What dreams are made of

Speechless perfection.

"Be who God meant you to be, and you will set the world on fire."

Favorite moment -- Wills and Harry's backs turned from Kate walking down the aisle, Harry turns to steal a glance and tells William "wait til you see her!"

3 Things Thursday

With my last unit test and project presentations officially over, I now have time to fully invest in studying myself crazy til my final exam on Monday. I did the math and I just need a 62 or better to pass nursing school -- but with the reputation of how hard these finals are, I still need every ounce of prayer!! So it's a quick watch of who gets booted off of Idol, taping Greys, and bawling my eyes out at the departure of Michael Scott on The Office, then off to bed to get up at 4am for the wedding festivities!!!
Without further ado, my 3 things!

1) ELF Eyeliner Pen. This thing is genuis!!! I love the look of liquid eyeliner, but applying it makes me look like I got punched. Hench, the eyeliner PEN is genuis! I have it in black and brown because I tend to layer my eyeliners (I have eyeliner in every color -- black, brown, navy, teal, royal blue, raisin purple, charcoal, and emerald) and this makes the look = perfection! Plus you can get it at Target for only a buck! Yes, $1!! Their whole line of makeup, brushes, and eye products is amazing and cheap!

2) Moroccan Oil Hair Mask. I bought this at Sally's for about 7 bucks and use it once a week. After you wash your hair and get out of the shower, you just put about a quarter size or more (depending on hair length, texture, coverage, etc.) and let it set 7-10 minutes and then wash off and blowdry/style as normal. It is AMAZING!! I've always been a fan of Moroccan Oil shampoo/conditioner etc. but a weekly hair mask strips all the gunk from numerous washing, wind, dirt etc. and revamps.

3) Essie's Chinchilly. I am a huge fan of dark nails (my two absolute favorites are the ever-popular OPI's Lincoln Park After Dark -- a deep plum hue, and OPI's You Don't Know Jacques -- a dark gray with hints of brown) but don't want the goth/emo look that coincides with them. Chinchilly is perfect for spring/summer because it's a lighter shade of gray, almost borderlining on a pastel hue!

(not my hands -- it's even lighter of a shade on me)

-- Runner Up: Garnier's Skin Renew Anti-Dark-Circle Roller. This is amazing!! It's an eye roller with caffeine infused in it to brighten eyes and reduce under eye circles (it's hereditary for me) and it's a bonus concealer!! Love it!! I've never tried the regular green one with the clear liquid, but after this one is gone I'll be trying that. I bought this at Target for about $10 a few weeks ago.

Glee Love

No matter what kind of mood I am in, watching Glee never ceases to make me feel happy all over!
Two of my favorite songs from last night were the mash-up of TLC's "Unpretty" and "I feel pretty", and the Warbler's farewell song to Kurt with Keane's "Somewhere only we know". (This better not be goodbye for them because I am in absolute LOVE with all of them in that group!!! And they completely killed Keane's version -- especially since it always reminds me of that wierd Sandra Bullock/Keanu Reeves movie "The Lake House" that I still don't completely get) Warblers -- you can hang with me anytime, and sing showtunes at my future wedding!

Also, the quote from the guidance counselor about being a Ginger cracked me upppppp "Being a ginger has plagued me my entire life. People say I smell like copper. I can get a sunburn indoors at night. And according to recent legend, I have no soul.”

Also, it made me absolutely cry when Finn showed Quinn the photo of her when she was in middle school, when she had dark hair and a big nose and glasses and was heavier, and looked so different than she did now. Matt has some crazy gross pic of me when I was younger that he keeps around and it has always horrified me and I've constantly tried to take it from him, but now I see just how sweet that gesture is. Lessons of life, those Glee kids.

Believe you can

With my last exam tomorrow, group presentation Thursday, and my next few days spent studying 24/7 in lieu of my final on Monday (and that constant elephant-sitting-on-your-chest feeling), I couldn't have needed this more!! 

reblogged from The Gameday Girls

LOVE LOVE LOVE it <3 <3 <3

Bow tie Beast

I am officially a bowtie beast!! I talked Matthew into getting one to wear for Easter, and as luck would have it -- they were having a sale at Belk's and he got a pink striped one for 10 bucks!! We initially went in to get one and some seersucker pants (which, up until last year, he thought was a name brand! hahah)  because he has loads of them in shorts, but no formal wear. Lo and behold the bowties were front and center, and with some bargaining -- we bought one. The only problem is that we wanted one that was already done and you just tie it on, but there were none. Back at home, bowtie strings in tow, and some consulting from Youtube and you can officially call me the master!!! I literally can do them with my eyes closed now -- not even kidding!! and now Matt is totally into them and planning on buying them in every color, for the win!!!

