January 31, 2011

Family Time

This weekend my brother was home. He lives about 2.5 hours away, not that bad of a drive. My sister and her kids (my niece, age 6, and my nephew, age 8) came over on Sunday for dinner and to hang out. They live about 3 minutes away. I LOVE my family. We have a lot of fun with each other and we always make each other laugh.

We had a nice family dinner with ham, potato salad, biscuits, and a green salad. It was really good. The only thing was we ate pretty early so I was hungry later in the night. I don't not like eating dinner so early because I will always end up eating something later.

I had made some Holiday Funfetti brownies on Friday that were all eaten by Sunday and my sister was expecting some. Luckily I had bought the Valentine Funfetti brownie mix a week ago at Target so my niece and I whipped up a batch. We have two ovens and I think the oven I used for the brownies was installed incorrectly and is tilted or something because when I put the pan in the oven the batter was spread evenly but when I took the pan out the brownies were unevenly cooked. So I don't think I will be using that oven for baked goods anymore.

My niece and nephew are so funny. My nephew took my sister's digital camera and set it up in her room and recorded a message to us that he told us to watch after he left. It was so funny/cute. Love those kids.

Today we went out to breakfast and then went to Wal-Mart to buy a new tv for the family room. We currently have a tv in there from like 1994! After that we came home and just talked for like 3 hours. We are such close-knit family and I don't know what I would do without them!

Hope everybody's Monday was good. Can't believe January is over already!
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January 29, 2011

A Good Day to Stay Indoors

Today is a good day to stay indoors but I went outside anyways.

I decided to take a run around the neighborhood. I usually run on the treadmill but since my brother is home and the treadmill is in his room I can't use it and I really needed to run after everything I ate yesterday. We had dinner from my favorite Mexican restaurant. Plus my sister brought home this strawberry boston creme pie cake. Yummy! Needless to stay I needed to work that off.

I got a couple of packages in the mail yesterday. The first package was the Havaianas I won in the giveaway held by Ally over at Medical Prepster.




I can't wait to wear them where when it gets warmer out!

The other package was from Amazon. I used the $20 gift card I got for $10 from Living Social to buy a couple of DVDs. I got an exercise dvd called "Skinny Sculpt with Ellen Barrett" which I will be trying out later today. I also bought That Thing You Do! I love this movie. I love the songs. I even have the soundtrack on CD that I bought when the movie first came out. I adore Tom Everett Scott in this role and Tom Hanks is one of my favorite actors of all time.


I made some Funfetti brownies yesterday but they didn't come out as I expected. I guess I forgot to spread the batter evenly when I poured it in the pan and it was really thin on one side. That side got overcooked because I had to bake it longer so the thicker side would cook. Besides the overcooked part, they're pretty good.


Hope everybody is enjoying their weekend! heart clip art
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January 27, 2011

Can't Hardly Wait

The title of this post is my current mood and also is one of my favorite movies. I love this movie. Its so funny with all the different characters.  But I digress. There are a few things I can't wait for:

1. Tonight's Real Housewives of BH reunion. This has been one of my favorite seasons of RH ever. The reunion seems like its going to be good.

2. Spending some time tomorrow with my mom. She has been super busy lately and I've been missing her so I'm glad we will get to have some quality one on one time.

3. My big brother is coming home tomorrow. He will only be home for the weekend and he will actually hardly be home but I love the way the house feels when he's home.

4. Online purchases. I ordered a few things online and I can't wait for them to come so I can try them out and wear them.

On a side note, on the morning news it said it would be about 70 degrees but the fog never lifted and it was kinda gloomy and cold all day. I really wanted to go play tennis today but I didn't want to go if it wasn't sunny. Oh well, there is always another day. I think it may actually rain on Sunday. As much as I love the sun, I miss the rain and wintertime weather. But I only enjoy the rain when I'm inside and I can stay warm and dry.

Last night while I was trying to fall asleep I kept thinking today was Friday. I was pretty upset to wake up and realize it wasn't Friday. But tomorrow is Friday and then its the weekend!
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January 26, 2011

WILW - Last Wednesday of January!

Its Wednesday so that means its time for What I'm Loving Wednesday.



I'm loving that the Green Bay Packers made it to the Super Bowl! I would have loved it more if the New York Jets made it too but I will settle with the Packers. I'm hoping they have a good game against the Steelers and win! Its great that each team has an ex-USC defensive superstar but I am going to have to choose Green Bay and Clay Mattews over Pittsburgh and Troy Polamalu.



I'm loving the Country Megaticket. The megaticket is like a season pass for 6 country concerts at this particular venue. Its pretty expensive but I'm so excited for who's coming: Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, Luke Bryan, just to name a few. I really should have bought one last year since I went to almost all of them.


