sunshine award

this is neat! I want to first off, say a big thank you to Christina May for tagging me in this. I've never been tagged before!

The rules:

1. Include the award’s logo in a post or on your blog.

2. Answer 10 questions about yourself.

3. Nominate 10-12 other fabulous bloggers.

4. Link your nominees to the post and comment on their blogs, letting them know they have been nominated.

5. Share the love and link the person who nominated you.

Here are the 10 Sunshine Award questions:

Favorite color? pink! green! teal! too hard to choose :)

Favorite animal? talulah grace amy of course!

 

 

Favorite number? 5pm. the time of happy hour.

Favorite non-alcoholic drink? diet coke or Dr. pepper. i love all sodas. its my downfall. (as if i only have one downfall. ha.)

Prefer Facebook or Twitter? twitter!! love me some twitter!

My passion? creating. (shopping was too...ridiculous)

Prefer getting or giving presents? this is easy...giving. i love all parts, the planning, the shopping, the wrapping.

Favorite pattern? leopard. always have, always will.

Favorite day of the week?  any day spent lounging around the house.

Favorite flower?  I'm not a huge flower person? i like fake ones that don't require watering? i really like fake peonies from Pier One. side note: my mom HATES pointsettas, and she honestly debates disowning me every Christmas because i actually like them. moving on...

 

I didn't nominate anyone because I'm on my lunch break and I'm lazy...BUT! this can lead into my saying a quick word on how incedibly thankful i am to be apart of the blog community. reading these blogs everyday keeps me focused, energized, and excited about life. these women always have so much going on {new adventures, babies, outfits..you name it!}. thank you to all the ladies/gentlemen/companies who blog!

 

PS. I've been trying to look like a human at work. see, mom! i did my hair THREE times this week.

 

happy weekend & Thanks to Christina May again! {check out her blog: The Andrews Update for posts on her darling family, outfits, and home!}

xo raa

 

Wisdom Teeth

so, I had my wisdom teeth removed Thursday, and since then, mainly due to a pain killer and/or just pain induced haze, Ive discovered a few things:

1,512 minutes of Gossip Girl: no explanation needed.

AmandaCatherine Designs: wow, this girl is truly talented.  i kept seeing her work on pinterest, but i never took the time to source the artist. not only are her prints great, they're affordable! I've chosen these four to immediately find a home in my dining room after my next paycheck.

i take on too much: I'm not some crazy, over-achiever who can function on a starbucks and 2 hours of sleep, but i over extend myself because i truly believe that i can do what i say i can, and then...and behold, i cant. lately, i don't feel like myself in a few areas. i feel like I'm not giving all that i can give to all the areas i should be giving it to. do you ever feel like that? i don't know exactly what I'm missing. balance? dedication? more drive? less drive? on to J.Crew...

J.Crew New Arrivals: proof that there is a God, and he wants me to be happy. i have a confession, i am currently a good 10-15 pounds over my usual weight, which then puts me about 30lbs from my ideal weight. enter: j.crew. listen losing weight to be healthy is great and so is being able to run 657374 miles, but being able to fit into whichever and whatever outfit i want is better. for me.

a new project that has me super excited: i was recently given control of a project at work and could not be more excited. while, the content and i have no business working together, i am good at few things: creating and managing systems is one of them. ill take whatever i can in whatever format i can get it. more details to come! hint: it involves me participating (by participating, i mean walking. maybe even quickly.) in a bi-weekly 5K. the things we do for success. 


i don't know how it is possible, but i am even more thankful for my parents: but dear God, its time to go home. how do people live with their parents after the age of 18? move out, people.

hope y'all have a great Oscar Sunday!
xo
raa

dr.pepper at 9:30am

i just woke up on the RIGHT side of the bed this morning.
...despite a little angel love that decided she wanted to squeak every toy, open every drawer, and bark at every car that drove by from 9pm-2am. i woke up around 11pm to her with her head stuck in the middle of a hanger. did that stop her from chewing on the middle of the hanger? no. she just kept on-a-going. she makes the best of her situations. {i tried to take a picture, but that little doodlebug was too enthralled with the flash of the camera to sit still. in her hanger.}

i have to admit that i missed the premier of Bethenney. was it amazing? I'm sure it was. i love her. i love her honesty, and most importantly i love the love she has for her little nugget.

I'm on a scarf binge right now. i stopped at Target this weekend. i was impressed! they had some great options, all around $14.99. Liz at Sequins & Stripes did a post on scarves today as well..i liked her picks too! i think I'll be rewarding myself with one for bringing my lunch all week. {confession: its only a three day work week for me as i have oral surgery on Thursday, but still. three days eating in adds up!}

<if i had an IPhone, this is where I'd insert a cute instagram picture of the Target scarves...>
i found these pictures online {seriously, why does Target.Com suck so much?!}

i really don't think these do it justice. i think when i make my purchase...ill be taking a picture as well.

bringing my lunch has been made much easier with these two things:
1. Kraft Fresh Take: i had a coupon for this, so i tried the Rosemary & Garlic flavor...so so so good! i used about 8 tenderloins, really, you could used so many more. i wish i would've because they were soo good! if you go to Kraft.Com, you can score a $1.00 coupon. you will not regret it! you just open the package, put your meat inside { it gives you directions for fish, pork, or chicken!}and bake! i always have to cut my baking time in half because I'm dealing with an oven from 1970.

