Sunday Social

Today's Sunday Social is all about Childhood!

Oh, how I miss this time. I was cute (until middle school, but we won't talk about that) and everything was carefree.

1. What do you miss most about being a kid?

Like I said above... being carefree! I miss not needing to know what time it is, worrying about real life issues, and all the stressful stuff that comes with adulthood. 

I remember hanging out with my BFF Liz and her family on the weekends and we would decide we wanted to have a sleepover… each of us would whisper in our moms’ ears if they would ask the other if a sleepover would be okay. The moms would talk and whenever we would get a “thumbs up”, it was the best feeling ever! We always had so much fun prank calling people, talking about boys, and making up stories about how there were murderers in the woods that were coming to get us and what we would do if that happened 
(There might have been something wrong with us. But we had fun) 

2. Did you have a nickname growing up? What was it?

Aly, AlyCat

3. What was your favorite thing to do at recess?

Is it weird that I don’t remember recess?

I guess play and talk with my friends…

4. What did you want to be when you grew up?

A teacher. Up until high school when I decided I wanted to be a social worker.

5. What was your favorite toy?

Barbies, American Girl Doll (Kirsten!), anything to do with crafts (beads, drawing, etc)

6. What is the funniest thing you did as a kid that your parents still remind you about?

My friend and I decided it would be a good idea to put gack in our hair (remember Nickelodeon gack? That sticky, doughy stuff that was so much fun to play with?) Yeah, it got stuck in our hair and my mom must have tried everything to get it out. It was a mess!

I have a more embarrassing story but I don’t want to put that here… you can email me if you want to hear it (and if you aren’t a creeper)

Head on over to the link up to see everyone else's childhood memories!

Friday!

Happy Friday!

Thank goodness for the upcoming weekend (don't I say the same thing every week?)

Here are my highlights from the week!

I'm normally not a huge fan of fall, but I loooove fall clothes.

Layering is a must when it's still a little warm outside during the day, cooler in the mornings/evenings, and FREEZING in the office. It's very confusing!

{1} I love this peplum top {I have to admit, I wasn't sure about the stripes at first. Now, it's love}

{2} New TV. Especially Private Practice and Grey's Anatomy.

Thanks, McDreamy, for not dying. I know I can count on you. Even though you look sad, and might not be able to do surgery for a while. It's going to be okay, I know it.

I went through so many tissues. I can't WAIT until next week. Can.Not.Wait.

{3} Ever have a day you don't feel like doing your hair and just want to put it up in a bun while it's wet? Well, I did the other day (and do a lot). I had some extra time and decided to just take a few minutes to dry/curl a little and ended up with one of the best hair days in a while! When does that ever happen??

Excuse my cheesin.

{4} Trying harder for positivity...

and to believe that things will get better!

source

Lately, things haven't gone exactly as planned in our lives. 

It's a struggle, but I'm trying so hard to just try and take control of the things I can and let go the things I can't change. 

source

{5} Weekend Time! We're going to the Haunted Pub Crawl in Annapolis...I got Chris tickets for his birthday a couple months ago and we're finally going. I'm so excited! Pictures to come, for sure.

I hope everyone has a great weekend! 

Linking up w/ Lauren!

Exciting Giveaways!

Hi everyone! 

I'm taking a little blogging break today, but wanted to stop in and let you know about a couple of amazing giveaways from a couple of my swappers!

Leigh @ Adventures in the Fort is hosting an Alice in Wonderland themed giveaway! She is so creative and this is one of my favorite giveaways in a while. Click here to head on over and enter! {Even though I hope I win} :)

Jen @ Rushing for Bagels is hosting her first group giveaway! I'm so excited to be giving away ad space! Click here to enter and meet some of her other lovely sponsors. 

I hope everyone has a great Thursday!

Weekend Update

Darn, it's Monday again. Why does the weekend always fly by when the weekdays drag on? We didn't have a very exciting weekend, which was totally fine with me. Sometimes I like having no plans.

