I've Never Been More Excited....

For FRIDAY. 
And the upcoming weekend. It's been an extremely long week... my first full week of the new job. I never realized how much working from home 2 days a week in my last job made a difference. I had time to throw laundry in between phone calls and paperwork. I was able to run to Target during my lunch break. NO MORE!!! I'm definitely missing that.
But, I'm not complaining and that leads me to my first bit of happiness this week.

1) A really good job. I didn't know what to expect but now that I'm learning and getting the hang of it all, I really like it. The actual job is amazing and exactly what I want to do. There's still a lot to learn and I don't really know anyone yet. Considering the people were one of my favorite parts of my last job, this is important to me! I love getting to know and having positive relationships with my co-workers. Everyone is super nice to far, it's just that everyone is really busy and I haven't had much of a chance to get to know people. It will happen, though! That being said, I still miss my old co-workers SO much and can't wait to see them in a couple weeks!

2) Decorating for the holidays!
This was a 2-minute DIY. Glitter pine cone sticks (from the floral section of the craft store), wrapped in ribbon and stuck in a mason jar. 

 Love my little nutcracker. I found him in the dollar bin at Target last year.

Our tree! This tree was $30 from Wal-Mart...5 years ago! It's held up pretty well. Next year we'll hopefully have a real tree but that's just tough in apartments.

3) My Scentsy order arrived this week!!! If you all are looking to order Scentsy for the holiday, as a gift or for yourself, check out Dani's consultant page and get ordering! I'm currently warming "Festival of Trees" and it smells like I have a live tree throughout the whole apartment. Love.

4) Arriving home to this last night:

My DSW order came in a box almost as big as me. I bet the neighbors wondered what the heck was in there. Well, obviously lots of shoes which I'll show more of later.
I was disappointed because the boots I ordered were adorable... I went to try them on and put on the right boot. It fit great. Then Chris noticed the left boot looked...bigger. It was a size and a half bigger than the right. Obviously a mistake as my feet are the exact same size!
I can't complain about it, because I contacted DSW a couple hours before writing this and haven't heard back. Obviously I'll give them a chance to fix the mistake before getting too upset. Plus, I can probably find them in-store and exchange there. Stuff happens.


5) New episode of Grey's last night. I cried at the end. If you watched, you probably know why but I won't ruin it for anyone. Of course, I cry over anything so I might have been the only one. Anyone else out there craycray like me?


Is anyone else in disbelief that today's the last day of November? I don't know where time has gone. I'd also like to apologize (maybe in advance) for my forgetfulness lately.. I've really been trying to keep up with blogging among everything else, but have been completely losing track of things lately. When life calms down a little and I can get into my new routine, I promise it will get better. So if I haven't answered an email from you, please know I will get to it soon. Don't take it personally.... I've had a hard enough time remembering to eat lately. I even forgot about coffee earlier. That is not me! Anyway.
I hope that everyone had a fantastic week and has an even better weekend! 

Linking up with Lauren...

Random Wednesday!

Here's a quick Random Wednesday before work!


Chris and I watched 4 episodes of Dexter last night and I couldn't sleep. We made it through the first season and I definitely started to like it more. It really freaks me out, though.

I'm feeling so run-down and am getting sick! Today = zicam, gatorade and lots of water. Probably didn't help that I got no sleep.

I placed a DSW order the other day and am so excited for my shoes to arrive!! Plus, I had a $20 coupon on my account I didn't know about. Yay!

I feel like I've had no time to breathe, let along blog lately. I don't like that.

I miss having 2 work-from-home days. Going to work every day is a drag! I'm definitely thankful for this new job and enjoying it, though. It's just so different from what I'm used to. Plus, I can't stay in my PJs 2 days a week anymore! We all know how I love my PJs.

I found this super fuzzy sweatshirt on Clearance at Target for $10 last night. Chris says I look like Mrs. Claus when I wear it. That's fine with me.

I hope everyone's having a great week!!!

Loving Lately: Riding Boots

There's no mystery as to why I love riding boots. I haven't just been loving them lately, I've been loving them since I was a child.
At age 8, I started riding horses. I think I liked the outfits more than the riding. I loved horses, but really loved putting on my boots, riding pants, and helmet.
Fast forward a couple decades later and I'm so glad riding boots are in style. Here are some of my favorites!

Riding Boots by alyssalianne featuring short heel boots

I actually ordered those Unisa boots from DSW and they should be arriving this week! I've never heard of this brand, and would usually try on boots in the store... but with the holidays and new job, online shopping sounded so much more appealing.

