His & Hers

I have Justin here right where I want him; happily watching the Tigers (p.s. I'm writing this Thursday night, not Friday). And since he's happily watching the Tigers, I think it's a perfect time to make him blog with me! And since he's seriously the best boyfriend in the world and always let's me get my way, he's agreed to participate in a little fill in the blank fun with me.

HIS

First impression | I had no idea who she was, but I wanted to find out more about her.

In this relationship, I am | the voice of reason. {Really???}

I love | Jenna. Easy answer.

I hate | any of the Real Housewives shows. And all reality TV for that matter. Keeping Up With The Kardashians can shove it.

Pet peeves | the fact that Jenna puts lotion on at least four times an hour. If lotion was like water, Jenna would drown

Favorite memory | tandem biking around Mackinaw Island. It might never happen again, but it sure was a good time. Or was it?

I annoy Jenna when | Well, there are several things, I'm sure. When I won't stop playing with my phone. And when I make fun of the way she says things.

I wish | that Four Weddings on TLC would get canceled. Along with Say Yes To The Dress....except for Big Bliss. That can stay.

Charlie is | probably the coolest cat ever. And I hate cats. He's also a little fricker. And he sheds enough hair to knit a sweater.

I'm better than Jenna at | sports, watching sports, talking sports, tweeting, Angry Birds, and being manly.

Compared to Jenna, I suck at | cooking, Facebook stalking, blogging, Jersey Shore fist pumping, and wearing a bikini.

I think | roses are red, violets are blue, I'm a schizophrenic, and so am I. 

Hers

First impression | Do I really have to spend three weeks with this kid? So. Obnoxious. But, slightly funny..

In this relationship, I am | always right.

I love | when Justin gets really tired and sings me songs. I'll record it next time it happens.

I hate | when Justin is right .2% of the time.

Pet peeves | when Justin bites his cuticles. DISGUSTING! Or when he drops his Oreo's in the milk to make them all soggy. And then drinks them. BARF!

Favorite memory | our time in Guatemala together. After I got over his obnoxiousness and actually liked hanging out with him.

I annoy Justin when | never. I'm perfect. Jokes. Probably when I'm right all the time. Or when I make him watch Keeping Up With The Kardashians. Or the Real Housewives of The O.C.

I wish | that Justin would pop the question already. My Phantom Ring Syndrome (known as PRS in the medical field) is getting worse by the day.

Charlie is | the best cat that has ever roamed this planet. Except for when Justin is over. Then Charlie couldn't care less about me, his own mother.

I'm better than Justin at | life in general. Shopping, dressing, putting on make-up, Scrabble, and throwing a baseball.

Compared to Justin, I suck at | doing math, being tall, eating 3 or more pieces of pizza, and recalling random lyrics to answer any question.

I think | a huge diamond ring would look really nice on my left ring finger.

And they lived happily ever after...

300 Follower Giveaway!

                                                                                            Source: redbubble.com via Kathie on Pinterest

This was my face when I realized that my little ol' blog reached 300 followers. I mean, are you kidding me? Who knew people would like my random nonsense so much! It definitely makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. So, to say thank you for caring enough to read my blog, I got a group of amazing women together and put together a 300 Follower Giveaway. So let's stop all this rambling and get on with the prizes!

 

Gorgeous ring, right???

 

 

You know what to do, use Rafflecopter below to enter! Thank you for your support and kind words. I could have never made it to 300 followers without you lovely ladies!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Diamonds and Pearls

I.LOVE.JEWELRY.

My obsession started young when I would spend my days digging through my grandma's costume jewelry and "accessorizing" her with every clip-on earring and necklace I could find. Bless her patient heart.

Throughout the years I've been collecting jewelry. Or hoarding, depending on your outlook on life. I, myself, try to be a little bit more of a 'glass half full' kinda girl. But anywho, I used to keep all of my jewelry in cheap, plastic tackle boxes that I found one day at Meijer.

Ugly? ABSOLUTELY! But definitely a space saver while in college!

Now that I'm all mature and a college graduate and what not, I decided it was time to move on from the ugly plastic tackle boxes and on to something more sophisticated. Because, as we all know, jewelry holders need to be sophisticated. Plus, I had collected so many cute pieces of jewelry that I wanted to have something that would display them.

Enter the best jewelry holder to ever grace my walls...

