Almost...

I'm not going to lie, I had this EXACT outfit on today...
Almost. Replace the top with a simple black dress and put me in Alabama {not the streets of Manhattan unfortunately} and there I am!!

Let's rewind.

I actually escaped this past weekend from work and headed back home to spend some much needed time with the family.

Had a VERY fun and successful shopping trip with my sister and her friend. I had hoped to do an Ann Taylor Loft post because I just about died and went to heaven the moment I walked in the door. Unfortunately, the internet isn't cooperating and I can't download pictures. But take my word for it, you should stop in ASAP!!

I'll keep trying because it will be well worth the wait!!

A Whirlwind...

To say that I've been busy this week would be an understatement. Busy is good, don't get me wrong, but there comes the point when you've taken on WAY too much and its not so great anymore. Well, I passed that point a LOONG time ago, unfortunately.

I'll spare you all the boring details, but this past week, I've put 1000 miles on my car from work alone {HELLO Travel Expense Check!!!}. I've lived, breathed and slept MDA for the past 2 weeks. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, but its far away. The busy season won't be over until March 17.

I really do hope that when the 17th comes and goes, I will have more time to do the things I want to do, like brushing up on my photography skills. My dad bought me these great books on lighting and all kinds of fun stuff, so I plan on diving right in as soon as possible. I also plan on restarting my daily walk session at Lake Ella with the dogs after work {and this means leaving the office BEFORE 8 pm}.

But here's how my week has looked so far...



I keep getting woken up by this guy {because I've yet to figure out my new phone}. And he's relentless. Every morning he starts yelling at 5:45 am. Its a good thing he's cute, otherwise he'ld be in the dumpster right now.
I did have the pleasure of seeing the beautiful coast yesterday, while on the road traveling. I went to Panama City, Rosemary Beach, Destin, Ft. Walton Beach and then back home. VERY long day that ended with me hitting a deer on a back road. Everyone's okay including the deer. Fortunately I saw eyes starring at me about 100 yards away. My volvo is very good to me and slowed down just in time. I think I was going about 15 mph when the deer literally ran into my car. It was extremely terrifying, to say the least. I hope Bambi is okay!!

And since I was in FWB for a few hours, I stopped and had lunch with this guy...
He's been in town all week so we've got to hang out quite a bit and play catch up. Don't go crazy now. We're just friends. Its crazy how different things are with us a year later, but the fun thing is we're just as good of friends as we always were. And THAT is an answered prayer!! One I'm extremely grateful for.

And one last thing.

Every morning, my favorite Christian radio station {KLove} emails me a scripture for the day. I know its the work of the Lord's hands, because it seems like EVERY single day, the scripture is exactly what I need. You can sign up for it too if you'ld like {www.klove.com}.

"Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you."
Psalm 25:5

Here's to today being Friday!!!

Very Jealous...

This morning, as I was sipping on my coffee {brewed from my new programmable coffee pot, which I simply adore...by the way, how did I ever function without it??}, I stumbled across a new blog.

http://goodbonesgreatpieces.com/

And I'm dying here...

This mother daughter design team has me green with envy.

I'ld love to design beautiful homes with my mother for a living.

That would never happen because we'ld probably end up killing each other in the process {two strong personalities usually aren't a great professional mix}. But I'm super jealous that these two have the opportunity to do my DREAM job TOGETHER.

Lots of traveling to antique shows, lots of shopping and picking out furniture, paint colors. Lots of scavegging Flea Markets for the next best find to be updated.

I'm drooling over the possibility.

Anyway, here are a few pictures of the daughter's first post-college apartment {which happened to be featured in Traditional Home magazine.

I'ld say the duo are on the fast track to MAJOR success!!

Now, to make that happen with my mom...


And because I'm a HUGE sucker for vanities, here is one that definitely did not disappoint. I don't know what it is, but I love seeing the way girls display their frilly things like perfume, jewelry and makeup. It just makes my heart smile!!

If there is a picture that would sum up my style, I'm pretty sure this is one of them. I love the mix of all different styles and textures here. A chair found on Craigs List that has been painted and re-upholstered. A dresser that looks as though its been in the family for years and has been refinished to stay updated. A neutral palette with little punches of color here and there. Clean lines. Lots of natural light. A beyond perfect lamp. Yep. I'm drooling!!

