Sweater/Scarf/Shawl/Poncho

I just got this new sweater/scarf/shawl/poncho thingie! It says it's a "cinnamon" color but really it looks like a burnt orange/tomato color to me. And it can be worn three different ways because of the three different buttons.

1. Bottom button. 2. Middle Button 3. Top Button

Isn't this fun for fall?

Rain, Rain, Go Away...

Actually don't go anywhere yet because I love ya!

Yesterday was the first rainy day we've had in I don't know how long. And with it came gloriously cooler weather. It's just crazy because Saturday it was in the 9o's and I got sunburned. Yesterday I was cool in pants and a sweater. It finally felt like fall. I was half (ok more like 60/40) tempted to bring out my candy corn candy dish and to buy a pumpkin. I know it's supposed to be sunny tomorrow but for today I am going to stay in rainy day happy mode.

If I wasn't at work right now...

1. I would have opened my bedroom window to listen to the rain and gone back to bed.
2. I would have made a big mug of hot tea and watched the Martha Stewart show for fall inspiration...
3. ...while wrapped in a blanket on my couch/bed in my comfy yoga pants and a sweatshirt.
4. I would have kept the porch door open to let in the cool breeze.
5. I would make yummy soup for lunch.
6. I would have gone to starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte and some quiet time.
7. I would have watched Pride and Prejudice.
8. I might have cleaned all my baseboards.
9. I might have sorted through my warm weather clothes and gotten out my cool weather stuff.
10. I would have made a dent in my reading list.

But because I am at work I can only do... none of those things so instead I've just changed the background on my computer here to this:

It's the little things right?

What do you all like to do on rainy days?

Home Tour Friday: My Bedroom

For the next few Fridays I will be linking up at Kelly's Korner and showing you all my lovely post-college apartment.

Today: My Shabby Chic Bedroom

Warning-photo heavy post!

The pink lamp has been with me since my freshmen year dorm.

Side table: Target stuffed with books and journals.

Headboard: Urban Outfitters

Green ruffle pillow: Urban outfitters

Shams: Shabby Chic Target

I got this shutter for $1 at Goodwill. It was already white and perfectly distressed. I've covered it with postcards from England that my mom mostly sent me when I was feeling homesick.

Desk, hutch and stool: Target

Dresser: Target

Musical corners on either side of my dresser. Two acoustic guitars, on electric, one amp, one violin.

My bathroom is connected/in my bedroom and isn't anything that special but here you go....

Shower curtain: Shabby Chic

Hope you enjoyed the peak into my bedroom. Join me next friday for my "dinning room" and my kitchen.

Gleek Out!

Glee is back!

Who watched the season opener tuesday night? It was awesome! They sang all these popular songs from today, like Empire State of Mind (Jay Z and Alicia Keys) and Billionaire (Travis McCoy) to name a few. I just love this show!

And... I am even more unbelievably stoked for next week's episode because it's all about Britney Spears and the ditzy but lovable Cheerio named Brittany!!!! I love me some Britney baby.

Here's a preview.

Also one of my other favorite shows started last tonight! Modern Family! DO NOT MISS THIS SHOW!

Tagged Again

More questions. Love it.

A View from a Hill tagged me and I have to answer her 8 questions then tag 8 bloggers with 8 new questions. Here are my questions/answers:

1. What would you say was your best age?

I am enjoying my age right now. I'm 22 and so far it's going pretty well. Although I do miss the days of imagination and make believe games.

2. Do you read the Bible?

Yes. Not as much as I wish I did.

3. What is your favorite book of the bible?

Phillipians

4. Who is your favorite author? What book by the author was your favorite?

Oh dear... C.S.Lewis probably. And I love the Chronicles of Narnia. For more favorites see this post.

5. Who was your favorite teacher? Your least favorite?

My fifth grade teacher was my favorite- I can't even begin to explain her wonderfulness, I think I'll write a post about her one day. She completely changed my attitude about school, which was pretty negative because my 4th grade teacher was my least favorite (she made me stay in for recess every day until I could correctly finish a Mad Minute- 50 addition/subtraction/multiplication problems in under a minute- and I loathe math.)

6. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

I am dying to go to Africa because I think there is so much need there but at the same time so much possibility and hope. On a more frivolous note, I am also dying to go to the Maldives, for my honeymoon I think.

7. Do you think today's tv shows are better or worse than the ones you grew up watching? Please explain your answer.

Probably worse. Actually I think it's my TV habits that have gotten worse. I watched less tv when I was younger. Daytime television has and always will be awful though.

8. What do you like to do most on the weekends?

Sleep in, grab lunch with my boy, spend time outside weather permitting, curl up on the couch with a movie and some friends. Nothing special, just slow and relaxing.

Now I am tagging these next 8 bloggers:

It's Not Easy Being Queen

Just Me

Life of A Wife

Little Fish, Big C

Miller Musings

Random-osity

Southern Dwellings

Southern Like That

With these 8 new questions:

(Because it's the first day of Fall mine have a theme...)

1. Do you like Starbucks? And are you a fan of their seasonal coffees (aka. pumpkin spice latte)?

2. How do you decorate and prepare for fall?

3. Will you participate in your college's homecoming activities?

4. What is your favorite fall clothing item or accessory?

5. What was your favorite Halloween costume as a kid?

6. Do you like halloween/horror movies? Do you have a favorite?

7. What is your favorite fall activity? (College football games, Costume parties, Trick or treating, carving pumpkins, haunted houses, apple picking, etc)

8. What is your favorite fall recipe?

Please answer the questions and tag 8 bloggers with 8 new questions.

