Workin' It Out...

The title of this post has multiple meanings for me. First of all, me and the bf are going to be further apart (geographically) in about 5 days. Right now, we are an easy 3 1/2 hour drive from one another, but that is all going to change come this weekend. I'm moving out of my apartment, out of this college town, and back home (3 hrs. from here). And yes, I am moving back in with my parents. Say a little prayer for me and for them...But really, I am excited to spend some time(read: ~1 full year) with the fam., and I do LOVE my hometown. However, I do not like the fact that I will soon be an approx. 7 hour's drive from the bf. I am confident that we can make it work, though. The one problem for both of us is going to be finding the mula to spend on gas travelling back and forth. We are both sorta broke, and it doesn't help that we are getting screwed by gas prices. Oh well, like I said, we'll make it work.

Secondly, I am on a new workout plan. As of yesterday. When I went home last weekend for my friend's wedding, she looked FABULOUS, and, believe me, she has not always been the tiny person that she is now. She is short, like I am, and, although she never really had any weight to lose, she has lost pratically every inch of fat on her body. Not kidding. Therefore, she is my inspiration. When we were all questioning her about her dramatic shape-up, she was like, "I mean, I just jogged a little bit and did pilates." So simple, right? That's what I told myself. Well, yesterday, I made a trip to Target (bet you're surprised), but I had a specific goal in mind. I left with a cardio pilates video and a pilates mat. Yup, I'm official. So far, I am two for two--two days, two 45-min. workouts. I did it for the first time last night, and I was like, "Oh, piece of cake. I need a bigger challenge." I am really regretting that overly-confident statement right now. I just did the workout again, and boy was I feeling the burn. I guess that's a good thing though. My goal is to do that video 4-5 times per week, combining it with some light jogging/running--and healthy eating, but we won't talk about that right now :) Wish me luck!

Oh Happy Day

I am sickly obsessed with to-do lists; I make about 5 per week, but today, I created the mother of all to-do lists, and I feel so relieved at the moment! I wrote down a list of absolutely everything that I need to do before I move next weekend, and I was happy to find that it wasn't really an unreasonable amount of stuff. Whew! Oh, and I forgot to mention that today was my last day of work. Actually, this was a really sad part of my day. I feel like I have worked at that firm for so long, and I didn't realize how close I had gotten to many people there. I probably would have cried, except for the fact that I was extremely busy the entire time, running around like a chicken with its head cut off, doing things for the attorneys. The craziness was probably for the best. If I had been sitting around doing nothing, I definitely would have gotten sad. One thing that made it EASY to leave: my ex-boyfriend. I don't think I bothered to mention that my ex, who worked with me last summer, came back to work at the law firm a couple of weeks ago. WEIRD is all I have to say. Now I am all for being mature and staying friends or being cordial at the very least, but I can't very well do that when he is bugging the living s*** out of me! Example: earlier this week, he asked me, in front of several other co-workers, I might add, if I could give him back some shirt that I didn't even know I had. Since that day, he has texted me every day, twice a day, reminding me about his shirt. In the words of Destiny's Child, that boy is a "bug-a-boo." Old school, I know. Anyway, the point of that story was...well, I don't even know anymore. Ha.

So, after I got off work, I made a trip to the outlet mall, which is about 45 minutes away (I had been up there for work anyway), and hit up my two fav. outlets: Banana and Brooks Brothers. To my delight, I left with some fabulous purchases. I have had my eye on this dress from BR for awhile:

It may not look like anything special, but it's SUPER cute on! Well, I talked myself out of getting it when I was at the mall because it was a little more than I wanted to spend, but I actually found a very close sister to the dress at the outlet, only in black--even better! Plus, it was half the price--score! I also got a pair of chocolate brown linen shorts and these shoes:

After BR, I strolled over to Brooks Brothers and found a cute tank for myself and some seersucker gingham swim trunks for my bf. Best part: I got 25% off my entire purchase. Thank you Memorial Day!!!

Tomorrow, I'm headed to join the rest of the town on the river. Can't wait to catch up on some sun!! I hope you all have a wonderful long weekend!

Oooh No He Didn't!!