I'm loving Say Yes to the Dress reruns on TLC. I love this show. I like to watch it while I'm working out. I love seeing the different styles of dresses. I'm always so happy when a girl finds her perfect dress.



I'm loving Twitter. I've started to follow some bloggers and its so much fun now. Before I basically used it for following "celebrities" but now I'm following all sorts of people and companies.

I'm loving my new blog background. It took me a while to find it but I love it. I'm still working on perfecting the layout but I love the way it looks.

I'm loving my family. They are great and always there for me.

So that's what I'm loving this Wednesday. Link up with Jamie at this kind of love to share what you're loving!
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January 23, 2011

Nautical Style

Springtime is just around the corner and its the perfect time for nautical style!

I recently got a few pieces from L.L. Bean that I just love.

This chino skirt is so cute! Its navy with gold anchors on it. I love it. I can't wait to wear it when it warms up.

I also got this striped shirt. Its so comfy! I plan on wearing it with khakis or a khaki skirt.

I don't usually shop there but Forever 21 has these two cute dresses.



One of my favorite stores on Etsy is Barberry and Lace. I found this cute anchor necklace there.


Another one of my favorite Etsy store's is Two Poodle Press. Their designs are too cute. I love these note cards they have and would be so fun to send to friends.


Nautical style is so classic. Anchors away!  
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January 21, 2011

On a Mission to Shop

Friday's here... time for the weekend!

I had some errands to do today which included going to a few stores. Of course I put off doing the boring things like get my car washed and pick up my dry cleaning and went straight to the shopping.

I had planned on going to 6 stores. That may seem like a lot but they aren't that far away from each other. I only made it to 4 before I started to get tired. One of the main purposes I was going shopping was because I wanted buy the things I am going to send in this fun Valentine exchange I'm doing.



Liv from Simply Sunshine and Daisys coordinated this and I think its such a cute idea. I love getting things in the mail and thought it would be fun to send somebody something. She also has a pen pal group that I may sign up for.

I went to Marshalls first because I wanted to see if they had any Lilly items. The store did not have too much so I was a little disappointed but I did get this pen and pocket pad.


Next up was Kohl's, which is right next to Marshall's. I knew exactly what I was getting there so I was in and out of the store in about 20 minutes. I bought the Valentine's apron that I previously posted about earlier and a kitchen towels & pot holder set to give to my sister. She has an unhealthy obsession with kitchen towels. I had $10 Kohl's cash from a previous shopping trip my mom and I went on so for those two things I only paid $7.24! Such a good deal.

I then headed over to Ross. I went to Ross for the same reason I went to Marshall's, to see if they had Lilly stuff. I didn't even know those stores (TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and Rosse) carried Lilly items until I had read another blog. I was disappointed Ross didn't have anything Lilly. Or at least I couldn't find anything Lilly. I bought this cute photo album (pictured below), a case for my sunglasses, and a couple things for the Valentine exchange.


Last stop was Michael's. I spent the most time there and the most money. I bought a bunch of cute things for the exchange and some crafts for me to do. We love the Peanuts gang (Snoopy & etc.) and all the Peanuts crafts were 70% off so of course I had to pick a few things up. I also got these cute recipes cards (20 for $1) since I find so many good recipes on other blogs I want to have them in a central place. I don't like having computer printouts when I'm making something. One thing I got for myself in the Valentine section were these two cute hair bows.


The two stores I didn't make it to were Target and TJ Maxx. I may go there tomorrow but I always feel that whenever I buy something from Target on a Saturday its always on sale on Sunday so I may just hold off on going until Monday.

I hope you have a fun relaxing weekend! heart clip art
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January 19, 2011

What I'm Loving Wednesday!

I linked up with with Jamie @ This Kind of Love for What I'm Loving Wednesday!




1. I'm loving Sunshine! It has been so overcast/foggy the past few days here I am so happy to see the sun out even though its still cold out.



2. I'm loving Shari's Berries! The catalog came in the mail today and featured all the yummy treats for Valentine's Day. I think chocolate covered strawberries are the perfect treat for the day. You can't go wrong with them.




3. I'm loving Living Social! Their deal of the day is a $20 Amazon gift card for $10. That's such a great deal, I have some things in my cart at Amazon that I have yet to purchase so once I get this deal then I'll buy them.



4. I'm loving Darius Rucker! I love his new cd Charleston SC 1966. It has a lot of great songs on it. I got the deluxe version off of itunes and it has two "live" performances he did and they're great.