An adoption story...

I told her to expect a post, and I don't disappoint. Megan posted the sweetest story about how she rescued the sweetest little puppy {who would later be re-homed and re-named Snooki after the absolute coolest guidette ever!!}. I couldn't help but think the story is like that of my two "nieces."

And this is one post my sister won't call me and make fun of me for {by the way, there's nothing like the brutal honesty of a 20 year old in college to make you realize how ridiculously BORING and pathetic your life is}.

Meet sweet Coosa {or Cousin Coos as we call her}.

She's just the SWEETEST little niece I could ever ask for. She's beautiful and the most loyal dog. I can't get enough of sweet cousin Coos.

And meet sweet and crazy Gracie...
She was adopted last year from the Humane Society in Birmingham to be a companion for Coosa. She is a ball of energy and she definitely tests her limits {much like her little cousin Hudson}.

The point of this is that I'm a sucker for cute dogs. Big. small. Cute. Ugly. I love them all.

Southern Living...

I used to think of the magazine, Southern Living, as a magazine for older ladies. Probably for 2 reasons: 1. I was a lot younger and more into fashion mags {which I clearly still am...just broadening my horizons these days} and 2. Years ago it was geared for an older crowd.

Not anymore. Everytime a new issue appears at Publix or Fresh Market {I spend WAY too much money there!!}, I have to purchase!!

Maybe its because I've been uprooted from my Southern roots. Whatever the case, I can't get enough of it!

And when I saw on this month's cover that the main topic would be Charleston...I died.

Can you imagine this being your front porch? The whole concept of Charleston is that everyone entertains. You can't walk down any street without seeing a setup like this. Porches are gathering places for friends to "Eat, Drink & Be Merry." It really doesn't get anymore southern than this!!
And of course every home is stocked with a chic bar in the event that a friend stops by. I like this idea. A lot.

And continuing with the "I'm dreaming of Spring" concept, here are some pictures of flowers that I've been drooling over in the past two issues.

The moment I saw this, I thought of my friend Sara. I don't think she would have 9 of these in one spot, but the concept has her name written ALL over it!!

Bring on the Sun...

One of the perks of living in Florida is that our "winters" don't last nearly as long as most people's do. Granted, we've had our fair share of days in the 30's the past few weeks, we rarely dip below 50.

Today was just an incredibly beautiful day and I just couldn't help but start thinking about swim suit season. In fact, last night I tried on all of last year's suits. I do that every now and then just to keep myself in check. There's nothing like a swimsuit session that will keep you motivated on the diet!!

Anyway, today I popped over to Victoria's Secret {which is the BEST place to swimsuit shop...besides Target}. Here are 3 that I have every intention of making mine...


Who cares about the terrible tan line this will bring. Its absolutely adorable!!!

Bring it on down...

After a ridiculous Friday at work, I've decided its time to do a post on some things that just make me feel good.

Let me back up.

Thursday night, I was dead asleep and at 11:30pm, my phone rang. I'm still getting used to my new phone {terrible decision to stray from the blackberry, by the way}, so I haven't learned to differentiate all the different ringtones. I thought my alarm was going off so I panicked. I looked and saw it said 11:30 but my coworker was calling. GREAT. I've slept in like 5 hours. I might as well just walk on over to the unemployment office. And then I realized it was 11:30 pm. So off to dreamland I went.

Fast forward to 6:30 the next morning. The same coworker called. Now, this particular lady NEVER calls me, so I'm thinking something must be terribly wrong. I answered and she's frantic.

Here's the conversation:
R: J., WHY are you calling so early?? Is everything okay?
J: No. Did you not watch the news yesterday??
R: Do I ever watch the news?? No. I was busy watching Real Housewives. Duh.
J: Yeh, that was a good episode.
R: I know, Slade is such a douche. And what's up with the all ganging out up Vicki and Brianna?? I'm over that Alexis.....
J: RACHEL!!!
R: What? I am!! She's over botoxed major!! And her husband is a skeeze.
J: No, shutup and listen to me!!
R: Jeez
J: So the Conference Center is closed
{sidenote, one of our big fundriaisers is in less than two weeks at this particular venue}
R: WHAT?
J: Yeh they're shut down. All 70 employees were layed off. Nobody had any clue
R: ummmm.....
J: Happy Friday!!
R: See you in "Purgatory"

So obviously, I started scrambling. Calling EVERY venue I know. BEGGING, PLEADING, pulling on the heartstrings. Fast forward to 10 am when my counterpart, aka Hines, and I make a mad dash to the 2 options we've boiled it down to. We finally talked one venue into donating the space for the day in addition to providing all the food for free. This is for about 100 people. We're amazing. We know.

