My very first VLOG -- and a few of my favorite things

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, Y'ALL!

 Or as I like to think of it..."Happy excuse to eat all the candy and frosted sugar cookies from Harris Teeter that your little heart so desires". 

But, whatever. 

;) 

Today I'm doing a double link-up cause y'all are just fabulous and have all these great link-ups on the same day. 

Yep.

First, I'm linking up with the amazing and super sweet Ashley over at Dancing With Ashley for October's...

Considering that October itself is one of my favorite things (seriously, it's my favorite month), this should be pretty easy.

1. Starbucks Caramel Apple Spice

While most people out there are drooling over Pumpkin Spice Lattes, this coffee-hating chick  goes for that amazing cup of amazing-ness up there. I tried this for the first time earlier this month when I was in freezing NYC. Love at first sip, if I say so myself. I usually drink the Vanilla Bean Frappucinos, but those aren't so great when it's 30 degrees outside...

2. Naturale Beauty Mineral Makeup

I snatched all these babies up on HauteLook a few weeks ago for a total of $20. Score.
Foundation, booster, blush, and FIVE eyeshadows. Yeah baby.

It was my first go-round with mineral makeup and I must say...I'm a fan. I've looked for makeup to give me that super natural look and nothing has done it quite like this. Love it. 

3. The return of great TV

   Television and I have a special bond. Very special. With all the stress of school and other things, television takes me away from it all. That may sound stupid, but it really does. So imagine my excitement when good television finally returned. A few of my favorites returned in September (i.e. Grey's Anatomy, Revenge, Criminal Minds), but October hit the jackpot. I highly recommend each of these shows...they are THE BEST. But I don't recommend The Walking Dead and American Horror Story if you have a weak stomach or are prone to nightmares. I'm not kidding. 

And FYI-- don't ever try to eat while watching The Walking Dead. I don't consider myself to have a weak stomach and even I had trouble stomaching dinner while watching it Sunday night...

4. Cooler weather

 Beautiful. Just beautiful. 

(Minus the rain and 48 degrees yesterday, of course)

The scarves and boots are finally here to stay, peeps.

Finally.

5.  Halloween. 
Duh. 

Did you really think I was gonna write a post about my favorite October things and NOT mention Halloween?

Crazy folks.

I'll have more on this after tonight, though. Look for a recap Friday! ;) 

Halloween 2010 w/ suitemate Sara as Daphne.
Everyone is entitled to one super skanky costume in their lifetime, right?
 "Ladies and gentlemen please return to your seats -- the Captain has turned on the fasten seatbelt sign" ;)

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Now, time to link up with the lovely Erin over at Living in Yellow and Ashley at 5ohWifey for..

The Girl Behind the Blog - Show and Tell

Basically, introduce yourself and list 3 things that you can't get through the day without.

I was super excited when I saw Erin post about this last week because I've never done a vlog before and I'm not the type to just sit in front of the computer and make my own without someone giving me something to talk about. If I did, I would probably end up talking about the time my brother convinced me to run away from home with him and all we took were Oreos..
Priorities, right?
Don't worry -- we only made it to the treehouse at the edge of the woods in the backyard. And then I peed on myself cause Hunter wouldn't let me go back to the house.
TMI? 
Probably.

Anyway, here it is.
Enjoy!

 

P.S. Please pardon the messy hair, pajamas, pale & swollen face, and weird voice. The pre-winter sicklies have found me :(

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Have a great rest of your day, ya'll -- and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
Have fun & be safe!
xo

"Good price for you"

Those were the words I heard over and over again for the entire 3 1/2 hours I spent in Chinatown on my NYC trip a couple weeks ago.

Don't get me wrong -- I wasn't surprised. I've been to Chinatown twice before so I know how it works. But it just never ceases to amaze me and make me laugh.  

Oh, Chinatown.

;)

Apparently Chinatown is getting a little on the comfortable side because the first couple times I went, I was taken into so many "back rooms" and swung behind countless fake walls that I lost count and often risked my life for the sake of a knockoff handbag.

But this past time, there wasn't a back room in sight. Everything was kept in drawers right in the store. The drawers weren't even locked.

So I figure that means 1 of 2 things:

1. Like I said before, they're just getting cocky and saying "to heck with the cops"

or...

