I figured I'd play along today! Jen over at A girl with pearls and a Boy with toys hosts Favorite fridays: The couple that DIDN"T make it..... Will always be.............

JESSICA and NICK

This might have a bit to do with the fact that I love Jessica Simpson! I am constantly told I look like her! (as recently as yesterday at TJ) She has such a beautiful wholesome personality! The way they were in their relationship made me so hopeful for them! I have a feeling I'm not one of the few who feels this way! Jen Even mentioned it in her post! I've been pulling out old music to listen to and "The Sweetest Sin" has been on my list for sure! Love that video of the two of them!

The perfect week.....

So this post is kind of boring..... I just have to warn you before you start reading. I am home this week. I get to spend hours upon hours with my Mom (My favorite person in the whole world, by far) We watched 500 days of Summer last night, cooked an amazing meal, and went yarn shopping! (A yarn store in our town is going out of business.... offering 50% off everything to their "valued" customers a few weeks before they make the announcement) luckily, mom spends quite a bit of time and money there, so we got to go check it all out.... Got some amazing deals, and was able to buy every set of needles not already owned. LOL If you don't knit frequently you probably think I'm crazy right now. I picked up the house a bit for her today, went to lunch with my aunt, and watched the first Sex and the City Movie.... A pretty productive day overall. Of course now I'm watching my guilty pleasure.... Toddlers and Tiara's! I know its kind of retarded, the moms are a bit crazy, but God love 'em. Really??? I'm home for the night and its looking like a huge storm is coming. I'm going to head back to my place Friday, but for the time being I'm really enjoying being home and relaxing.... Therefore you might not hear much from me for the next few days... Though I would like to meet up with some old friends and chill out. I hope you all have a great week!

Up tomorrow..... My loves.... in list form..... but first a bit of inspiration in form of yarn, sewing, and cross stitch! All via weheartit.com!











On that note.... Goodnight! Off to bed to read The girls of Ames!!! (I'll letcha all know how it goes!)

Lusts for the Week........

I've been watching my spending lately... and in turn have found I have quite a list of things I want! Ha! Too bad they are all fairly expensive things!!! Here's a list of a few of my wants for the next year. That's a reasonable goal, right?


I've been running every day and I am starting to dread winter when I won't be outside.... yeah I know its only June but a girls gotta be prepared! I want my own... is that selfish? The schools rec has no treadmills open in the winter!


A new Coach, it's been a few years since I've bought one. (Check out Olivia Harris! I was obsessed in her world for awhile) I'd like a new wallet as well since I've been keeping my money and id's in an envelope in my purse for awhile now.


A pomeranian! Come on isn't that on everyone's list? I really want a Pom but I know now isn't the right time. It wouldn't be fair to take on a dog when I have so much going on! (But I do know I want a red one just like this one and I want to name him Todd from the FOx and Hound!)


I've been wanting a cute bike for awhile now.... You can bike about anywhere in my town because it's so small!

What are your current Lusts?

Happy Fathers DAY!

I am one lucky girl! I have had 2 fathers in my life since I was about 5 years old. My step dad Glen has been there for me as long as I remember...He coached my soccer teams and made me breakfast every morning for 13 years! I am so lucky to have him in my life!

Glen and I


Dad and I


My real Dad is the most amazing guy! He's always there if I need him, he plays in 2 bands, and he's always got some side project going. He's one of the most interesting, intelligent men I've ever met.

I love you both SO much! Thank you for being such a big part of my life. I hope you all have an amazing day with the men in your lives!

My Bedroom Makeover

So I'm moving in the next month or so and I've decided I'm either going back to my old bedroom suite (comforter, quilt, sheets, etc.) or I'm going to get all new..... I wanted y'alls opinions. This is my old set.... It was used for about 4 months a few years ago, and I still just love it. Unfortunately I don't have the matching pillows and I don't think you can get them anymore :(


(Pink and Green of course!)


The bed I already have and will need to match whatever I pick....


My dresser.... I also have a nightstand and a small circular table in the cream color to go on the other side of the bed!

Would appreciate any advice you guys have!

Sunset Concerts 2010

Every Thursday night in Carbondale we are lucky enough to have a free concert! It's either held in a park or on campus! It's for all ages, there are concessions. It is byob though. So much fun! We bring chairs and blankets, sit around and drink, dance, and then head to the bars. Some even bring living room furniture out and set it up! Such a riot!


This is a group shot of all the "buffalo" girls on Sunset night. Aren't they all just gorgeous! I've never worked at a place where everyone gets along so well and hangs out together!


