Feeling 22

I turned the big 22 last month! I know most people say that 22 is not an exciting birthday, but personally I enjoyed celebrating my 22^nd much more than my 21^st, but that’s just me :).

My birthday was on a Thursday and it just so happened I also had two tests on that day. I came home from studying late Wednesday night & walked in to find this:

(real life messy apartment going on here)

Lana & Ben had gone above & beyond and made the first hour of my birthday so special. I may or may not have teared up (#alwaysemotional). So, after enjoying a couple chocolate chip cookies & I went on to bed surprisingly without opening any gifts (Lana was asleep & I didn’t want to open anything without her..willpower I tell ya).

Thursday morning was a whirlwind of cramming for tests & enjoying sweet birthday messages. After I finished my exams, I went to lunch with my mom and grandparents which was a nice treat. For dinner, we made a homemade meal of stuffed bell peppers, opened birthday presents & finished the night off with the new episode of Scandal!

Friday I headed to the mall to do a little birthday & early spring break shopping for myself. 

& these babies were bought with some birthday money I had received. I have been searching for a while for the perfect pair of plastic frames & these were the winner!

Saturday was spent marking off #15 of my 101 in 1001 list. 

 Ben & I went to Chateau Elan for a wine tour & tasting. It was so much fun & I actually learned a whole lot more about wine than I expected to. We were also able to try out a lot of kinds we had never had before & even brought a couple of bottles home. It was a memorable experience & such a thoughtful birthday surprise.

Saturday night we went out with some friends to celebrate my birthday & Kris’s birthday because we were born so close together. Funny story—our parents actually met in Lamaze classes before we were born & we have seriously been lifelong friends since before birth!

On Sunday all of the girls went to brunch for Kris’s birthday. It was much needed after our night out!

I spent the rest of the day studying for a midterm, preparing for an interview, & enjoying the warm weather we were blessed with for one short day.

All in all it was one of my best birthdays yet & I so enjoyed getting to celebrate with so many of my friends. Twenty-two has been a wonderful year so far for me & I cannot wait to see what else is in store!

I'm Back!

Well…long time no blog over here for me. To say the past couple of months have been crazy would be an understatement! Between school being much more demanding than expected this semester (10 hours in an experimental foods lab + 12 hours of other classes), moving through the entire job search process (searching, applying, tailoring resumes & cover letters, career fairs, prepping for interviews, & finally actually having interviews), working a part time job, & babysitting occasionally it has been a crazy time. But, I am so happy to say that I have FINALLY secured a job after graduation & I will be packing up and moving to Atlanta! To say I am excited is an understatement. I knew the company was where I wanted to be after my interviews & how personable each employee was as well as how comfortable & calm I felt through the whole process. I guess you just know when you know :). I have always planned to move out of Athens after college, but I was never certain it would actually happen or that I would finally have my chance to move to a big city, which is what I have always wanted.

So, securing a job has taken a whole lot of pressure off of me & school is actually slowing down for a couple of weeks so I am thankful to have a little free time to work on other things I have been planning for a while..including some posts. I had some fun & exciting things going on the past couple of months & I have wanted to post recaps of those, so look for them in the coming weeks. I am also going to do a post on my job search process & some tips I have for those looking to find a position after college.

Sorry for being so MIA for so long, but I am happy to finally have a chance to do some catching up!

Weekend Recap

Happy Monday everyone! It's back to another full week of school & I am having the HARDEST time getting back into the swing of a new semester...pretty sure that #senioritis is here to stay until May. Anyways, I had a pretty relaxing and low key weekend that I wanted to share with you all.

Friday night I surprised Ben with a stay at home date night! After our first week back from holiday breaks I felt like we needed a fun night & something out of the ordinary. His favorite meal is breakfast, so I did a breakfast for dinner theme complete with PJs, mimosas, and a movie!

I made eggs, sausage, biscuits, roasted potatoes, and a fruit salad. I set up a "picnic style" table setting by putting a blanket on the floor and eating off of our coffee table..only after sitting on the floor for a few minutes we realized that the couch was a much better option, though ;) We finished the night off by watching White House Down, starring Channing Tatum & Jamie Foxx. It was an entertaining movie, but I felt that many of the special effects were unrealistic and ultimately looked fake.

most of the spread..'scuse my lack of garnishes. My food teachers would be ashamed of my lack of plating skills, but this is real life over here..

roasted potatoes

Blueberry, banana, & pineapple fruit salad. Originally I wanted strawberries instead of blueberries, but the grocery store did not have any strawberries that looked good. I actually ended up liking this mix of fruit better though..it was a new combination for me!