I found this jewelry holder here while searching Etsy one day, and since it was mid-April, it was the perfect time to e-mail the link to Justin for my birthday present. And being the amazing boyfriend that he is, my boo boo bought it for me. I've been in love ever since.

 

This hanging jewelry holder can hold up to 84 pairs of earrings...

  

...has four long posts to hold bracelets...

...and 13 pegs for necklaces.

Since this jewelry holder doesn't have any space for rings, I went to Target and bough a ceramic flower ring holder. Simple, but large enough to display all of my rings.

I only have on display my favorite and most worn pieces. You best believe I still have those ugly plastic tackle boxed tucked away in a drawer, holding the rest of my jewelry. They are good for something!

With my jewelry obsession at an all time high, I'm finding it hard to keep my jewelry display nice and neat. But that's just the price you have to pay to be a 'jewelry collector'. (That's going to be my new job title.) 

How do you organize your jewelry? Do you like to display your jewelry in your room or keep it safely tucked away?

Happy Wednesday, ladies! Keep your eyes open for my 300 Follower Giveaway! A few more finishing touches and you'll get a chance to enter for some pretty awesome prizes!

Ink and a Birthday

First and foremost, I would like to wish my bestie, KMurf, a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

Circa Sophomore year in college. Most likely after a Jon and Kate + 8 marathon

KMurf, legally known as Kristi, has been the best friend a girl could ask for. She's been there for me through the ups and definitely the downs. I can count on her to text me during reality TV, making me feel like we're sitting on the couch together like the good ol' days. She was there for me when I had a massive allergic reaction at a child welfare conference. She sent me the most amazing and thoughtful care package when I found out my parent's were getting a divorce. We even almost died together when her car spun on ice in the middle of an intersection. Soul sistas. Happy Birthday Kmurf! I couldn't ask for a better best friend! Thank you for all you have done for me. I hope your birthday is the best one yet (even though I don't know how it could be since I'm not in Ohio with you...duhhhh) but ser, you deserve it!

Well, the tattoo bug has bit me again. I've been obsessing over getting another one, mainly because I obsess over everything. It's been about a year since I decided I wanted a second tattoo, but I just wasn't sure what I wanted. I got my first tattoo while on Spring Break in Florida during my Junior year of college. And no, I wasn't drunk. I was 110% sober.

I got the Greek word agape tattooed on my foot (thanks for pointing out the obvious, Jenna). Agape means love, unconditional love, and is used to describe the love that God has for us. Long story short, when I was going through a rough time in high school, a girl who was a year older than I was, slipped an encouraging note in my locker. In that note she wrote about 'agape', God's love for us, and how with his strength and love we can get through anything. I would pull that note out and read it every time I felt discouraged. Since then, the word agape has meant a lot to me.

This past weekend, while perusing tattoos on Pinterest, I decided on what I want my next tattoo to be. I want something that signifies this difficult time in my life filled with changes, but I also want something that can be meaningful in all situations.

You see, I have this big problem with worrying. I get it from my father. I worry about everything. Sometimes, to the point that I make myself physically sick. I have a really hard time at just slowing down and having faith that everything will work out. When I'm worrying about something I have no control over or I am anxious about days to come, Justin always says five simple words that help me to feel more at ease...

one day at a time

I love this. Every situation seems so big and scary when we look at the big picture. But if we step back and remember to take things one day at a time, our struggles and difficult stages in life seem so much more manageable.

There are a few tattoo placements that I love...

{via}

{via}

{via}

I've always really loved the look of wrist tattoos, but I'm afraid of getting a tattoo some place that I can't easily cover up with clothing (unless I always wear long sleeves or a hideous turtleneck). Most people say this because of job interviews and honestly, I couldn't care less about covering tattoos for job interviews. My concern, MY WEDDING! Whenever that may be. I don't want my tattoo's showing for all to see while I'm dressed like a princess on my wedding day.

For that reason, I'm definitely going with a rib tattoo. Yes, I know it's super painful. I would be lying if I said I wasn't nervous!

So, in a couple months, if I decided that I still really want that tattoo, you can expect a blog post about it! If it were up to me and my need for instant gratification, I would have had this tattoo yesterday. But Justin is a wise one and suggested I wait a couple months to make sure that I still love the idea before inking myself permanently. The kid does have some good ideas every once in a while...