As you read this, please try to refrain from sobbing, gasping, yelling, fuming, etc because you feel so bad for me. So...about two weeks ago, I made my routine trip to the dry cleaners to drop off several clothes that had collected over time and needed to be cleaned. One of these items just happened to be my favorite Lily dress, very similar to this one:The only difference with mine is that it doesn't have the yellow butterflies around the top. Anyway, so I went to the cleaners yesterday to pick up my items, and, after dishing out a ridiculous amount of money to pay my bill, the guy brings my clothes out to the car, including my precious Lily dress, RUINED! Not kidding, unfortunately. The beautiful white eyelette was marked with yellow-ish/brown splotches of discoloration. And the worst part is, he was going to put it in my car hoping that I wouldn't notice!!! How rude? Now, it takes a lot to make me totally bitchin' mad, but, as you might guess, this did the trick. I have to admit, I feel a little bit sorry for the guy that got an earful from me. I think he deserved it though. Not only was he rude, but he didn't offer any suggestions, and he tried to tell me that the dress was a cocktail dress (in order to explain why it cost me $40 to get it cleaned) I was like, " Um, excuse me, but that dress is a sundress, NOT a cocktail dress!" What next? Well, I met bf after I got off work (he has been in town and staying with me this week), and I know he could tell I was irate. I made him go back to the cleaners with me, because I had a feeling that they thought I was just a stupid young girl that didn't know anything, and I needed him for the intimidation factor. The results were pretty good; he basically told them that they needed to pay me the full amount for my dress, and they agreed, given that they could make every attempt possible to remove the spots before they gave me any money. Of course, I had to throw in the comment, "You know, that's a Lily Pulitzer dress. Do you know how much they are?!?" As it stands right now, my dress remains at the cleaners. You better believe that if the dress comes back even noticeably different, I am demanding they pay me in full! The only problem is, even if they give me the entire amount that the dress is worth, I won't be able to find it anymore, and it's my favorite! :( Argh!

Long Time, No Post...

And I'm very sorry! I've been busy, though! This past weekend, I headed back home once again for one of my close friends from high school's wedding. WOW is all that I have to say. The wedding reception was at the Parthenon...if you've been to Nashville, surely you know what I'm talking about! Anyway, I think the location says enough, but just so you get the picture, my friend K's wedding planner was the same lady who planned Jay from the Rascal Flatt's wedding...yeah. Now you understand. I went to the wedding with my mom, but unfortunately, my dad was not able to be there to see how much he needs to spend on my future wedding...in ten years, ha! (Hopefully not) I'm not even going to begin to try to describe how beautiful the wedding/reception was because I would not do it justice. However, it was most definitely well into the six figures!! Here are some pics...This is from the rehearsal dinner--so much fun! I had to speak...yikes!

...The bride on the big day. She looked drop dead gorgeous, and that dress...!!!

My other best friend from HS. It was one big reunion!

This is the chandelier that was hanging in the tent. Need I say more?

I Need to Go Green

I am sitting at my desk in my room, watching the news, and I just heard that the polar bear has officially been declared a "threatened species." WTF? I love polar bears! Obviously, this threat stems from global warming and the melting of the ice caps. Now, I am not a grungy hippie or anything, but I think I need to make a few lifestyle changes so I can save the polar bears! Before we know it, penguins are going to be endangered! (Is that already the case? I hope not!) Okay, I just turned off all my lights...check!

A Bad Goodbye

So one of my roommates moved out yesterday. This happens to be the one that I have known since high school and been extremely close to throughout college. As I have said before, something--I don't know what--happened over the course of the past few months, and we began to grow apart. Well, I confronted her about everything, and we both agreed it had been very awkward between us and that we would try to fix it, or so I thought. She and her dad moved all of her stuff out yesterday while I was at work and my other roommate was at the lake (I think). I figured she would still be at the apartment when I got back, but they had already left. The only thing she left behind was a note specifically written to my other roommate, not for me, saying how much fun she had had living with her and how she was going to miss her, etc...Now, I know I may sound like a six-year-old child who gets her feelings hurt when she doesn't get invited to a "friend's" birthday party, but that move hurt. We have practically been bff's for the past four years, and she doesn't even bother to call, text, or include me in the note. Call me crazy/immature/dramatic (I have never been any of those ;), but that is just rude. We are both going to be in the same city all summer, but now this makes me hesitate to even call her, because, as I see it, she wants nothing to do with me. Then, if I don't call her and we don't talk, it's going to be incredibly awkward when I see her out...which is bound to happen. Ugh. This is me extremely frustrated. Why is being a girl so difficult???

Fab Finds

Happy Tuesday!! Now that I'm done with school and have a little more time on my hands, I thought I'd share with you a few things that I came across lately:

I stopped by Home Goods the other day and picked up two cases of wine glasses similar to these Riedel glasses that I recently got for my mom. Only, the ones that I found are slightly tinted yellow, red, and green--colors that I love in kitchens!

While I'm on the subject of kitchens, I was browsing around the mall yesterday and lingered around the window display of Williams Sonoma to take in the beauty of this guy:

I have full faith that this mixer will be one of my first gifts (to self?) that I get whenever I get married. It will be out for all to see in my kitchen, and my future husband will reap the benefits of this mixer.

I also stopped by Old Navy yesterday (it was a good day) and snagged a pair of VERY reasonably priced shorts. I have short legs, and it's often hard to find shorts that look good on me, but I love these!

I don't know if ya'll are familiar with Lolita glasses; if you are, then I hope you love them as much as I do. If you're not, then you are truly missing out! They make terrific gifts for all occasions. I just recently gave one to my best friend as a b-day present, and I also gave one as a gift for a wedding shower. Lolita makes martini, wine, and now even beer glasses!! Here are a few examples.