On Saturday, Lana and I got up early and headed off to the gym. We are really trying to push each other this semester & be each others accountability partner. We took an hour long weight lifting class & followed that up with a spin class. We were dripping sweat when we finished and I am still sore today! I headed home and whipped up a huge breakfast of grape nuts, boiled eggs, and a grapefruit because I was starving after the long workout. I then kept my friend Jessica's new dog, Izzy, for the day while she was at work. Izzy is the cutest little shih tzu with such a big personality!! Her and Ben really bonded (and I think Ben actually liked her a little bit), but sadly I don't have any pictures of them together.

meet Izzy!

Sunday started off with some homework on the couch & helping Lana critique her resumé. We realized that we did not want to be stuck inside all day when it was so pretty outside so we decided to pick up my brother, Landon, & go out to my grandparents farm to shoot guns!

via Instagram

We have been talking about going to shoot skeet for a while now, but every day that we have tried to go it has been raining. We realized on the way out that we had forgotten a skeet thrower, so we opted for wildlife shooting instead. Ben also wanted to teach me how to load, unload, & shoot his pistol just for safety and educational purposes. Honestly, I feel scared around guns a lot of the time, and I hate it. I want to feel confident in my ability to load a gun as well as hold it properly and fire it. We are planning to go to the shooting range soon to work on my aim- #36 on my 101 list! We then had dinner with my grandparents & headed back home to finish some school work--always my favorite way of ending the weekend.

Lana & I

 Ben with his kill of the day

the Hunters were actually much muddier than they appear in this picture..the ground was so wet from all of the rain we have been having!

Lana killed a squirrel too! I was actually the only one who didn't shoot one & I am a-okay with that 

we ended with 3 squirrels & 1 bird for the day

iPhone Upgrade

I have FINALLY upgraded my poor little cracked to pieces iPhone 4 to a beautiful white & gold iPhone 5S!!!! You guys have no idea how happy and excited I am about this..I have been so tired of feeling like I was in the dark ages..I mean I have never even used Siri before! So now that I have a beautiful new baby, I have to keep her safe (aka not crack her up in the first week). I have been shopping around for a new case and wanted to share a few of my favorites with you guys.

When I got my new phone I was actually given the case below. Luckily I went to high school with the manager of the AT&T store so he let me choose whatever case I wanted fo' free. I went with this one because it's super protective, but still really slim and functional. It's very similar to a life proof case, but I prefer this one because the screen cover is a hard plastic instead of the soft flimsy plastic that life proof cases have which makes them difficult to type on. I have already dropped my phone a couple times (!!!!) and I am so thankful this case is on it..the only drawback is that you cannot use the fingerprint technology with the case :(

Incipio Atlas

I'm not sure anything is better than a Tory Navy phone case..at least I can see a little bit of gold if all the gold on the actual phone is covered up :)

Tory Burch

The case below is by GiGi NewYork, the company that is famous for their leather clutches (which I love as well). This phone case is so professional & classy in my opinion. Not to mention you can have it embossed with your initials!

GiGi New York

So there you have it--a few of my favorite cases. I am wanting to get one a little more stylish than the on that I have, but I am just so scared I will drop it or something along those lines. I swear phones just love to slip right out of my hands.

I also need some fun new apps now that I am up to speed (literally) in the iPhone world. Let me know what some of your favorite apps are, besides the obvious instagram & twitter! 

New Years Resolutions: 2014

Truth be told, I am not one to usually make new years resolutions, but lately I have been trying to be more goal oriented. Aside from my 101 in 1001 which I will be working to complete all year, I have come up with 3 goals for the new year that I think are very relatable and achievable. So without further ado, here are my resolutions!