I got my first Diamond Candle and found this pretty thing inside...

It's not marked, and definitely a CZ. I like it a lot! 

If you haven't heard of Diamond Candles, they're candles with a diamond ring buried inside! Rings are valued from $10-$5000. You have to burn the candle for a little while in order to get down to the ring... that was the hardest part!

Here's a picture of the candle after burning on Friday and Saturday... the gold foil circle tells you where the ring is hidden!

If you want to order your own Diamond Candle, you can get $5 off. Click here for that!

I really like the candle {Gingerbread Latte} and there are tons of different scents to pick from. You can really smell the scent throughout the house, and it smells great even after it's been put out. It's so fun to unveil the surprise!

The weekend was spent eating good food, shopping, and catching up on housework. Does anyone feel like they can never keep up with housework? I feel like the laundry is overflowing out of the hamper right after I wash all of it. The floor is dirty again 2 seconds after it's mopped. There are only two of us, and we aren't messy people. At all. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like when we have children someday.

I have to tell you, though, I had an interesting first experience this weekend.

We went to a junkyard.

Yeah... words I never thought I'd say.

Chris needed this small part for the interior of his car which broke the other day. So, off we went to a junkyard nearby {which I had no clue existed}. 
Apparently that was the place to be on Saturday morning because it was packed. 
It's pretty simple... cars are sitting there that have been crashed, and people come to "harvest" parts off of them. We saw people with power tools literally tearing these cars apart for parts. Pretty crazy and kind of cool in a way. There were so many cars. 

Then, this happened...

There are no words. I have the coolest boyfriend ever.

And to him, I'm the coolest girlfriend because I went to a junkyard with him.

So now, I can check that one off the bucket list. I just added it, because it was never there in the first place. 
I don't think I'll ever do that again. It was dirty.

Sunday night was spent relaxing with homemade pizza, pumpkin beer, and the Emmys.

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend!

Head over to Kayla's blog for a giveaway... I'm giving away a Starbucks gift card!! & There are many other lovely prizes!

Linking up with Leeann, Dana, and Sami :)

Sunday Social

Happy Football Day... I mean, Sunday!

Yeah, Sundays are all about football in our house.

What can I say, the girl who never liked sports has a sports fanatic boyfriend... and I don't hate it.

 1. What is something you have wanted to do but are afraid of? 

Change careers. To say I've been having a quarter-life crisis is an understatement.

I love what I do, but I'm a little burnt out. Social work is a hard and taxing career which I'm sure has taken years off my life. I'm afraid because this is what I've been focusing on for the past several years and it's hard to make such a major change. I don't know if I want this yet, but it's definitely something that I think about for the future.

2. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 

I see myself married, owning a house, and (hopefully) with a couple of babies

I'm so ready to start this part of my life!

3. What are you looking forward to before the end of 2012?

I'm looking forward to making some changes in my life that I need to make.

I'm looking forward to enjoying fall and the holidays with Chris and our families <3

I'm also looking forward to taking a trip to California if we're able to with our jobs.

4. What are your hopes for your blog?

 My blog is also having a quarter-life crisis. Haha.

Some days, I want to keep growing...join more giveaways, sponsor more blogs, etc...

I don't want to lose focus of why I started blogging, and I certainly don't want it to be a chore. I'm still trying to find that balance.

5. Do you always see yourself living in your current town/city?

I can see myself living in the same area, but not necessarily the same city. We'll live in Maryland for a while because Chris is barred here and I'm licensed to practice in MD. It would be possible to move somewhere else, but we don't really want to. I want my future children to live near their grandparents, and all of our parents live in the area.

6. What is your morning routine?

It depends on the day. I have a different schedule every single day which drives me crazy.

On a normal work day, I wake up around 7:30, shower, eat cereal/drink coffee, and get ready. I try to be out the door by 8:45 but realistically it's closer to 9. I'm a slow mover in the morning. Luckily, work is only about 20 minutes away and I work late so many evenings, it just evens out if I'm late in the morning.