Do you have a favorite boot? I want to know!
Linking up with the lovely girls @ Loving Lately!
Check out my guest post at Adventures in the Fort to see what's in my purse!

Weekend Update- Thanksgiving Edition!

I hope everyone had a safe and relaxing Thanksgiving.
I had a great few days spending time with mine and Chris' families.

Thanksgiving was spent with my family (minus my brother Ben who lives in CA) and it was relaxing and great. I ate so much food... thank goodness for stretchy pants and baggy shirts! I also managed to get no pictures of Thanksgiving day... I don't even think I had my phone by me. Although I wish I had some pictures, it was nice to disconnect and spend time with the family. It was wonderful!

On Friday, I went with Chris and his family down to Mt. Vernon (George Washington's home). It was a beautiful day and we had good timing- for only 30 days out of the year, visitors are able to visit the 3rd floor of the plantation house. This floor is rickety and can't withstand many visitors, so they have to limit foot traffic up there. We went on the first day the 3rd floor was open for the year. No pictures were allowed inside the house, but here are a few from the day...

Isn't it beautiful there?

 Oh hey, Ram. Chris wanted to take you home.

 What I wore...

 Camel for Christmas time!

Our families live near the only Krispy Kreme in Maryland. Chris informed me that he's never been to Krispy Kreme. What?! We HAD to stop by. The "hot light" was on, and although Chris doesn't like plain glazed donuts, he said it was the best donut he's ever had. Naturally we picked up a dozen and they went quickly. I'm glad we don't have a Krispy Kreme near us because I might be there everyday. And weigh 500 pounds.

I'm salivating while looking at these pictures. So delicious!!

We spent the rest of the weekend spending time with family and just relaxing. Heaven.

My mom's pretty cat, Venus. 

Way too much whipped cream in hot chocolate. 

Brushing up on the DSM (I know. I'm so boring. It's been a while since grad school and I needed a refresher. This new job is definitely bringing new challenges along with it!). 

Let's Dish tortellini (AMAZING stuff and leftovers for a couple days!) 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and has a fantastic week!

The winner of the $25 Sephora gift card from Glossy Blonde has been announced! Congratulations, Mimi!

Random Wednesday

Finally Wednesday! It's this week's "Friday"!
It's time for "Random Wednesday", Shanna's new link-up which I l-o-v-e. 

~Just one more {long} day left of work and I'm home free for a few days. Thank goodness!

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~I started the new job this week. It's great but exhausting. There's so much information flying at me and I'm trying to keep up with it all! I've pretty much been thrown into things, which is fine with me. Oh, and it's weird being the "new girl". Everyone's been super nice, and I hardly even had time to interact with my new co-workers today. It's just strange.. I'm used to being the veteran and even training some of the new employees. It's so weird to be on the other end of that. And I miss my former co-workers! But for all of this.... I am thankful! Even if I sometimes feel like this...

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~Chris and I watched the first couple episodes of Dexter tonight. I wanted to throw up. Can someone convince us why we should keep watching?! I don't understand it. We'll give it a fair shot but I don't know if my stomach can take it.

~I'm not going Black Friday shopping. Been there, done that, no desire to do it again! It's ridiculous!

~Along the same lines, I got annoyed with Target making their employees come in on Thanksgiving day so vowed to not shop at Target this week. That lasted about 12 hours, I seriously can't stay away. I then realized that almost every other store will be open on Thanksgiving, so what am I supposed to do? Boycott every store? No. I won't be going to any on Black Friday! I just hope those employees receive over-time or holiday pay and have a good time! I would think it might even be fun to work retail during this time.

~I can't wait to go home and spend time with family. I'm so thankful for my family and friends. Everyone has been so supportive during this crazy time in my life (including you amazing bloggy friends!) and I appreciate it so much. Seriously.

~I'm happy to report that the shot glass down the disposal situation was taken care of. We had to have our disposal replaced. Times like these make me SO happy we're still renting!!!

~Last but not least, Niki from Glossy Blonde is giving away a $25 Sephora gift card to one lucky reader! I will also be making a donation to the American Red Cross for Hurricane relief in the winner's name. Enter now!!!

{Guest Post & Giveaway} Niki from Glossy Blonde!

Happy Monday, everyone! I have a special treat for you all today, that's for sure.  Niki from Glossy Blonde is here to talk "makeup". You probably already know Niki- she is one of the nicest, most genuine, and beauty-savvy bloggers I know! I hope you stick around because we have a surprise for you at the end. I'm so excited to have her here, so I won't keep you waiting any longer!

