Everyday AEM

Today was a summer kind of day..

2012-02-24T18:41:00.000-05:00

I am writing this as I just woke up from a looooooong afternoon nap. It was raining hard outside, I put on yoga pants and a Patagonia fleece and it was game over. While I napped, Clayton watched Midnight in Paris for the 2nd time and he loved it!

Besides the fact that I was teaching all day, it felt like it was the middle of the summer! My students were walking in wearing their cute Lilly shorts and tops and there was no sign of a coat anywhere! I usually love the winter, but this year.. I just haven't gotten the full effect of the cold months and thus, I am SO beyond ready for the warm weather! Today even felt like the summer because we had an afternoon storm after a morning of nothing but sunshine!

Because today had me reminiscing and wishing for the summer, here is what I am most looking forward to about the warm weather months..

Spending the day reading summer books

We all know that the books are better in the summer. There just seems to be a plethora of fun summer reads that are perfect for sitting on the back porch on a sunny afternoon. I am just longing for those afternoons..

Laying out in the sun

I lay out like nobody's business and it might just be the most relaxing thing in the world for me. There's nothing better than a nap in your bikini while laying in the sun!

Trips to the Lake

I'm ready to soak up some summer sun at Clayton's family's lake house in Western North Carolina!

Clayton's colorful bow ties

Not only do I love color, but I love when Clayton wears colorful clothes!

Going to the beach

Have I mentioned that I love warm weather? Well my top reasons might be because I get to go to the beach. Someday, Clayton and I are going to live at the beach.. so I can spend my days with a frozen drink and book in hand while watching him fish. (wishful thinking)

Sippin' on Summer Drinks

Okay so I would lie if I said I didn't crave frozen drinks during the winter months.. but who wants to sip on a frozen margarita in January (unless of course you live in FL)?! I think I'll start a Pinterest board especially devoted to summer drinks and food.

Are you longing for the summer? What are your very favorite things about the warm weather months?

Mardi Gras Celebration!

2012-02-22T06:46:00.003-05:00

I know that unless you are hanging out on Bourbon Street, Mardi Gras may not be a holiday that you normally celebrate. I was excited that I would get to experience Mardi Gras at the Pennell house this year. My fiancee's parents lived in New Orleans for a short while before they had children and picked up a few Mardi Gras traditions that they have been celebrating ever since!

To start off my day, GCP made me my usual breakfast.. with a few extra Mardi Gras touches!

I tried to dress a little festive for school in my purple!

When I got home from school at 5:30 (yikes!), the house smelled so delicious with the smell of barbecue shrimp cooking. I was quickly adorned in my celebratory beads to join the rest of the family (including the dogs). I sat and chatted with my future FIL for a while about what the different colors of Mardi Gras beads stood for.

Mr. P found the baby in his piece of king cake!

Did you celebrate Mardi Gras?

Hats off to cute headbands

2012-02-20T08:33:00.001-05:00

I have been a headband-wearer since I was a little girl. I wore headbands to church, school, birthday parties, to dance class, and even had some I could wear at night that wouldn't hurt my head. Basically, my Mom hated to see my hair in my face. Around middle school, I decided to rebel and refuse to wear headbands. I would take my headband out as soon as I got to school because I thought they were the most uncool thing ever. Who knew that the 21 year old Ashley would be wearing headbands nearly everyday. Since my headband collection is ever-growing, I decided I would share my favorites!

Pink Madras by Looking for Lilly (etsy)

Toiile by Looking for Lilly

Preppy Elephant by Looking for Lilly

Fornash Headbands

Needlepoint headband by Smathers and Branson

Elephant headband by Kiel James Patrick

Madras Headband by High Cotton Ties

Monogrammed Headband by The Preppy Patch (etsy)

Do you wear headbands on a daily basis?! I'd love to know of other places I could find cute ones!

Valentine's Day Recap

2012-02-15T19:19:00.001-05:00

I must say, I had a WONDERFUL Valentine's Day!

My morning started off with my usual breakfast with a few special touches thanks to sweet GCP, who decorated the kitchen area with Vday balloons, cards, and flowers. He even gave me a Valentine's heart pin to wear on my sweater (I'm a sucker for cute pins!).

Even though I was physically exhausted from staying up late the night before writing lesson plans, my amazing second graders made up for all of the sleep I was lacking. I am not exaggerating when I say that Valentine's Day is the best day of school for a teacher! Kids are just so sweet! I got 25 Valentine's cards (many with handwritten notes and pictures), 4 boxes of chocolate, and tons of candy and other goodies! Seven year olds are so sweet!

We celebrated Gracie's 3rd birthday in-between my school day and mine and GCP's dinner! I picked up "pupcakes" for Gracie and she loved them so much that she nearly ate the whole thing in one bite! My future MIL, Sarah, gave Gracie the cutest card! It had a "dog party" popup scene on the inside!

Not only did my sweet GCP spoil me with balloons and sweet cards and goodies, but he took me out to a relaxing and romantic dinner after my long day of teaching. Our dinner was just perfect! The restaurant we spent our evening at is in downtown and is called Hutch & Harris. Our reservations were at seven and the restaurant handed me rose and seated us at our private table that was seated nearby a beautiful string quartet.

Needless to say, I had a fantastic Valentine's Day filled with lots of love and all things sweet! I hope everyone else spent the day with someone they love!

Happy Birthday, Gracie!

2012-02-13T23:51:00.001-05:00

Yes, yes.. I know it's Valentine's Day.. but I'll post about mine and GCP's Vday festivities later. It's our sweet Gracie's 3rd birthday!! Happy Birthday to the best dog we could ask for! Gracie constantly brings joy to my life and always turns any bad day into a happy one! I cannot imagine what my life would be like if I had not adopted Gracie!

Happy 3rd Birthday Gracie-boo!

enjoy the picture tribute to Gracie :)

This was Gracie's first night as my puppy! 20 lbs ago..

Her first boat ride..

Gracie aka "queen of the toys"

I love my sweet doggie!

She likes driving the boat

It's about time Gracie gets her own closet.. with her rain coat, snow coat, fleece jacket, collars for every season (including Lilly) and snow shoes..

She wanted to bundle up in my scarf

She's our little baby

Gracie lets us play dress up with her

Our pretty pup

Gracie on her 2nd birthday!

Also, Happy Valentine's Day to all of my lovely blog friends!

I hope you are celebrating with someone you love!

OOTD Mini Link-Up and Pins

2012-02-10T20:21:00.003-05:00

I don't know about you, but I am glad it's Friday! This week has been a really great one for many reasons, but has also been rather long! Despite the fact that I was really busy, I managed to squeeze in the time to add quite a few new pins to my Pinterest boards! Because I have been fantasizing all day about what it would be like for my to have some time to lay around and do whatever I wanted.. here are the pins I've been loving..

Wouldn't this huge pillow be amazing to lay on during a warm summer day?

Any free time to read a book for pleasure would be greatly appreciated!

This just looks absolutely relaxing!

I want to be there now!

Moving on to the real world, I'm linking up with Just Peachy to share a few OOTD's that I wore this week..

Monday
sick day :( No cute outfit!

Tuesday

orange Loft blouse

navy and white Loft jacket

Talbot's skinny jeans

Tory Burch Gabis

Wednesday

Purple J Crew Cardigan

scarf (Christmas gift from Clayton's Aunt)

Anne Klein dress pants

brown Dansko clogs

Thursday

Black and white dot jacket from TJ Maxx

Yellow LL Bean turtle neck

Black J Crew Cafe Capri

Black Lindsay Phillips snap flats

Friday

There is no Friday picture because I wore my elementary school sweatshirt and jeans. Comfiest day of the week!

What's your love story?

2012-02-09T16:15:00.000-05:00

I came across this Valentine's day link-up when I was reading one of my very favorite blogs, Sarah at Simply Sarah, and decided that it was the perfect chance to share my love story! If you're interested.. check out From Mrs To Mama to participate! Whenever I make friends, it is important that they know about my relationship with Clayton.. because after all, he is such a big part of my life. The last year and a half have been the happiest years of my life and it only makes me happier to think of the wonderful years we have ahead of us!

1. How long have you and your significant other been together? since April 14th 2010.. so almost 2 years!

2. How did you meet? {What's your "love" story?} My first day of college in 2008, I saw Clayton at one of his fraternity parties. I thought he was really cute, but didn't think much of it. In the meantime, I started dating someone else and I would see Clayton every now and then around campus, and we had this instant visual connection that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. I would tell my freshman roommate about this guy I always saw and how I really thought there was something special about him, but I couldn't put my finger on it. The end of my freshman year of college, we had a political science class together and would sit in class and awkwardly stare at one another.. but never spoke. Another year passed by and eventually we spoke to one another and haven't spent a day apart since! I was definitely right in thinking there was something special about Clayton.. I know God couldn't have chosen a better person for me!

3. If married, how long have you been married? If not, is this the guy you hope to marry? {do tell}

We are not married yet.. but we are engaged!

4. If you are married, where did you get married at? Big or small wedding? If not, where would you like to get married? And will it be big or small?

When we do get married, we haven't decided on an exact location.. but it will likely be outside as Clayton is a true outdoors man and I have always dreamed of having an outdoor wedding. It will be small to medium because that fits our personalities and tastes!

5. Do you have any nick-names that you call one another? Do share! haha not really. Clayton and I are very goofy and do call each other random silly names every now and then.. nothing consistent though!

6. Name 3 things you love most about your honey.

Well, it will take me a minute to narrow it down to three.

1. I love how creative and artistic he is. Clayton sees the world from a different perspective than most people (myself included) and truly appreciates the simple details in the natural world around us. I have never met anyone else like him.

2. I love how youthful is.. Yes, yes we are only in our early 20s.. but as my future MIL says, "Ashley, you're marrying a 14 year old!" .. and I couldn't be more thrilled! He has such a playful personality that always makes me giggle.. which can be hard to do. I tend to be a happy, but serious person and it takes a lot to break my focus. Clayton always manages to put a smile on my face whether he is catching cheese puffs in his mouth, making our dog do circus tricks, or talking in a silly voice.

3. I love that I have found a true gentleman. I never knew such a thing existed until I met Clayton. He is the essence of southern gentleman and knows how to treat a lady right. Although I can't say he was born this way, as he comes from a long line of true gents.

7. Tell us how he proposed? Or your ideal proposal?

Well, Clayton and I started talking about our future together very early in our relationship. I can remember the specific night where we both knew that we were meant to be together forever. Clayton and I were engaged last August 2011. We talked all summer about wedding rings and had our perfect wedding all planned out. He asked me Dad's permission during our family vacation to Hilton Head in July. I have no idea when or where he would ask me and assumed it would be a while. About a month of the vacation, we were in Boone and had been making plans all week to go on the Blue Ridge Parkway for a picnic. We had a picnic on the parkway as one of our first dates the year before and had such wonderful memories of that day. We had found a small fishing dock on a trail and set up our picnic and stayed there for hours. Well, on a Sunday morning (August 14th, to be exact), he got up early and packed a picnic and kept pushing me to hurry up and get ready because rain was in the forecast. Of course, I didn't pick up the hint.. how could I have? I DIDN'T even take the time to paint my nails!! Once we got on the parkway and to our private fishing dock, he popped the question! The ring had been hidden in the picnic basket! He told me before that he had a special surprise for our picnic.. and silly me guessed that he had brought brownies! The torrential downpours started before we could even get our lunch out..so we headed home to have our picnic on the back porch.

our back porch picnic. .

complete with a beautiful picnic basket

Clayton got at the Mast General Store for our special day!

this is the only other picture I have from the day..

