here's to you, dunkin' donuts employee

i guess saturday's at 10:04 am are times when my brain is just completely (and uselessly) random. i think in the span of ten minutes i can go from enjoying my pumpkin latte, to contemplating what shade darker i want to color my hair, to what i'm going to wear, to christmas, to how awfully yucky it is that the days you get to sleep in are the days that you wake up even more tired then when you wake up when it is still dark outside, and then back to how darn good that latte is. who invented pumpkin-spice-flavoring? i owe you a lot of thanks and grumpy-less mornings.

but about that latte. and that lovely cheerful man working at the dunkin' on this cheery, november 3rd, forty-something degree morning. thank you. because sometimes when you visit a dunkin' at 9:30 in the morning, and a very lovely employee of said dunkin' asks if you want whipped  cream, and you reply nicely "no thank you", he says something remarkably sweet.

"oh come'on, get the whipped cream. it's been a long week and you deserve it."

i think everyone should be this cheery and nice and sweet, especially at 9:30 in the morning (and promoting free whipped cream). so hats off to you dunkin' donuts employee, and thanks.

life lately according to my iphone

i cannot believe that october is almost over. birthdays, both mine and my sweet little niece (a very happy first year of life to her) have come and gone. fall slowly decided to make her presence: leaves changing, pumpkin-flavored-everything took over foods and drinks alike, and weekend mornings spent drinking coffee and eating muffins with boyfriend became somewhat of a tradition. 

leggings, boots, and scarves have been brushing off the cobwebs and make such wonderful appearances on a daily basis. layering is back and better then ever.

and school - the first marking period is over! my mind is boggled at how fast time is flying by.

i cannot believe that october is over.

which means that - in my mind - the most wonderful time of year is approaching. i said i would hold off on christmas music until november 1st and i have held up my end of the bargain (except for that brief lapse of time during a very long drive to new york, and by all rights, it was boyfriend's idea). if life could get more hectic it is about to, and i simply cannot wait.

to all of those in new york, new jersey, and other areas greatly impacted by hurricane sandy, my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

wait, you write a blog?

i know what you're thinking. you actually still write on this thing? i was thinking the same thing as i was driving like a crazy woman in the early rains of the Frankinstorm this morning, anticipating a day of no school, two actually, and all of the work that would be getting done. one cookie and one report card at a time here people. and then i thought, holy cow, i can write on my blog. which was a huge realization, seeing as all i do lately is eat. sleep. teach. repeat. which i have no problem with. and then i started thinking of all of those wonderful blog ideas i had stocked up in my brain for the past few weeks. and was like. WOW. i could write blog posts for days. which might really happen. oh the glory of scheduling a blog post.

but that isn't why we are here. you thought it was? yeah, me too. until my procrastinating kicked in after about 5 cookies and 4 cups of coffee. (with heavenly pumpkin spice creamer of course, muy thanks to boyfriend's momma).
we are here because of the pin i found while my brain was on a mini-vacay from marathon report-carding.

this post is to you, boyfriend.
i could probably write a whole weeks worth of blog posts about you. and that whole "walking me down the isle" the first time we met. and how un-romantically romantic you can be. like when you make me tea and bring me pumpkin spice ice cream when i'm sick. and how you tell me to spend an entire day not doing work because i'll feel better (when really we just curl up on the couch and watch tv instead). or when you do silly things like chase me down the hall and throw me over your shoulder. or sing obnoxiously in the car with me. or pick and poke. and when you take me to church and bring me closer to my faith in ways i never knew i needed. and when you hold my hand, how un-romantically romantic are you? because quite frankly you swept this girl off her feet.
because what more could a girl need, really?

white shirt wasted

awkward:

1. when you make a blog post title and realize that 95% of readers will probably look at it and ultimately think it states "white girl wasted". and it doesn't. just a nice simple pun to go along with the day i have had.
1.5. awkwardly realizing that the "95% of readers" is, in all actuality, very few, seeing as my total ranks in at 18. hey, a girl can dream like she's made it big here.

2. the day i have had. awkward at it's finest. because apparently it is national drop everything all over all the white articles of clothing you are wearing that day. for example: white coat, meet coffee. white shirt, meet soup. white socks, meet water.

i digress.

3. when you just can't seem to figure out what on earth someone is saying so you just keep nodding your head. and then you get caught.

4. having to ask the question, "but how did you know that there was poop in the locked bathroom stall?"

awesome:

1. finally getting to see all my college girlfriends, all in one place, for one amazing weekend. 

2. my niece finally learning how to use those little legs of her to book it around in the big world now! and just in time for her birthday too. don't you worry little S, auntie em has a post dedicated to you and your first birthday party up her sleeve...just gimme a little more time :)

3. autumn really getting her stuff together and coming at me full swing this week. fifty degree temperatures, i welcome you with open and loving arms.

4. text messages that start off my day in all sorts of a happy kind of way. 

5. pumpkin. spice. everything.

by the way, is there anything more awesome than this? Bre from oh, pish posh has got diy down like nobody else.

lately

life in all of it's iphone photo glory, from morning coffee and first birthday parties to reuniting with girlfriends and fall finally making its grand entrance.  welcome back october.