1. Better portion control

via

Overall, I think that I typically eat a fairly healthy diet, however, my portions are sometimes out.of.control. While I think its okay to overeat in some categories (i.e. vegetables), I really need to make a conscious effort to check exactly how much I am putting into my mouth..especially when I go out to eat. It's so easy to overeat this day in age with the amount of food that is placed in front of you or just offered to you in general. I am going to try and split more entrees with whoever I am out to eat with or strive to take half of the portion home with me for another meal. This is also great because it can save you a lot of money in the long run as well. 2 meals for the price of 1? I'm always okay with that! Here is a great article about how to decrease portion sizes and this is a great interactive way to visualize how big a portion actually is..it also has a large array of foods so you can check it for a variety of foods you eat! (can you tell I'm a nutrition major?)

2. Write down 1 thing per day I am thankful for (#87)

I was gifted a journal this Christmas, and to be honest when I first opened it all I could think was what in the world am I going to use this for? I never physically write stuff down anymore, instead, it's always done on my phone, laptop, or iPad with the occasional sticky note to-do list or filling papers out at work. After contemplating and looking over my 101 list, I decided that the journal would be perfect for writing down something I am thankful for each day. I have already started this resolution & have been keeping the journal by my bed each night. Before I go to sleep, I write down my one thing & a little tidbit of why I am thankful for whatever it may be. It's a really gratifying and peaceful thing to do before going to sleep, and I can't wait to read back through the entire list one day. 

3. Become a morning person again

I am one of those people who is so much more productive early in the morning than late at night. I usually prefer to go to bed before 10pm when possible and be up by 6. Unfortunately this has really not been the case that past 6 months. Although I have no problem being on time for morning classes or 8 am work, when I don't have something early I have fallen into a terrible habit of staying up past midnight doing nothing (aka watching netflix) and then sleeping in until 9 or 10. Whenever I sleep so late I have a hard time getting up and going and getting things accomplished that day. Not to mention I never feel rested. So, I am really striving to go to sleep at the same time each night & get up earlier in the new year. When I was a freshman in college, my roommate, Katie, and I used to go to 5:30am classes at the gym on a regular basis. I really miss doing this and would love to get back into that routine (not to mention its a great way to get the day started & you're left with energy for the whole day). 

So these are my 3 resolutions for the new year. What are some of yours?? I always love reading other peoples plans for the year. I will keep you guys updated on how mine are going. 

Best Beauty Products of 2013

If you know me in real life then you know that I am a bit of a beauty junkie. I love researching and trying new products, as well as watching beauty videos on YouTube A LOT (and Ben loves making fun of me for this as well). So, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite skin care & makeup products with you all.

1. Clarisonic Mia: I use my Clarisonic every night to remove my makeup from the day. It does a great job of deep cleaning your skin without being too rough. I can really tell a difference when I go a day or two without using the Clarisonic. My face just does not feel as clean. I've used this thing a thousand times and it still amazes me every time when I look at the brush head and see how nasty it looks! It also helps to open your pores so moisturizers absorb better on the skin. 

2. Philosophy Purity: I use this cleanser both in the morning and at night with my clarisonic. It is very gentle, but does a great job of removing oil and dirt. I purchase the huge bottle during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at the end of the summer and it is big enough to last all year. 

3. Oil of Olay All Day Moisturizer SPF 15: This is my go to moisturizer. I put it on each morning and it absorbs well. It's nothing fancy, but it has sunscreen & it's perfect for my needs. 

4. Aquaphor Advanced Therapy: this stuff is amazing for dry skin..I have been using it constantly this winter on my hands and lips. I also use the lotion year around when I get out of the shower. It's really thick, but it absorbs well after a shower & it keeps my skin super soft and hydrated. 

5. Oil of Olay Anti-Aging Night Firming Treatment: I know most of you are thinking "you're a little too young for firming cream", but honestly this cream is just very moisturizing and seems to give my skin that extra boost it needs. I recently started using RetinA in hopes to fade my freckles and repair my sun damaged nose, and this cream has kept my face from peeling from the RetinA. 

6. One more product I forgot to include above: the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask: this is one tough mask. It will pull out all the gunk and really helps to remove black heads that otherwise would never budge. Not to mention, it's SO CHEAP! 

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation: this foundation is medium coverage, goes on and absorbs easily, and smells like roses. What more could you want with a foundation?!