8. Is he a flowers and teddy bear kind of guy for v-day, or strawberries, champagne, and rose petals?
Clayton told me last year on our first Valentine's together that while he liked the holiday, he thought that I deserved to be shown how much he loves me every day of the year and not just on a specific day. Regardless of what he gives me on Valentine's, I love his beautiful love notes and drawings that he leaves in my lunchbox, in my car, on my desk, and everyone else. Last summer, he handhmade me a box for me to keep his love notes and our special things in. It's overflowing..

9. Are you a sunset dinner on the beach kind of girl, or pop a movie in and relax on the couch?
The answer to this question really depends on the time of the year. On a normal weekend, I love to rent a movie and relax together. However, if we are on vacation.. I love nothing more than getting dressed up for a romantic night out!

10. Tell us one thing you'd like to do with your significant one day. If you could do anything? Go anywhere? Since Clayton and I both love animals, I would love to do a sea turtle rescue with Clayton some day.

11. Tell us what you plan on doing on this Valentine's Day.
Seeing as Valentine's Day is on a school night, we are going out to dinner and coming home and watching a movie!

12. Are you asking for anything this Valentine's day?
No way! I am just excited to spend some quality time with Clayton in the midst of my hectic student teaching schedule!

13. Give us one piece of advice of keeping a relationship strong and full of love.
I would say that building a relationship on laughter is one of the most important things I have learned through our relationship. Life isn't always perfect and you can't make it that way, but if you can make each other laugh.. you will always be happy!

14. Show us a picture of what love means to you.

What I'm Loving Wednesday & PINK Swap

2012-02-08T06:40:00.000-05:00

Fortunately, there are lots of things I am loving this week!

I love that last night Clayton and I went with his Mom and grandparents to an art show reception for a long time family friend. The family friend, Fowler Ruffin, has sons who have grown up with Clayton and has a passion for anything animal-related! Her acrylic paintings are of all kinds of animals.. but my favorite are the dogs! You can see all of her art here. It was a lot of fun doing something out of the ordinary mid-week!

my favorite painting

I love that tomorrow is Wonderful Wednesday at school.. which means that parents are catering lunch for all of the teachers.. which means that I didn't have to pack my lunch!

I love so many pretty spring dresses that I have been drooling over via my wasted time internet surfing.

I love that my first student teaching observation went better than I could have ever imagined (last Friday)! I started teaching a science unit on Matter (Solids & Liquids) and my supervisor was just amazed.. I knew I was prepared and had a well-planned out lesson, but had no idea he would think it was that great! It was all that praying I did..

I love that even though the groundhog saw his shadow, the sun has been shining!

I love drinking green tea right before bed. Not only does my skin seem to be benefiting from this, but I seem to get a much better nights sleep!

I love that I received my gift from my Pink Swap partner, Adrienne! I loved all of my pink goodies... and hope she loved hers just as much! A big thanks to Hopsy at Monograms and Manicures for hosting!

I love my wonderful family (and my future MIL and FIL) and sweet GCP for all they do for me!

.. and a nice warm weather picture of GCP and I because that's what kind of mood I'm in!

Take the weight of the world off your shoulders..

2012-02-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

As many of you know, my life hasn't been all flowers and sunshine lately. However, I wouldn't call my situation unique because I know that everyone goes through rough patches and that it's okay for everything not to be perfect all the time.

After having a long talk with Clayton over our date night, I learned something new about myself that I may or may not have just been shoving under the rug for, well, my entire life. You may call it overly compassionate or caring, but sometimes being this way can cause you so much more unnecessary stress than one person can physically handle. I am the kind of person who would rather take on the everyone else's problems than to see them hurting or struggling. In my eyes, it is easier for me to take on the heavy load, than to see people I love having to deal with all of the pain. I don't really realize I am doing this until I find myself in a situation where I am physically, spiritually, and emotionally worn down from all of the stress and worry.

I have learned from some very wise and admirable people in my life that taking on everyone else's problems does not help them or you. In many ways it can hurt these people because you are not giving them the opportunity to deal with their own issues and become stronger because of it. Even though I know that God is on my side, it is very difficult for me to see people I love having to hurt and struggle in the meantime.

This past Sunday at church, the sermon really spoke to me and made me realize that I was not alone. The sermon was entitled "The Importance of Saying No." The main thing that I took away from it was that God is God, so you don't have to be. The preacher repeated these words quite a few times and it made something inside me resonate. I need to write this down and stick it on my bathroom mirror, in my car, in my planner, write it on the palm of my hand.. so that I can remember how very true this is. I am beginning to realize that it is not my job to always take care of everyone and to carry their troubles on my shoulders..that's what God is for.

It was a good feast.. I mean game!!

2012-02-06T11:44:00.000-05:00

We had SO much food last night... needless to say, it was amazing! I'm not much of a sports fan.. I don't know anything about football.. or any other sports for that matter. I know so many of my readers are die-hard sports fans, but that's just not really my niche. Thankfully, Clayton isn't a big sports fan either! Sooo, last night it was definitely a feast to behold. I LOVE any good finger food so I was in my own little heaven. Good food and good company is my kind of night! We spent a lovely evening with Clayton's parents and grandparents and the preacher and his wife! What did you feast on at your Super Bowl party?

Here's what was on the menu:

buffalo chicken dip

pineapple cheese ball

cream cheese crab dip

little smokies wrapped in bacon

taco bake dip

sausage balls

duck poppers

deep fried quail

Dominos pizza & wings

celery, carrots, and black olives (to make it somewhat healthy)

deep fried Oreos

Chocolate Coca cola cake

We had plenty of libations, although I did not partake in many since I was feeling a little under the weather.

In other news,

my Saturday was just absolutely wonderful.

I spent the day with my beautiful mother doing, well, girl stuff! We had manicures and pedicures, shopped a little, and even indulged in a frozen yogurt at Sweet Frog! The dreary, rainy day wasn't going to stop us from having fun!

Clayton and I had a great date night out to one of our favorite Thai food restaurants! Here's an outfit of the night to hold you over until Friday when I link up with Rachel for What I Wore!

shirt: Loft outlet

cardigan: J. Crew

pants: J. Crew Minnies

shoes: Tory Burch Revas

Accesories: Banana Republic, pearls

My wonderful weekend continued with an amazing sermon at church this morning (which I might be posting about later in the week). It really spoke to me and I feel like I need to sit down and get my thoughts in writing. After church, Clayton's Mom made a delicious brunch from a recipe she found on Pinterest!

She decided to call them bird's nests

What I Wore Week Recap!!

2012-02-04T09:15:00.003-05:00

I know it's not Friday anymore, but I still wanted to link-up with Rachel @ Just Peachy for a What I Wore recap of my week! (I did remember to take pictures as I was rushing out the door each morning at 7am!)

Monday:

Shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren

Sweater: Loft

Pants: J Crew

Loafers: LL Bean

Tuesday:
Sorry for my rather slouchy pose. I was having a bad start to my morning.

Shirt: Talbots
Scarf: Crystal gave this to me back when she hosted her first scarf swap!!
Pants: J Crew
Flats: Tory Burch

Wednesday:

Blouse: Loft outlet
Cardigan: J Crew outlet
Pants: J Crew
Flats: Lindsay Phillips

Thursday:
Whoops! I did, in fact, wear a cute outfit this day.. I just have no picture to share with you!! Hopefully I'll take one all five days next week!!

Friday:

Shirt: Polo Ralph Lauren

Cardigan: Loft

Pants: J Crew

Flats: Tory Burch

Now that I see my week of outfits in review, I am noticing that it's time I branch out with my pants selection. Whoops! I just love the J Crew Cafe Capri and am having a hard time parting with them for my school days. Any other suggestions for wear to find good pants?

P.S. Blog friends, thank you for all of the kind words during my very difficult week. You have no idea how much it meant to me to read all of the sweet emails, tweets, comments and facebook messages you sent my way. I am truly grateful to have met such a compassionate group of blog friends!

Navy in the spotlight

2012-02-01T19:53:00.001-05:00

I don't know about you, but I have been on a navy blue kick. No longer is navy just for hot pink! Every store I go in seems to be on this kick too, with their navy + color duo mannequin setups. I have never really been one to specifically follow a color trend, but lately I am just loving navy!

My personal favorite duo is navy + orange.

I have been pairing my navy + green and just love this combination!

A rather unusual match-up (in my opinion) is navy + purple.. which I have seen specifically at Loft & J. Crew.. and I can't say that I'm not a fan!

Have you been loving navy lately? What's your favorite color to pair it with?

More news to come about the North Carolina Blogger Meet-Up! Please send me an email if you (haven't already) would like to attend!

Back to Blogging

2012-01-30T19:50:00.002-05:00

Whew! I apologize for my extended leave of absence that I took from blogging over the last few days. My life has been one big whirlwind and I just haven't had the time or energy to sit down and write anything. I have had a rather difficult weekend, but things are continuously improving. I am not going to be a negative Nancy on here and will just keep the details to myself. Regardless, this weekend has not been one of the best I have ever had. I have realized over the last few days that sometimes life is so unfair to the people who deserve it the least. It hurts to see someone you love so much, hurting so badly.. but in the end, you know that things will get better. Having that been said, if you think about it.. please send a prayer my way.

On a lighter note, I attend a Winter Gala Silent Auction hosted by my elementary school's PTA. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and was nervous about attending, seeing as I am just a student teacher. Clayton came with me and it was tons of fun! It was a nice change of pace from the regular work week to get dressed up and spend a little time with Clayton and all of the teachers I work with!

Clayton and I before we left the house

My supervising teacher and I at the Winter Lights Gala!

Since I am trying to stay positive..

Happy things about today..

I came home from teaching today to find a handwritten letter from sweet Clayton! He always knows how to cheer me up when I've hit rock bottom.. I am such a lucky girl to have him!

Also, I bought a few books at the Scholastic Book Fair today at school (this shouldn't surprise you if you know how much I love children's books!)

Because I needed to brush off some stress and just get some things off my mind, I went on a run today and I must say, it felt so good to be outside.

I bought a new Votivo candle today from a little shop I really like in Winston. It is called "pink mimosa" and smells so good! I thought a sweet-scented candle would lift my spirits a little.

The winner of the Smathers and Branson key fob giveaway is Wine and Summer!! Please email me by Wednesday to claim your prize! A big thanks to everyone who entered and congrats to vCf at Wine and Summer!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

What I'm Loving Wednesday: Product Edition

2012-01-25T06:49:00.000-05:00

While there are lots of things I am loving right now, I decided to share some of my newest (and favorite) products that I have added to my daily routine! I am one to find a product and stick to it like glue for years. I have found though that many of the products I was using were not doing their job, so I have since moved on to better things!

I first saw this concealer on my friend Jackie's blog, Carolina Queen, and decided I would try it out! This product works wonders and has become a staple in my morning routine!

Okay, okay.. I'll admit it. Shampoo is the one thing that I like to try out (every two weeks). I see pretty, colorful bottles and I am drawn to them. Plus, my hair gets so use to certain shampoos and conditioners that I have to change it up every so often. I picked up Salma Hayek's Nuance Shampoo & Conditioner last time I was at CVS. I love it so far and it leaves my hair so smooth and NOT greasy!

