Recently...

I realized I haven't done a "catch up on life" post recently and, although nothing major has happened, I still want to document some fun things!

Recently...I finished my first cross stitch that I gave to my mom for her birthday:

 Not the best picture, but after I was finished with it I ironed it and framed it.  I also added the quote and heart on my own to make it more unique. I think I did pretty good for my first one ever!  Definitely some mistakes, but thankfully no one but me can tell where they are :)
Recently...I rang in the New Year on one of the best NYE I've ever had!

I wish this picture wasn't blurry :(

I honestly couldn't have asked for better people to spend it with -- although I was sad my roommate Lindsay wasn't able to come back for the night!   Recently...the weather (last weekend) has been gorgeous!

 I got to pleasantly run outside down in the valley.

Then I went for a run at Pandapas Pond!
Recently...Steven got me a new Vera Bradley wallet for an early Valentine's gift/happy spring semester of senior year gift :)

I love VB wallets.  In the past I've used their basic Euro Wallet, the All-in-One Wristlet {as a wallet}, the Clutch wallet and I've been happy with all of them. However, I hadn't found the perfect style quite yet -- either they were too small, didn't have enough card slots, the change pocket was too tiny or they just didn't work well with carrying them around campus. This is the Turn Lock Wallet in Plum Petals - one of my favorite prints. I wanted this style because it's easier to access your IDs than it is in the clutch wallet (what I've been using up until now) and there's plenty of card slots! So far I love it and I love that Steven remembered the style that I wanted! He picked out the print on his own though :) (Although, I did tell him some of the prints that I do not like...)
Recently...my brother built me a nail polish stand for Christmas!

Wouldn't ya know...it's already filled. I actually even had to eliminate some! I guess I'll have to ask for another one to match for Easter or something... :)

Like I said, not too much going on, but still I've been keeping busy! This is my last week before classes start and I'm working every day & going in to kindergarten on MWF. I'm starting to organize my room, car and purse TODAY! Wish me luck and send any tips :)

Snail Mail Central

One thing I absolutely love is writing and receiving letters! Emails and texts can be deleted and lost forever, whereas letters can be kept in a safe place to be re-read and cherished.

Need a reason to write a letter? Here are some:
*Any holiday/occasion! I've heard December 7th is Letter Writing Day.
*Say hello!
*Say thank you for a gift or kind gesture
*Notify someone of your new address
*Send a favorite photo from a recent trip and a summary of what you did
*Send a family member or friend clips of their favorite comic strip
*Invite friends over for a girl's night/weekend
*Write to your friends at other colleges. Let them know what you've been up to all semester!

I am definitely a stationery hoarder. I pick up cute notecards whenever I see them.
Here are some favorites -- only one of which I own!

one//two//three//four//five//six//seven//eight

  Of course I'm partial to Sweet Tea Paperie (six-eight) but the ones I own are the Lilly ones! I love the box that they come in, as well as the color coordinating envelopes :)   Happy letter writing!

An Amazing Weekend / Guest Bloggers?

I'm back from a wonderful weekend spent in the cold, cold state of Pennsylvania.

I cannot believe how quickly the weekend went by...I had soooo much fun!

It snowed [of course] when I was there but thankfully we didn't have any troubles :)

Here is my weekend via Instagram!

p.s. if you have instagram, find me at: slryan3

Friday:

 An early Valentine's gift. New Pandora beads!

Dinner at one of my favorites!

 Baseball party where I met some of the newbies and we stayed late enough for the oldies part of the night...

"Somebody once asked could I spare some change for gas I need to get myself away from this place, I said yep, what a concept, I could use a little fuel myself and we could all use a little chaaaange..."

Saturday:

 Driving into Philly!

Even though the Flyers lost, we had such a great time at the game!
NHL games are unlike any of the UHL ones I've been to.

Awkward picture-of-a-picture...sorry about that. This is after the game!

We went to King of Prussia after the game!! Stopped by Lilly for some new stationery and a tumbler!

*If you haven't been to this mall, you're missing out. They have almost every store imaginable!

Steven found some Flyers gear for the next game :)

 Steven picked out and got me this limited time Vera Bradley jewelry box :)

We also ate at The Cheesecake Factory - YUM! - went to see The Vow and got a tasty brunch Sunday morning at a favorite diner before I had to come home.