On work-from-home days, I get up around 8, enjoy breakfast/coffee, watch the Today Show, and read blogs until 9 when I start working. I love those days.

Some days I go into work late if I know I'm going to be working super late that evening and my routine's totally different (sometimes I work until 8... This is why I feel burnt out. I don't like running around the city at 8pm, especially this time of year when it's getting dark earlier)

I'm a very routine-oriented person and it totally drives me crazy to have different morning routines! Can you tell? :)

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone else's answers!!

We Have a Winner!

Thanks to everyone who entered the group giveaway and to the amazing ladies that contributed! 

Here are the results.

Congrats, Ashley! 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Weekend!!!

Friday

Thank goodness for Friday.

It was a rough week, but I'm really trying to look on the bright side of things.

I'm trying to believe in blessings in disguise.

(if you want to know about other things I believe in, check out yesterday's post)

source

Five things that have made my life a little brighter this week?

1) Bobby's Burger Palace 
Bobby Flay, to be exact. Um, amazing. If you're ever in the area (meaning: Maryland, near BWI) you have to try it.
I got grilled cheese... I'm not a big burger fan. 

Chris, on the other hand? Biggest burger fan there is.

2) After stuffing ourselves with burgers/grilled cheeses, we were off to the slots
Did I mention it was a Tuesday night? Strange choice, for sure
Chris won us $1.85. Talk about some high winnings! What am I going to do with all that extra money now??

See? We were the only ones who thought this was a good idea on a Tuesday.
Well, we had fun and that's what matters. It was much needed.

3) Loving fall outfits. 
I'm really trying to cut down on the shopping, so I'm trying to work with what I've got!

Except, that blue blazer is new. (Kohl's, Elle brand)
Lace top (also Kohl's, Elle brand)

Chambray: Old Navy, Pants: Express (no, they're not actually leggings.) Boots: DSW (forget the brand, from last year but I saw them again this year)

Pretty sure I only wear the color blue.
Anyway.

4) Nails! I got my Julep Maven box... Here's the polish with Essie sparkles over top
I would tell you the actual colors but that'd require me getting off the couch. Sorry.
If you really want to know, leave me a comment and I'll check :)

I'm disappointed in the quality of these polishes, they chipped pretty easily
Thanks, Leigh for the heads-up... you were right!
Still, the first month's box was only a penny and I cancelled my subscription right after.

5) The calm after the storm
Tuesday was a crazy, stormy day.
Wednesday and the rest of the week was gorgeous, as you can see here...

Last but not least, Kayla @ The Rural Knitter is hosting her first giveaway! I'm giving away a Starbucks gift card so click here to head on over and enter!

I hope everyone has a great weekend.
Linking up with Lauren!

I Believe In...

I'm all over Erin's link-up... it's exactly what I needed to focus on this evening.

Here it goes...

source

I believe in being grateful for ever moment

I believe in singing in the shower (and in the car, kitchen, at my desk at work...)

I believe in advocating for children... because I believe that no child should ever be abused or neglected

source

I believe that people can change

I believe in soulmates

I believe in drinking coffee right after I wake up

I believe in ending up with your high school sweetheart

I believe that everything happens for a reason

I believe that everyone is entitled to their own unique beliefs and opinions

I believe in marriage

I believe in dressing up leggings to look like work pants

I believe in quality time with my family

I believe in putting sprinkles on everything

I believe in choosing positivity

source

I believe in dancing even though I'm horrible at it

I believe in the power of music. Especially country.

I believe that I'll be a good mother

I believe that it's okay to not totally know what you want out of life all the time.

I believe in {strong} margaritas. On the rocks, with salt.

                                                                               Source: google.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

I believe in eating what you want. Life is short.

I believe that life is better if you choose to be happy


source

I believe in making true friends in ways you'd least expect {blogging!}

I believe in blessings in disguise. 