I also found out about Revlon Lip Butter on Jackie's blog (Jackie sure knows her beauty products!). I headed straight to CVS to find this amazing lip stick and had a hard time choosing colors! I will have to tell you that until 2 weeks ago, I was not a lipstick wearer. My Mom always told me that I looked like "death warmed over" without lipstick, but I never listened. Well, I decided what better time to start being a big girl lipstick wearer than when I started student teaching!? I purchased "Berry Smoothie" and love it! It is a great winter shade and looks great with my olive complexion! I have gotten quite a few compliments on it! Any suggestions for other good colors are welcomed!!

If you remember on twitter, I tweeted a while back about needing a new drug store makeup. I am not one to spend a lot on makeup because I don't feel that it's necessary to do so. I decided I would try the Neutrogena Skin Clearing Mineral Makeup a few weeks ago and I have seen miracles happen on my face! My face is clearer than ever before and I think that this makeup has lots to do with it!

and so does Proactiv! At first, I had my doubts.. but I am really thinking that I am acne-free for good! (as long as I use above makeup and Proactiv and Clarisonic Mia! haha)

We all love EOS lip balm, but have you tried the hand lotion? It is just wonderful. I had been looking for it for a while, but finally found it at Harris Teeter the other day. I keep it in my teacher bag and my hands are left feeling silky smooth in all of the weird, dry weather.

Well, I'm sure by now all of my blog friends know that I have been sick these last few days. I would definitely say that this one couldn't have been prevented seeing as I have taken all necessary precautions to keep the second grade sick germs from getting a hold of me. However, sometimes you just can't help it! Clayton's Dad introduced me to Umcka a while back and I love it. It is all natural and seems to be the quickest way to feel better fast! I use it whenever I know a child in my class is sick or when I feel like I have something coming on. (p.s. It's only sold at Rite Aid and online)

I had a manicure done right before I started student teaching and fell in love with the color so much that I am still wearing it (a week later). Now if you know me, you would know that this is very unusual that I am keeping the same polish on for more than two days. The color is OPI Yucatan If You Want To and it is just enough pink to go with every single outfit in my closet. I actually purchased an Essie polish that is almost identical to this OPI color right before my manicure and I'm thinking of just painting my nails in it next. The Essie polish is called In Stitches.

What new products have you tried lately?

Inspiration for the week & OOTD x3

2012-01-24T06:27:00.003-05:00

I had a really rotten start to my week. Mondays are never fun days, but this Monday was specifically a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day for this student teacher. I woke up sick on Sunday and it still hasn't gone away. Needless to say that I was not feeling up to par when I woke up yesterday morning. Not only was I sick, but it was pouring down raining outside (ALL DAY LONG). I attended my first staff development, which was a common core training workshop in math (for all you non-teachers -- it was just very important stuff!). I learned a lot of interesting and important stuff and felt very knowledgeable because Appalachian has really prepared us well. Nothing specifically made my day so bad, there were just a few things that rubbed me the wrong way. I guess I am starting to realize what everyone meant when they said "God bless you for being a student teacher." Things are starting to get harder and I am seeing how rigorous my agenda is for the next, well rest of my life. I love every minute of it, but some days you just need a little "pin-spiration."

Moving right along..

Since I really have nothing other than cute outfits and second graders going on in my life right now (and sweet Clayton and Gracie dog, of course), I decided I would share the outfits! Here are some of my favorites from the last week..

Navy J Crew Sweater

White Ralph Lauren Oxford

Green J Crew Cafe Capri

LL Bean Danforth Moc

Angela Moore teacher's pet bracelet!

Talbots Striped tee

Lime green scarf??

Talbots trouser jeans

Brown Dansko clogs

Pandora Bracelet

Loft Striped Top

J Crew Cardigan

Talbots Jeans

Tory Burch Gabi Flats

Necklace from Loft outlet

Sunday church (with the dogs)

Smathers and Branson Giveaway

2012-01-23T06:53:00.000-05:00

I am so excited to announce that I am hosting an oh' so preppy giveaway with Smathers & Branson!! I have loved S&B for quite some time now and just adore their needlepoint accessories! If you haven't been swooned by their preppyness, here's a look at a few things that won my heart.

Needlepoint for your gent

Needlepoint for you

My personal favorite are the needlepoint coin purses

Needlepoint collars for your furry best friend!

I love the trout one for Gracie!

Smathers and Branson is sponsoring a giveaway for all of my preppy readers for the chance to win a needlepoint key fob!

Winner may choose any needlepoint key fob that is in stock! (with the exception of monogrammed ones)

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Blogger Meet-up: Weekend Edition

2012-01-21T23:54:00.003-05:00

This weekend couldn't have been any shorter. I mean, it feels like I was just leaving school on Friday and here I am..and it's time for church on Sunday. Even though I have been rather busy working on school stuff, I did manage to squeeze in time to grab lunch with Amanda at Sweet, Simple Southern Life!! It was exciting to finally meet Amanda! I knew that we had a lot in common, but didn't realize how alike we really are! We are both doing our student teaching in 2nd grade right now, so we had so much to talk about just with teaching! We had lunch at a cute place right by Wake Forest University called Simplyummy. Since we both love healthy foods, this place was the perfect place.. I knew that we were meant to be friends when she told me she loved avocados!

While we had lunch, Amanda and I were discussing the NC Blogger Meet-up that many of us have discussed. Plans are in the works and I will be getting an email out to everyone in the very near future. I did tweet for those interesting to email and had lots of responses! I just wanted to make sure that word got around to all the NC girls that we would be doing a meet-up very soon! If you haven't expressed interest yet either by email or twitter, please send me an email or leave a comment to let me know you would like to get the information about the meet-up!!

Friday's Francies

2012-01-20T20:53:00.000-05:00

I always see this cute link-up on one my good blog friend Sarah's blog, so I decided I would give it a try! I have been playing around with polyvore a little and thought this would be the perfect way to show off my newest inspiration by linking up with {AV} of {Long Distance Loving} for Friday's Fancies. This week's link-up is to create your own outfit from a inspiration you've seen across the blog world or on Pinterest. What perfect link-up..Now I can finally put all of the pinning to good use!

I picked one of my favorite pins on my style board and did my best to recreate it!

My inspiration

(from Pinterest)

My outfit creation..

In other news, I made it through my first week of student teaching and have exciting lunch date plans tomorrow with Amanda at Sweet Simple Southern Life!

Also, be sure to check out Katie at His Diamond and Mine! She is having a fabulous Marley Lilly giveaway you don't want to miss!

Morning Time Music

2012-01-19T21:48:00.002-05:00

I have always been a "lyrics" person when it comes to music. I can remember copying down the lyrics to my favorite songs as a little girl and thinking about how they applied to my life (yes, I was a rather deep 11 year old). Now when I listen to music, I still prefer songs with meaningful, upbeat lyrics and have found that they are the perfect way to start my morning. Thanks to my handy-dandy Ipad, I can just put on the music while I shower and get ready while I enjoy my music! While I normally listen to country music, from time to time I will throw a few other songs in the mix to give my music selection a little versatility. After all, sometimes a Luke Bryan song just doesn't help me get pumped for my 5:30am shower. I thought I would share some of my feel good morning music with you. I have been listening to music that just gets me in a happy mood and prepares me to have a smile on my face (not matter how early). Listening to music is a great way to start your day!

Ashley's "Morning Music" Playlist

New Radicals - You Get What You Give

Rusted Root - Send Me On My Way

Katy Perry - Firework

Louis Prima - Oh Maria

Fly Me To The Moon - Frank Sinatra

The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Battle of New Orleans

Scissor Sisters - I Don't Feel Like Dancin'

Cee Lo Green - Forget You

Brighter than the Sun - Colbie Caillat

Amos Lee - Sweet Pea

Linus & Lucy - Vince Guaraldi Trio (The Peanuts' Song)

ADELE - Set Fire to the Rain

You Make Me Feel - Cobra Starship

Rihanna - We Found Love

1234 - Feist

I am currently loving ADELE (well this isn't a current thing..). Let me rephrase. I ALWAYS love ADELE.

Do you listen to music when you get ready in the morning? What are some of your favorite "feel good" songs? I'd love to add some more to my list!

Life is good

2012-01-18T21:57:00.001-05:00

So I might be a little late for "What I'm loving Wednesday" since it's Wednesday night and I'm hardly able to keep my eyes open. However, since I haven't had time for much other than student teaching these last two days.. I decided I would share a few of the things that have been on my mind other than teaching! No worries, this isn't a serious post.. mostly I am enjoying a few new purchases and a couple other simple, but wonderful parts of my life! I apologize for my lack of regular posting, but I just decided it would be best if I took this week to get use to my new life at the elementary school. I just wanted to share a few of the things are making me a happy girl..

Life is good..

When you get to wake up each morning to a class of 24 smiling second graders

When you wear your new Tory Burch flats even though you know your feet are going to be in so much pain by the end of the day.

When you know you get to spend the rest of your life with the most wonderful fiance and the happiest dog in the world!

When you are in your pajamas by 7:30pm and totally okay with it.

When you arrive to school with the principal waiting to give you your very own school sweatshirt and lunch box! It's always the little things!

When you are super happy about your cute new wardrobe additions and can't wait to show them off.... to 7 year olds! Here's an OOTD from Monday when I ran around getting a manicure, picking up stuff from the cleaners, and doing last many things before my life went into full gear! It was cozy and cute to wear out and about!

When you feel so good because you have been eating super healthy and getting a good night's sleep. (yay for keeping my resolutions thus far!)

When you are so thankful for your loyal blog readers who make your day by leaving such sweet and thoughtful comments! I never would have imagined I would ever be coming home to nearly 50 comments congratulating me on my first day! My blog friends are the best!

The Best First Day

2012-01-17T20:29:00.003-05:00

I made it through my very first day of student teaching!

After waking up nearly every hour last night to make sure I hadn't missed my 5:30am wake up call, my first day of student teaching arrived!

What I wore..

J Crew button up

LOFT sweater (I wore green because it's my school's color)

Lilly Pulitzer Cigarette Pants

Tory Burch Gabi Flats
Pearls

Angela Moore teacher bracelet

I wore my beautiful Angela Moore teacher bracelet for my first day!

It made me smile every time I looked at it!

I couldn't have imagined today going any better! Not only do I have a fabulous teacher, but I have 24 amazing seven year olds who are eager to learn! Even though I was on my feet all day and kept busy meeting everyone in the school, I never once thought about being tired. I didn't yawn. I wasn't bored. Everything was exciting and I couldn't imagine a better way to spend my next 16 weeks (and the rest of my life, for that matter!). My sweet teacher and my students gave me the book First Day Jitters and made a folder/book of the most important things for me to know, as well as colored beautiful pictures for me. I am happy to report that by lunch time today, I had every single name memorized!!

Student Teaching Essentials

2012-01-16T11:58:00.003-05:00

As many of you know, tomorrow is my first day of student teaching! I couldn't be more excited about my placement! I cannot wait to meet my second graders tomorrow and am ready to learn and grow in my role as a teacher.

Over the past few days I have been stocking up on a few things that are essential for a good internship. Now, you may be thinking that I am about to list off 20 kinds of Expo markers and 5 different types of planners.. but that is not what this post is about. I have found through my last three internships that there are certain things you need to be successful as a pre-service teacher. However, these five things could be considered essential for any new internship!

1. A durable (and cute) tote bag

Let's face it, everyone needs a good tote bag. However, you can't take your entire desk with you when you are student teaching so you need a good tote bag to carry the daily essentials.

