please excuse my very large mess..

Hey y'all!

I'm still so new to this blogging stuff and I'm trying to find a design that I really love, and I'm trying to do it on my own which is making it allllll the more difficult! Please bear with me while I attempt to figure this mess out!

Hope y'all had a wonderful Friday and have a fabulous rest of the weekend! xo

Always,

Haley 

'It's OK' Thursdays! #1

Happy Thursday, ladies and gents! 

You know what Thursday means..?!

IT'S ALMOST FRIDAY! :D

While I am super pumped about the weekend almost being here, I'm also sad to see this week go by so fast. Now, I'm not one to generally complain about how fast the week goes by...but I've been off work this week and it has been great to just relax a little! Anyways, it's almost over nonetheless and that simply means that I am one week closer to sweet summertime... 

oh, how I long for days of no worries..

..and long, evening walks.

 ANYWAYS, I'm doing yet another link-up today with Amber over at Brunch with Amber for 'It's OK' Thursdays! 







So without further adieu...


IT'S OK..

...to go see the Hunger Games tonight without reading the book first, even though I'm sure it's much, much better.

...to wait until the night before a paper is due to do it.  

...to not want the week to end.

...to eat CLIF bars for breakfast and lunch.

...that while I worked out 4-5x a week last year, I haven't worked out all this year. (I am compensating by eating healthier though, y'all) 

...to be frustrated with my roommates who do not know how to load the dishwasher correctly.

...to hit snooze on the alarm a couple times.  

...to expect my sweet daddy to take me out to dinner this weekend since he hasn't since I was home for spring break. 

...to not wash my hair everyday. 

...to want to strangle all of the people who registered for classes before me today. 

...that I will be thoroughly upset if Harrison Barnes, John Henson, Kendall Marshall or any other awesome UNC basketball player leaves for the NBA. 

...to only look forward to my American Studies class today because we're talking about food which means our professor will more than likely have something for us to eat.  

...that I painted my toenails "Carolina Blue" on Sunday, and then we lost to Kansas. 

...that I wrote this post during my drama class and have no idea what my professor talked about. 

Wow, I feel so much better now! Haha, I hope that you guys have as much fun reading this as I had writing it :) 

I'll leave you with a super silly picture of myself and my sweet, fiery 6-year old cousin Payton that was taken last summer. Can ya tell I'm really pining for summer?!

love that sweet girl to the moon and back!

 Have a happy rest of this Thursday, y'all! xo

Always,
Haley 

take me away..

I have a confession to make, y'all....

 .....

.....

.....

.....

I HAVE VACATION FEVER. 

But really, it's been over  2 years since I've had a true vacation (i.e. going somewhere other than the mountains or the beach). And while I realize how fortunate I am to even be able to go to those places, I am still just itching to get out of North Carolina and see the rest of the world amazing (...sometimes) country that we live in. Here's a quick recap of the places I've traveled to so far...

January, 2007 - first ever trip to NYC (with friends)! 

this view...makes me melt. every time.

 December, 2008 - 2nd trip to NYC (this time with my family)!

atop the empire state building...it was FREEZING!

 July 2009 - first trip out of the country...CANCUN!

I'm not kidding when I say my life is full of handsome men, y'all ;)

 These are by far the most exciting trips in my life..but others include...

1. Disney World, FL when I was 7

2. Washington, DC with the family when I was 10

3. Peoria, Illinois when I was 14 for a World Series softball tournament (this was my 1st flying experience!)

4. Disney World, FL again when I was 15 for another World Series softball tournament

5. Countless trips to Snowshoe, WV for some good 'ole skiing and snowboarding

so, so beautiful.

 6. And then here and there trips to Tennessee to visit family, Myrtle Beach, SC for cheerleading competitions, and Virginia for more softball tournaments.

SO, therefore...

I'm planning a trip (for my birthday, May 12th) to three places (still close by, but hey..I have to get away ASAP) that I've never been before....

Charleston, SC

picture perfect

Hilton Head, SC

did I mention that I love sunsets on the harbor?

and Savannah, GA

pure bliss

I am so pumped about this trip and cannot wait to get out of North Carolina there! 

I'll be posting again soon about all of the other places in and around the U.S. that I have yet to visit, so be sure to keep checking back! :) xo

Have you guys been itching to get away lately? Where have you been before, and where would you like to go?! I'd love to hear! 

Always,

Haley

i'm baaaaaaack...and with Target Tuesday!

Hey, hey, hey y'all!

I've finally made it back from the dark abyss last week and all the crazy things that I had going on! Luckily for me, I have no work this week! {insert very loud excited screech here}. The family that I nanny for is currently soaking up the sun on a Caribbean cruise and instead of being jealous..I'm just enjoying some time to myself :)

ANYWAYS, today I'm doing my very first Target Tuesday link-up with Tara over at Fabulous but Evil! 

so, here's what I've been pining over at Target lately..

floral swimsuits

via

 

 

via

statement jewelry

via

via

 natural colored shoes

via

via

and last but not least....colored shorts.

via

via

What are y'all excited about at Target this week?! I'd love to know!