I believe that I could go on forever...
I can't wait to see everyone else's beliefs.
What do you believe?
Check out Living in Yellow for the link-up!

Loving Lately ~ Jewel Tones

I'm joining Loving Lately this week!

With fall coming, I'm totally loving the jewel tones.

Purple, magenta, green, dark blue, I love it all.
Here are a few of my favorite pieces...

Jewel Tones by alyssalianne featuring ballerina flats

Darker jewel tones aren't too overwhelming so you can wear a couple colors together if you'd like, or pair with black/neutral pieces for a professional look. I'm all about layering (especially during the fall) so I love versatile pieces that I can wear with different outfits depending on the occasion. 

What are you loving lately?

Don't forget to enter my group giveaway if you haven't already! :)

Bye, Weekend...Please come again soon!

I just looked at the date and realized we're halfway through September already. How the heck did that happen?

We had beautiful weather all weekend and pretty much just stayed local and got things done.

I was off work on Friday which was so nice because I got to do most of the housework done and not have to worry about it over the weekend.

Then there's my craft/bookshelf area. It's a mess. We have a pretty small apartment with no dedicated space for this stuff, so it's all thrown in a corner of the living room. I've hardly touched it in a few months because it's just a mess. It's conveniently hid by the couches and east to forget about. I told myself I'd organize it this weekend, but definitely didn't touch it.

Oh well... there's always next weekend.

So, the highlights of my weekend revolve around food. I'm "that girl" according to my boyfriend. The girl who takes pictures of her food all the time, and posts them for everyone to see.

You know what? If being "that girl" is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Blue Moon/Caramel Apple Spiced Ale- Amazing. Try it. It tastes exactly like the description and is so good.

We made sweet potato fries. Then I burnt them because I forgot to set the timer. Smoke came billowing out of the oven, the smoke detectors went off... it was a proud moment. I was going to post an "after" picture but if you know what burnt sticks look like, you could picture it. I'm going to try this again soon and not try and burn the place down next time!

{picture was taken before I burnt them...obviously}

The bottom two pictures are our dinner from R&R Taqueria which was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives! This authentic Mexican place is down the road from our apartment. You would never know it was there because it's in a gas station. Yes.

 It was amazing food, good prices, and a friendly owner. He took time to help us figure out what we wanted to order, and suggest what's good. I got the chicken enchiladas (bottom left) and Chris got various tacos (right). If you're ever in the area (it's right off 95 between DC and Baltimore), stop there! You won't regret it.

Naturally, I could eat Mexican food for every meal so I decided to try my hand at homemade chicken enchiladas on Sunday. I'm going to post my recipe soon, so stay tuned! They're amazing.

We also did various other things this weekend.... looked at houses, banged on the ceiling with a broom because our upstairs nightmare neighbors wouldn't be quiet, and other fun things like that. 

I hope you all had a great weekend!

Linking up with Dana, Leeann, and Sami liiiike usual :)

My first giveaway also started! If you haven't already, go enter here! There are a lot of great prizes up for grabs from some of my favorite ladies! 

Sunday Social

Happy Sunday!

I hope everyone's having a great weekend. It's time for Sunday Social!

1. 5 items you can't live without on a daily basis(water, food, shelter, and clothes dont count) 

Coffee (technically, that's not water or food...)
Burt's Bees Chapstick
Contacts (I'm blind without them and hate my glasses!)
Laptop (pretty pathetic...not sure if I could go a day without this thing. I would be lost without it)
Human interaction (I guess that's not really an "item".. I go crazy if I don't talk to anyone all day. In fact, I'm not sure I've ever gone a day without talking to someone. It really helps that I live with my boyfriend who happens to also be my best friend in the world!)

You might notice my cell phone isn't on this list. I only like my phone for email, twitter, facebook, and all of that. I despise the phone and could totally live without it and be okay. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice and have to carry around 2 cell phones 24/7, one is for work.