Rob and I.... Thank goodness I have an amazing bf because I drank a bit too much that night and needed him to stay sober! (Hadn't really drank anything in a month or so!)


Suz, Erin, and I. These girls are so much fun, always great to go out with!


This is Jasper, my best friend in the whole world! I love this girl! I have never met someone so like me!!!

CMA FEST PICS

WHERE: Nashville


WHO: Rob & I


PERFORMANCES BY:
Darius Rucker


Blake Shelton (Guest appearance by Miranda Lambert!)


Justin Moore


Brad Paisley

*Artist's pics found in google images

Well its about time I got this blogged, huh?! Last week my bf and I went to CMA Fest 2010. I went last year and had a great time. I'm not great at planning things so its good that i can always get the tickets last minute at a very reasonable price. (There are no bad seats in LP Stadium!) The first artist we saw was Justin Moore. He broke out this year singing Smalltown USA and Backwoods. His stage presence wasn't all that good but i do own his album and it frequents my cd player.... I'm sure as he tours more he'll improve. He's still new to all of this i'm sure! The second artist we saw was Kellie Pickler. I was SO disappointed y'all! I thought I was going to enjoy her show more than anyone out there! I wasn't totally impressed by her vocals, dance moves, or stage presence. :( The third artist out was Blake Shelton. Now that man can perform and boy is he sexy!! I've seen his fiance Miranda Lambert in concert numerous times and just love her! She even came out and sang with him for one song. Trace Atkins was next up and though he's not a favorite of mine he was a crowd pleaser! DARIUS RUCKER was absolutely awesome! I can't get over his show. He even sang a Hootie song! Can't wait to see another one of his concerts. We skipped out after DR.... It was a long drive home and we wanted to get out of the area before everyone tried! Brad Paisley was last up and I'm sure he was a great performer. I saw him last year and figured getting on the road was more important!

Who are some of y'alls favorite performers you've seen?

A Great Low Cal Drink and More

I have found a drink I absolutely love for all you ladies watchin' your calorie intake this summer! It's simple and its pretty good for ya as well! I've been putting vodka, squeezed lemons, water, and a packet or two of splenda in a glass and making my own shake ups! A shot is right at a 100 calories.... Not too bad for a delicious summer drink! Tastes just like a shake up from the fair! I sometimes add a splash of lime juice to it as well. Most bartenders will make this upon request! I've been getting it everywhere lately! (Most places just charge you for the shot of vodka so its a reasonable drink as well!)

The past week has been crazy busy and unfortunately I have been doing a whole lot of randomness! First off, I've been doing something I shouldn't be. I decided not to take one of my summer classes which frees me up until July 12! I am so excited about this but at the same time feel a bit guilty for takin' the time off. Well then what have I been doing instead? I've been decent about my diet.... I started weight watchers a few weeks ago and have been running daily. I went to the beach with some friends yesterday and now I look like a lobster :( Buffalo has slowed down a bit since all the students are away for the summer but luckily i am still making pretty good money. (I will be working 40 hours Friday, Saturday, and Sunday this weekend alone!)
I got back from Nashville on Monday early morning. Rob and I had a great time but Jasper and Casey had to cancel last minute. We got to Nashville, picked up our tickets, and headed to the mall. Unfortunately the mall I frequent while there was closed due to the flood! It didn't even cross my mind until we were there. We ate dinner and headed to the concert which is a whole separate post in itself. My soon to be roommate Bojan and I have been hanging out quite a bit since Rob is out of town. He's such a blast and has been able to introduce me to some really fun people!
Today I was able to make it to the Victoria Secret Semi Annual Sale..... so much fun girls! I picked up a pair of "pink" fourth of july shorts, 2 bombshell bras, a sports bra, and 4 pairs of underwear for right at $100! I was very happy with my purchases! If you haven't been yet get there!
I know this is a out of character post for me but somehow i just felt i should record what I've been doing! I'm not used to having all of this free time!

A Wee Bit of Me Wednesday

I'm following along with Leigh Ashley's "A wee bit of me Wednesdays"! Love Love Love her blog!

1. what is your all time favorite dessert?
That's such a tough question, I'm constantly baking and its hard to pick more than one! Top 3 would have to be lemon cheesecake, classic strawberry pie, and raspberry mousse.

2. How Many Siblings Do you have?
I have 3 step siblings that are younger than me. Blake, Zach, and Jordan are great blessings! I am so lucky to have them in my life. Fundamentally I grew up as an only child. My primary household was just me! I always begged for siblings as a child but looking back, being an only child allowed me to be super close to my parents in a way none of my friends are.