Why hello there!  I'm Niki, and I blog over at Glossy Blonde. First, a little about me and my blog ~ Glossy Blonde is a lifestyle blog with a focus on beauty, style and sweets.  "Glossy" because I am obsessed with lip gloss, and "Blonde" because I'm, well, blonde.  I love love love fashion and shopping, and I am a complete beauty product addict!  I also love to bake and come up with fun and unique recipes.

So, now that we've gotten introductions out of the way, let's talk beauty. And by beauty, I mean beauty sets.  I've included some of my favorites here for you today!

Buxom Time To Shine Lip Palette / Laura Mercier Glamour Wardrobe Dual Decker Palette Smashbox Studio Pop Eye Palette / Too Faced Naked Eye Soft & Sexy Shadow Collection / Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

*all images via BeautySets

During the holiday season (and really, all year long), cosmetics companies come out with fabulous palettes and beauty sets.  These palettes and sets not only make great gifts, but they also allow us a chance to sample a number of different products, try new shades, travel or touch-up with ease, and even learn how to put various cosmetics or shades together to create a gorgeous look. 
Which set or palette is your favorite???
I'd like to thank Alyssa for having me today. Isn't she the sweetest person on earth?!  Love her! Anyway, stop on by Glossy Blonde sometime and say hello!  I'd love to meet you!

~~~~~~~~

Thanks so much, Niki! The Naked 2 Palette is definitely on my Wish list! 

Niki is super generous to give away a Sephora gift card to one lucky reader! I also decided that in the giving spirit, I'm going to make a donation to the American Red Cross Hurricane Relief Fund in the winner's name. Please enter via Rafflecopter below.
Giveaway will be open until 12:01am Sunday, November 25. Please see the Terms and Conditions for more information.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ice Cream for Breakfast and other Shenanigans

This weekend was a perfect end to a week off work! I'm starting the new job tomorrow (yikes) and am so grateful for being able to take a week and relax. Not that there was much relaxing this weekend.

Friday, my Mom came up at took me to Let's Dish. Let's Dish is a place where you can get pre-made, healthy meals to take home and cook yourself. You can either pick up ready made meals, have them delivered, or go into the store and put together your own meals. 

If you sign up for an in-store session, you get to pick your meals ahead of time and they give you specific instructions for each meal. They serve coffee and samples of many of the meals so you can hang out and chat in between making your meals. You then get to take everything home, put it in the freezer and have meals ready to pop in the oven/cook on the stove at your convenience. I now have a freezer full of meals thanks to Mom! 

Friday night was fun-packed among other things. I went to Happy Hour in the city with my (former) co-workers. It was fun to catch up, even though it's only been a week that I haven't been there. It feels like eternity! We even got free drinks of American Honey which is some type of bourbon (I thought of you, Steph!) and t-shirts!

I then met up with Chris, his brother who just turned 21, and his other brother and sister-in-law. We took 21-year-old brother out for his first time and wow we had fun. They wanted free t-shirts and bourbon too, so we eventually made it over to the "redneck bar" (according to Chris) where they only play country music. It's my favorite and Chris tolerated it  ended up loving it.

Everyone slept at our place where we proceeded to drink more, get pistachio shells all over (I'm still finding them), get a shot glass stuck in the disposal, and probably annoy our neighbors. After getting no sleep, we were lazy the rest of the day Saturday, during which I decided ice cream was acceptable for breakfast. We spent the rest of the weekend grocery shopping, watching movies and getting things done around the house. It was great!

Now only a few more days until Thanksgiving...I just need to get through my first days at the new job! Wish me luck! 

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post (or today if you're reading this on Monday!)... Niki will be here guest posting and you won't want to miss it! There may or may not be a giveaway, but I won't give any secrets away :)

I hope everyone had a great weekend!

Linking up for Weekend Update...

High Five for Friday

Happy Friday!
This is the one time ever that I'm a little disappointed it's Friday. It means my week off is almost over :( I start the new job on Monday and am a little bit nervous but also very excited. Mixed feelings, for sure.

I've had a great week, and as I wrote about yesterday, I'm thankful for many things.

1. To expand on yesterday's comment about the cheetah print pajamas, I've added a new set of pajamas to my collection (as in "collection" I mean one other set). They're the exact same pajamas, just a different pattern. What can I say, I know what I like.

Kohl's, Simply Vera Vera Wang

Yes, a "fashiony" pajama picture. Stylin'.
Speaking of Kohl's... if you missed it the other day, they are sharing an exclusive coupon code with all you lovely people! Use code "TENBLOG" for 10% off your purchase at Kohls.com now through December 29. It can be used stacked with another coupon code. Enjoy!