We get back to the office feeling pretty accomplished and were asked, "so why arent they doing breakfast?" REALLY!!??!?!? Is it ever good enough?? I think it is. Personally, I'ld rather have a Krispy Kreme doughnut any day {which are already scheduled to be delivered the morning of} than some nasty eggs in a buffet line.

MOVING ON...

Here are a few pictures that just calmed me down. Because I desperately needed it.



Imagine my excitement when I saw this. A wall of ribbon. Oh I die!!

I'm Still Here...

This will be a quick post since I'm already running behind schedule for the morning. I didn't want you guys to think I've just abandoned the blog world. Because I haven't. I've simply been too busy, unfortunately, to even sign online. I've received several "where are you" emails, so I figured a quick post is necessary.

Life has been crazy this past week. I'm in the busiest season at work, so its a rarity to leave the office before 7pm and keep in mind I usually get to work around 7:30 and also work all day Saturday AND Sunday on the road. Obviously, its exhausting. So I've lost all my spare time that I used to devote to this little hobby of mine.

Anyway, I plan to somehow play catch up over the weekend so please stay tuned.

Today, we were "awarded" a jeans day at work. This is a rarity for us. Usually we have to really earn it, but today is a little different because we're going to be moving around quite a bit {some people go to the gym, I go to work...its more than a workout for me!!}. I'm sure everyone else is going to show up in a super casual jeans outfit, but not this girl. Because my sister and I did a jeans swap over the weekend, and I'm dying to wear my "new" jeans. I'll try to take a picture {one of my goals to start actually documenting outfits like several of my favorite blogs do}. Anywho, this is what I'm planning...

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!

Feels Like Home To Me...

Since tomorrow is a holiday and I took Tuesday off as well, I decided to make a weekend trip up to Auburn to visit my little sister and all her buddies. Lots of memories always flood back as soon as I pull into town and this trip has been no different.

Apparently, I've been giving out a lot of unsolicited "real world" advice to Sassy and her sweet friends. I just can't help it. Being back in my college town, I can't help but look back and think about how I wish I did things differently now with the way life is now. And its just natural to feel a little bit protective of my little sister and her friends. I remember those days like they were yesterday. Feeling like the real world was so far out of reach and just living in the now. Living each minute to the fullest. Oh those truly were the days!!

Now, all my friends are scattered all across the U.S. and it takes an act of Congress to even talk on the phone to play catch up, let alone actually visit each other!! That's just how life is. But I can't help but be a little bit jealous! Don't get me wrong, I'm much happier where I am in life now and have NO desire to go back and have to go through all the growing up again. But it sure would be nice to share a house with my BFF's again. And have all your friends living within walking distance. And just show up whenever and hang out all day {it would be nice to actually just have the TIME to do that...simply hang out}.

I've had the itch all weekend to get work done. I loaded up LOTS and LOTS of work stuff so I won't be behind when I return to work on Wednesday. So this afternoon, after a leisurely lunch at Niffer's, I've claimed the Kitchen table while the girls "studied."

I've really enjoyed spending time with Sassy and her 2 friends, Mary Margaret and Gracen {see below}

Mary Margaret, Gracen & Sarah {aka sassy}

I'm pretty tough on Sassy's friends. Like I said, I'm super protective over her!! Sometimes I just wish I could protect her from all the mistakes and painful experiences she will encounter. But I know that there is no greater teacher than life itself. These two have made the cut in my book and THAT is saying something!! Thinking back through the years, I really can't think of many {or any for that matter} of Sarah's friends that I actually like. She's settling into being herself and I can't help but wonder if this group has helped her do this!!

And I absolutely cannot forget to mention that I had the joy of visiting these two last night until 1 am!!...