3. Have you had your heart broken?
I have been in a few serious relationships and when those end i think it always hurts. I dated a guy in HS for 2 years and when that ended I was pretty upset. As most of you don't know though I got married at 19 to a man quite a bit older than me. It didn't work out, and we have been in the process of divorcing for over 2 years now. We were together a total of about 4 1/2 years and we've been in e/o's lives since 2004. Divorce is something so devastating I can't even begin to describe it. I feel for anyone who has or is going through such a hard time. So yes, I guess my heart has been broken.

4. Did you play any sports in HS?
I played soccer and ran some cross country. I loved both and have been trying to make running a daily part of my routine again. I worked quite a bit starting at 16. (Always loved to shop!)

5. Can you post a picture of you from prom?
Ha! I wish I could, I have a few pictures but they aren't digital..... (yeah yeah yeah my prom was definitely before digital became super popular)

CMA Fest

I am so excited for this weekend! This week my best friend Jasper and I decided we would like to attend the CMA fest in Nashville for at least a day this weekend. (We went last year and had a ball seeing musicians like Kenny Chesney, Miranda Lambert, and Jennifer Neddles!) Rob, Jasper, Casey and I are going on Sunday of this week. The lineup is set to include Kellie Pickler, Blake Shelton, Sammy Kershaw, Darius Rucker, and many more!




The best part about going to the CMA music fest is the price of the tickets. They are unbelievably reasonable considering the amount of artists you get to see! We had planned to see Zac Brown Band in Memphis last night but the tickets were $50.... To see all the artists listed above plus more its going to cost $30 plus tax! Nashville is such a fun place to visit and the Opry is just amazing. (A bit of shopping won't hurt us either!)

Pink Preppy Lilly Lover Giveaway!

Trish over at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover is giving away some goodies! Go Check her out! She's got an adorable blog I read daily! Even if you've never been over to Trish's blog you know her, she's nice enough to host Pink and Green Thursday Every Week. Enjoy!

Polish Me..... Pink and Green

Trish over at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover hosts Pink and Green Thursdays, so today I thought I'd throw in some of my favorite pink and green OPI colors specifically from Sephora!


Arm Candy

Read My Palm

Go with the Flow-er

Mermaid to Order

I had a hard time getting my post layout the way I wanted it so I apologize! Hope you ladies enjoy some of the colors i picked. What are your favorite nail polish colors?

Paint Me a Picture.....

A few weeks ago I was in my first art show! The show was for plien-air painting at SIUC. I've never taken a painting class before so I was pretty excited that my paintings didn't look like a 4 y/o did them!



Our class was held several places around southern Illinois. Quite a few of my friends were in the class so we had a blast! (Connor had braids put in his hair.... he screamed like a girl!)



Jamie, Brooke, and Daniel posing for pictures at the gallery! An unlikely group of friends I guess!



We ended the night by celebrating at one of the local bars, The Cellar! They make the best bloody mary's in town. Michelle is a good friend of mine I used to work with, she ended up taking the class as well!

Willis Tower

As you all know this weekend was my birthday. Rob, Bojan, and I went up to Chicago for the weekend. We went out, went to Willis Tower (The old Sear's Tower!), shopped, ate, and had so much fun!



Willis Tower is 110 stories high and the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere. It was finished in 1973 after being built for 3 years.



The view is amazing from all angles but I particularly liked all of the sailboats in Lake Michigan. Even though my family sails quite a bit I've never been there!



Isn't the background cool behind us?!



If you ever get a chance to go to Chicago you should really try and make it up to the Skydeck!

Lucky Girl!

I am so lucky to have won Kate's Giveaway over at southern-belle-simple! I'm new at this whole blogging thing and not only did I win a giveaway but she was nice enough to give me a bit of tech advice for my blog. (Which I'm still trying to figure out.)



She has a great blog so get on over and visit her!

http://southernbellesimple.blogspot.com/

Introducing.....

My James Bond......





No.... I thought this picture was hilarious and if he knew that I took it.... or put it on my blog for that matter he'd KILL me! But doesn't it just remind you of this....




Then again, I might be just a bit partial in this case! So.... this is Rob. He's been a part of my life since October, and I am so lucky to have this boy in my life!

Pink and Green Thursday

I'm excited to say its my first ever Pink and Green Thursday hosted by Trish at Pink Preppy Lilly Lover! Isn't that exciting?!



These just make me want to bake....


And I see a boy in my near future wearing something like this to a wedding.....


And I just might wear a Lilly dress like this :)


And just remember to.....


Because we're all princess'