Thursday Trends: Summer Sales!

The season of summer + the 4th of July holiday means...LOTS of sales! Two of my favorite stores, Loft and Old Navy are having awesome sales this weekend which I want to share with y'all.

LOFT is having a 40% off everything sale! If you get their emails (which are sometimes annoying...I seem to get a bajillion from them!) you already know about this sale. I love when they do "___ off everything" sales because that way no matter what article of clothing I'm looking for, it's going to be on sale! I picked up the Empire Waist Knit Dress in Parrot Red, a black pair of shorts and a peach colored shirt.

OLD NAVY is having a buy 2, get 1 mix 'n match free sale! Basically, you pick out any 3 items in the store (they don't have to be the same thing) and you get the least expensive item for FREE. Amen to that.

I didn't get anything at ON this time...instead, we headed over to Target where I picked up a light V-neck dress and a matching pair of earrings.

Boy, do I love payday :)

Anyone know of any other good summer sales going on?



The other day, SB and I made it to the Roanoke Elderberry's :)

Blacksburg recently lost their Elderberry's...I have really missed it! Instead of trying a new one, I got my favorite smoothie - Mad's Mango. SB always gets "double blue" which is Blue Banana, minus the banana, and double the blueberries :) Nom nom nom.

This weekend I hope to get some packing done & maybe make a trip to Plato's Closet to get rid of some stuff!
Then...my 2nd favorite holiday is here!! FOURTH OF JULY! I am so, so, so excited. I used to be terrified of fireworks, but now it's seriously almost my favorite holiday. I will be absolutely sure to share some pictures :) I also have the day off of work - yippee!
Countdown to Norfolk/James' Homecoming: 15 days. I am spending it in VA and he is in Spain...what!!?

xoxo

Almost Wordless Wednesday

Time for some Pintrest fun :)

obsessed.
follow me if you'd like!



I just went to the eye doctor, got some new things & had my pupils dilated. Ughhh, now I'm off to work. Wish me luck!

In Loving Memory

A thing of beauty is a joy forever:
Its loveliness increases; it will never
Pass into nothingness

always in my heart <3

Vera, Baking & a Favor

Holy moly. My girl Jessi at Take Heart; just informed me that Vera Bradley has released the sneak peek video for their Fall 2011 line. I have come to find that most people either really like Vera Bradley or really don't like Vera Bradley.
I am going to be completely honest & say that I really love Vera Bradley. While some of their items are a tad bit expensive, the items that I have are so durable and will last practically forever! Each year they come out with new patterns which makes it interesting to start a collection because I have ended up with only two things in the same pattern! (Raspberry Fizz) :) Most of the items I have are wallets/clutches/small pouches. I also have the large duffel & weekender - both were awesome purchases. I have the large duffel in Blue Rhapsody and the weekender in Loves Me. If you need some cute travel bags, they are perfect!

Here is the sneak peek video!

Items I'm excited for:

• A new planner
• BLANKET!!
• A new Tote or Vera

I have been using the same North Face backpack since high school that I absolutely love, but occasionally on days when I wear a dress or something cute, I feel like bringing a tote! I don't have any Vera totes currently.
I also need to invest in another cosmetic bag! Again - these are perfect for carrying make-up or toiletries. Also, my girl Jessi, said she uses one for her jewelry! Love it.

This morning, I skipped Jazzercise to do some baking :)
I made some cookie brownies & peanut butter blossoms. I lovvvvvve peanut butter blossoms!

YUM! They are a) extremely easy to make and b) extremely delicious!
As long as, of course, you like chocolate and peanut butter.

I'm off to SB's house for a Goodbye Party for one of his brothers who is leaving for the Naval Academy in a few days. Hopefully the weather is nice so we can jump in the pool :)


Lastly, the favor. To everyone that you love, let them know. And give them a hug.

Safari Park Recap!

Sidenote: 20 days until James comes home!!

This week our field trip was to the Safari Park. If you live in VA, I highly recommend making the trip to this drive-thru safari adventure.
If you go with your family or friends you have the option of driving your own car throughout the park or riding on one of the wagons. If you are with a big group, like we were with the kids, it's almost necessary to take the wagon ride. I believe the wagons take trips daily but also by appointment!

When we got there it was raining, but we were not gonna let that stop us. We had lunch under the pavilion and then headed for the park. Here are some pictures from the trip :)

Some deer

Camels!

They were super hungry and one even ate a bucket!

Baby!

Big papa

Babies everywhere!

You fed the bison by holding your hand about their head & then they stuck out their huge nasty tongues!

More camels!

Here he is eating the bucket! Oops!

Oh, hey there! Creepy Jurassic Park style Emu

Llama

Kangaroos

Kangaroo in attack mode...whoops

Lemurs

Baby pigs!

Baby goats!