Jenny was and still is one of my best friends!! We used to work together. When I moved home, it was so hard for us to be apart. Now we NEVER get to see each other. That cute little pumpkin is her precious little boy, John Wells. Believe it or not, he is 6 months old and last night was the first time I ever got to meet that little ray of sunshine. I could write for hours about how precious he is!! He just laughs and smiles all the time and that smell of baby is just flat out intoxicating!! I don't know how she does it though. Just holding him for a while wore me out! But she's a natural and that baby is loved by his mommy and daddy more than life itself!!

HSN: Who Knew?...

This has to be quick because I need to start getting ready for today, but this morning I stumbled across a goldmine. Someone had mentioned in their blog that they purchased a sofa from HSN and I saw it in the picture and just about died. So of course I popped over to check out the site. Here are a few things I'ld LOVE to have. EVERYTHING is under $500 too!!!



This is what sparked my interest!! I would just about do anything to bring this gem home!!

on the pole??...

So I started out this morning with every intention of making today a good one. I knew that I had approximately 12 hours of work ahead of me and my gut reaction is a big ughhhh!!

NOT TODAY.

I made up my mind that today was going to be a good day {despite the fact that I had to go to one of my LEAST favorite sponsors to kick them off for a campaign}.

So maybe I was 10 minutes late out the door and it took FOR-E-VER to pump gas into the EMPTY tank in the FREEZING cold weather. BUT I was still on time for my meeting. So what if the sponsor was in a terrible mood and my camera battery had died so I had to go back outside AGAIN to get my phone to take pictures. And yeh, it took me probably 10 minutes to figure out how since the phone is new and I don't even begin to understand the concept of a touch screen nor the droid lifestyle. But I made it happen.

Things were moving along just as planned. Stopped at Chick-fil-A for a BAT {LARGE sweet tea, its what our office refers to them as. You can figure out why on your own}, made stellar timing back to the office. Everything was going smoothly until I walked to my office.

PILES of unnecessary papers everywhere. Now, I'm a VERY organized person. I don't leave my office without it being in perfect condition in the rare chance that I don't return because of something tragic. If I get plowed on I10 this weekend, MDA is going to be just fine. They won't have a problem finding ANYTHING. I'm so organized its disgusting.

So I'm already starting to contemplate the anxiety meds at the point and off to the copy room I went to get the marathon going. I was 3/4 of the way there and one of my co-workers stopped me dead in my tracks. Here is the convo:
L: WHOA WHOA WHOA....Pull up your pant leg and let me see your shoes
R: I know. Aren't they fabulous!?!?!
{FYI I was wearing black pants, a black cardi and these...}


L: Ummm yeh, fabulous if you're a stripper!!
R: WHAT!?!? These are NOT stripper shoes
{another coworker come rushing in}
C: Wait let me see
{I'm hoping since she's into fashion and more in touch with the latest styles, she'll back me up}
C: Oh my gosh you're like a giant in these
R: Well you're 5'2, what do you expect??
C: Those are cute, where did you get those?
R: Dillards, they're Steve Madden
{in chimes another co-worker}
J: Girl you are a straight up stripper
R: {starts to get angry/upset and on the verge of tears} Whatever, I like these shoes.
{in runs ANOTHER co-worker...and I'm blood red at this point}
C2: EWWWWW let me see let me see!!
R: LOOK I AM NOT IN THE MOOD FOR THIS!! SERIOUSLY!!
{all co-workers laughing hysterically and obnoxiously...takes me back to Jr. High days}

I walked into my office and had to fight back the tears. I don't know why but it really upset me. Nobody likes to be made fun of. Its hurtful and just mean. And to make matters worse, this was coming from a 40 year old woman. I believe that once you get a diploma, you lose the right to be hateful like this. That's my personal opinion.

Here I am taking a leap out on being creative and I crash and burn major. I thought that it was applauded to be an individual. That's why I love the blog world, because it is not only accepted, but also encouraged.

I'ld bet all my money that all my blogger buddies would back me up with this. So here's to you guys!! I'll keep wearing my "stripper" shoes because I like them and they're fabulous!!

So I texted my friend Tiffany {who is hilarious, click on her blog below under "There's a Chance I might know these people"} a few minutes later to get her input. She's brutally honest, so I knew if I was way off, she'ld tell me they were right after all. She quickly told me not to worry, "those shoes are hot!!!" And then she reminded me to consider the source. I told her the rude comments were coming from someone who is a perfect candidate for What Not To Wear. She reassured me that I'm right on track and not to let someone who hasn't opened a magazine since 1997 give me fashion advice. Thanks T Clems!!