2. A comfortable pair of shoes

I cannot begin to count the number of cheap flats I have purchased that have rubbed my heels completely raw. When you're on your feet for 8+ hours each day, it is essential that you are wearing shoes that won't leave you in pain every night.

3. A lunch box (with a healthy lunch inside)

I may or may not switch to a different lunch box each day depending on my outfit. I have always loved cute lunch boxes and I blame my Mom completely for this obsession. I can remember starting kindergarten with four different lunch box choices. Every teacher needs a good lunch box to transport their healthy lunch in. We all know that school lunches are not that healthy or cost effective..so just pack!

4. Stationery

Student teaching (and any internship) marks the beginning of your professional life. Everyone you meet will have some influence on your learning and it is important that you thank them along the way. But remember, keep it professional. Cute is okay, but don't send your principal a thank you note on hot pink leopard print stationery. Save those for your blog friends!

5. A good night's sleep

I struggle with this and I know that many of my student teaching friends do as well. It is hard transitioning from being a late night library session college student, to a full-time teacher. My day will be starting at 5:45am tomorrow. I am naturally a night owl and whenever I have school work to do, the late hours of the night are my best friend. Seeing as I still have a significant amount of school work to do for student teaching (fun stuff though!) and will need to be in full force by 7am, I will have to get into a habit of not staying up late!

P.S. Clayton and I have been playing around with my new Ipad.

I had to share our my photo booth fun with you all!

Wish me luck tomorrow for my first day!

Stud Love

2012-01-15T08:57:00.000-05:00

If there's one thing a girl can never have too many pairs of, it's earrings. I got my ears pierced for my 6th birthday after begging my Mom for my entire year in kindergarten. I have had a jewelry box full of cute earrings my entire life. I can remember wanting sparkly, shiny dangle earrings when I was younger, but these days, I am loving studs! They are simple and classy and there are SO many cute (and inexpensive) ones out there! Here are some that I am loving right now..

Swell Caroline Bliss

Bauble Bar Paved Posts

Anthropologie Pearl Pave Posts

Accesorize Casear Studs

Kate Spade Sailor Knot Stud

Vanessa Mooney Barbie Stud

Swell Caroline Paris

Fornash Spade

LYLIF Chevron

Bauble Bar Solar Studs

And of course, I couldn't forget a pair of pearls..

Are you loving stud earrings as much as I am?

Where you'll find me..

2012-01-14T09:54:00.003-05:00

I feel honored to be guest blogging for Ryann over at {joy, joy, unspeakable joy} while she is traveling in New Zealand for the month! Join me as I blog about date night ideas!

For your viewing purposes, here's a picture of Clayton and from when we first started dating.

Is it the Ipad or the cute covers that I want more?

2012-01-13T07:58:00.000-05:00

I have had my eye on the Ipad 2 for a little while now. Of course, who wouldn't want one? Clayton's Mom got one right after Christmas and his older brother has had one for a while. After watching them enjoy their internet surfing via Ipad, I knew that I had to get my hands on one.

While I have been waiting on my babysitting money to acrue in my bank account, I have been picking out Ipad covers and cases so that I am FULLY prepared when purchase day comes (which won't be long - I can't stand it much longer). I am starting to think that the covers are what's winning me over!

What I've narrowed it down to..

My first choice is the book/folio-style cover. I like this because it is fully functional and ready to use (no unzipping), but is also ready to be packed away for this girl on the go.

OR, I could go with a Jonathan Adler or Lilly Pulitzer hard cover..

But then there's always the zip-up case to travel with..

..and then I could just get one of these to protect it for everyday use?

When I get an Ipad, I will of course have to purchase this children's book...

I originally came across this cutesy book on one of my favorite blogs.. Simply Sarah, but have seen it everywhere since then and this future Ipad owner must own this modern day Goodnight Moon. I'm not so sure Margaret Wise Brown would be exactly thrilled about this technological spin on her bedtime story.

Do you have an Ipad? Feel free to leave a comment letting me know which cover you like best! I'm having trouble deciding!

It's a Monogram Swap!

2012-01-12T08:54:00.000-05:00

Crystal at Coffee at Nordstrom and I have been brainstorming away about fun blog things to do for Valentine's Day and nothing really came to mind. If you have been following our blogs, you would know how much we love a monogram! Since Valentine's Day is all about love.. we wanted to spread our monogram love with all of our blog friends. We're hosting our first ever Monogram Swap!

You may enter the swap until January 19th. The limit for this swap is $15-20 before shipping. We checked on Etsy and a couple other monogramming websites, and it is nearly impossible to find a monogrammed gift for any less.

For those of you who participating in the Holly Jolly Swap, this swap works differently and you will know exactly who you are swapping with!

Guidelines for The Monogram Swap:

1.) You must have an active blog.

(No private blogs, and you need to have at least blogged once in the past 3 weeks.)

2.) You need to leave your blog address and email in your comment below.We need to be able to get ahold of you to let you know your partner!

3.) The Budget is $20.

4.) Your package needs to be mailed out by February 7th. We would like the packages to arrive just in time for Valentine's day.The package can include more than just something monogrammed if you wish.

5.) You need to email your partner by January 24th to get an idea of what they like and also to find out their mailing address and of course, their monogram!

Don't forget to leave us your email address and your URL!

Important: Crystal and I hold the right to not allow you to enter the swap if you have not fulfilled your responsibilities in previous swaps that either of us have held. We are not trying to be rude, but it is not fair for you to receive a gift, and not send one in return.

What I'm Loving Wednesday & TAG!..this is a long post

2012-01-11T13:25:00.000-05:00

I have enjoyed linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Jamie at this kind of love for What I'm Loving Wednesday. WILW gives me a great opportunity to reflect on the things I'm thankful for and enjoying. Her link-up is a wonderful pick me up for the middle of the week!

Even though it has been rain, rain, raining all morning long and there's no sign of it stopping anytime soon, I am having a GREAT day..and it just got better!

What I'm loving..

I'm loving that student teaching starts in less than a week! I have been awaiting this experience for a long time (and by long I mean since I started college). Today I went and met with the principal at my school so she could proofread a letter I wrote to my students' parents introducing myself. I was a little nervous about going (I always am), but everything turned out even better than I expected! She gave me very helpful feedback (mostly grammatical) and now my letter is ready to be sent out! I was introduced to the assistant principal and we all chatted about various things for a while. I am thrilled about the opportunity to be at such a great school! What I'm loving the most is that my mentor teacher left a bag full of scrapbooks that the class made at the beginning of the school year. I have already started reading them and it is exciting to learn about my students and become familiar with their names and faces! This is going to be a great internship!

I'm loving that I have been super productive this morning and am crossing things off my to-do list left and right! It feels great to get things done!

I'm loving that Catching Fire will be arriving in the mail today! When I finished The Hunger Game on Sunday, I called Edward McKay's Used Bookstore and a few other places and everyone was either sold out or too expensive! Barnes and Noble has a ton of copies for $18.99, but Amazon had it for $8.99 I was willing to wait for it to arrive in the mail from Amazon with my Prime 2 day shipping. Today is the day!

I'm loving that Clayton, Gracie and I are finally settled into our new city and it feels like home! Last night the new preacher at Clayton's church came over for dinner and it was so nice to spend time with him. I do not know him that well, but I'm looking forward to the opportunity to get to know him better, as well as the many other wonderful people at my new church here in Winston!

I am loving this avocado grilled cheese sandwich that I have been eating for lunch this week. As you know, I love avocados and I bought a few at the store and Clayton made me this delicious sandwich! I am eating another one for lunch today!

fyi - those are Clayton's hands.. not mine!

I am loving these J. Crew Cafe Capri in green! They would be so teachery for me to wear to student teaching! My school's colors are white and green! Unfortunately, they aren't in stores and aren't available online until March.

I am loving these Kate Spade Connie Loafers. They're on my wishlist!

I am just loving many new songs right now, but especially 'A Woman Like You' by Lee Brice. Clayton and I have been listening to it on repeat! (sorry I'm not sure how to "center" it)

_________________________________________________________________

ALSO, I was "tagged" by Flips Flop on Fifth and by Allison at Just a Carolina Girl

Since I was tagged by two different people.. I am only going to answer 6 of each of their questions to keep this from getting too long!

12 fun facts about me

1. I'm left handed and I love life as a lefty!

2. I have yet to find a food I don't like. I will try anything once. If you know me in real life, you would know that I have weird favorite foods -- black olives, mushrooms, avocado, bleu cheese, and meatloaf

3. I can't blow a bubble with bubble gum.

4. I played percussion in band during middle and high school

5. I am have two younger brothers

6. I LOVE reading and collecting children's books! I think they're more interesting to read than most grown-up books!

7. My hair is extremely straight. Curls won't hold and I only use a straightener to "smooth" it out.

8. I have been engaged for 6 months and still have a year and a half until our wedding day!

9. I danced for 16 years... my favorite was tap! I still miss dancing and hope I have a little girl one day who will love it like I did.

10. I would love to learn to ride horses.

11. I love all animals. I even take bugs outside, as opposed to squashing them!

12. I was runner-up in the county geography bee when I was in 3rd grade! (and I was the only 3rd grader participating)

Questions from Flip Flops on Fifth

1. What's your favorite outfit and why? I love wearing a cute skirt, turtleneck and tights! Winter clothes are by far my favorite!

2. Who is your celebrity crush (that you're embarrassed about!)? Well since I am getting a little old for Taylor Swift.. I guess it would have to be her.

3. How did you meet your best friend? I have a few best friends.. but I'll tell you about Jennifer, who is going to be my MOH. Her old house was also in the neighborhood I grew up in and we met when we were 5 or 6 years old. We cheered on the same team (along with another one of my good friends). My oldest memory with her is when we had a cheerleading team party at her house!

4. What TV show is your guilty pleasure? Toddlers and Tiaras? I'm starting to sound really boring because I actually do not watch TV. However, I can get roped into hours and hours of this show! I also semi-like the gypsy wedding show..

5. Cheese or chocolate (choose one!) oh, definitely cheese! I'm not a big chocolate person at all.. but I am a cheese fiend! I love all kinds and can get rather carried away at the cheese bar at Harris Teeter.

6. What's your favorite movie and why? I love any Shirley Temple movie...but my favorite is Curly Top. I grew up watching Shirley Temple with my Mom and collected Shirley Temple dolls.. I even dressed up like her in 4th grade for a living museum at school. She is definitely my idol and her movies are my favorite!

Questions from Just A Carolina Girl

1. If you could be on a reality show, what would you choose? Eww.. no! I am not a fan of reality TV and would never want to be on any of those shows!

2. What is your favorite workout song? Well, even though I don't listen to pop/hip-hop/rap music of any kind, when I taught aerobics.. I would always teach to mixed Pitbull songs.. They were always so much fun to teach to and got me pumped to workout!

3. Who is your favorite sports team? haha this girl is not a sport's fan. But I guess should say the Appalachian Mountaineers.. since I go to school there? Sorry to you sports fanatics, my brother and Dad take care of this for me!

4. What is your favorite holiday other than Christmas? July 4th! Growing up my family always had pool party get-togethers for the 4th.. so we always celebrated! For the past two years I have spent this holiday with all of Clayton's family at the lake! I always look forward to going up there to celebrate!

5. Why did you start blogging and what keeps you doing it? I actually started a teaching blog before this one to document my journey and to share ideas with other teachers. I realized that I was staying so busy with school/teaching stuff that I needed another outlet for things unrelated to school.. so I started this blog!