Enjoy the rest of your cool Tuesday, everyone! xo

Always,

Haley 

so much to do, so little time..

Hey y'all!

Just stopping by really quickly to apologize in advance for my absence this week..

I have an exam tomorrow, a paper due Thursday, class registration, along with work everyday and a ton of reading to do with all of my classes...heavy sigh.

But hopefully I will be back on track next week!

I'll leave you with a few pictures from this past weekend...hope that y'all have a fabulous week & first day of spring! :)

st. patty's day in Charlotte with my handsome guy

laura (david's sister) and I...love her!

he's pretty handsome, don't ya think? ;)

and we certainly can't forget my EMILY MAYNARD spotting! *more details later ;)

andddd I'm super pumped that SPRING has officially SPRUNG! 

andddddddd I can't wait to see my sweet baby Rue this weekend! I miss her so much when I'm away at school :(

that face...makes me melt!

Have a happy Tuesday everyone! xo

Always,

Haley

tarheel born....tarheel bred

TODAY IS THE DAY! 

No, not Friday. Well actually, yes that too. But I'm really referring to my Roy's Boy's first 2012 NCAA Tournament game! {insert exciting scream here}

not the most attractive faces, but really..who cares?! they can BALL.

I am pray, pray, praying that precious John Henson is all healed and ready to go for tonight's game. However, I would completely respect Roy's decision to not play him even if he is healed, because while this game is still important, it's not nearly as important as the ones to come...

CAN'T WAIT.

Naturally, like any good Carolina student, I filled out a bracket. In the Final Four, I chose Kentucky, Syracuse, UNC, and Michigan State. I know, I know...it looks like I just chose the #1 seeds. But this is honestly how I think it will all play out. Other than Syracuse, of course. I filled out my bracket rather prematurely before I heard that Fab Melo was ineligible. Either way, my Final Four picks aren't nearly as important as my NATIONAL CHAMPION pick, baby. Gonna bring home that sixth NCAA title. Oh yeah. 

TARRRRRRRRR. HEEEEEEEEEEEELS.

Hoping and praying that our boys play like they know how to play tonight. Wouldn't want Roy to break another clipboard. And let's also pray that he doesn't have another voluntary wardrobe malfunction.

yikes! that jacket, y'all.

 Hope that y'all have a fab Friday and weekend!! xo

Come back on Monday for a recap of my bachelorette stalking weekend in Charlotte! ;) you know ya wanna!

Always,

Haley

p.s. claiming my blog on bloglovin'

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a revolution...of food

Hey there y'all!

I hope this post finds you all enjoying your Thursday! :) 

My topic for today: food. Otherwise known as: the greatest thing on Earth (just kidding....kinda).

Growing up, I was sometimes always a picky eater. I hated trying new things, and if I was gonna eat it, I had to know every single thing that was in it and it had to smell good (i.e. NOT cabbage, collards, etc.). I liked vegetables, but only the super common ones....corn, butter beans, potatoes, etc. 

But over the past year, my taste buds have done a complete 360! Actually, this could have happened a few years ago, and what really changed in the past year was just my willingness to try new foods, not necessarily my taste buds. Either way, I AM LOVING IT! Here's a look at a few of the foods that I had never touched previously, but are now a staple in my diet:

dried cranberries

For this revolution, I have to thank the family I nanny for (who is wonderful, by the way). They eat almost completely organic so when I first started working for them, I worried about what I would possibly find to snack on. Then one day I found these little babies, and have been addicted ever since!

almonds

Oh boy, y'all. Why didn't anyone ever tell me how delicious these things were?! I spent way too much time over the years picking these huge things out of my trail mix because I thought I wouldn't like them, and now I can't get enough of them!  Sadly though, I still won't be able to enjoy an Almond Joy due to the fact that I still (and most likely always will) dislike coconut. Yuck!

avocados

My aunt has been eating avocados forever and she's tried so many times to get me to eat one, but the green color turned me off. But my friend/sister Kelly was eating a california roll one day and I asked to try a piece of the avocado and I. fell. in. love. My favorite thing to put them on is a turkey and tomato sandwich, yum! I still have yet to try guacamole, but I can't wait to!

sushi, esp. california rolls

I mentioned my new-found love for sushi in an earlier post, but I cannot get over how much I love it! I have only tried california rolls so far, but I definitely plan to try another kind somewhere in the near future. :)

broccoli and cauliflower

....used to be on my list of vegetables to hate. But over the summer, my boyfriend's sister made chicken casserole with rice and broccoli, and I, for some odd reason, decided to be bold and try the broccoli with it and it was literally the best thing since sliced bread. Now, I eat broccoli with everything. Not really, but you get the picture. Love it!

hummus

All of my roommates last year loved hummus and would always get it when we went to the dining hall..but I wouldn't touch it. Then, once again, while nannying one afternoon one of the kids started eating pretzels and hummus and I decided to try it. Now I eat it with pita, pretzels, veggies, etc. So delicious. 


If you're a semi-picky eater and hesitant to try new things, hopefully this post will encourage you to be more open in your food choices! Trust me, you won't regret it ;) 


Have a happy rest of your Thursday! xo


Always,
Haley

Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesday -- better late than never

I'm doing my first ever link-up today tonight with Michelle over at The Vintage Apple for Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays!