  

  

    

  

  

since tuesday is the new monday

as in monday you have the "i am going to kick this week's butt" mentality. wednesday you are half way there. thursday you know the next day is friday. and friday is, well, friday. there is nothing good about tuesdays.
but since today is the real monday, and tomorrow is just a fake monday (for all of you lucky no-school-on-monday-goers), i dedicate this day to chocolate chip cookies as a substantial dinner, thirty-some degree temperatures finally arriving, blankets, and sweatpants, and the month of october. all of which i'm currently enjoying.

tulle and tutus

with my niece's birthday being just a short week-ish away - and her party being this weekend - i have been kicking it in overdrive with my auntie duties and godmother roles.  seeing as i physically can't be there for all of the preparation and craziness that is the creation of a first birthday party, i figured i'd hold up my end of the deal and get to town on a little diy: the ladybug tutu.

this can be done for less than $10!
okay, pick your jaw up off the floor, i'm being serious here.
it was a one stop shop for me at walmart picking up:

 red tulle for 98 cents a yard. (i chose to get three yards to be on the safe side)

elastic for around $4 (i chose to get a thicker width seeing as it is for a little one)

black polka dot ribbon by the roll (only $2-$3)

Velcro (i had this previously but you can buy a big pack for about $6ish)

a cinch, no?

and the rest is just as easy as the shopping.  

make sure to measure your little.  my niece was about 14-15 inches around so i stuck with 16 inches, just to be safe.  

the elastic doesn't tend to pull as much once you've knotted the tulle around it. 

fold the tulle in half and cut straight down. the width and length is to your own preference.

(i.e.: the spikier the tutu, the shorter the tulle.)

loop the tulle around the elastic and pull it to a knot.  i double knot just for the extra security and it looks nicer once the strips are all bunched up.

keep on knotting until you are all the way around and leave just enough room to tie to 12 inch ribbons on each side to tie together over the velcro to close.

this makes a nice bow and it covers the velcro nicely.

the end result will look as so - or probably a little better, seeing as a little one will be wearing it.

now go and make yourself an adorable little tutu.

who says that you have to have a little to make one for.

big girls can dress up too.

insta-life

life lately according to my instagram photos...

  

  

  

  

little bouncy green guy hanging on my desk.

insta-outfit: fall colors with a touch of leopard.

too soon?

insta-outfit: first sweater-wear of the season.

insta-outfit: old navy, j.crew, and a tough more leopard.

little bear ready for her first day of the cabin.

rest in peach, gingerbread cake.

making caves for my bears, math lesson 101.

life is still making a fool out of me right now. some day soon i think i will finally get the hang of it. 

until then,

p.s. for all you mommas, soon-to-be mommas, aunties, or lovely ladies who like to shop for those little sweethearts in your life, check out my sister's etsy shop, Nuggets of Love, over here. she just opened it up and i'm sure you will just die over her sweet headbands and clips. so proud of you sissy!

i believe in...

souce.

i believe in dreams.

i believe in rainy days as an excuse to spend the whole day curled up on the couch.

i believe in family.

i believe in giving everyone the benefit of the doubt, just that one time.

i believe in pumpkin spice everything.

i believe in our Lord, Jesus Christ and all he has planned for me.

i believe in coffee.

i believe in magic.

i believe in having friends that you can always turn to, no matter what time of day or night, no matter what the circumstance - no questions asked.

i believe in doing everything you can for love.

i believe in sweet words just for the sake of them. (and i believe in warm fuzzies that fill your stomach when you receive them).

and i also believe in arguments.

i believe in a down right, red splotchy face, swollen eyed, cry.

i believe in a glass of wine, or two.

i believe in never being old enough to not act like a kid.

i believe in santa claus.

i believe in always doing everything with 120% of my heart.

i believe in a good book.

i believe in "keep calm and.." cards.

i believe in having that one song that you freak out like you just met someone famous because it is finally on the radio. and then belting it out like it's nobodies business.

i believe in spending too much time to get ready only to wear the outfit you put on in the first time.

i believe in wearing sweatpants every night when i get home from work.

i believe in children teaching adults more than we teach them, and the change they make without even realizing it.

i believe in prayer. 

i believe in taking too many pictures and never getting around to loading them.

i believe in listening to christmas music starting before thanksgiving and way after the stores have put all their decorations away. the most wonderful time of the year isn't only 25 days long.

i believe in allowing your past to change you, or else it would never bring you to the place you are today.

i know what you're thinking

girlfriend has got some serious issues.
first never posting. now posting twice in one day.
i know, even i'm creeping myself out.

but since it is rainy. and icky. and the best place to be right now is in my sweatpants, curled up with a blanket, and that second double fudge brownie staring me down, i figured, "hey self, lets do this!" and the rest, my friends, is history.

1. When you're feeling down, what do you do to pick yourself up?
this is quite a tough question which usually depends on the situation.  the top three would have to be: listen to music, blog, or eat a nice big bowl of ice cream accompanied by a sappy chick flick.  although, shopping tends to fit itself in there somewhere....the list may just go on forever....

2. If you had to live in a different time period which would you prefer?
i've got to say the 20's. i'm thinking gone with the wind. when life was simpler and men still kissed women like this.

 

3. What is the most creative Halloween costume you've ever worn?
i've had my fair share of interesting halloween costumes. convict? you got it. snow white? been there, done it. pink lady? you're the one that i want. but by far, my hand made white swan costume wins in my book, hands down.

4. Five weird things about you we wouldn't know without being told?
1) i am terrified of squirrels. terrified as in i won't leave my house if there is one standing outside my front door.
2) i have a birthmark on my scalp that makes the hair white that comes from it. pretty nifty and cruella-deville-esque.
3) i like eating chips on peanut butter sandwiches.
4) i love watching harry potter, star wars, and lord of the rings almost as much as i love watching chick flicks.
5) i hate odd numbers. and thursdays. i'm almost positive that i have a slight case of OCD.

5. What would you tell your 16-year-old self?

always keep dreaming, even if they do not turn out exactly the way that you originally have planned.

friends aren't always forever, and neither are boyfriends, but there are a select few that you can always count on, hold them close.

stop worrying what everyone else thinks.
mom and dad are always right. always.