6. If you could witness any event, past or present, what would you choose? I think it would have been cool to see the witness the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Whew! Sorry for that excessively long post.. but I wanted to make sure I didn't leave the sweet bloggers who tagged me hanging!

Top 5 Tuesday: School Supplies

2012-01-10T08:06:00.002-05:00

This future teacher LOVES school supplies!! I cannot express to you my love for the month of August; when school supplies invade the aisles of Walmart and Target and brings out my true weakness in shopping. Ever since I was a little girl I have loved and collected school supplies and have planned down to every last pencil top eraser that I was going to purchase when my Mom and I did our annual school supply shopping. Picking out the perfect zip-around binder was always a huge ordeal and choosing the right pack of pens was likely to make or break my entire school year experience. I think I'm in the right profession -- I'll be buying school supplies for the rest of my life!

Even though I won't be purchasing any school supplies for classes this semester, I still keep a handy stash of my favorite pens, notebooks, folders, pencils, and accessories for my teaching needs. I'm linking up with Rachel at Just Peachy today to share my top 5 favorite school supplies. I decided I would share a picture of last semester's school supplies before I share my top 5 (which was my last semester of college classes.. until grad school).

I still use my monogrammed file and probably will for a while!

Top 5 School Supplies

1. Sticky Notes

I love sticky notes. Okay, let's rephrase that. I collect sticky notes. I believe it was 6th grade that I discovered these little gems and have been stocking up my stash ever since. I love finding them in fun colors and cute shapes and could spend way too much time oohing and aahing over the options in the office supply aisles. I've used Lilly ones and monogrammed ones, but must say that my very favorites are the square post-its. There's nothing like a fresh cute of bright post-its sitting on your desk...

2. Staedtler Fineliner Pens

While I think these pens are on the rather expensive side, they are totally worth the money! I really only use them for my planner and for some letter writing, but have found them to be perfect for color-coding things in my planner. Clayton got me the Staedtler whiteboard markers for Christmas -- in love!

3. Paper Clips

Where would I be today without paperclips? I clip, clip, clip on everything I own. I even color-code with my paper clipping. In my stocking this year, Santa brought me dog-shaped paperclips!!

4. Paper Mate Write for Hope Retractable Ball Tip Pens

These are my favorite pens, hands down. Not only are they perfectly pink, but they write so smoothly and don't smudge for us lefties!

5. Moleskine Notebooks

Since I won't be sitting in class taking any notes this semester (Hey! I'll be doing all the teaching!) I won't be buying any cutesy spiral notebooks. I have been carrying around Moleskine pocket notebooks for a while now (thanks to Clayton who I think has been carrying them since he was a child). They are perfect for quick notes about well, anything! I have a few different ones that I use to jot down reminders about teaching/lesson plans, blog ideas, my food diary, and just ideas in general. They are small enough to fit in your purse or tote bag and come in so many different colors and designs!

Oh, and I'm throwing in one extra (but I'm sure this comes as no surprise), I love my Erin Condren planner. I have used planner ever since I can remember and this one has exceeded all of my expectations and more importantly, it gives me enough room for my busy days!

And what kind of teacher would I be if I wasn't obsessed with my laminator... this is definitely a "supply" that needs to be included in my top 5 (or 7)! Sorry! I couldn't pick just 5.. I actually could make a top 100 list of school supplies!

What are your favorite school supplies? Or teacher supplies if you're like me!

Inspiration on this slow day..

2012-01-09T15:16:00.002-05:00

Although I've been enjoying my long break and have lots to keep me busy, there is no doubt that I get bored sometimes. I have been taking lots of naps (especially on rainy days) and just physically and mentally preparing myself to start student teaching. I have to say -- I am ready to be back on a real schedule. I have been doing an awful lot of pinning (what's new) and lately one board in particular has been getting filled up! I wanted to share some of my favorite quotes and verses from my board "Always think happy thoughts." As I'm approaching 5,000 pins, I have realized how much I use ideas from Pinterest and resort back to my boards to see things I've pinned. Here are some of my favorites quotes from my pinboard that inspire me on a daily basis.

If you don't follow me on Pinterest, feel free to follow me and I will certainly follow you back! I love finding new boards to follow!

DIY Craft Camp

2012-01-07T10:25:00.000-05:00

I am very excited to share that this summer I will be teaching a DIY Craft Camp at the private school that Clayton went to (two separate weeks). I was a teacher at a camp there last summer as well and cannot wait to spend my summer there again. My craft camp is for 4th through 6th grade girls. I have been planning my crafts and ideas this past week and wanted to share them to get feedback from my blog friends. I have planned 2-3 crafts for each day and tried to find fun crafts that I would have wanted to make when I was 5th grade (I remember doing crafts from my American Girl Craft book). I also tried to find DIY crafts that used many of the same materials so that I could stay within my budget.

Fabric pom-pom pens

Decoupage Clipboards

fabric flower necklace

Fabric bracelets

Braided t-shirt necklace

Fabric/scrapbook paper covered picture frames

Button Initial (I plan on combining these two)

Fabric-covered Memo Board

T-shirt Headband

flower headband

Headband holder

I still need a few other ideas to add in and alternatives in case these do not go as planned whenever I make the examples. Feel free to leave any comments or suggestions about what you like or do not like. I would love to hear your thoughts on these DIY projects!

*A big thanks to Pinterest for helping me find these wonderful DIY crafts!

Consignment Store Loot

2012-01-06T10:31:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on twitter, you might have already this. Clayton, Gracie and I made a little overnight trip up to Boone to pick up a few last minute things a few days ago. Well, we arrived to a cold and snowy scenery and realized that the key to the house was back in Winston. Whoops! We ended up calling a locksmith and went on with our trip as planned and made it back home! Leave it us to do something like this!

On a brighter note..

Being in Winston brings lots of good things, but I am especially excited about the good shopping that I will be indulging in here in my new town. After living in the mountains for four years, there is no doubt that living near a few well-know stores is music to my ears.

Yesterday I took a little trip to one of my very favorite places to shop in Winston -- the Snop Shop Consignment Store! I started frequenting the snob a little over a year ago when Clayton's Mom would take me there during my visits to Winston. Since then, I have fallen in loved with this high-end consignment store. I even take some of my own stuff their to consign and have racked up quite a good balance from doing so.

I am so excited to share with you some of the amazing finds I came home with yesterday.

I saw these pink wool J. Crew Cafe Capri there right after Christmas (but didn't get them) and just knew that I had to get them when they were still there yesterday! I am so excited about getting to wear these (to student teaching) because they are just so me! Any suggestions for cute tops to pair with these?

I also picked up an emerald green Talbot's sweater that will be perfect for student teaching. Green is my elementary school's color and we have to wear it on Fridays. I got home and showed Clayton's Mom and turns out she has the exact same top! (did I mention it still had the original tag on!)

I picked up a plaid J Crew skirt that I might just be in love with!

It's rare that I go in the Snob and leave empty-handed! While there yesterday, I tried on a Lilly dress and the cutest Milly sweater dress. Unfortunately they did not make it all the way to my closet! If you are ever in Winston you should definitely make a point to stop by the Snob Shop! I have a feeling that I may be making weekly/bi-weekly trips now that I live so close!

Do you shop at consignment stores?

What are your favorite pieces that you have found at a store like the Snob?

Big Hopes of Saying Bye-Bye To Blemishes!

2012-01-04T23:30:00.001-05:00

A little under two weeks until my first day of student teaching and have been LOVING this time to relax and catch up on life. Some days I don't know what to do with myself and get lost in my fleece blanket in the bed all day. Other days I have been super productive to the point that I don't want to stop working to even eat lunch! Having this free time has given me the opportunity to work on areas of my life that I normally would just let go or put off.. such as my face. Not that I let my face go per say, but sometimes I am just so tired and stressed during the semester that I don't have the energy to think about how to deal with my skin issues. It is not okay for me to be a wedding-planning, student-teaching, zit-faced girl. NOT OKAY.

Well things are about to change.

I first used Proactiv as a pimply 13 year old girl and it was NOT successful in fixing my face. Looking back, I realize that this was most likely because a) I didn't take care of my face at this age and b) I didn't use the treatment regularly but rather just when I would get a pimple.

So, 8 years later and a few stressful mornings of freaking out over my ever-growing acne collection..
I gave Proactiv another shot about a week and a half ago. So far I just feel better to be using a steady treatment on my skin, but have been researching additional options for eliminating all of this stress/bad gene acne that I have going on.

Now I will admit that I am a bit of a drama queen and am making this sound like my face looks like one of those before pictures from the Pro-active commercials. That is not the case. Really I just have a bad case of painful bumps that appear in recurring places on my face (read: chin, forehead) and by recurring.. I mean my whole life.

I have read everything there is about how to keep your skin from breaking out and I do this these things too!
~~Eat lots of fruits and vegetables rich Vitaman A and E~~ (broccoli, carrots, peppers)
~~drink plenty of water~~
~~don't use heavy cosmetics~~ (I only use oil-free and I don't pack it on)
~~wash your face before bed~~
~~sleep with your hair pulled back~~

However, the one thing I am guilty of is constantly touching my face..

In addition to Proactiv, I also use a daily pore-cleaning astringent. One of my best friends, Jennifer (also my MOH) used astringent on her face all through high school and I never knew why. Well, now I do. I can just feel this stuff working when I dab it on.

I have an issue of over-analyzing my dirty pores. When I look up close in my super up close mirror it look as if my pores are absolutely disgusting. There is no way this is possible, but it still bothers me. I am looking for ways to fix this issue..

I have considered having an acne or microdermabrasion facial done in the near future. I have had an acne facial before and it was wonderful.. although it left my face feeling sore from all of the pore cleaning that was done. Have y'all ever had a facial? Do you think the results are worth the cost?

Another thing I have been seriously looking in to is the Clarisonic Mia Buffer. A few friends got these around Christmas and Carly at College Prepster recently posted about her facial routine (which included a buffer). I have never used a buffer, but from what I have read about this one.. it sounds like it could really benefit my skin! What do you think about the Clarisonic Mia? Are they worth the price?

Basically, I just want to know what works for you?
What skin routine do you follow that has helped clear up your acne and blemishes? I just want this all to go away so that I don't feel like a self-conscious, pubescent-looking 13 year old when I don't wear makeup! Any and all suggestions are welcomed!

Holly Jolly Secret Santa Link-Up

2012-01-04T11:18:00.000-05:00

Now that the holiday season is over, it's time to link-up and reveal who your Holly Jolly Secret Santa was! I hope everyone had so much fun participating and making this swap such a success! I met so many new bloggers, one being my Secret Santa, Kelly of the blog A Tennessee Girl! Be sure to check out Kelly's cute blog if you haven't already!

Kelly, I had so much fun getting to know you through the card and gift you sent me and from reading your blog! I had no idea how much we had in common -- and how close we live to one another!!

The wonderful goodies Kelly sent me..

She sent a really sweet card to begin with, that has since been packed away because of my move. (sorry for no picture!) I received my package a little before Christmas (which was perfect) and couldn't have been more excited with the sweet gifts she sent!

First of all, the Madeline children's book is just perfect and has already been added to my collection! Kelly also sent me shea-infused pink and green socks that are super cozy for wearing to bed, a sparkly Essie polish, wonderful hand cream for the winter, and my favorite: REESES!!

Thank you Kelly for being such a wonderful Secret Santa!

Check out Sarah of the blog Simply Sarah to find out what I sent her for the swap!

I can't wait to find out what everyone else received from their Secret Santa's!