Also, I don't know why my neck is all leaned in like that!! it ticks me off! I guess because we had it on a timer and I was running back and forth??? gross.

yayy!!

Here's the youtube video we used -- Lucky Lovinson from Columbia, SC complete with an awesome wardrobe and stellar accent! He is too cute!!

Also a good visual from Southern Proper

Miss Congeniality giggle break

Hilarious!! Reblogged from thegamedaygirls.tumblr.com

Easter

Any doubt that You love me, is settled at the cross...

Things that excite me

I met my boyfriend for lunch today and he nearly jumped out of his skin and then laughed uncontrollably as I nearly swerved into the other lane at seeing the first shaved ice stand finally open for summer. So after our near death experience it got me thinking -- what turns my head and has me shrieking in sheer joy?

Shaved ice stands (my fav is half pina colada, half strawberry daiquiri)

The hot sign at Krispy Kreme, I have been known to do a complete u-turn in traffic (hello NC! they were invented in Winston Salem) my favs are the choc glazed, dk choc, and cinnamon)

In-N-Out Burger. When my fam when to San Francisco last year it was like a true life Pavlov. Everytime I spotted that yellow arrow and sign, I made a beeline to grab an animal-style burger with pickle and onions. I think I ate like 6 of them while we were there, and was having withdrawal for weeks. I can't wait til we go back to the west this year so I can rehash my love. (Hello great cardiac nurse lol)

Pinkberry. Oh my goshhhhh. I had it for the first time in NYC a few years back, and now I have all the locations on lock for my visits there. We were about to get on the subway once and I ran back up the stairs going the wrong way of traffic, just to hop in quickly and grab a cup. my favorite toppings are brownie, cheesecake, coconut, groanola, fruity pebbles, and waffle cone.

Homegoods. This isn't food -- it's a shopping mecca! They have all kinds of amazing things for your house from art, furniture, bath accessories, sheets, towels, and all kinds of luxe sit abouts -- all at discount prices and never the samething in any of their stores. I make a beeline everytime. All my house stuff is usually from there, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, Ross, Pier 1, or vintage places.

Cracker Barrel. There's nothing like that familiar sign on an interstate -- where the food is like home cooking, you know it all tastes the exact same at every location, and the sweet tea is always my welcome home gift when we get back from the airport and I haven't had it in days. My favorite is the meatloaf with hashbrown casserole, mashed potatoes and gravy and fried okra.

Antique Malls. Granddaddy's, Father and Son, Theives Market, Sanford, and Hillsborough are some of my favorites -- but a good kept secret is the open antique market on Saturdays during the summer in Raleigh at the convention center where vendors lay their stuff all out and it's never the same twice. Also in NYC is the White Tent Sale during the summer on Sundays by Rockefeller.

Target. especially the Super ones! I live and breathe Target, I could literally walk around in that store all day! Their clothes, their home stuff, their bath and kitchen, their food, their shoes and jewelry -- and it's all so dang convenient!!

Trader Joe's. Can you say amazing sauces, jams, condiments, dressing, and jellies, organic everything, and unbeatable prices?!

Joann's Fabrics. Their stuff is the bestttttt! They have every type of fabric there and its always my stop for any and every project I have.

Panera Bread. I live for their soups of the day and have yet to have one I didn't love!!! I go there a lot during the winter and stock up on to-gos of each kind. My favs are their tomato basil, potato, french onion, and black bean. Also their roast beef sandwich, their salad with balsamic, and their chocolate crossaints.

What makes you switch lanes?

3 Things Thursday

1) Easter treats. I'm not biased when it comes to much of anything -- especially candy. So Easter is as good of a time as any to enjoy them to their fullest! Here are some of my favs:

hollow chocolate bunny. hands down, my favorite! i normally slowly (or quickly if a test is forthcoming) go through like 3 of these through the Easter season. Also, Target's Godiva version is to die for!