WHEEHHH I feel better.

Where I'll Be..

I'll be spending quite a bit of time here in the next few days...

Agenda:
Thursday-work on the road
Saturday-trip to Auburn to stay with my sister
Tuesday-quick pit stop in Montgomery for a meeting, then back to Florida
Wednesday-ALL day trip to Panama City {gross} for work

Looks like another oil change is in the works...

It has been a while since I've done a Forever 21 post. I try to keep these seldom for numerous reasons {one I definitely am a fan of quality over quantity}, but every now and then it doesn't hurt to add in some items that aren't painful to the wallet...right??

I was MIA for a while. Felt like I was drowning in work. But after living at my office the past 7 days, I'm finally coming up for air and have some spare time to devote to this blog.

So naturally its time for a clothes post.

Where do I turn when I'm needing to fulfill my need to fill up my already overflowing closet??

Why FOREVER 21, of course!!

So when I started browsing, I'm seeing myself attracted to items I would have NEVER looked twice at this time last year. I was such a boring "housewife" back then. Always in my chinos and sweater sets. GROSS. Not that there's anything wrong with a good pair of chinos or a nice cardigan {because these are still my wardrobe staples for Monday-Friday}, but I was always playing it safe.

Not anymore.

Take a look at some things I'm hoping to buy more hangers for...


Yep. I'm dying here. And I think its safe to say that this is better than any of Lynn's cuffs {any Real Housewives OC out there?? LOVE that show, by the way!!}.
Its sweet and simple. I just imagine it to be even better in person. Paired with a white tank, flared jeans and perfect heels. I'm game.
AHAHAH this one is for you Sassy {we'll see if she pays attention to this blog or not}.
I saw this one actually on a model and it looked WAY cuter. I'm imagining having the hem taken up and pairing it with a pair of camel boots I have.
Oh yes. The tribal necklace. Takes any all black outfit from drab to fab.
And sooo many outfits are running through my head with this necklace!!
Game day jewelry?? No, I'm not THAT cheesy, but it could work. Maybe. Otherwise, it would be perfect for a casual Saturday outfit of distressed worn down boyfriend khakis and a plain white V-Neck tee.
Not a fan of the white ties. Again, a little altering would need to be done. But this is Forever 21. You can work with it!! LOVING this top over some skinny jeans and perfect flats.
There's just something about this yellow I'm drawn to right now. Probably because I can't wear it {which makes me want it even more}. Plus I really like the design of the skirt. Paired with a grey/navy/black cardigan...yes please.
OOOH LOVING this!! I would so wear this over jeans and a T-Shirt. If only I were in college now, I would take the whole relaxed college look to a whole new level!!
And because my hair stays pulled up in some shape or fashion 98% of my life, these would make the perfect accessory!! Plus, when I'm sporting the "Don't feel like washing my hair, so waves it is today" look, these will tame the mess!!
And another pretty thing to put into my hair. I'm not getting the vision quite yet, but I'm sure it will come soon...
HELLO ELEMENTARY SCHOOL!! Who remembers the old wrap skirt?? I do!! I was quite the fan!! But this one's fun fabric updates that 90's look. Put it with some black tights layer some tops and jewelry with fabulous shoes and an across the body purse. Yes.
Really into the graphic prints right now. Of course, these look best layered, in my opinion. One of those outfits based on the concept of more is better!!
Again, another perfect top for skinny jeans. I would hope that it would fit snuggly at the hit and spill over. I'm seeing tall black boots and long gold necklaces.
OH MY GOSH. DYING! I want/need/have to have this top!! With a yellow cardigan!!!
Look past the tacky belt and bright/loud 50's motif and this could be super cute if done correctly!! I have the perfect pair of yellow heels for this. Bridal/baby shower perfection!!
Yes, another item I would love to have. Really into the navy and white stripes look right now. since horizontal stripes are normally a major No-No, the loose fit of this top should be just fine!!
And just to spice things up a bit, this ring is just plain fun!!
I'm always a sucker for a beige vintage inspired top. LOVE these!! Some of the bolder items will come and go, but I can imagine myself wearing this for years to come.
Over white shorts. Gladiators. Across the body bag. Plastic Ray Bans. Messy Hair. Loads of gold bracelets.