So that's what I'm loving today. Hope you're having a good day. Only 2 more until the weekend!
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January 16, 2011

Rollerballs

As I was getting ready for church this morning, one of the last things I put on was my perfume. Its usually the last thing I put on when I go out. I normally wear it unless I know I will be somewhere in close quarters like an airplane or on a job interview because not everybody may not like my fragrance and I don't want to make anybody uncomfortable. Imagine sitting next to somebody for 5 hours on an airplane that smells unpleasant.

My favorite type of perfume comes in rollerballs. It allows me to buy several different scents so I can have a few to wear depending on my mood. Sephora always has them and a few new ones always seem to pop up during Christmas time since they make for great stocking stuffers. I love the size of them because you can always toss one in your purse or bad and reapply if you feel you need to. Also I feel you can really target the area you want the perfume on since you are applying it directly on the area.


My two go-to fragrances are Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs Daisy. The regular Marc Jacobs is a classic scent and Marc Jacobs Daisy is a fun floral scent I usually wear on the weekends.





The two of the fragrances I use for night have very different scents. I use Ralph Lauren Romance if I'm in "sweet" mood as it is a more delicate scent. If I am in a more "sultry" mood I use Stella McCartney Stella. Stella is perfect for when you go out dancing and Romance is great for date nights.
 

I highly recommend getting one or two rollerballs to supplement your perfume collection if you don't already any.

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January 13, 2011

Valentine's Day

Even though it's a month away and I don't have anybody to share it with (besides friends) there is just too much cute Valentine's Day related items I had to share.


These Valentine's card are so adorable and are so me. I found there here.


These treat bags and stickers would be perfect for handing out at work or to friends at school. I'm not sure what I would fill them with since I don't like conversation hearts. Maybe pink and red M & M's? These come from the same Etsy seller TwoPoodlePress.

What is Valentine's Day without the appropriate sweets? You can always whip up a batch of cupcakes but you need something appropriate to wear.



I was out shopping today at Kohl's and saw this adorable apron. Its reversible too! The perfect thing to be wearing when you cook the Valentine's dinner for your guy or when you bake cupcakes for your friends.

Speaking of cupcakes...



This is also at Kohl's. It's not super Valentine's-themed which is great so you can use it year-round.

One last thing from Kohl's...

You can hang this up and instantly brighten up the room and it adds the perfect amount of decoration without going overboard.

Even though I don't like to at conversation hearts I thought these are adorable...

These are just stickers but I bet you could but them on a white background and even frame them and you have an instant decoration piece.

I think any of these items would make Valentine's Day a little bit more festive. So regardless of what your plans are for the day, make sure to have a good time.

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January 12, 2011

Wee Bit Wednesday



I stumbled on this while reading different blogs and I thought it would be a fun thing to do.


{one} Have you ever been on tv?

Not that I know of. I know I have been on the big screen at football games.

{two} What was the best movie you saw last year?

Inception, I love Leo. I would also add Shutter Island. Both of those movies made me really think.

{three} Do you sleep with your sheets tucked in or out?

I don't sleep with sheets too often but if I do it has to be tucked out. I toss and turn a lot so I need them to be tucked out or I can't move.

{four} Do you cut coupons?

Rarely. I only use coupons if I'm going to get a big discount on something. I do always use one for the car wash since the coupon is on the back of the grocery store receipt.

{five} Do you ever count your steps when you walk?

Sometimes I do. If I'm walking down the street I will sometimes see how many steps I take in one block of pavement on the sidewalk and then I try to match that in the next block. I've done that since I was little.

{six} What sauce do you dip your chicken nuggets in?

Definitely BBQ. This may sound strange but I also dip it in ketchup which I think stems from eating french fries with them at McDonalds and just dipping both in the ketchup.

{seven} Do you have any magazine subscriptions?

I subscribe to Allure and US Weekly. I love my US Weekly. I think I have subscribed to it for almost 7 years? I love my celebrity gossip!

{eight} When was the last time you wrote a letter on paper?

I don't know. I do send out thank you cards but I want to start writing friends letters. I think its so fun and a refreshing suprising when you get something in the mail that isn't a bill or a credit card offer. I just need more addresses!

{nine} What is your favorite fruit pie?

Pumpkin. I think some people would say its not a fruit but I think it is. My second choice is good old American Apple pie.

{ten} black olives or green olives?

Black.
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January 9, 2011

Job Search!

Background info on me: I quit my job in August and I have been unemployed since then. It was completly my choice to quit my job. I haven't really looked for a job in the past few months because it was so nice to just not do anything however the time has come for me to get up and get going on the job search. I quit my previous job for a variety of reasons. A few of those reasons were: I didn't like the commute, I didn't like how things were run at that company, I never felt secure and there were many occasions were I felt so run down and defeated by working there. I feel it was necessary for my emotional health to leave that job and I did. I've always felt that life is too short to be doing something you don't love.