Yeeaah!!

I am officially a college graduate! I can't believe it, either. What a crazy weekend...Kicked it off with the fam coming into town. I went to eat with my grandparents Thursday night, and later that night, I decided to surprise my parents by showing them my puppy. I knew there was no way they could get mad once they saw how cute she was...they loved her! So then I woke up bright and early Friday morning to go to the commencement ceremony. Listening to 1500+ names being recited was about the most monotonous experience of my life, but it was still so exciting in the end! By the way, whoever created the whole cap and gown thing should be shot. Graduation caps are probably the most hideous accessories ever invented. Anyway, after graduation, a few of my sorority sisters and I enjoyed lunch with our friends and families at a restaurant on the river, and for some reason, one of my best friends had to give a little speech that made everyone, even my dad, a little teary-eyed. It hadn't really hit me until then that we are all moving away. After a hectic morning and afternoon, me, the bf, and my friend KB headed to Nashville for Steeplechase (the TN equivalent of Carolina Cup), but had to stop on the way to get the bf some new seersucker pants--a Steeplechase necessity. I've never been to the Carolina Cup, so I don't know if this analogy would apply there, but I once heard Steeplechase compared to "a Nascar race...without the rednecks," and it truly is. Steeplechase is just an excuse for college students, and adults I guess, to display their most preppy attire, drink, and socialize. You can see why this is right up my alley. In short, Steeplechase was pretty freakin' awesome, although it was tiring, and I did get a little sunburned. I decided, in the spirit of the event, to try my hand at making mojitos. If you have never made this drink, let me warn you: it is by no means a simple task. I think mine were a little on the strong side, because the guys seemed to enjoy them, but the girls had the same reaction as I did when I felt the shock of Bacardi 151 hit my mouth. Maybe next time I'll just stick with beer, but if you are brave, here is the recipe for a mojito:

1.5 oz BACARDI Rum

12 fresh spearmint leaves

1/2 lime

7 oz club soda

2 tbsp. simple syrup(or 4 tsp. sugar)

If you are like me and have no idea what "simple syrup" is, it's a sugar-water mixture. Technically, you're supposed to cook it (?) but who has time for that?? I hope you have better luck than I did if you try making this drink!

I promise to post some pics from the weekend later! I hope ya'll have a good night...enjoy Gossip Girl and The Hills season finale!!!

Sorority T-Shirts...

I have sooo many, and they are not going to be of much use to me after I graduate...this Friday! Anyway, I was thinking about what I could possibly do with them, because I don't want to throw them away, and I searched t-shirt quilts and ran accross this picture of a random example:

...Pretty cute, right? So I'm thinking this may be a great possibility. Does anybody have any other ideas? What did ya'll do with your old sorority tees?

Call Me Betty Crocker

So what's better than a yummy meal after a stressful (read: hellish) past few days? Nothing. That's why I decided to hit up the grocery and cook dinner for me and my best friend. I decided to take a stab at making chicken salad. My mom makes some phenomenal chicken salad, so I used her recipe, which combines boiled and shredded/chopped chicken breasts, lite mayo, chopped red grapes, celery, and salt and pepper. Sounds pretty simple, right? And believe me, it is! Mine actually turned out great; we put some on croissants--awesome! For dessert? Banana pudding, made with fat-free, sugar-free vanilla pudding. You can't even taste a difference! In my opinion, that's the ultimate summer-time dessert!

The S*** Hit the Fan...

HARD. So, I don't know if I have made it very clear that I have been having some roommate troubles lately. Well, now you know. It's been really awkward lately between my two roomies and me, and I have been just trying to deal with it, but last night, I decided to confront the situation. I made this decision over the weekend after how my roomates acted last Thursday night (They were done with finals and decided to drink all day Thurs. and go out Thurs. night; I had my hardest final AND a term paper due Fri., and they were being extremely inconsiderate and annoying--probably because they were wasted!) Anyway, I got home last night, and an explosive argument ensued between me and one of my roomies. As I was trying to explain why I have been frustrated for the past few weeks, my roommate broke in and said, "Well you talk about us on the internet!" And I'm thinking, okay hold up. You know about my blog?? WTF? Looking back, I'm pretty sure that I've mentioned my roomies in one, maybe two, posts, and, honestly, what I said about them was nothing that I wouldn't have/haven't already said directly to them. I have no earthly idea how they found my blog, nor am I really that concerned. If they want to make their own blogs and bash me, they can go right ahead. I am not interested enough to even know if they do. And yes, I am fully aware that they may likely read this...Hey roomies! I just hope that, before we all move out, we can get all of this mess sorted out so that we don't leave with bad memories of one another. Anyway, sorry for another rant, but that is what's been going on with me. Hopefully the next post won't be filled with the drama that I so detest!