Homecoming Prep

I am so pumped for my first post college homecoming. I want October to get here now! In the mean time I am occupying myself with planning and prepping for the long weekend. I am having hopefully 8 of my girlfriends/sorority sisters staying in my little 2 bedroom apartment for the weekend (good thing I have a bed in my living room). Actually my old freshmen and sophomore year roommate plans on staying with me the whole week prior since she's on fall break! YAY! I can't wait for face time will all my besties!

So it's a pretty much exactly a month away but I couldn't resist planning how I'm going to decorate and what food I should make and all kinds of that fun stuff. Some of my friends read my blog though so I'm not going to share all the fun details but here is a polyvore for my Homecoming Party Weekend Inspiration: Traditional Fall/Halloween decorations with Purple and white accents (my college's colors) thrown in.

Porch Project

I am stuck at work and my dad is torturing me with texts of his trip to South Africa.

Speaking of being stuck indoors, I have a little porch off of my apartment and right now that does nothing-I never use it. It's mostly storage for a bike and a pool raft. I do have a little darling table with two chairs that made their way across the pond. But I want more. I want a little place where I can sit outdoors, drink coffee and read or write in my journal. Or have a quaint meal for two. (I am posting this now so hopefully when Kelly's Korner does outdoor spaces on her Home Tour Fridays I can post a before and after.)

This is what my porch looks like now...

Here is the inspiration for the look I want to achieve. Style: european, bohemian, cottage, eclectic.

(all of these images are from here)

isn't this chair so major?*

*I have been watching Rachel Zoe marathons-it's having an affect...

Birthday Month: Part 3

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!

I hope you have a wonderful day!

So I decided to step out of my comfort zone and share a video of myself playing a song for her. I wish I could be with her on her birthday but at least this way she'll get some face time.

It's called The Best Day by Taylor Swift song (I wish I had written it) and every time I hear it I think of my mom and how much I love her. The lyrics relate so much to our life!

My favorite verse is this one:

I'm thirteen now and don't know how my friends could be so mean

I come home crying and you hold me tight and grab the keys

And we drive and drive until we found a town far enough away

And we talk and window shop 'til I've forgotten all their names

Now I don't know who I'm gonna talk to now at school
But I know I'm laughing on the car ride home with you
Don't know how long it's gonna take to feel okay
But I know I had the best day with you today

It makes me think of the rough time I had in middle school with friends and how my mom always could put things in perspective and comfort me. And then we flew and flew until we found a town far away in England, where even though I didn't know anyone she was always my friend.

The card I got her this year says " The truth is, even if she weren't my mom I'd still be friends with her!" It's something I've loved about growing up. I've become friends with my parents.

Anyways... thanks for letting me be a little vulnerable during these birthday posts. I love celebrating my wonderful family with you! And that concludes the month of family birthday celebrations! (Unless you are my mom or you promise not to judge the video quality or my musical ability please don't go any further. My blog is bright red with embarrassment.)

Home Tour Friday

For the next few Fridays I will be linking up at Kelly's Korner and showing you all my lovely post-college apartment.

Today: My Luxury Living Room

When you first walk into my apartment to the left is my kitchen area but to the right this is what you see:

Yes I have a day bed in my living room. This use to be in my bedroom at home in highschool. My parents brought it to me when I moved off campus.

It's really quite nice having a bed in my living room. and it also has a trundle bed underneath it, perfect for having friends stay over or for having a really relaxing movie night.

Green end table: $3 from Goodwill.

Wooden end table only $30 from TJMax. Lamps- TJ Max. Basket full of People, Cosmo, Real Simple and Martha Stewart underneath. Pillows on couch from Target.

The coffee table belonged to Whitney over at The Curtis Casa but she gave it to me when she graduated. To jazz it up a bit I covered it with photos of friends and cut outs from magazines. Then I got a piece of plastic cut to size from Loew's to protect it.

Fire place that I can't wait to use again. Candlesticks on right are Tiffany's- a graduation present from my wonderful relatives. Candle holders on left are from World Market. Chair belongs to my roommate. Lamp was my parents that we painted black and then I spray-painted the shade pink and covered it with trim.

TV in corner displayed on simple/not so cute stand....

So as you can tell, my walls are pretty boring and plain. I definitely need something to go over my couch/bed. I think I am going to buy some square canvases and do this super cool passport project that I saw over here on Adventures in Renovating a Brooklyn Limestone. But if you have any suggestions for how I can up the style factor I am all ears.

Wordless Wednesday

I am linking up this week... and that's all I am going to say.

(Ok I'll say one more thing, I took all these photos on my college campus- one of the reasons I chose to go there. I can't wait for it to look like this outside!)

Tuesday Tunes: Needtobreathe

Last Wednesday I went to Asheville for a Needtobreathe concert. This was not my first time seeing them live, however it was their first time playing in Asheville. I've mentioned this before but Needtobreathe is from the area where I went to college. The lead singer played football at my school. So we feel a lot of pride and bit of ownership over the band. They played at the first Sigma Nu fraternity party I went to. They played in our downtown area dozens of times and my sophomore year they played at beach weekend. One of the best parts about Needtobreathe is how amazing they are live. Also hearing a huge crowd singing what is mostly praise music is pretty awe inspiring... "Even when the rain falls, even when the flood starts rising, even when the storm comes, I am washed by the water."

When they are live they are talented enough to sound as wonderful as they do on the cd only it's enhanced. They fool around with the lyrics, add amazing guitar solos, and interact and include the audience. Also, in concert they tend to do an acoustic, grassroots version of one of their songs. They ask everyone to settle and be quiet for a little then they unplug, grab a djembe drum, the mandolin, banjo, acoustic guitars and it is beautiful. The song they performed this time was The Valley of Tomorrow which they said they had never played live since it was recorded. Enjoy...