2. All time favorite book? Why?
The Help... I have a few favorites, but this is my most recent fav! It's just such a great story.  I loved the movie also but the book is a million times better in my opinion.

3. Something you'd like to accomplish before the end of 2012
Move to a new house! Grow my blog, sell my jewelry, and figure out a couple other life changes :) I can't pick just one.

4. If you could go back and relive any year of your life which year would it be?
I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I would probably say this year. Not everything has been perfect, but we've been through a lot of changes so far and so many more are coming. I finally feel like we're settling down now that Chris is out of law school, working, and we have more normal schedules. It's weird how we can go through so many changes, yet feel settled at the same time. I just finally feel like we're growing up {even though I've been working for over 4 years  and 2 years post-Masters.. It's a process I guess} 

I've also gotten into the blogging world this year, which has been so fun!

5. What do you wish people knew about you without you having to tell them?
A couple things, I can't pick just one.
I can be shy sometimes.. But that doesn't mean I'm stuck up. At all. I feel like that's a common misconception with people who are a shy. I've grown out of this a lot in the past several years, thankfully... but there's nothing wrong with being a little shy sometimes. Everyone has a different personality!
I'm also bad at staying in touch with people. It's terrible. I feel awful about losing touch with friends, but chances are it doesn't mean that I don't want to be friends with you anymore.. I just get lost in the day-to-day and am horrible with keeping up with people. I definitely need to work on that.

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Don't forget to enter my group giveaway if you haven't already! Meet some of my awesome bloggy friends! Ad Space, Target, Starbucks, Pier One, Handmade scarf, and more!

Friday!

Happy Friday!

Here are 5 of the best things from my week...

{1} Gorgeous sunset one evening this week!

{2} Pretty roses...now that my outside plants are dying, it's time for indoor ones!

{3} How cute is this sprinkle jar? Thanks Homegoods :)

{4} Berry refresher while running errands today... It was way too warm for a pumkin spice today!

{5} Enjoying the weather on the balcony. 80 degrees feels so nice after a hot summer

Last but not least... have you entered my first ever giveaway? If not, go enter! Tons of great prizes including Starbucks, Target, Pier One, Ad space, handmade scarf, and a few of my favorite things thrown in! Not to mention, I have some pretty awesome sponsors you HAVE to check out!

I hope everyone has a great weekend :)

Linking up with Lauren!

Surprise...

IT'S GIVEAWAY TIME!!!

Welcome to my very first giveaway!

I'm a little excited.. can you tell?

Thanks to some of my lovely sponsor swappers for participating in my very first giveaway to celebrate my growing little blog passing 100 followers!

I'll save the sentiments about how much I love blogging, how great you all are, etc for another time. 

Let's get to my lovely sponsors...

Leigh @ Adventures in the Fort

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram

I'll spare you the boring details like my name, it's Leigh, and the name of my blog, Adventures in the Fort, and an interesting fact or two about me, I have two kids and I am from the great state of Texas.  I know what you're really here for...the goods, which is a $25 gift card to Pier 1.  Which in my opinion is almost as good as gold.  Because you can seriously get this and this and even this killer pillow!  So stop by, say "Hi", and let's get to know each other.

Dani @ Inspire.Motivate.Love.

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram {@danilee_}

I'm Dani and I blog over at Inspire. Motivate. Love.  It's the story of my life and happenings of a stay at home toddler mom and full time student, while trying to find my place in this crazy world. I'm a newly converted nail polish lover, coffee lover, and cozy outfit wearer.  Fall and Winter have oddly become my favorite seasons, and in honor of that, and Alyssa's Giveaway, I am sharing with one lucky person my favorite accessory! A handmade, crocheted infinity scarf.  I literally have one in every color, and I live in them during the fall/winter season.

Stephanie @ bourbon and glitter

blog/twitter

I'm Steph and I blog over at bourbon and glitter.  You'll find a collection of all my favorite things there - cocktail cupcake recipes, latest shopping wants and pinterest finds, party themes and costumes, my bar crawl adventures, and tons of photos of my furry pup Hawkeye.  Come stop by!