2. Everything is a lot more fake than it used to be so they just don't care. 

Personally, I'm going with number 2 because we still had a couple store owners rush us in our decisions because of "cops, hurry up, cops". Yeah....

Nonetheless, I racked up in Chinatown and am extremely satisfied with my loot...knockoff or not. 

Take a look:

Tory Burch handbag: $35

Tory Burch wallet: $20

Michael Kors crossbody satchel: $30

Tory Burch necklace: $15

(p.s. I talked homegirl down from $45...winning!)

Tory Burch stud earrings: 2 for $25 

 

David Yurman-ish ring: $15

 L: Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy: $15

C: Giorgio Armani Acqua di Gioia: $27 (talked down from $65)

R: Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue: $15

8 solid color pashminas: $27

3 printed pashminas: $14

1 chunky infinity scarf: $8  

 (slapping myself for not getting more than one of the infinity scarves..so soft, warm, and comfy)

And I know y'all can't tell from the picture, but you'll just have to take my word that these aren't the cheap scarves...they are THICK and so soft. I should have bought a few more, don't you think?

And my most favorite purchase/find...without a doubt...

 .

.

.

.

.

 

 

 

 

 

 Michael Kors watch: $40 

Now, I know this is fake. BUT, I think it's a pretty good fake for $40.

What do y'all think? 

Oh, and would y'all think I'm crazy if I said this entire Sterilite container is now filled with scarves?

Yes? 

Then let's pretend they're....blankets. 

No? 

Feel free to borrow a couple any time.

Maybe so?

Maybe you're right...

Have y'all ever been to Chinatown? Do you have any funny stories? What was your favorite purchase? 

Have a fab Monday, y'all! 

xo

Moments.

I know that I promised y'all a full recap of my NYC trip and little look-see into my Chinatown haul but that's just gonna have to wait until another day Monday because I had 2 papers due this week and couldn't find the time to take pictures of all my loot.

So, instead I'm gonna talk about moments. You know the ones I'm talking about. Yep, those. The ones you just know that God planned. Now, I know God plans everything (duh) but I think y'all know what I mean. The ones where you can just feel that he knew you needed THAT specific moment RIGHT THEN. 

I had one of those moments last week. 

I don't have them often. But I'm lucky enough to realize when I do.

 I was on fall break last week (Praise the good Lord himself for that one, too) and was so looking forward to all the time I was going to get to spend with family and friends. Wednesday morning I got up, got dressed, went grocery shopping, and then went to spend the entire afternoon and evening with my sweet, amazing, loving, sassy, country cooking Grandma. 

You see, I've only got one real grandparent, and that's her. My dad's parents both died before I was 6, and my mom's dad died when I was only 3. My Grandma (mom's mom) did re-marry when I was 5 to a wonderful man named Cecil who, for all intents and purposes, is my granddad. Just not my real one. 

Anyway, back to my point. I don't get to spend a lot of time with my Grandma during the school year because when I'm home on the weekends I still have schoolwork to keep up with and I have to divide my time up to make sure I can see my dad, my brother and Kait, Jordan and Kelly, my aunt Terry (mom's sister), and my grandparents. And I don't always get to see everyone every time that I'm home, and when I do get to see them it's usually only for an hour or two, tops. So I made sure that since I had five full days of fall break, I was going to spend more than just a couple hours with my Grandma. 

I went over around 3 and we sat down and racked our brains over a jigsaw puzzle and ate chicken salad for about an hour and then we started to cook -- homemade chicken pastry, cornbread, and fried sweet potatoes. I'd never helped my Grandma cook before but she sure put me to work this time. And I know everyone thinks their Grandma is the best cook, but y'all...I swear mine really is ;) At least her cornbread is, for sure. It's Heaven in your mouth. 

So while we're both standing there at the stove, me flipping the fried sweet potatoes and her tending to her precious cornbread, we get on the subject of my mom. We always talk about my mom but this time it just felt different. Just me and my Grandma...cooking dinner together...talking about the most important woman in both of our lives. How much we love her, how much we miss her, and how much we can't wait to see that beautiful, smiling face of hers again one day.

It was the perfect moment. 

And one that I'll never forget. 

Moments like those are the ones we need to cherish. The ones we need to share with others. And the ones that we need to thank God for. 