I would love to hear your opinion on tattoos! 

I Get By With a Little Help From My Friends

I was so happy to have a four day weekend to relax, pack, and hang out with friends, but the reality that we're moving out of our house in less than two weeks hit me hard. Lately, I've been feeling pretty sad and anxious, and sometimes, down right depressed. Luckily for me, this weekend all of my best girlfriends from high school were back in town!

All eight of us haven't been together in one place since Rachel's wedding last summer, so it did my heart good to be with them. We spent Saturday soaking up the sun by the pool and a night out in Ann Arbor.

I love these girls because they've always been there for me, no matter what. And that definitely hasn't changed since we've all been to college and moved away. We can go months without seeing eachother, but the moment we're back together and do a little catching up, it's just like we're back in high school and as close as ever.


High School Graudation 2007

Rachel's Wedding 2011

I feel more than blessed to have these girls in my life. The truth is, they're more than just friends to me, they're family...

There's not much to this post. I just wanted to take some time to show you all the seven beautiful ladies who mean the most to me. I hope that everyone get the opportunity to experience a friendship like this...

Happy Monday, lovelies!

Friday Favorites

Time to link up with The Bargain Blonde for Friday Favorites!

{favorite lip gloss}

I found this picture on Pinterest the other day and immediately fell in love with the color of this lip gloss. Of course, I couldn't find the original source of the picture, so I went into Ulta with fingers crossed that I could easily pick this color our among all of the other Smashbox lip glosses. And, luckily I did! This lovely shade of nude pink is called Pout. At first, I was terrified. I tried it on my hand and OH.EM.GEEE. it was the brighest Barbie pink ever, and I just don't do Barbie. But, I found myself a little lip gloss tester to try on my lips, and I was in love. It's the perfect nude pink color. Go get yo'self one!

{favorite person}

This boy just keeps making me fall more in love with him. Don't you hate when that happens?!? JOKES! With everything going on lately, he's really been the only person who I've wanted to see for the fact that he makes me completely forget about all my troubles and makes me laugh. I'm very blessed to have him in my life. I mean, come on ladies, the man took me to Dairy Queen last night! If that's not perfection, then I don't know what is!

{favorite time waster}

Thank you Bravo for showing re-runs the past couple of days! I love Tabitha's Salon Takeover! This chick is hilarious and so blunt. I love watching her rip apart these businesses and the people who work there. I'm not sure what it is about Tabitha, but I could watch her show all day long. Oh wait, I practically have...

{favorite funny}

I.LOVE.KIDS. Some of the things that come out of their mouths are just hysterical. Like the above. This is why I love working with kids.

Well ladies, I have a brunch date with some of my lovely friends, so I gotta run. Have a wonderful weekend!

Desiring Joy

Happy Thursday, lovelies! I have the day off of work and I will be spending it gettin' ma hurr did, and let's be honest, probably some more cleaning and packing.

If you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen this picture I posted earlier this week:

How gorgeous is my new scarf?!?!

With fall just around the corner, I've been on high alert for some new scarves. Who isn't?! Well, when a friend of mine from college announced via Instagram that she was adding some new scarves to her Etsy shop, I automatically went to her shop and snagged this beauty minutes after she put it up. And I'm in love!

I know most of you are as obsessed with scarves as I am, so I want to introduce you all to Anna, the creative mind behind my beautiful scarf and the owner of Desiring Joy. This girl is not only super gorgeous, but Anna has a heart of gold and has been beyond blessed in the creativity department (unlike myself). Not to mention, she's hilarious. I've had the honor of spending some quality time with this woman...like when we stayed in the sketchiest motel ever in Upstate New York for a wedding. I know you all will love her as much as I do!

My name is Anna, and my wonderful husband and I are starting a new adventure in Pittsburgh. I recently opened a new Etsy Shop called Desiring Joy. I have the blessing of being a stay-at-home wife and using my design background to create things I love and things that will spread happiness to those around me. Scarves are my first passion - they are the most versatile accessory in a woman's wardrobe. I carefully hand-pick fabrics that are vibrant and unique, girly and chic, trendy and timeless - I want every woman who wears one of my scarves to feel absolutely breathtaking in it. 