Niki @ Glossy Blonde

blog/twitter/pinterest/instagram/bloglovin

Hi everyone!  I'm Niki and I blog over at Glossy Blonde.  I am a wife and pet mom to 2 dogs and a cat, and I'm working on my MBA in Marketing/Advertising. I hope to open a clothing/accessories boutique in the near future.  On Glossy Blonde, I'll share of-the-moment fashion and styling tips, great beauty products, and fun baking recipes; and on Fridays you'll get a little look into what makes me tick.  Stop on by and say hello, I'd love to meet you!

Rima @ Bolu by Rima

blog/facebook/twitter/instagram {@bolubyrima}

Hi Friends! This is Rima from Bolu by Rima. At Bolu, you can read about my ramblings about life, my love for food crafting and traveling, with occasional appearances of the 2 men in my life, The Pillow (aka Rob aka Boyfriend) and Chimichanga (the dog). Feel free to stop by and say hi!

Jen @ WhyyyJen

blog/twitter/pinterest/polyvore/instagram {@whyyyjen}

Hi! I'm Jen and I blog over at WhyyyJen. It's a life and style blog.. which is 3/4s life with just a little bit of simple style. I'm a working girl trying to make it big in the corporate world, at the same time, grounding myself by blogging about my feelings and experiences. I always aim for my posts to not only be an expression but also a benefit to my lovely readers. I love answering questions and thinking about what's around me. Check out Whyyyjen. Stay awhile. Ask ahead. I don't bite. ;)

Hilary @ Diaries of Do'ers

blog/twitter/pinterest/Instragram {@hilarysdoings}

Hi! I'm Hilary and I hold a small piece of this awesome blogosphere over at Diaries of Do'ers which I created to document me and the hubby's newlywed life and new home adventures. It's turned into a general lifestyle blog involving my love of frugal great finds - from décor to fashion, DIY successes & failures, furniture flips, and still-newlywed life {ahem, my trial & errors with meal-making for the hubs}. Please swing by and say hi, I'd love to 'meet' you!

Mia @ The Chronicles of Chaos

blog/twitter/facebook

Hi there, I'm Mia from The Chronicles of Chaos.  No, it's not a comic book, but sometimes I do feel like SuperMom!  I started blogging to capture the chaos that reigns supreme when you have 2 parents who work full-time, 2 rambunctious boys, and a Black Lab who has never outgrown the puppy energy! And I sprinkle in some recipes, and other life ramblings in the mix as well.  Stop by and say hi sometime, I love meeting new people!

Kayla @ The Rural Knitter

blog/facebook/twitter

Hi! I'm Kayla. I'm a small town girl with memories of the big city who decided to move to rural Newfoundland, Canada in hopes of slowing down and appreciating life. I blog over at The Rural Knitter. I write about my new found passion -- knitting, but also crafting, the world of books, and music. I also like to share what it's like to live in the most easterly part of Canada, where people live on an almost constant island of fog but boast a colourful and fantastic culture and history. As a knitter, I'm trying to bridge the gap between my Grandmother's generation and my own in a land where knitting is not a hobby, but a way of life. So grab a cup of Tetley tea and put on a pair of wool socks and join me at The Rural Knitter.

Of course, I'm giving away a few things...

~Medium Ad Space for 1 month

~LC Lauren Conrad Pearl Earrings

~Small Journal (Target)

*******************

So, here's the deal. Enter the giveaway. 

Visit some of my friends and give them some love!

1 winner takes all

Giveaway ends on Friday, September 21, 2012.

Good luck! 
*Please fully complete each task that you submit.
When a winner is chosen, I will fully review all entries and validate each one. If the winner does not complete each task they submitted, a new winner will be chosen. 
Please play by the rules.Thanks! :)  

a Rafflecopter giveaway