2. Uncle Ben's rice bowls: these little rice bowls are super cute. i try not to buy small portioned foods because they're usually twice the size of the larger size to pay for the cute container, but i had a coupon, and it makes mornings so easy when i can just throw it in my lunch box and not have to worry about sorting into servings. {its the little things..again}

so, i kind of took you on a whirlwind this morning. sorry. {I'm not really that sorry}

i hope y'all have a great Tuesday! only TWO days until FSU vs DUKE! Go Noles!

xo
raa

price adjustments: yay? or nay?

Talulah Grace woke up especially clingy this morning, and it broke my heart. she does this form of begging that is beyond precious, and she has now figured out that getting dressed equals leaving. she stands on the corner of the bed and hurls her body at my back while I'm getting dressed and looking in the mirror. its so pathetic, but so so cute. am i a bad mama for thinking her distress is so cute?

moving right along..to the Gap. this weekend everything in the store is 20%,30%, and 40% off! so the striped dress i posted about yesterday...down to $38! you bet your britches, I'm going in for a price adjustment. I'm sorry, i am that customer. in my defense, ill be purchasing the navy and white one too {and maybe something else if it catches my eye...} do y'all think that's tacky? i bought it on Friday, and now its down from $54 to $38...that's $16 towards another purchase in the store.

this post is going now where in a hurry.

hope y'all have a great Thursday!

xo

raa

seventh ave

my home is truly where my heart lies. i love my house.  its where my little baby nugget talulah grace spends her days, its what houses my clothes, where all my junk lives, where my first grown girl set of furniture stays (half way paid off!! whew!) and where my bed stays that keeps me warm and comfy. its my home.  the truth is, i could make anything a home. I'm a natural born nester.

nesting is a characteristic that i got from my mom. we moved all over and often when i was growing up. my parents always made sure my room was done first so i would feel safe and comfortable.

my home is always under going transformations. here are current pictures.{pictures i found on my NOT iPhone from a long time ago} I'm happy, but i don't feel finished and i cant say I'm completely satisfied. i rent and i don't know if I'm here in Tallahassee for the long haul, so I'm cautious to paint and truly invest the big bucks in my current living situation.

if money, time, and effort were endless, my home would resemble these pictures. until then, they serve as inspiration. when i decorate, it is important to remind myself to do the best with what i have & where i am. with that being said, if there is a rich man out there looking to live in a very girly house with no decorating budget, all you need to do is call me. 

Kitchen:

Living Room:



Bedroom:

whew. two posts in one day. I'm exhausted. 

xo

raa

*all images via pinterest  

Coulda Shoulda Woulda

maybe I should make this an every Wednesday post. {maybe? i cant even commit to a weekly blog post. THIS, mother, is why I'm single.}

Coulda

...and did! this dress is amazing. its a ponte knit, so it doesn't cling. i pulled the tags off as soon as i bought it and wore it that night. i paired it with leggings (its not too short to wear without, but Ive given up shaving my legs & couldn't find any clean tights. cute.) and a leather jacket. my next plan is with the Gap pink blazer Ive been bragging about. Ive already allotted $50 from my next paycheck to buy the navy/white stripe.must.have. c'mon March 1st!

Shoulda*

Gap. again. seeing a trend? once a gap girl always a gap girl (vomit.) i bought these jeans in the lighter version, which, by the way, is so unlike me. big girls should always wear dark. you wont ever catch me in stone washed. home girl has morals. I've gone back FIVE separate times to buy these, and to no avail. they're even sold out online. ONLINE. i was even going to buy them FULL PRICE. nope. what a travesty. 

Woulda

if i was a size 2, i woulda bought these babies. I've said it once, and ill say it again. Old Navy rules. I have had the best luck there lately.now, i probably just jinxed it. S.O.B. i just love a colored pant. (Except khaki. ugh) could you picture these with a striped tee? a black blazer? a fun scarf? yes, yes and yes! and for $35? go to your local Old Navy and scoop these up!

*shoulda: I've noticed a characteristic that is foreign to me. being nervous. i don't consider myself a hesitant or nervous person. however, in the past month, I've missed things due to nerves. now, i didn't miss the jeans because of nerves. id never let my nerves get in the way of clothes. life issues? sure. it is something that i am trying to deal with. life is short. way too short to be unhappy or living with unease about a decision you made because you were nervous. four words: easier.said.than.done. {but I'm trying!}

hope yall have a great Wednesday...99cent taco night here in Tally!

xo raa 

Happy Valentines Day!!

xo
raa