Luckily I still live at home with my parents and older sister so I have their support which made the transition possible for me. For the past few years I saved quite a lot (mainly due to not paying for rent) so I have been able to stay unemployed for this long. After the shopping frenzy I went on during the holiday season and even post holiday season, I really need to find a job.

I forgot how hard it is to look for a job. I had tried to find a job while working at my last one but I would come home so tired from work and couldn't devote enough time to look for something. I have so far applied for about 8 different positions. I was so mad at myself because out of those 3 I sent the wrong resume to the prospective employers which you know automatically basically puts me out of the running for the job.

Last Thursday, I got a call from one of the other places I applied for. I actually applied for two different jobs there but I figured it couldn't hurt right? The job is about 15 minutes from my house which I immediately loved. I hated that somedays my commute was so bad I would spend (or waste in my opinion) 2 hours (one going and one coming) on driving or taking public transportation to get to and from work. I felt my time could be better spent elsewhere. So I have an interview with these people on Tuesday!

I'm pretty nervous because I completely forgot how much preparation goes into the interview process. What to wear, what to say, what to ask. It doesn't help that I am interviewing with 5 different people at the company. The HR manager e-mailed me a schedule of the interviews and according to the timetable the interviews will last from 8:30 to 12:00! I'm trying to review different things to say in the interview and there's so much. I don't have a ton of interview experience because my old job was the one of two jobs I interviewed for. See why I nervous?

I'm just going to review more questions and answers tonight and all tomorrow so I can be really prepared on Tuesday and they will want to hire me on the spot. I'm trying to be very optimistic about the situation. I really want this job!

I am going to be prepared and confident when I go in there on Tuesday.



Ending thought: Yesterday I told my 6 year old niece I had a job interview this week and she was so adorable when she said "You have a great personality. I think they will like you." I hope she's right.
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January 7, 2011

Wedding Movies

I had a $30 gift card for one of the best stores ever TARGET! :) So I headed there today to see what I could get me hands on. I decided I would buy either some movies or books.

The first stop in the store was the dollar bins. I can do some serious damage there. Of course they put out the cutest items in the $1 bin for Valentine's Day. I got these adorable magnetic notes and these super cute little gift boxes with a kinda of damask pattern on them. I'll have to find something to use them for.

I made my way over to the movie/book area. I picked up the Bride Wars DVD and the book Pretty in Plaid (which I plan on reading in order to meet my New Years goal, see previous post). Bride Wars was the last remaining wedding-themed rom-com DVD I did not have.


I LOVE wedding movies. Father of the Bride is what started it all. It is still one of my favorite movies. I can just watch it over and over again. Included in this collection is My Best Friend's Wedding, The Wedding Planner, and 27 Dresses.

I remember in college I said that if I could pick any job to do I would be a wedding planner and somebody was said 'Oh like J.Lo?' I love each movie for different reasons. I love 27 Dresses because the guys (James Marsden and Ed Burns) are so cute. I'm sure I'm not the only one that loves wedding movies.
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January 3, 2011

Resolut...GOALS!

The new year is here and everybody has been putting out their resolutions. I'm not into resolutions, I prefer goals. I feel like goals are more attainable because if you set a goal for yourself you want to work towards it. I feel the goals I have set for myself are pretty simple. Also if I want to surpass the goals I have set for myself than that's great. So without further delay here are my goals:

1. Read more. Specifically my goal is to read 1 book a month. To some this may seem like a super easy goal but I hardly read. So I want to get into reading more. I've already started reading Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger.

2. Cook more. Again this may seem like a simple goal but this is also something I hardly do. Living at home, my dad or my sister usually cook. Over the holidays I made some appetizers which seemed to be alright so I want to try my hand at dinner. The goal here is to have 6 signature dishes down by the end of the year. I want to perfect these entrees so in the future I can easily whip them up. I'll probably cook a few thing before settling on my "signature" dishes.

3. Run faster. Right now I can hardly run. My goal by the end of the year is to be able to run a 10 minute mile non-stop. In 2012 (I realize that's next year) my sister and I will be running the Walt Disney World Princess Half-Marathon but I want to be able to really run it and not be in danger of being "sweeped" during the race.

4. Maintain relationships. This I can't put a real attainable goal on this one but I just want to keep "dates" I have with friends.

Until next time...
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January 2, 2011

New to this...

This is not my first blog but rather the first blog I am taking seriously. I'm new to blogging in the sense that I have never been too into designing the layout and putting up fun pictures, etc. up. So this is my attempt at a fun blog. It doesn't really have a theme and it won't focus on one subject because that is actually who I am. I have many different interests and loves so it only seems appropriate that I discuss multiple things on my blog. Until next time...

Jessica
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