All in all, I had one of the best weekends I've had in a long time!

Lastly, in March I'll be headed off on Spring Break for a week!

If any of you are interested in guest blogging for me, please let me know!

Two great shows on tonight! The Bachelor & The Voice!

I have a meeting at 7:00 tonight so I'll be delayed watching The Bachelor but I cannot wait! At least then I'll have some fast-forward time. I love having DVR at home!

I'm hoping that Kacie and Nicki confronting Ben about Courtney will get her ugly face off of the show! Everything she does drives me NUTS!

However, at the same time, Ben is on my nerves for falling for everything Courtney does! He is disappointing me.

I'm really getting into The Voice! I've never watched it before but I really like it so far. I love guessing who is going to turn their chair around first.  It's so sad when no one picks the singer, though!

Anyone else a fan of The Voice?

Hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday so far!

xoxo,

Vera Bradley Spring 2012 Collection

This past week the new Vera Bradley spring collection came out online & in stores! I already had a sneak peek at the patterns through their blog, Inside Stitch, so I knew what they were, but I was unaware of all the new styles they were unveiling! They're all so cute, but there is one I'm particularly excited about...

(L-R) Island Blooms, Rosy Posies, Ellie Blue, Camellia

I really love the new patterns! Island Blooms is perfect for summer time. I love the brightness & boldness of the pattern. Rosy Posies has the Vera Bradley look, for sure. It's pink-themed, so of course I love it! Ellie Blue is adorable! It has little elephants on it, which reminds me of the old elephant pattern Pink Elephants (Spring 2007). Camellia is somewhat different, with larger flowers and leaves, but I really love the color palette! That light blue is one of my favorites.

These are just three of the new bags they released. The laptop travel tote is awesome - it has a divided interior with a padded sleeve for your laptop and the other side is a zip-top section. The sides zip down for "easy inspection" at the airport! I love the cinching on the Laura! The Abby is perfect for toting around during the summer.

The phone wristlet! This is what I'm so excited about! I've been oohing and aahing over the Michael Kors version of this, but I wasn't ready to spend that much on one. I expected VB to come out with an iPhone case first, but this is almost better since I already have a case! This one is more reasonably priced at $34.00.

Other exciting items that I didn't show include invitations, thank you cards, a revamped brush & pencil pouch, small photo duo, tablet sleeve, compact mirror & more! :)

Now that we're in the spring mood, if you need a desktop refresher, visit this page on the Inside Stitch blog for some cute wallpapers!

  

Any other Vera lovers out there?

Which new pattern is your favorite?

 Happy weekend :)

xoxo,

Top 5 Tuesday: School Supplies!

School is starting back up in just one week! Although I'm bummed that Steven has to go back to PA, I'm excited to get another semester under my belt AND...it's baseball season :)

I'm linking up with Rachel this week to share my Top 5 Favorite School Supplies!

1. Agenda

I wasn't as committed to my agenda in high school as I am now, but that's because I wasn't as busy. I am addicted to it during the year, now! This year I have the Lilly agenda. I like it but can see myself changing after this semester.  Of course I am oohing and aahing over an Erin Condren planner but I've also heard a lot about the ones from Sweet Tea Paperie! Decisions, decisions...

2. Pens

I have two absolute favorites...

and

I love using my Staedtler pens for my agenda. I have the larger pack so I have plenty of colors to organize everything in! Sharpie pens are AMAZING. They seriously don't bleed through the paper and they last for a long time. I love using these for notes/anything. I keep them in my purse, backpack, on my desk...everywhere. I just wish they would come out in more colors!

3. Post-its & Notepads

I have a slight obsession with post-its and notepads, just as I have an obsession with stationary. I think I could go the rest of my college career without buying any more, but let's be honest, I will!

4. Index Cards

When I have an upcoming quiz or exam, I always make flashcards. I really feel like they help! Not only do I get a good review as I'm writing down the information, but I then have the cards to take me with wherever I go for "on-the-go" studying, which is very convenient.

5. My Backpack(s)

Yes, I'm still a backpack girl! Every once in a while I carry a tote, but most days I use my backpack. This was the first backpack I used in high school/college:

North Face Jester Backpack in Red

Then, this past year, I got this Vera backpack! I love it and honestly it makes going to class 10 times better. The only down side is that there isn't a holder large enough for a water bottle. However, I love that is has a slot specifically for my laptop!