Healthy Eating 101

2012-01-03T11:17:00.000-05:00

Join me today over at Life of Emily where I am guest blogging! I will be sharing healthy eating habits (and ideas) for a new you in 2012!

For those of you on Pinterest, be sure to check out my pinboard devoted to all things healthy and fit.

How to be a bookworm 2012: My Reading List

2012-01-02T11:31:00.000-05:00

One of my goals for 2012 is to read more. I want to read more books just for fun, continue reading all of my children's books, and read books for teaching professional development. I love setting goals for myself and love creating action plans to reach these goals. I decided to share my goals for reading for the year.

I hope to read 20 books for personal enjoyment. Many of these books have been on my reading list for a long time (some even years), some I have already read (but would love to reread), and others are new additions to my list. I still have room to add 3 more books to my reading list (and I'm sure I'll be adding more throughout the year). **Plus book club books!

To my readers: leave a comment letting me know what your favorite book is or what your book recommendation is for me. I would love to know what everyone is reading and add a few to my reading list for 2012!

Have you read any of these books?

Since I have a lot of followers who are either teachers-to-be (like me) or are already teachers, I have posted my list of professional development books to read on my teaching blog, Adventures of a Future Teacher.

I would love to have this Kate Spade coffee cup to accompany on my reading adventures..

What books are on your list for 2012?

Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T22:24:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful night ringing in the new year! Clayton and I (being such the party animals that we are) attended my family's regular New Years Eve festivities (aka a get together at my Mamaw and Papaw's house). I always enjoy spending time with them, but there is something particularly enjoyable about everyone getting together on Dec 31st.

We set up the chocolate fountain this year

After setting up enough finger foods to feed an entire football team, all the family arrived and we shared a night of laughing, old family videos, and the Dick Clark show.

The ONLY picture from the night

We woke up bright and early and made the trip back to Winston to hear Clayton's brother sing a solo during church this morning (as always, he was wonderful!) Following my usual Sunday afternoon routine, I took a looooong nap this afternoon to rejuvenate for a divine New Year's Day dinner. Since I was a little girl, I have always had traditional New Year's Day foods and I must say.. it's one of my favorite meals of the year! I especially love collard greens and fatback, but definitely enjoyed the quail over rice, black eyed peas, corn pone, and hog jaws! Does your family have a traditional New Year's dinner? What is your favorite part of the meal?

the spread

I absolutely, wholeheartedly love fatback! (and hog jaws, too!)

my plate

Needless to say, this meal was delicious and enjoyed every single bite. I hope those greens and black eyed peas bring me wealth and good luck in 2012!

New Year's Resolutions

2011-12-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

I will go ahead and start this post by saying that last year, Clayton and I made a list of resolutions that was three pages long. Problem #1: we set ourselves up for failure. Let's be real. There was no way we were going to be able to complete all 35 of our resolutions, much less 20 of them. Want to know how many we completed? Well, I completed one that I know of for sure which was to make Dean's list both semesters (I made Chancellor's list both!!).

A few days ago when I started writing out my list of resolutions, I decided that I needed to be realistic. This year is looking to be rather busy with student teaching, graduation, wedding planning, job searching, and finding my way in Winston among many other things. To avoid getting over-zealous with my resolutions, I decided to make a list of things that I hoped to accomplish and then found a way to to turn them into resolutions. It's kind of like when you set rules for an elementary classroom.You don't see all 200 of the teacher's expectations listed on the wall. You see 4 or 5 rules that encompass all of those expectations so that you don't overwhelm and confuse your students. Duh! If you're trying to remember 200 rules you're only setting yourself up for failure. This works the same for New Year's Resolutions (IMO). I decided to write 6 resolutions that I know I can stick to over the next 365 days.

#1 Learn to relax

Seeing as this next year holds some pretty exciting things for me, one of my most important resolutions is to learn not to stress out (freak out) about every little thing. My senior year of college has proved that I let my stress get the best of me. I don't like feeling like a basket case and I certainly do not produce my best work when I'm stressed. More importantly, I absolutely refuse to be a bride-zilla. Also, I need to get a grip on my never-ending acne problem (aka order a Clarisonic Mia). I want to get a hold of my emotions and learn to deal with stress in a healthy way; which leads me to my next resolution..

#2 Be healthier

I have been talking about working out for the last 6 months and I could have already been in shape twice over if I would have just gone to the gym every time I thought about how nice it would be to start working out again. Basically, I have big plans (big, but attainable) to whip this lazy butt into shape. I have already sketched out my healthy eating plan and will be working on my workout schedule tomorrow. To kick of this resolution, earlier tonight I did 150 sit-ups on my bedroom floor and ate two boiled eggs for breakfast this morning. If you would like some assistance in this area, consult my "getting in shape" pinboard. I have been quite the pinner lately.

#3 Spend more quality time with Clayton

Of course Clayton and I spend time together! I can't really think of the last time we went an hour without speaking. I'm sure most of you are vomiting about now. Anywho, in this crazy thing called life it can be easy to confuse a microwave dinner and an hour of TV together with this little thing called a date. Clayton and I talked the other day and decided we were going to set aside 4 nights each month to go on a date together. Of course we will be spending literally every other waking moment together, but what I'm talking about here are pre-planned/scheduled/ontheagenda date nights. As in, I'm getting ready in a cute new outfit because we have big plans kind of date. Whenever we talked about this, sweet Clayton asked if "it would be okay if he sneaks in a few extra date nights sometime."

#4 Eliminate Procrastination

Although I have the next 25 years of mine and Clayton's life together planned out and on paper, I am what is known as a procrastinator. I mastered this art during this last fall semester. I realized that the more work that piled up.. the less I wanted to do (which reaffirms why resolution #1 is so important). Ultimately, I just want to be so disciplined that I complete things as they are assigned. I use to work ahead on things and when the due date arrived, mine had been finished for two weeks... it's the greatest feeling ever. Well. I want that feeling back. No more late nights trying to hurry and submit the quickest things I can come up with. By eliminating procrastination, I will be able to..

#5 Go to bed at a reasonable time

I am such a night owl and this has to end here. (As I am writing this post at 12:03 am) My unhealthy habits of staying up half the night, particularly when there is no reason that I couldn't just go to sleep, have really caused me to become lazy during everyone else's waking hours. Not to mention, it is extremely difficult for me to get on a schedule when I am teaching. I need to just suck it up and go to bed instead of spending a few more (hours) surfing the internet. Nothing is so important that I should jeopardize my good mood for the following day. I will, indeed, become a real and true grandma in 2012.

#6 Seriously work on my 1001 list

Now my last resolution may strike you as a bit overwhelming, but it in fact makes me happy to know that this mere list of New Year's resolutions encompasses much, much more than these 6 things (think elementary school rules). I started my 101 in 1001 list a few months back and must say that I have only been able to cross a few (read: 2) things off of my list. I want to seriously work hard to complete the goals that I set. Yes, realize that some of my goals were to keep my nails painted every day or to cool a new recipe from Pinterest. Regardless, being a well-rounded, healthy and disciplined person will help me succeed in all areas of my life. (If you would like to view my 1001 list, it is here.)

What are your resolutions for 2012?

I hope everyone has an exciting and safe New Years Eve!

Cover to Cover Book Club Link-Up #1

2011-12-30T07:00:00.001-05:00

Crystal and I are so excited to host our first ever book club link-up for our book club, Cover 2 Cover! We were so excited with the turn out of members and hope everyone enjoyed our first book!

How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World

by Jordan Christy

1. What do you think is the most important piece of advice that Jordan Christy gave in this book?

Ultimate, what I took from this book was that the most important thing a girl should do is have self-respect. There is no need to follow the crowd or to keep up with the latest celebrity trends, because after all, are they good role models for us? No. Our role models should be the hardworking, selfless women who came before us and devoted their lives to ensuring that women had the freedom to be prosperous, intellectual citizens. I think what I learned in this book can be summed up in the quote from the book: "Self-respect isn't just for us, for the now. It's also for the preservation of the dignity, class, and fabulousness of feminity for future generations of young women." Really, I can't think of very many good role models from our modern day culture and it is quite frightening to think about what future generations will be like.

2. What do you think is the most obnoxious “Stupid Girl” characteristic?

I cannot stand girls who act dumb to get attention. There is nothing attractive about an airhead and no one really wishes they were actual an idiot, so why pretend to be one? It's not cute whatsoever.

3. There were SO many great quotes in this book. Do you have a favorite?

I am a quote fanatic, but I really loved these two quotes from the book:

"Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else." - Judy Garland

"“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” -Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

4. What do you hate most about how our modern day media portrays women? Which celebrity do you dislike the most?

To be honest, I have never been starstruck and have never been a follower of pop culture (except maybe when I was a teenybopper Hanson fan). I do not keep up with the latest in females celebrities and couldn't even name all of the Kardashian girls. What I do know is that the females portrayed in the media are so far from the woman I aspire to be, so why even waste my time listening to the latest gossip about their scandals?

I guess my least favorite is Lindsay Lohan. You can't help but hear about her if you even so much as turn on the TV. I dislike her mostly because she was a role model for so many young girls during my childhood and she didn't respect herself or those who looked up to her enough to make good choices for her life.

5. Jordan Christy said that one of the best ways to cultivate a healthy self-image is by celebrating your positive and unique qualities. If you have the time, take the “9 Types” Personality Test here: http://www.enneagraminstitute.com/dis_sample_36.asp Did you discover anything new about yourself? Which type are you? Which traits do you feel are most representative of you?

According to the test, I am type 3: the Achiever.Characteristics are.. self-assured, attractive, and charming. Ambitious, competent, and energetic, they can also be status-conscious and highly driven for advancement. They are diplomatic and poised, but can also be overly concerned with their image and what others think of them. They typically have problems with workaholism and competitiveness. At their Best: self-accepting, authentic, everything they seem to be—role models who inspire others.

I was surprised with the accuracy of this test and found most everything relating to my personality to be true. I am definitely success-oriented and at times, overly ambitious. The personality type that followed right behind the Achiever was the Loyalist. So I guess I am part loyalist/part achiever.

6. What are the top 5 things on your Smart Girl list? (goals to become a more articulate, knowledgeable, and well-rounded person.. see Jordan’s list on page 62)

1. Get my Master's degree and National Board Certification for teaching

2. become more knowledgeable about politics

3. achieve fluency in speaking Spanish

4. read more of the classic pieces of American literature

5. volunteer in my community

7. One of Jordan’s suggestions for staying out of a rut with your group of friends is to travel together to your “signature cities.” If you have time, take the signature cities quiz here: http://www.testq.com/career/quizzes/84-whats-your-signature-city You will have to make an account to get your results, but it’s definitely worth it. What’s your signature city? Have you ever been there? Do you ever see yourself visiting your signature city in the future? Would you ever consider traveling to your signature city with your group of friends?

My signature city is Savannah, Charleston. I am really not surprised by this at all. I'm not much a big city girl and am just fine spending the weekend lounging with a good book and some peace and quiet. In fact, I would prefer that. I have been to Savannah many, many times throughout my life. I am sure I will visit there with Clayton in the future (one of his best friends lives there), plus I go to Hilton Head with my family every summer and often drive to Savannah while we are there.