Yes, so we almost made it out without anyone getting hurt or bit or peed on. One of the kangaroos was on the path (of the "kangaroo walkabout") and so of course all the kids swarmed it to pet it. It was okay for about 30 seconds then the kangaroo got a little flustered and stood straight up and basically slapped one of the kids! He took both of his hands (paws?) and slapped him on the chest and back. It wasn't hard at all and the kid was totally fine but it was a little surprising! The kid just walked away like "oh well, bye!"

I got some great pictures of the kids but I think I'm going to wait and print those out to hang up on the bulletin boards!

Virginia Safari Park <-- definitely check it out :) Or find one new your home!


Yesterday we took Sadie to music on the lawn again.

The music wasn't that great, but we got some Rita's again and Sadie was happy (as always) to be out & about.

This morning I babysat for a real sweet family & got to watch 4 Disney movies. That's my kinda Saturday morning! The little girl & I watched The Little Mermaid, The Jungle Book, The Little Mermaid II and Tangled. All of which are favorites! (although i'm not sure any disney movie isn't a favorite of mine...) The little boy played, napped and watched some of the movies with us too.

Now, it's baseball time :)
xoxo

Baseball & Updates

So, I haven't had so much time to blog in the past 48 hours or so, so I figured I would give up a little bit of my Wordless Wednesday (that I'm trying to make a habit) to catch up!

I traveled to Martinsville on Tuesday a little bit earlier than normal to have lunch with SB & shop around. M'ville doesn't have much in the way of shopping but I was able to entertain myself just fine for the couple of hours I had to spare :) I walked into Belk & found some cute tumblers. I got one for Mom and one for myself!

This is Mom's -- but it had a 'J' of course

This is mine (16 oz tervis tumbler)

I love it! Had to get the lid to go with mine too, especially with taking it out in the car/to work/etc. Filled it with some tea today and took it to work. Kind of wish I had bought the larger size, but this will work for now :) They had cute designs that were tempting, like flip flops, beach chair and even a Virginia Tech one!

After Belk, I went in to Bath & Body works because they were having a 75% off sale on certain items...can't really beat that!
After that, I went and bought a water, a snack & a Gatorade for SB and then headed to the field. I was the only "fan" for SB this time, but I got to sit in the very front row next to the dugout. That was fine, except for the mascot harassment I was getting. Unfortunately, in only the 3rd inning it started to thunder & lightning, and here became my view:

Boo.

Not the best view but at least it kept me away from the lightning - which I'm terrified of. After each strike they wait 30 minutes. After about an hour and a half they resumed play (rain/thunder had stopped but still some lightning in the distance) but I had to leave early to head home :(
I had an amazing day though, so it didn't matter. I feel incredibly blessed to have that boy in my life! 3 years and counting...


Tomorrow we're taking the kiddo's to the Safari Park which is up near Natural Bridge in VA. They are all very excited...I just hope for a) no rain b) no tears c) no bitten fingers and d) no traffic!
I will hopefully be able to take lots of pictures :) I'm in charge of the rising 1st grade group. It'll be a good day :)

Hope everyone is keeping cool since, after all, it's now officially summer!
Wear that SPF. xoxo

pintrest fun:

{late} Ten on Tuesday

1. What’s the perfect meal?

Either a shrimp entree with hush puppies or a big, meaty pasta entree with peas...and carrot cake for dessert :)

2. What are the perfect pair of shoes?
Bright flip flops :) or nice worn-in Rainbows

3. What is the perfect afternoon?
These days, it's mid 80's with a slight breeze, no clouds, sitting at the ballpark :)

4. What’s the perfect house?
Gotta have a big porch, a big yard and a pretty kitchen.

5. What is the perfect outfit?
Dress + Flip Flops! Or if I'm lounging at home it's a t-shirt and leggings...so comfy.

6. What’s the perfect wedding song?
Then by Brad Paisley...Bless the Broken Road by Rascall Flatts...How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) Marvin Gaye...etc etc etc! I will take forever to choose one come that time...

7. What is the perfect job?
Stay at home mom (probably!) For now, I think I have a pretty sweet job! Spend the day with kids, make crafts, laugh a lot, read some books, and play outside.

8. What’s the perfect hairstyle?
Beach hair.

9. What’s the perfect music festival?
Country in the summertime or a compilation of allll my favorites (if that were possible, it would be perfect). Or a music festival that was in a ballpark with SB.