2. Mac Blush: I have two favorite colors…Well Dressed & Warm Soul. Well Dressed is a pale pink that leaves a nice natural flush. I discovered Warm Soul when I had my makeup done for my 21st birthday..it's a bronzy blush that looks awesome when you have a tan. I'm not a huge blush girl, but I do like the Mac blushes because they are relatively cheap and seem to last throughout the day.

3. Revlon Lip Butters: these are super creamy and have great color payoff. They also come in a ton of colors and vary from super sheen to opaque colors. 

4. Nars Laguna Bronzer: laguna is a matte bronzer so it doesn't look all shiny and glittery, however, you do have to be careful with it because it gives off A LOT of color so you have to make sure you buff it out

5. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: I just discovered this mascara through one of the Sephora 100 point gifts, but I can tell it's going to be a favorite and I already ordered a full size tube. It makes my lashes look super long and full and does not wear off and leave black specks under my eyes like so many mascaras do. It is pretty hard to remove though, so I save it for special occasions. 

6. Clinique High Lengths Mascara: this is a great everyday mascara..it lengthens my lashes without looking too overdone. It also comes off with just water and cleanser at night so thats a nice plus.  

7. Maybelline Gel Eyeliner: this eyeliner is an exact dupe for Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner at a fraction of the cost. It goes on smooth and lasts all day/night. The jar also comes with a little brush which is great if you do not own a lot of brushes. 

8. Mac eyeshadow: I have long been a lover of Mac eyeshadows. Personally, I think that they are better than any other brand just because they do not have fall out (like Urban Decay does) and the color payoff is phenomenal. Not to mention they come in a billion colors. I de-pot all of my Mac eyeshadows and put them into a palate to make it easier to keep them all together & travel with them. Two of my favorite colors this year were Satin Taupe and Quarry--they look great together! 

9. Buxom Full-On Lip Polish: I discovered this through a friend back in the Spring, and I have been hooked ever since. It does have plumping characteristics and is a bit tingly, but nothing too crazy. It also has a smell likes vanilla, is moisturizing, and isn't too sticky--I can't stand sticky lipgloss!!

So there you have it, some of my favorite beauty products. Am I missing any products that I absolutely need to try? I haven't found an eye cream that I love yet because it seems every one that I try burns my eyes by morning or never actually absorbs so if you have any good recs send them my way!! 

101 in 1001

I came up with a 101 in 1001 days a little over a month ago after stumbling upon Mackenzie's list. After keeping this list on my phone & just crossing off things as I did them, I thought it would be fun to post it, AND since Jamie posted hers I thought I might as well just follow her lead ;). So, without further ado, here is my list!

