to use moisturizer that has SPF in it so that in the summer I don't have to apply greasy sunscreen to my face. It's also a good idea in the winter too because you are usually getting more sun than you realize and most people don't think to apply SPF when its 15 degrees outside. I've been using Aveeno for a couple of years and really like it, but any moisturizer is better than none. 

Staying Hydrated

Basically in keeping with the importance of moisturizing, winter can dry out your skin so much. But, your skin benefits from everything you put in to your body, as well as lotions and other things you put on the surface. Staying hydrated and getting at least 64 oz of water each day is essential to keeping your skin in good condition. Plus, staying hydrated does wonders for your complexion! 

New Nail Polish

As if I need a reason to buy new nail polish. But seriously. have y'all seen Essie's fall shades - I am in love! I haven't picked up any yet because I just can't decide which one I want, but I've got my eye on "Frock 'n Roll" and "With the Band." And honestly, I think if I was confident enough, that "Leggy Legend" is stunning! Have y'all bought any of these yet? Thoughts? 

Changing Out Perfume

Using a different perfume is kind of like the nail polish, obviously, not essential to preparing your body and skin for a new season. That being said, scent is one of the most acute senses with thousands of memories attached to specific scents. Every time I wear a different perfume I'm suddenly taken back to a specific memory that was trigger merely by the scent. And while I think (almost) all perfume smells wonderful, there is still a time and a place for different scents. I love to have a more floral airy scent in the summer, while a soft yet spicy scent is my go to for winter. One of my favorite fall/winter perfumes is Burburry Brit. I wore it for the first time this season last weekend and I just knew fall was here. 

What are some changes you make to your beauty routine as you gear up for winter? 

Have a great day, y'all! 

xoxo

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TGIF, results day!

I cannot believe it is already Fall! This is the first time in a looonggg time that I have not been in school in the Fall and I think it is throwing my whole perception of the seasons off! That and the crazy ups and downs in the weather! Anyone else or is it just me?

Louisville BrewFest at Slugger Field

Three years ago we went to Louisville BrewFest kind of on a whim just as something to do on a Saturday night/afternoon, and it was great! Last year it coincided with the Avett Brothers concert so we got to take my mom and brother and they loved it just as much as we did.
It is coming up tonight and I am so excited! The BrewFest is held in Louisville's Minor League Baseball Stadium and they have different beer (and wine!) set up around the entire concourse, as well as a few inside. At the beginning you buy tickets and with each ticket you can get a 3oz pour of the beer of your choice, so it makes it possible to try a lot of different kinds! The weather the last few years has been perfect, the nice crisp fall that we've all been waiting for, so hopefully the same holds true for tonight. Louisville honestly has so much going on all of the time that it's hard to keep up, so it's nice having events that I already know I'll enjoy! What are some of your favorite fall events? My

Recent Netflix Obsession: Criminal Minds

I don't generally consider myself a big TV watcher, but there are about half a dozen shows that I do tend to watch regularly - Greys, How to Get Away With Murder, Madame Secretary, and the Good Wife. However, as you may or may not know, those are all shows that run a regular season, i.e. not in the summer. So during Bar Review and in the evenings after work this summer I'd been looking for new-old shows on Netflix to watch and came upon Criminal Minds. I used to watch this show all the time when I was in high school and even in college, but I have not watched it live in a few years so I had a lot of catching up to do - read: a lot of new episodes I hadn't seen yet. I also got the boy hooked on it, which is rare because I don't tend to watch things that he likes. But we have made our way through quite a few seasons and I'm loving it. We have also learned that it might not be the best thing to watch right before bed - hellllllo nightmares!

Building My Work Wardrobe

After finnnnaly cleaning and organizing my closet, I realized that I have more clothes than I realized and that maybe I don't need to work all that hard, for the time being, to build up my work wardrobe. However, the one discovery that I did make, is that because of my weight loss I no longer have pencil skirts that fit well. And by that I mean they fall down to my hips, rather than sitting at my natural waist, and just look very awkward over all. So. I've been on the hunt for some new ones, but can't make up my mind. On the one hand, I would just much rather buy online because it is so much easier to scout out good deals and see a lot at once, but because my sizing has changed so much lately I don't trust myself to order online, even from my favorite places. As much as I love shopping, I just get so overwhelmed when I don't even know where to start!

Related/Unrelated: I am also on the hunt for a new pair of jeans and had the same overwhelming experience at the mall last weekend because every pair I've ever owned have been from the Gap or OldNavy, but I want something different and had no. idea. where. to. start. So I ask (beg) y'all - where do you buy jeans??

Wedding Planning!

Wedding Planning is in fullll swing! I can't believe that we are less than 5 months away! I know that still might sound like a long time, but considering when we got engaged we were 14 months away, it feels very close. Plus, when you add in the holiday season - it will be here before I know it! As I mentioned last week we met with a wedding planner, who pretty much forced me to start making decisions - which was a much needed push - so since then I've been trying to narrow down some minor/major details, one of which is our napkin color and what the table is going to look like. I got the idea in my head months ago that I wanted to embroider all of our napkins with our new monogram - I know. I. am. monogram. obsessed. However, in order to do this I (1) needed to actually decide on the napkin colors, (2) order the napkins, and (3) figure out how we were going to set the table because that would dictate the placement of the monogram on the napkin. I am proud to say that ALL of those decisions have been made and I've finally gotten into a grove of using my sewing machine for embroidery - which is half of the reason I bought it in the first place! I also may or may not have stopped at four different Michael's stores between here and Knoxville to pick up 200 silver chargers. Spoiler - I did, I totally did. And of course I wanted to buy everything else in the store, and was quickly reminded why I love Michael's so much and made me wish I'd gone into crafting as a profession, although I'm pretty sure that's not a thing. Is it?

BAR RESULTS COME OUT TODAY

So I mostly kept my promise of not talking about the Bar again until results came out. Well, folks, TODAY is the day! {and hopefully I will be updating this post with good news!} I PASSED!!

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

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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

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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:

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