Vera Bradley Laptop Backpack in Folkloric

This morning I did lots of grocery shopping, errands with Steven, then came home and made Taco Soup that I found on Steph's blog! I am SO excited for dinner! Yum!

Now we're watching Moneyball. I saw it in theaters, but Steven hasn't seen it yet so we got it from Redbox.

Happy Tuesday :)

xoxo,

Top 5 Tuesday: 2011

Woohoo! I have time to blog :) Linking up with Rachel to share my Top 5 from this past year!

1) Movie

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2

I remember sitting in the line for the midnight showing, in Norfolk, with my little brother who was dressed as Draco. I haven't read the HP books, but I love the movies.

Runner Up:
 The Help

Again, haven't read the book (bad, I know) but I loved the movie!

2) TV Show

Modern Family

By far the one show I cannot stand to miss!  I laugh so hard!

Runner Up:
 The Bachelorette

I love The Bachelorette & The Bachelor. Personally, I was glad Ashley chose J.P. and I think Ben was a dumbo for jumping the gun.  However, I can't wait for the new season!

3) Song

Dirt Road Anthem - Jason Aldean

This was my ringtone FOR-EV-ER. It never got old. I also love the version with Ludacris. I love me some Jason Aldean.

Runner Up:
Give Me Everything - Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo, Afrojack, Nayer

I LOVE THIS SONG. You can't listen to this song and not dance. "For all we know, we might not get tomorrow..." How true!?

4) Thing that happened

James (big brother) went on deployment & returned home safely!
He left in January for a six month deployment on the USS Enterprise and returned home safely in July. It was sad to see him leave but I was excited for him that he would get to see so many different parts of the world and have the opportunity to serve our country, as well.  He brought us all back things from different countries.  It was so overwhelming to be there for the Homecoming. I cried tears of joy!

Runner Up:
Steven spent the summer in Martinsville
So by now I'm used to Steven being gone for school, but I was also used to having him here for the summer.  He used to work on campus and we'd get lunch together almost every day.  This past summer was a little different when he played summer baseball in Martinsville, a small town about 1.5 hours from home.  It was tough but I knew that there were some teams that were even farther, so I am thankful he is at least a short drive away.  Still, it was hard to have to spend yet another two months apart - we would go down for games but of course he was on the field and we were in the stands - but I know that playing baseball is what he loves so I was happy for him too! He has already signed a contract to play there again next summer.

He's the pitcher

Excuse the green-only. I was playing around with my camera.

5) Christmas Present

iPhone 4S

Obsessed.


Runner Up:
I think they were ALL runner ups...but I'll give it to my new Vera Bradley pieces

Grand Traveler in Floral Nightingale, Betsy in Carnaby and 2011 Ornament in Mocha Rouge

What are your Top 5 for 2011? This is the last link up for this year!

Can't wait to share with y'all the rest of my Christmas day! I'll be on that probably tomorrow :) Steven's birthday is on Friday and then New Year's on Saturday! Such a fun week ahead. I can't wait!

xoxo,

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

Holy smokes, it's already Wednesday! As always, I'm linking up with Jamie for WILW!

I'm loving...Pistol Annies.

I'm loving...that MODERN FAMILY returns tonight! I'm also going to check out Revenge afterwards.

I'm {not} loving...that I have to study during these shows! I might actually wait and catch Revenge on abc.com this weekend because I really need to study Geography - bleck!


I'm loving...some of my Pinterest finds this week:

p.s. y'all can follow me here if you are on pinterest :)


I'm loving...peach rings. They are ADDICTING!

I'm loving...all the blog love I have been getting...your comments mean SO much to me. Especially when my phone buzzes in class and I get a funny comment...it brightens my day!

I'm loving...the wild imagination of a child.

I'm loving...that my little brother (who isn't so little anymore) turns 19 this Saturday!

Lil J and I at the beach...a loonnnggg time ago

I'm loving...the winter Vera Bradley colors that come out tomorrow!

There's the sneak peek video :) You can also check out the Liz on Location videos on each pattern on their blog. I think my favorite is Tea Garden! They also have six new styles coming out too, including a book cover...so cute!



Hope y'all are having wonderful Wednesdays :)
xoxo,