2. Down time. To watch tv, movies, and relax. Me and relaxing typically don't go together- I'm always running around trying to get something done. I've made a concerted effort this week to try and be lazy. I'm loving it. Clearly, I'm loving not getting out of my pajamas, either. Last night we made an easy dinner (out of a box. gasp.) and watched "The Campaign". Stupid, yes. Funny, definitely. I recommend and so does Chris! I even got to meet up with Chris for lunch today in Annapolis where he works. It was nice to be able to do that...something that probably won't happen again for a while!

3. Family time. I had lunch with my dad the other day and am seeing my mom today. Plus, Thanksgiving is next week which means even more family time. I definitely don't get to see them enough. I really wish my brother Ben could come in from California, but hopefully he'll come back next month during the second round of holidays ;) I miss you Benji!

4. Birchbox came early this month! I was super excited until I realized one of the items was missing :( I emailed them and was given Birchbox points... I've been saving them up to buy something good, so I'll finally be able to do that. Now to decide what I want!

5. Happy Hour with the girls tonight! Can I call it "Happy Hour" if I'm not working? Should it just be called "early drinking"?? Whatever it is, I'll be required to change out of my pajamas. And that's okay.

Happy weekend, lovelies!!!

Linking up with Lauren

Thankful Thursday

I realize I spend a lot of time complaining, being anxious, and worrying about things in my life.
This is okay sometimes, everyone does it and I'm human.
I'm plenty thankful for everything in my life, but I don't consciously think about this or write about it too much.
Enter Sarah Grace's link-up. I love her positive outlook and couldn't resist joining in this week!

I'm thankful for...
waking up this morning
my warm cheetah pajamas (I must have mentioned these a thousand times this week. obsessed.)
being able to turn on heat when it was 66 degrees in the house on this chilly morning
taking a week off between jobs and being able to afford to do so
having an amazing new job to start next week
my career, license, and education
my incredible boyfriend, who never ceases to amaze me with his kindness
my loving family, and a great lunch with my dad yesterday
Starbucks K-cups and pumpkin spice creamer. incredible combination.
our new, spacious, quiet apartment
that Channing Tatum was named Sexiest Man Alive. Good call, People.com. "Agreed", said every woman ever.

Random Wednesday

Happy Wednesday! I'm so excited to link up for Shanna's very first "Random Wednesday"!
Well, friends... this is definitely random!



-I don't want to get out of my cheetah pajamas. Ever. They're so comfortable...they're super warm and perfect for the past couple nights that it's been cold. We haven't turned the heat on because it's been warm during the day and the apartment is so sunny, it heats up quickly. Night time is a different story and gets a little chilly! Coincidentally I have cheetah slippers that I also can't take off. Is it just me or does cheetah print make everything better?

-Pre-employment tasks are the worst. I've been running around getting fingerprinted, a physical, drug test, TB test, ugh! It's nice to be off work this week but a little annoying I have to get all this stuff done! Plus, it means I have to change out of my pajamas. How obnoxious!

-Speaking of pre-employment. I've been experiencing something called "nerves". A lot of them. More like anxiety towards this change in my life. I thought the hardest part would be leaving my old job, which was very difficult. I'm starting to think the hardest part is this part. The in-between time, the unknown. The adjustment to a new routine, the uncertainty and insecurity. I've tried so hard to be positive about this transition- and don't get me wrong. I am excited. I know I made the right decision. I'm just... scared. And that's okay...or at least, it will be. Right?

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-It makes me super happy that Target is all decorated for Christmas (and the other winter holidays). And by decorated, I mean it's full of things I can buy to decorate my house. Self control, Alyssa. Self control.

-Parenthood makes me cry. Every time. I've trained myself to keep the tissue box next to me while watching.

-I've been having super weird dreams. They're extremely life-like and are freaking me out. I never remember my dreams, but lately it's been every single night. Last night I re-lived my last day of work, but it was totally different than my actual last day. Down to every detail. Yes, I'm a mental health professional and can figure that one out, but seriously?! Settle down, brain. Please!

-Last but not least, Kohl's is sharing an exclusive coupon code with all you lovely people! Use code "TENBLOG" for 10% off your purchase at Kohls.com now through December 29. It can be used stacked with another coupon code. Perfect timing for gift shopping! While you're at it, buy something for yourself and get those cheetah pajamas I just mentioned :)

Hopefully I didn't completely bore you or freak you out by all this ;) I'm loving this link-up because this is totally how my brain works. I'm always writing down extremely random things that pop into my mind so this is perfect for me. Thanks, Shanna! :)