10. What’s the perfect day to yourself?
Wake up late, do some blogging, have a smoothie, get a mani/pedi, lunch at Panera, rent a Redbox, go to the pool, snuggle up with the Redbox, bf and puppy!


so tired. more about my awesome day tomorrow :) goodnight, xoxo

Miscellaneous Monday

I headed up to Richmond yesterday to see my Dad & had a great trip! He lives in the Chesterfield area. We drove to James River Winery for my Dad to pick up some "man cave" items he had ordered for himself and my brother. Wineries are so neat to go to...I love to see the endless rows of grapes! I took some pictures but don't have my camera cord on me -- I'll upload them later :)

We went to dinner at Riptides Seafood Restaurant for Father's Day. When we pulled up, there was a lot of people waiting outside so we figured we, too, would have to wait. But when we told them we wanted to be seated outside, we got to go right away! I'll take a little sunshine to avoid a 1 hour wait :)
It was DELICIOUS! We got gator bites for an appetizer and then for dinner I had peel 'n eat steamed shrimp :) My favorite. I also had (random) a baked sweet potato - yummmmmm! It was so good; I have been craving some seafood!

Today we came back home just in time for me to head to work. My mom shared with me this picture that my brother, James, sent to us via email of him aboard the ship.

They ran a 5K on the flight deck which is equivalent to 10 laps. They haven't been to a port (on land) in over 85 days...crazy!
Sorry I am ranting a lot about him recently, but I'm really excited for him to come home!!

Lastly, a little bit of pintrest fun for you :)

goodnight, xoxo

Happy Father's Day!

back in the day...1992ish (the only old picture i already had on my computer!)

nyc, 2007

my graduation, 2009

jason's graduation, 2010

norfolk, va, 2011

Happy Father's Day to alllllllll the great Dads in the world.
xoxo

Simply Saturday: Obsessions

It's Saturday & I'm patiently waiting for my laundry to be finished. Later I'm going to the Summer Solstice Festival downtown with Sadiebaby.

To pass the time, I was contemplating the recent obsessions of mine:

• PINTREST. This can be considered more of an addiction than obsession.
• Jason Aldean...'nuff said.
• Luke Bryan...'nuff said.
• 5" shorts from Old Navy. Time to be classy, "short shorts" are in the past...
• Finding the perfect summer haircut. I hate to get my hair cut, but I want something fresh for summer...I have been stalking people to find the perfect do!
• Paint colors. I want to repaint my room at home...I just can't decide between Kansas Grain (light yellow), Bridal Rose (subtle pinkish redish), Rose Linen (more pinkish but still soft) and Lavender Lace (light purple)
• Themed Rooms. I am dying to get some themes going...my room at home I had wanted to do beach theme, but turned that into my bathroom which was a success! My townhouse is harder to incorporate a theme because I'm not allowed to paint the walls. I suppose I will have to rely on wall hangings and fabrics. So far I have dark wood furniture and a blue quilt (but with pink paisley sheets...hehe). I will need to work on that before I move! I think I'll either go beach themed again, because I have two cute beach things for the wall, or keep it blue/neutral. Decisions, decisions...I just need my own house so I can pick and choose for more than one room!
• Fresh fruit. I bought a humongo watermelon (my favorite) the other day & it's delicious! Made a fruit cocktail with that, grapes and cantaloupe. Yum :)
• The new Death Cab CD...I want that!
• Father's Day. I am going to see my Dad tomorrow! In addition to FD, it's his birthday on Tuesday. Knowing he doesn't look at my blog, I can share his gift with y'all. I got him a grilling set, some retro Budweiser pint glasses and a print of Mabry Mill. The print was made not by sketches or anything, but lots and lots and lots of little dots that made up the picture! It is SO cool.
• Lastly, my job. I have realized that I have such a great job. I work with great people, my director works around my schedule and the kids, well, they can pretty much turn any day into a great day :)

 There ya go. Hope y'all have lovely weekends! Put on your SPF!
<3

 

 

pintrest <3

Friday Fun: Pool & New Nail Color

Yesterday was a fun-filled day, to say the least. Started out with Jazzercise, as usual, which was a great session! Definitely felt the burrrrrrn.

I headed to work early and had lunch with the kids, then we were off to the pool.

Cburg Aquatic Center

Waterslide...buckets that fill with water and dump...water shooting out of the floor...these kids were in heaven! I wish I had had my suit with me!

After work, I went to my friend Jessi's house for dinner & a movie! She made some delicious penne pasta with meat sauce, broccoli and delicious rolls! Yum! We watched:

If y'all haven't seen this, you definitely should! I had already seen it but when she said that's what she rented I was so excited! It's a really cute movie. The baby in the movie is soooo adorable.

We also took some time to stalk some old middle school friends on Facebook just to see where they are/how they're doing. THAT was interesting, to say the least...
Then we painted nails :)

The color I chose...out of the 'Sexy, Sexier, Sexiest' bunch

New color...I hardly ever branch out from pink!

It was so fun to hang out & catch up. We also made some fun roadtrip plans to watch some baseball & shop :)


For Fun:

Grizzlies mascot, The Grandmas, and #20

At the last game we went to in Gastonia, it was Grandma Beauty Pageant Night! Love it! There are the grandmas doing the 'Cha Cha Slide' with the mascot & one of their players (givin' a little booty bump).
It was so fun!