L to R: Mama, Grandma, Aunt Terry, & myself -- Mother's Day, 1999

 Have a great rest of your Friday and weekend, y'all!

xo

Thou shalt not kill....except for today.

 Happy Tuesday, y'all! 

What better way to celebrate than with Eff, Marry, Kill?!

Linking up with the wonderful Michelle and Heather today for my very first EMK! I've seen this link-up a few times but I've never had to time to do it until now! So, I'm a bit excited. Let's get this thing going.

Eff, Marry, Kill:

J. Aniston's Love Buddies Edition

Now on to the good part...

Eff: I'm gonna have to go with Mayer on this one. First of all, he looks like Johnny Depp. And as if that's not reason enough, he has the voice of an angel. Sing me to sleep, please? But I can't marry him because he has too much of that whole bad boy image. No thank ya, sir.

Marry: Oh, Vince. You are just the sweetest. Really, I adore you. Your movies make me laugh out loud every. single. time and I just adore you. Did I say that already? 'Cause I do. A lot. 

Kill: Sorry, B-rad. Your looks won't save you here. I love your movies and all, but you divorced J. Aniston. You're an idiot, bottom line. And the world would be better off without you.

Sorry, I'm not sorry.

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Well, there you have it!

What do you guys think of my choices? Would you do it the same? Let me know and then head on over to see Michelle and Heather and do your own EMK! 

It's so much fun, trust me! 

Have a great rest of your Tuesday, y'all and be sure to come back Friday for a look at my NYC Chinatown haul! 

xo

 

Start spreading the news...

...I'm leaving today in 3 days.

 

 I'm in a New York state of mind, y'all.

Heyyyy, it's the freak-ing weekend

 So, Friday...have I told you how absolutely wonderful you are?

No?

Well, you are.

Let's get together more often, yes?

Don't have to ask me twice.

 I'm home for the weekend (holla, holla) and I couldn't be more excited.

I also couldn't be more excited about the fact that it's finally October!
October is by far my favorite month. No, it's not my birthday month. And no, I don't particularly like Halloween (but I do like curling up on the couch with a bag of candy and a scary movie, just sayin'). 
BUT, I do love the leaves changing colors. 
I love the smell in the air.
I love all of the festivals and fairs that come with it. 
I love the cooler weather.
I love Sunday football.
And I love that it's the beginning of the holiday season.

Ohhhh, October...how I've missed you! 

I've got a fun, but busy weekend planned so I'm gonna do a quick link-up with Ashley over at Adventures of Newlyweds for...

Dear my followers, I am so super pumped that I now have over 50 of you! I know I lag behind in the actual writing blog posts every now and then, but I'm a college student and that's what happens. BUT, I am so thankful for each of you! Dear NC Seafood Festival, I cannot wait to see you and smell you tomorrow afternoon. I know that may sound weird to some of you, but if you'd ever been then you wouldn't think so. Promise. ;) Dear tomato soup, you have been my go-to meal the past few weeks. You are just so faithfully delicious, especially with a piece of whole wheat oatnut bread toasted, cut up, and tossed into you to sop up the goodness. Nom. Dear roasted red pepper hummus, you are the light of my life. I love you. Don't ever leave me. Dear scarves, I'm so happy to be able to sport y'all again. I have so many of you and in order to give you all equal lovin', I have to start wearing you early. Even when the thermometer is still topping out at 80 degrees. Hot stuff, I tell ya. Dear Jordan, McAuley, and Daddy, this weekend is going to be amazing and a boatload of fun. I'm especially looking forward to the drive down cause I know Daddy is going to dance while driving and that's always a good time. Dear weather, even though you're still a little warm on occasion, you have overall cooled off tremendously and I'm so grateful. Stay awhile, why don't ya? Dear NYC,  I will be on my way to you in exactly a week and even though I won't be there for long, I am going to strip you clean of every pashmina scarf and knockoff Tory Burch handbag I can find. Watch out.

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And just because I'm obsessed with these things...here's another one. Seriously, y'all need to check this website out. It's so hilarious. I don't know how they come up with this stuff. 

WHEN I GET HOME FROM THE GYM

 Credit: whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com 

 

Hehehe. They get me every time!

 

Have a fab weekend, y'all! xo

...what do you mean 'I don't like pizza' ?

WHEN SOMEONE TELLS ME THEY DON'T LIKE PIZZA

 

 Credit: whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com

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Hope this gave y'all a laugh :)

Have a great rest of your Thursday, loves

xo

...does that make me crazy?