Start Date: November 17, 2013
End Date: August 14, 2016

1. Inspire someone else to make a 101 in 1001: December 2013, my sister Lana
2. Mail 15 handwritten cards/notes (4:/15)
3. Land a big girl job: March 28, 2014
4. Buy a real piece of furniture (not ikea)
5.Visit 3 new states (5/3): Nevada, November 2014. Texas, January 2015. Colorado, October 2015. Illinois, November 2015. New York, December 2015. (save to say I blew this one out of the water!)
6.Go to Disney World
7.Purchase one pair of classic designer shoes: May 12, 2014::Kate Spade Karolina Pumps
8.Go vegetarian for 1 week
9.Cut out all sugar for 2 weeks
10.Ride a bike on an open road: May 10, 2014
11. Participate in a triathlon
12. Try an exercise class that is out of my comfort zone: Pure Barre, summer 2014. Side note: Pure Barre is really awesome if you are wanting to tone up. however, it is less than awesome for cardio or if you are a weights girl like me. I did it for a few months & finally realized that I really missed a real gym! 
13. Keep a food journal for 1 week
14. Find the perfect little black dress
15. Attend a wine tasting with Ben: March 1, 2014
16. Send out my own Christmas cards one year
17. Spend one day technology free
18. Throw a dinner party
19. Obtain a passport
20. Visit NYC: December 2015 with Megan!
21. Pay for the person behind me in the Starbucks drive thru
22. Invest in a new classic handbag: July, 2014: LV Neverfull GM. 
23. Color my hair for the first time: highlights, February 21, 2014 
24. See a theatrical performance: Cinderella at the Fox (so good!), November 2015
25. Plan a surprise trip to see someone: Spring break 2014 to see Addison
26. Go snorkeling
27. Have a spa day with my mom + sister
28. Try 10 new foods (10/10): duck meat-teal & mallards, lamb curry, quail, Japchae, curry chicken salad, tomato florentine soup, veal, brie, zucchini noodles, Sea Urchin (Uni). I''m pretty sure I tried many more than this, but it's all I can remember :)
29. Spend one day with my brothers doing whatever they like
30. Graduate from UGA with honors: magna cum laude May 9, 2014
31. Go 1 month without buying yourself anything unnecessary::clothes/shoes/accessories: November 2013
32. Eat at a food truck: June 15, 2014
33. Go snow skiing
34. Give blood
35. Take a dancing lesson with Ben
36. Go to a shooting range: October 2015
37. Write a letter to my 30 year old self to open when I turn 30
38. Do a juice cleanse: I will never complete this one..2 year ago Leah didn't realize I couldn't survive on juice alone. 
39. Visit Nashville: July 4th weekend 2014
40. Find my signature scent: Chanel CoCo Mademoiselle. Received December 2013, but didn't realize how much I loved it until fall 2014 
41. Dress up for Halloween
42. Ride on a train
43. Move out of Athens: May 31, 2014
44. Watch the sunrise with Ben: April 20, 2014
45. Get a blowout
46. Track my spending for 1 month & set a budget: January, 2015
47. Do a devotional book
48. Find the perfect jeans: Seven Skinny midrise
49. Go duck hunting 
50. Finish a bottle of perfume: I've finished a few now. 
51. Get a gel manicure: May 6, 2014
52. Try carb cycling
53. Take Ben to the Grill: December 14, 2013
54. Unsubscribe from 5 10 email lists (5/10)
55. Go to a restaurant just for dessert
56. Stay in an Atlanta hotel for fun
57. Visit the Georgia aquarium
58. Run the Peachtree Road Race
59. Pop a champagne bottle: March 28, 2014::celebrating accepting my job offer! 
60. Write a letter to a soldier

61. Be in a wedding: Jacob & Sam, May 2015

62. Serve the homeless a meal on a holiday

63. Refinish another piece of furniture: May 28, 2014

64. Pick strawberries

65. Make cookies from scratch

66. Go one month without biting my fingernails: I've totally stopped doing this! 

67. Have professional photos taken 

68. Get a pet

69. Visit a casino: November 14, 2014. The first one I visited (not counting the airport) was Caesar's Palace!

70. Have breakfast in bed: December 14, 2013

71. Come up with a way to organize receipts: email receipts FTW

72. Read a book series 

73. Go camping

74. Start a new tradition

75. Get rid of all of my designer jeans that no longer fit: April 15, 2014 (FINALLY!)

76. Go to a bachelorette party: May 16-18, 2014::Mari's Bachelorette Weekend

77. Have a picnic on North Campus

78. Bake a pie from scratch: December 22, 2013::German Chocolate Pie 

79. Stay at a Bed & Breakfast 

80. Blog everyday for 1 week

81. Back up all my school work onto a hard drive: May 7, 2014 

82. Get a facial

83. Give up something for the entirety of Lent 

84. Ride on a ferris wheel: November 14, 2014. the High Roller in Las Vegas, complete with an open bar :) 

85. Stay in bed all day 

86. Get kissed under mistletoe 

87. Write one thing per day I am thankful for for 1 year

88. Learn how to can

89. Organize a recipe box

90. Make 5 new crafts/DIYs (1/5): burlap wreath, 

91. Learn how to actually use a DSLR

92. Make a 4.0 one semester : Fall 2013 

93. Walk under The Arch: December 26, 2014 (finally!)

94. Plan out all dinners for one month

95. Create a cleaning schedule & stick to it

96. Find a favorite mascara : Lancome Hypnose Drama March 2014

97. Organize all of my nail polish: December 28, 2013

98. Host a holiday meal at my home/apartment

99. Get engaged (!)
100. Put $10 into savings for each goal that is accomplished: 31, 1, 53, 78, 70, 92, 97, 23, 15, 25, 96, 3, 59, 75, 44, 10, 30, 51, 81

101. Donate $5 to charity for each goal that is not accomplished