8. Overall, what did you think about the book? What was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite?

I really loved this book and thought that it provided a very insightful, yet cautious perspective of where young girls today are headed with their current lifestyle choices. My favorite part of the book was the way the author really connected with the reader (or at least with me). Particularly in high school, I always felt as though others thought I was uncool because I tended to act like an 85 year old lady. My idea of a good night would be scrapbooking and finger foods. However, I have come to realize that the "stupid girls" in the world ultimately amount to nothing and I have big dreams of becoming something. This book reaffirmed my beliefs about my life. My least favorite part of this book was that many of the chapters were about topics that did not apply to my life such as the chapter on dating. Ultimately, this book served the purpose of letting me know that my life is on the right path and that I am not one of those girls making Audrey Hepburn toss and turn in her grave.

I highly recommend this book and think that it is an essential book for all girls to read!

Book club members -- thanks so much for linking up today! I hope you all loved this book as much as I did!

If you are not a member of Cover 2 Cover and would like to join, just email us as C2Cbookclub@gmail.com!

To grow or not to grow..

2011-12-29T02:10:00.001-05:00

If you know me even just a little bit, you might think this is a dilemma about whether or not I should keep my promise to myself to stop biting my fingernails! Well, needless to say I am still working on the nail biting (gross, I know).. but this dilemma is hair-related.

Since I was in 5th grade I have wavered back and forth and back and forth between long hair and short hair. Growing up my Mom kept my hair long and luscious and by 5th grade I wanted none of it. So, I cut my hair off and got it permed. By 6th grade I realized how uncool of me this was and started growing it out. This vicious cycle of long hair/short hair has been going on ever since. I need your advice because I just can't settle on a style for myself and it's about time I do so.

Just a few photos to visually express my hair length dilemma..

First grade - long hair

Fifth grade - short hair, bad perm. No explanation needed.

If I could locate any pictures of me in middle school, I still wouldn't show them most likely. One year I had a "Mom do" after trying to copy Lauren Conrad's hair.

Freshman year of high school - short hair

Sophomore Year of high school - long hair

Junior Year of high school - even longer hair..

Senior Year of high school - short hair

Sophomore year of college - super long hair

Junior year of college - getting shorter..

last summer (senior year of college) - shortest haircut I've ever had

Current hair...

this in between mess!

I need help from my blog friends. Half of me says cut it back like last summer because it's easiest for my teacher life. The other part of me misses my long, tangled mess of hair. However, I hated how knotted it would get just from sleeping on it. Sometimes I feel like me with short hair is not as feminine and therefore, not as Ashley-like. But, long hair (especially mine) can be a pain to blow dry. At this point, I just need to make a decision. I think another reason I am being so indecisive is because I don't want to cut it all off and not have time to grow it out for my wedding in a year and half. My hair grows fast, but not fast as in I could start growing it out next January in time for my wedding in June 2013. Oh, such problems! What to do.. what to do!

Blog friends, should I go short again or grow it out? Or are you a fan of the awkward in between? I'd love to hear your thoughts!

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

2011-12-28T14:12:00.000-05:00

I'm linking up with Jamie at this kind of love for What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I'm loving the only Christmas photos that I have from this year..

As many of you know, my Christmas was very hectic this year and my lack of pictures can attest to that. I did not take a single picture this year. This is VERY unusual for me because normally I end up with 100's of photos from any and every gathering. Well, this only pictures that were taken with me in them were taken by Clayton and his Mom on Christmas Eve night. I decided I would share those with y'all so you could have a little peak into my holiday festivities!

With Natalie (Clayton's cousin Penn's girlfriend)

Clayton and I (this was after the candlelight service at church and we were both a little tired!)

With our sweet puppy, Gracie!

Clayton and his sweet Grandmother (who also celebrated her 80th birthday yesterday!)

Me with Clayton's Grandparents

This one was just too cute not too share!

I'm loving that I got to eat...

My favorite food of the season..

My mom's famous french cream mold

I am IN LOVE with this stuff! She got the recipe from a lady at our church a looooong time ago and has been making it ever since. Imagine cheesecake x100000. If you want the recipe, just ask!

I'm loving that I have had time to relax this week..

I know it's blurry, but Clayton and I have been nap, nap, napping all week long and it has been WONDERFUL! This was a post nap photo of us from earlier this week!

I'm loving that I am happy about my New Year's Resolutions..

More on this later... but I just feel motivated and pleased with what I have included on my resolutions list this year. I will be doing an entire post on them very soon! Stay tuned!

I'm loving the Anne of ColorLinks sent me the most fantastic stationary and calling cards last week!

I'm loving my new sock collection a la Christmas

I got socks from four different people this year and I am so glad I did! Cute socks were pretty high up on my list this year and now I'm stocked!

I'm loving that I am officially a resident of Winston-Salem now!

All of my stuff (for the most part) is moved in and I am ready for my life here in Winston! Of course, I already felt at home here because of Clayton's sweet family, but am looking forward to even more adventures in WS!

Top 5 Tuesday: Best of 2011

2011-12-27T16:46:00.000-05:00

I haven' t linked up with one of my best blog friends Rachel @ Just Peachy the entire month of December (due to giveaways and holidays!) So, I am excited to participate in her very last Top 5 Tuesday of 2011!

1. Movie
The Help
This was hands down my favorite movie of 2011. I read the book and loved it and the movie did not disappoint me one bit! I actually watched it again last night with Clayton and his family. I think I could watch it 10 more times!

2. TV Show
Cupcake Wars
This was a hard one since I don't watch hardly any television. I only really watch TV if I'm studying, napping, or if Clayton has something on (read: Big Shrimpin' or Swamp People). But, I do enjoy watching Cupcake Wars every now and then

3. Song
Although I love every new country song that comes out, the fact that George Strait released a new album this year means that his songs were my very favorite from 2011. Specially, I love Here for a Good Time and Love's Gonna Make it Alright.

4. Thing that happened:
Getting Engaged
I had no idea that 2011 would be such an important year in my life. Although there were many great things that happened in my life over the past year, getting engaged to the love of my life was by far the best!

5. Christmas Present
I was so blessed this Christmas that I got to spend time with both my family and Clayton's family. I love all of my gifts and really can't choose a favorite. But, I am really excited about wearing my new Kate Spade perfume and I LOVE my Angela Moore "teacher bracelet" that Clayton gave me!

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and is having a great last week of 2011! Take some time to reflect on your wonderful year! Thanks to Rachel for this fun link-up!

Blog Friend Birthdays

2011-12-26T12:12:00.001-05:00

Whew! This Christmas went by so quickly and now it's time for New Years! I have been thinking up my New Years Resolutions over the past month or so and I am really going to stay committed to rmaking sure I can accomplish and stick to my resolutions. Later this week I will be posting my resolutions list for my blog friends to see! But, I need your help for one of them. am borrowing this idea from Crystal @ Coffee at Nordstrom. I LOVE receiving birthday cards in the mail and figured everyone else does too! I want to send out birthday cards to everyone this year, including all of my blog friends.. the only problem is that I don't know all of your birthdays!

SO, if you would like to receive a birthday card from me in 2012.. please leave a comment letting me know when your birthday is (and how old you will be turning on your next birthday, if you feel so inclined!) Please include your email address in the comment as well! Whether you are turning 21 or 51, I would love to send you some birthday cheer throughout this next year! I thought this would be a fun way to do something extra special for my readers and new friends!

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2011-12-25T02:03:00.000-05:00

If you follow me on twitter or if you read my last post, you will know that I have been a little bit of a Grinch this holiday season. I love Christmas, but I don't love the stress that comes along with it. Despite the mini-meltdowns and ten billion gifts I had to wrap, I am thankful that I am fortunate enough to have a wonderful family to surround myself with this Christmas season. Even though I may complain and whine about things, I do love my family very much of wouldn't trade my time with them for anything.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas day filled with lots of love and laughter. Although you may be opening gifts and getting excited about your new things, take time to reflect on the real meaning of Christmas.

Merry Christmas blog friends!!

Shame on me..

2011-12-23T13:28:00.001-05:00

Shame on me for not having blogged like I regularly do. Since I've been home from school my life has been a whirlwind! After moving everything to Winston (and leaving to come to Concord without completely unpacking and organizing), my life has just been set in full speed. But, it's like this every year with my family.. did I expect any different in 2011?

Right before we left Boone, Gracie gave us one last memory to make..

cleaning up her TP mess.

Packed to the brim..(and this was only Clayton's car)

Since I've been home I have gone to see Christmas lights (which took 3.5 hours to get through), wrapped a zillion Christmas presents for my grandmother, been to the movies, crafted for my Mom, baked, ran errands for everyone but myself, made a Christmas tree village (of sorts), and babysat my cousins (which I did again this morning.) Basically I'm already pooped and the holidays aren't even over. I do this to myself every year because I have this sort of BIG problem called I can't say no to people when they ask for my help. I love my family and love spending time with them, but I hate how hectic our holidays are and just wish that they could be relaxing for once.

We waited in a looooong line to get in to see the lights.. but it was well worth the wait! Nothing like beautiful lights at Christmas!

This started out as an idea on Pinterest (of course) to make waffle cone Christmas trees. My 6 and 11 year old little cousins decided that we could make it into a Christmas forest.

So, here you have it.. a Christmas tree forest.. complete with gummy bears that represent our family.

We saw Alvin and the Chipmunks 3: Chipwrecked. I was not ready for this. I loved the Chipmunks when I was little -- back when their favorite song was the witchdoctor song (sorry don't know the name) and when I use to jump on my bed to a cassette of the Chipmunks version of "Achy Breaky Heart." When did the Chipmunks and Chipettes become Lady Gaga and Beyonce? No thank you. My children will be watching my old vhs versions of the Chipmunks.

Oh and did I mention that I came home to the surprise that my parents got a new puppy? Don't get me wrong.. I love dogs. I love all dogs. But, I however do not particularly love dog owners who do not train their dogs nor do I really like dachschunds. Well, unfortunately, that's what this situation is. My parents now have TWO dashschunds ( a puppy and a 1 year old) and I just can't bring myself to like them. They are just so awkward.

Meet Daisy.

More updates on my life..

-I made a 4.0 this semester and am so thankful that my undergrad classes are finally over. Bring on student teaching! (or just having my own classroom would be okay too!!)

- I am excited.. SO excited about living in Winston. It will make my life so much less stressful. I love my family, but seem to get roped into doing odds and ends and stuff every time I am home. My entire family lives in the same neighborhood and sometimes I get overwhelmed when I am here. Winston will be perfect for helping me stay sane and stress-free (or just a little less stressed out).

-I can't WAIT to give Clayton his Christmas gifts! Well, I'm really excited about giving everyone their gifts this year!

-I went to the gym last night for the first time.. in forever.. and it felt SO good. I can't wait to start working out regularly again.

-I apologize for being so absent from the blog world. Whenever I come home to visit my family I get bombarded with stuff and I lose track of the things I need and want to do. I promise I will be catching up in the next few days on blogging, emails, and tweets! Sorry friends!

-Clayton and I will be baking a few goodies today and CANNOT WAIT to share them with everyone!!

WINNERS from the 12 Days of Fabulously Girly Giveaways!!

2011-12-21T12:29:00.001-05:00

1,547 entries later and I have posted..

The day has come (or the day after, whoops) that the winners for the 12 days of giveaways will be announced! I have been so excited to do this post because I know there will be some happy bloggers out there! Although these giveaways were more work than I anticipated, it was so much fun to have so many wonderful shops and companies giving away some of their most wanted girly items! I have really enjoyed getting to know each and every one of the owners of the companies that did a giveaway for me and my readers. A big thanks to all of the giveaway sponsors for supporting my little blog and a big thanks to all of my readers for showing your love to each of the wonderful companies who participated!