If I even have to ask, then the answer is probably

YES.

When I saw that the fab Michelle over at The Vintage Apple was hosting this one-day linkup...

  

..I just knew that I had to participate. 

Basically, you're just supposed to list all of the crazy/abnormal/straight-up-weird behaviors that you have, things that you do, etc.

Most of mine are really just OCD things that I do...but I'm sure some of you will find them a bit odd! 

So...here's to hoping I don't scare you off or freak you out! ;)

1.

Whenever I'm packing to go anywhere (even if it's just home from school for the weekend), I try on every single outfit before I pack it. Which leads me to my next one...

2.

 I never buy any piece of clothing without trying it on first. Therefore, online shopping and I don't get along. Which, for the sake of my bank account, is probably a good thing.

 3. 

I absolutely MUST put lotion on my feet before I get in the bed. I've mentioned this on the blog before, but it's worth mentioning again. I just can't stand for my feet to be dry. I also keep lotion in my car, pocketbook, and bookbag for this reason.

4. 

No matter how late I get in the bed, or how tired I am, I gotta look at Facebook, Twitterand Instagram before I fall asleep. I've fallen asleep with my phone in my hand before, but I gotta do it. It's pathetic that I'm so attached to my phone...but it's the truth, nonetheless.

5. 

I absolutely love to cook. But I also absolutely HATE to cook because I can never enjoy the food when it's actually ready because I munch like crazy while it's cooking. Fat Chef, anyone? 

6. 

I put syrup (sugar-free) on everything. Rice krispy treats (homemade), oatmeal, pumpkin bread, CLIF bars, nutella toast, bananas, cookies, cheerios...and of course, pancakes, waffles, and french toast. I just love syrup. I will also eat it by the spoonful...

These next few are coming to you courtesy of my BFF Jordan, who you've seen and heard of so many times before on this here blog. 

7.

 Apparently, I go through "obsessive" food phases. I hate to say it, but she's right. I do. Most recently I've gone through a Greek food phase, a peanut butter phase, and a pumpkin anything phase. I love all of these foods all of the time, but I get in funks where it's all I'll eat for a couple weeks or so.

8.

 I make lists and love to have to plan. Which...doesn't everyone? That's what I thought. But Jordan says, and I quote, "List making to the extreme that you take it to IS weird..I promise ;)"

Hmph.

But I will admit -- I do make tons of lists. Tons of very detailed lists. About...everything.

9.

 I have to wash my hands all the time. It's the very first thing I do when I get home from anywhere. I won't eat unless my hands have just been washed. Which, I don't consider to be a weird behavior so much as a HEALTHY behavior. 

Ahem, Jordan. 

Don't be biznitchin' at me when I'm still here on Earth and you're up in Heaven 'cause you contracted some deadly infectious disease from the door-handle at Wendy's...

And last but not least...

10.

Whenever I'm having a conversation with someone and forget what I was going to say...I will not let it go. I will completely space out on the conversation until I remember it. The conversation can have completely shifted and I will STILL be thinking about what  I forgot to say. Sometimes it only takes a few minutes, and sometimes it takes 20-30. But I usually remember it about 95% of the time.

Jordan hates it. 

Only 'cause her memory ain't as good as mine and she never remembers what she forgets ;)

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So....y'all still here?

Haha, I hope so! 

;)

This link-up was so fun to do and really made me laugh at myself a couple times -- so if you haven't done it yet...head on over to see Michelle and join the fun! 

Have a great Tuesday, y'all!! xo

 

An ode to the one and only....

Dr. Mark Sloan

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Don't freak just yet, y'all. Eric Dane didn't really die. But he did on Grey's this past week so he might as well really be dead because that's basically the only thing he plays in anymore. UGH.

All I gotta say is that whatever new guy they decide to bring in as the "hot new doctor" (if they do, at all) better be a dang Ryan Gosling on the looks scale or else I won't accept and Shonda will get receiving an extremely ugly letter from this chick. 

Yes, I went there.

And yes, I'm that obsessed.

And no, I don't care that he's old enough to be my dad.

WHATEVER.

I guess I should just be thankful that the show is finally back. It was a long, not so hot, summer without you McDreamy and McSteamy... 

 ;)