Right now, Desiring Joy is all about the scarves. I need to get busy sewing - I have a ton of new fabric that I am excited to debut to the public. While sewing is one of my favorite things to do, my passions also include graphic design and photography. Save-the-Dates, Wedding Invitations, Greeting Cards and Photos will soon make an appearance on Desiring Joy. I hope you make a visit over to my Etsy shop, desiringjoy.etsy.com, and meanwhile keep reading Jenna's blog - I love her and her blog is awesome! 

Ladies, do me a favor and head over to Anna's Etsy shop STAT! You don't want to miss out on the gorgeous scarves she has for sale right now. Here are some of my favorites:

Classic Paisley Blend Infinity Scarf

Vibrant Purple and Green Art Deco Infinity Scarf

Classic Leaf Purple and Green Infinity Scarf

And, of course, the scarf that I purchased, the Spring Dogwood Peach Floral Infinity Scarf!

So what are you waiting for?! Go get yourself a beautiful new scarf just in time for Fall! I promise, you will not be disappointed!

**Go check out the giveaway going on over at Messy.Dirty.Hair! I'm giving away an Ulta gift card!**

Oh How Pinteresting Wednesday

I'm not much for words today, so let's just get down to business. It's OHPW, so link-up and share with us your weekly Pinterest finds!

{DIY Glitter Starbucks Mug}

{Kate Spade Anchor Ring. Yes, please!}

{Faux hydrangeas in a wooden box. Doing this in my new apartment!}

{Pumpkin Cheesecake Cupcakes}

I realized how emotional I've been lately when I looked at my recent pins. A whole lot of recipes. And I hardly ever pin recipes! Oh well...bring on the baking and stress eating!!

{Floor-to-Ceiling Shower Curtain. Make a small bathroom seem bigger.}

{A-fricken-men}

{Chevron Floor. And that chandelier!?}

{Vintage Rings}

Happy Wednesday ladies! I keep on forgetting that today is my last day of work this week before an extra long weekend! It's not too bad forgetting something like that because every time I remember it's a great surprise! I'm loosing my mind!!!

Changing of Seasons

"How beautifully leaves grow old.

How full of light and

color are their

last days."

-John Burroughs

{via}

 I'm sure you're all get tired of the "I can't wait for Fall" blog posts, but you're going to get another one! Sorry I'm not sorry. I absolutely love the Fall. Watching the leaves turn brilliant shades of yellow, orange, and red warms my soul. The changing of trees, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful things in this world.

Another reason I love the Fall? FASHION! I love layering, sweaters, boots, scarves, jackets...ahh give me!

And so this blog post is dedicated to some looks I'm loving for this Fall!

[All images found on Pinterest]

As of Thursday, this will be my new hair color. As much as I love my platinum blonde locks, I need to be true to my darker roots in the Fall/Winter months. I love how soft and blended this color is!

I love olive green colored anything for Fall, especially on blondes! And how adorbs is this jacket? I'm dying to have this in my closet, but thanks to the downfall of Pinterest, I can't find the original link! If any of you lovelies know where I can find this jacket, help a sister out!

I love everything about this outfit. Opaque tights, a more form-fitting skirt, and boots is such a cute combination! This is definitely a look I'll be rocking this fall. And I love that tights/leggings allow me to wear skirts to work without showing my goods to the world every time I climb over a baby gate or sit on the floor.

I'm all about comfort in the Fall/Winter months, and this sweater makes me want to do nothing more than curl up on the couch with a good book and a cup of coffee. Too bad this one is particular costs $650. Cray cray! I'm sure I can find one similar for 20 bucks at Forever 21...

Ahh...Tory, get in my closet! If you really knew me you would know I'm obsessed with boots. OBSESSED. I'm glad my new room in our new apartment is going to have a walk-in closet to accommodate my boot obsessions, otherwise I wouldn't leave my spacious closet I have now. I can't get enough of Chestnut colored riding boots. I see a few new pairs in my near future.

Chunky scarves + jackets = perfection. I don't have anything else to say about this. Just. Perfection.

Not only am I obsessed with boots, but I'm also beyond obsessed with scarves. I own too many and am always buying a new one! I'm always trying to find new ways to wear my scarves to shake things up a bit. I've recently come across the belted scarf and I am in love! I love this look with a thick belt, but my favorite is the belted scarf with a skinny belt. It also looks amazing with an infinity scarf.

Now I just want to go shopping for my Fall wardrobe...

What styles are you excited to wear this Fall?