Peeps. I'm not a huge marshmellow person, but I LOVE the new chocolate-covered ones (go figure!) and try to incorporate them into things such as chopping them up when i make smore's bars, placing them in clear vases with flowers as a display, using them in place of regular ones when making rice krispies, etc. One of my friends clued me in on a tip -- if you take them out of the package and let them sit a little before eating, the sugar crystals make them wonderfully crunchy!

peepshow! hilarious!

Cadbury eggs. I stock up on these like it's the Apocolypse. amazinggggg.

Reese's eggs. Though the Christmas trees are my favorite (they have the harder edges and a better chocolate to PB ratio, the eggs are a close second!

2) The perfect straw bag. They're always too large, too small, too beach-carry-on, too much flowers/tropical adornments, or are completely open and don't have a zipper or snap to attach. So I think this year I'm just going to make a fastener for one. I want a purse, not a beach bag and finding one that looks good and not touristy is so hard! I recently saw a good one at Target, and I may just sew a zipper in it and attach a scarf.

3) The Country Strong soundtrack! I get grief all the time for my country music obsession, but the twangy-er and slower it is, the more I love it! So it goes without saying that Garrett Hudlund completely floored me in that movie! His slow, twangy "silver wings" and "timing is everything" were perfection. I love everything he sang! I knew Leighton Meester and Gwyneth Paltrow were singers prior to this, but they were amazing as well! I'm going to end up buying both soundtracks on itunes. My favorites are Sara Evan's "a little bit stronger", Garrett's "chances are", Leighton's "words I couldn't say", Gwyneth's "coming home", her and Tim McGraw's "me and Tennessee", and my most favorite was Leighton and Garrett singing "give into me", video below! Their chemistry was so amazing! Note -- if you're not a fan of country music, you won't care for this at all lol.

Coming up -- my house tour, a project Matt and I have been working on, recent items I purchased/am obsessed with, and next week's 3 Things Thursday will be of Will and Kate :)

Anxiety

After tomorrow (Wednesday, in case my time is wonky on here, considering I'm not sure how to change it to Eastern Std Time) I will only have 1 class, 1 test, 1 presentation, and 1 final til I graduate!
...and I am terrified.
I feel that the closer we get to finishing, the more the black cloud of nursing school looms closer and closer over my head and the anxiety settles in more. Last semester I probably cried at least once a week, and had this constant tightness on my chest like an elephant (and ask everyone else and they'd say they did too), so now that it's almost over, I just wish I could relish the last days and not worry about it.
Granted I won't miss my 530-830pm classes 3x a week (which lasted til 930pm all during the summer) with my two 12 hr clinical shifts (which I have 3 of 5 semesters on Saturday and Sunday, and have been done a few weeks now and I still cannot believe it!), but it definitely leaves me feeling anxious when I think about taking my last test, and then beginning my comprehensive studying for my final.
Our finals are never ever easy -- they are a culmination of all we've learned, but random things are thrown in and with that and my humongously natural test anxiety, and it being 8am, leaves me feeling crazy.
My average currently dropped some and without including my last test exam and whatever it will be (prayyyy!) currently I need to get a 61 on the final to have a 76 average (which is considered a C and passing nursing school). Any normal person would be like "hey that is soooo beyond easy! no sweat!" but uh, plentyyyy of people have bombed the finals and I made a 71 on last years after studying every waking moment.
So as I sit and wait and clean and reclean everything in my house, reorganize, do laundry, listen to lecture ad nauseum, cry, have panic attacks, call my mom repeatedly, pray for peace and plead for wisdom, and slowly mark off the last remaining days til it's finally over, I ask you -- what makes you anxious and how do you deal??

PS: I guess the eternal grasp for peace part of it could be my "Want It Wednesday" -- two birds, one stone, you know how I roll.

I know what you did last weekend...

My sister and I made these...

My grandma (well both of them) taught us how to sew ages ago, but I never really kept up with it and wanted to get back to it. We have a sewing machine we use when we modify, shorten, or redo clothes we have to fit eachother, but hadn't really messed with pillows. We recovered these that I had had foreverrrr and used when i first moved away, and then stowed away in my closet because they didn't match my living room. So I found two types of Ikat from Joanne's and the reaminder of some burlap I had used to decorate for Halloween and also a table runner I made.



 We made these recovering some of those soft pillows that my sister Hollie had, to put on her bed.

And in order to double the use of our fabric we recovered the backs with a coordinating color, and put in zippers to make them easier to switch on and off.