Onto the winners...
NOTE: All winners must email me within 48 hours or I will choose a new winner!
McClainae@gmail.com

Day 1 from Pink Gasoline
Anna @ Adventures of a Type-A

Day 2 from L.A.S Designs
Kelseaf @ Go With All Your Heart

AND
Clare @ Let Me Clareify

Day 3 from elBee Designs
Rebecca @ Beautie and the Belle

Day 4 from ColorLinks
Haley @ Champagne Toasts and Besos

Day 5 from Preppy Monogrammed Gifts
Jenn @ Bliss to Bean

Day 6 from The Preppy Patch
Royar @ My Life as a Young Southern Prep

Day 7 from Clutchables
Jane @ A Few of My Favorite Things

And
Cori @ Everyday Enchanted

Day 8 from Plum Cozy Cottage
Lindsay @ Our Lovely Life

Day 9 from Marley Lilly
Crystal @ Coffee at Nordstrom

Day 10 from Port Southern
Ryann @ {joy, joy, unspeakable joy}

Day 11 from J Designs
Addison @ Carolina on My Mind

Day 12 from My Pink and Green Garden
Emily @ Life of Emily

A BIG thanks to everyone who entered!
I hope everyone has a wonderful last few days before Christmas!

What I'm excited about in Winston..

2011-12-19T10:42:00.000-05:00

Today is the day that Clayton and I officially move away from college.. well really only an hour and a half away! Even though I will miss my college town, I cannot wait to live in Winston! Although I love the city I great up in, it could merely be called a city compared to Winston! I literally fell in love with it after visiting with Clayton the first few times! There is just so much to do and see, lots of fun places to shop, and it's never boring!

A few things I am excited about..

Good Restaurants

One of my favorite things to do is go out to dinner in Winston. There are SO many restaurants to choose from compared to both my college town and my hometown and I just get excited at the chance to try new things..

I will be able to get some of my favorite things like delicious bean and bacon soup and lobster ravioli!

Fun Places to Shop

While I will miss the Tanger outlets of my college town and the big malls in my hometown, I do love the little shops and antique stores all around Winston. There is a Monkees, Talbots, Fransesca's, TJ Maxx, Loft, and various little boutiques all around town that I love. Oh, and can't forget my beloved Edward McKay's Used Book Store! It wouldn't be uncommon for me to stop in once a week..

Better Grocery Stores

I'm not from a hick town, but call me crazy I had never shopped at a Whole Foods or Fresh Market before coming to Winston. I love them both and can't wait to buy my groceries at these healthy grocery stores. This will all go along great with my big plans to eat healthier..

Fun Stuff to do

It just seems that Winston boasts so many options for fun things to do. I have experienced so many fun things while visiting with Clayton and can't wait to do more! I love seeing plays and shows and going to the symphony. Reynolda Gardens, Old Salem, and Wake Forest are all within a minutes reach and would make fun little dates (hint, hint C). I also love the downtown! There are so many fun bars, a huge gym that is open 24/7, and did I mention -- good restaurants?!

The company

While I will definitely miss my family, I am excited to surround my self with people as wonderful as my future in-laws! I will always be able to visit my family in my hometown, which will only be a short 45 minute drive!

My new 2nd grade classroom

If you know me at all, you would know just how excited I am about the school I am student teaching at! First of all, it's within walking distance of Clayton's house and was my first choice of schools (I would love to teach there!). I met my mentor teacher the other day and she is absolutely wonderful. I couldn't have asked for a better teacher to experience student teaching with (and it sounds like my students are going to be pretty amazing, too!) I am just so excited for what this semester holds!

I could go on and on and on about how much I love Winston, but I'm sure y'all will be seeing lots of my adventures over the next year!

By the way,

2 giveaways are still open until midnight tonight!!

Day 11..Personalized Notepads and Keychain (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY)

Day 12..$50 Gift Certificate to My Pink and Green Garden (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY)

A Day of Big Events!

2011-12-18T20:50:00.000-05:00

Today was Clayton's graduation from Appalachian! Woohoo!! His parents and my parents and grandparents came up for the big day! It was also the first time for our parent's meeting and it went great! Clayton and I started off the day at 8 am when he woke me up with a Mimosa... I am NOT a morning person, but didn't want him to have to celebrate alone. Clayton put beach music on the speakers and we celebrated the morning away..

our breakfast consisted of...

1. Our cherry Moscato drinks that Clayton concocted

2. Clayton shagging with Gracie dog

Once everyone arrived we headed to brunch at a little place in our downtown called Vidalia. It was delicious! I had strawberry red velvet pancakes!!

Clayton and I ate brunch!

We finished with quite a lot of time to spare before graduated, but headed over to where it was held and took some pictures!

Clayton and I with my parents

Clayton giving his signature thumbs up..I have so many pictures of him doing this!

The actual ceremony was lots of fun.. between the fashion show of bad shoe selections (read: glittery 7" heels) and the hooting and hollering by a number of families, it all made for good entertainment. We all sat on the front row in the Board of Trustees seats and when Clayton walked across he and our Chancellor posed for a picture for us!

Clayton with Chancellor Peacock

Clayton and his parents afterwards

All in all, it was a great day! Clayton was a happy graduate and we have some wonderful pictures that I can add to our scrapbook for this year! By the time Clayton and I got home we were pooped! All this excitement in one day led us to our slightly embarrassed dinner of Taco Bell and a nap..

Another big event today..

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY TO MY LITTLE BROTHER!

You have grown up to be such a wonderful person and I am proud to have you as my brother!

Hope everyone had a great Sunday!

I only want you for Christmas baby, tie a ribbon around yourself

2011-12-17T12:42:00.000-05:00

About a week before Christmas I begin wrapping the many presents I have acquired over the last month or so. I love picking out wrapping paper, but hate waiting until the last minute to get everything wrapped (which I always do). If you saw my picture of the pink and green wrapping I did, then you will know that I just started my gift wrapping a few days ago. I have been really inspired by Pinterest to do some creative gift wrapping (next Christmas). I thought I'd share my inspiration for pretty gift wrapping..

Hope this gives you some good ideas for how to wrap your gifts this Christmas!!

3 giveaways are still open for entries!

Day 10..Port Southern Prize Package (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY)

Day 11..Personalized Notepads and Keychain (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS MONDAY)

Day 12..$50 Gift Certificate to My Pink and Green Garden (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS MONDAY)

You'll find me guest blogging today!

2011-12-16T10:39:00.002-05:00

I am doing my first guest posts today over at Coffee at Nordstrom AND at Prep in Your Step!! Join me over there and check out both of their fabulous blogs!

Also, today I will be meeting my student teaching mentor teacher!! So excited! More on that later..

For now, check out the pretty gifts I wrapped last night!

What I'm going to miss about my college town.. (lots of pictures)

2011-12-15T12:09:00.002-05:00

As most of my readers know, I am moving away from my college town to do my student teaching before I graduate in May. Clayton is graduating so he will also be moving with me. We have been packing up and organizing everything to prepare to move out for good and it has been harder than I thought (aka I've accumulated quite a bit of stuff). For about the last year I have been more than ready to move on with my life and get out of the mountains. I do love the place that I chose to go to college, but realized that I am meant to live in a bigger town. There is really not much to do here and it gets boring very quickly.. not to mention the excessive snow really can put a damper on things. As the time is drawing closer for me to move away for good, I have started to realize that maybe it isn't all that bad and that I will, in fact, miss my college town.

It seems like only yesterday that I was moving into my first dorm room at school. Believe it or not, I cried and bawled the first few days and told my parents that I was transferring to a school closer to home by December.. four years later and I am close to being a graduate.

I will miss all of the wonderful memories I made with Clayton here at school.. after all this is where we met. It will always be a special place to us (especially the building we had a class in which is what I credit with our meeting). But, we are looking forward to entering the real world and making many new memories back in his hometown.

I'm going to miss all of the friends and memories I've made..

I will miss living in one of the most beautiful places in my state. Despite the fact that I complain every winter about the excessive snow and harsh winds, I couldn't imagine having spent the last four years anywhere else. I will really miss spending the fall here.. and believe it or not, I will miss the snow. I will probably never see as much snow as I have seen in the last three winters unless I move way up North.

I'm going to miss the carefree lifestyle that is essential to life in the high country.

Clayton and I have been discussing how weird and almost scary it is to be moving away from our college town. Life here is laid back and you don't have a worry in the world unless you make them for yourself. Although there is not much to do (if you are a shopper), you can find a relaxing environment and a place that respects all things simple. My parents wanted me to come to school in the mountains so I could learn to appreciate the simple things and take time to enjoy the world around me. For those of you who know me personally you may find this hard to believe, but I have become much more laid back and less high strung than I was before college just from living up here.

5 giveaways are still open for entries!

Day 8..Travel Lingerie Bag (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY)

Day 9..Marley Lilly Monogrammed Scarf (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS FRIDAY)

Day 10..Port Southern Prize Package (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS SATURDAY)

Day 11..Personalized Notepads and Keychain

Day 12..$50 Gift Certificate to My Pink and Green Garden

Christmas Decor at the Pennell House

2011-12-14T11:14:00.000-05:00

Now like most people, I love Christmas decor! As a little girl, I begged my mom to start putting up our decorations and would always stay up late at night with her to get everything finished (a post to come on this later). Now, I know that everyone's Christmas tree is different, but I am so in love with Clayton's parent's decor that I had to share it with y'all!

My favorite tree in the Pennell house:

Not only is this tree gorgeous, but it has a really sweet story to go along with it. This tree lives in their den for the Christmas season. The sand dollars on this tree are from Clayton's parents honeymoon! Twenty eight years ago when they went to Sea Island, Georgia for their honeymoon.. they collected all of these sand dollars and have had them ever since! I think that it is such a special thing to have a tree decorated with memories of your honeymoon. Clayton and I have talked about how it would be neat if we could find something on our honeymoon to collect and bring back for a tree in our house!

Not only is this tree covered in sand dollars, but also in starfish and pheasant feathers! All together, this is one of the prettiest trees I have ever seen!

Another tree..

This tree is in their living room. Clayton's Mom decided that she wanted to downsize the tree a little this year from the large tree they have always had. So, she went with a large tabletop tree and it couldn't have worked out better! I never have thought of putting a big tree on a table, but it looks absolutely beautiful! Each ornament on this tree has a special meaning and each family member has their own box of ornaments to hang!

Little Clayton!

One of Clayton's ornaments..

Clayton's tree..

This tree finds a home in Clayton's bedroom at his parent's house during the Christmas season! This is the tree of a true outdoorsman..

Shotgun shell Christmas lights!

Other decorations that I love..

Clayton's Mom puts out the cutest carolers at Christmas! This year, she found carolers to look like me and Gracie!! (on the right end)

Clayton's grandmother knit everyone in the family stockings. Gracie and I got stockings with our names on them this year!! How exciting!

Clayton, Ashley, Gracie stockings!

I love how Mrs. P decorates their house at Christmas! Her trees and other decorations are just too beautiful not to share!

6 giveaways are still open for entries!

Day 7..Fabric Coupon Clutch (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS TODAY)
Day 8..Travel Lingerie Bag (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS THURSDAY)
Day 9..Marley Lilly Monogrammed Scarf (THIS GIVEAWAY ENDS FRIDAY)
Day 10..Port Southern Prize Package
Day 11..Personalized Notepads and Keychain

Day 12..$50 Gift Certificate to My Pink and Green Garden