I realize that it is almost no longer Wednesday, but I still have 40 minutes...so here goes!

Along with the rest of the world, I am currently obsessed with the color-blocking trend, although I have yet to actually try it out myself. BUT, I bought myself a super snazzy pair of coral skinnys today along with a powder blue plain tee, and I plan on wearing them together (eeeeek!) this weekend in Charlotte!  

So, to muster up the confidence I need to "work" this outfit, I've been searching Pinterest for color-blocking outfits just to make sure I'm not totally off my rocker with this idea.

Enjoy!

so bold, but I love it. 

love the whole outfit, but I could def. never pull this off.

these 3 colors look so great together!

flawless

 but my favorite is...

she makes it look so easy. love me some sarah j parker carrie bradshaw.

....please pray that I even look half as sassy as these women on Friday.

Enjoy the last 20 minutes of your Wednesday night! xo

Always,

Haley

bachelor ben = bachelor sin

well, well, well...THE BACHELOR. I have followed this show from the very beginning and have never been this disappointed in a bachelor, himself, or the season as a whole. 

bad, bad, bad ben

 don't get me wrong, I loved Ben on Ashley's season of The Bachelorette. He was my favorite from day one! He was so genuine, caring, and overall a better person on that season. It was obvious that he really was there for love and he truly loved Ashley (see his painful, rejected proposal here).

HOWEVER,

this season he proved that he is not the sweet winemaker we thought he was. Throughout the entire season, he was inconsiderate towards everyone's feelings besides Courtney's. He never listened to the girls' concerns about Courtney's behavior in the house, and every time Courtney said she felt the slightest bit of insecurity....

Ben was blinded by her beauty occupation.

I could go into so much more detail about this entire season, but it would all sum up to the fact that I was just disappointed in Ben's behavior and obviously, his final decision to propose to Courtney.

On to more exciting news....The Bachelorette starts May 14th! What a great (belated) birthday present for me. I absolutely loved Emily Maynard on Brad's season and was sincerely upset when they broke things off. I'm a little concerned about how Emily is going to handle being the bachelorette..she just doesn't seem to be as outgoing and bubbly as the previous bachelorettes. Here's to hoping that she proves me wrong!

 

such a pretty lady

oh, and did I mention that I'm going to Charlotte this weekend to visit my boyfriend's family and they start filming there for the show tomrrow? Can you say "time to stalk"?! I plan on making David drive me to each and every amazing place in Charlotte and hopefully I will get a glimpse of a cameraman or two! ;)

Hope that you all have a wonderful Tuesday! xo

Always,

Haley

blogger world debut and spring break recap!

hi there, blogger world! I'm so pumped about finally getting the chance to get this thing up and running (thank you, spring break). I've been following quite a few blogs for quite some time now and I've been wanting to get my own..and now i have one! I'm hoping that I will be able to post at least a little something every day every other day, but with 5 classes and 2 jobs..that probably won't happen all the time. but I promise to do my best!  

so, SPRING BREAK...otherwise known as 9 full days of pure bliss...has been exactly what I needed, exactly WHEN i needed it. the three weeks prior consisted of 5 exams and 3 papers, I was beyond ecstatic to see a break. and here's how it all played out...

Friday: on the way home, I stopped in Wilson to grab some sushi for dinner, since it has become my newest food related obsession.

california rolls are the best.

 Saturday: this day was one of the best, a GIRL'S DAY! with my best friend Jordan and her bf's mom, Mrs. Susan. we headed to Greenville and started off by treating ourselves to manicures, then headed to olive garden for lunch (oh so good), followed by TJ Maxx for a little retail therapy, and finally Brrrrberry for some frozen yogurt! 

YUM.

Saturday night: Jordan and I headed to our county's annual Distinguished Young Woman, formerly Junior Miss, pageant. we both competed during our junior years in high school, so it's always fun to go watch and reminisce!

all dressed up!

Sunday: not too much going on, other than sleeping until 12:30 9:30, and then hanging out with my brother, Hunt, and his girlfriend, Kait.

such cuties.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday: each of these days were spent with Jordan watching our high school alma mater's softball team kick some serious butt! we still have many friends on the team and we love going to support them when we can! 

Jordan and I with a few of the girls on the team (Collene, Kelsey, and Jen) 

       **Wednesday morning came with an *extra special* treat though....taking my two very rambunctious well-behaved dogs to the vet for their yearly checkup. FYI: trying to get a 96 pound, blind black lab into an SUV is not an ideal situation. 

especially not when she insists on riding shotgun...

...and the 13 lb chihuahua decides to run the length of the car back and forth.

Friday: today was spent catching up on some reading, watching my boys in blue whoop up on those terrible terrapins, and shopping for an extra special birthday present for an extra special boy in my life...

......THIS HANDSOME GUY.

 .....and then followed by dinner with my number one man, my daddy. 

i'm so lucky to be surrounded by such handsome men!

hope everyone enjoys the rest of their weekend! xo 

and remember to pull for those wonderful TARHEELS tomorrow...

Always,

Haley