One Day at a Time

It's me... is anyone still out there?

2011-07-24T20:19:00.000-04:00

Wow-can't believe it's been since June since I last updated.

FYI-The NKOTBSB concert was beyond my wildest dreams. I've seen the Backstreet Boys about 4 times and this was certainly the best. Potentially the best concert I've ever been to. It was about 3-1/2 hours long and it was song after song after song. Ugh- I want to go again.

Anywho...

Everything else has been just chugging' along.

I've been working a lot-we've been having some changes at the store, but it's been fun. Keeping all of us on our toes, that's for sure!

I've gotten to see a lot of college friends this summer, which is always fun!

USC, my alma mater, won the College World Series Championship AGAIN this year. Makes me so proud to be a Gamecock!

The final Harry Potter came out. Super sad, but super amazing. We had such a good time!

So yea, that's what's been going on around my neck of the woods! I've definitely been reading all of your blogs still-just the worst commenter/blogger ever!

Go on-be jealous!

2011-06-02T10:52:00.000-04:00

Guess who I'll be spending my evening with tomorrow?

Oh yea!

I can't wait!

MLB in Myrtle Beach!

2011-05-20T17:00:00.002-04:00

In Myrtle Beach we have a Single-A baseball team called the Pelicans. They've been here for around 8-9 years and were a division of the Atlanta Braves. This past year, they switched ownership from the Braves to the Texas Rangers.

I'm not quite sure how it all went down, but they set up an expo game to play the local college's baseball team here-Coastal Carolina.

It was a pretty big deal-the game sold out in like an hour. The Rangers had their normal starting line up play against college kids. It was so much fun to be a part of!

Josh Hamilton was signing autographs before the game started.

It's hard to see, but I got his autographs on my dad's hat! Kind of silly that he had to sign it with a BLUE sharpie on the BLUE part of his hat...

Coastal's mascot-Chauncey.

My friend Antonella's son is the bat boy for the Pelicans. He got to be on the Ranger's side for this game! He ended up getting all their autographs on a bat and ball after the game!

Still can't get over how cool it must have been for the Coastal students. Imagine looking back and telling their kids "Oh yea, I played first base with Josh Hamilton my senior year!"

Family Vacation!

2011-05-19T17:00:00.000-04:00

The last week of February & the last week of April-South Carolina was graced with the New York Sherrills! We went to Charleston both times, sat on the beach, and enjoyed each others company.

2011-05-18T20:32:00.000-04:00

On December 12, my grandpa passed away. He was 92 years old. He was an amazing man-in every area of his life-father, marine, friend, grandfather.

When I was little, I'm not going to lie, he was pretty intimidating. He was about 6'4" and a big guy. I was very shy and quiet. Any time we sat down to eat dinner, I would pick at my food, and be the last to finish. He would sit at the table and say "Eat! Eat! Eat!"

One time, while visiting my grandparents-I remember I was at their house with just them (I have no idea where my parents were). My grandma was going to church and my grandpa had just had some eye surgery. I was in her room as she was getting ready to leave and she told me to take care of him while she was gone, and when she came back, she'd bring me a present. She brought back a book from church-something about having good manners. I don't know why that's something I've remembered, but I feel like after my grandma passed away-I've always remembered her telling me to take care of him.

My grandpa sold his house in northern Virginia sometime around 2002-2005 (can't really remember) and moved into an apartment on the campus of a senior living place. A few years after that, he fell and broke his hip-after that he was able to stay on the campus-but moved to a more hospital-like setting where he had access to doctors and nurses if he needed them. About a year after being in that room-he moved to a cozier-more apartment-like-room in the same building. A few months there, he got pneumonia and about 2 weeks later, passed away in his sleep.

I was lucky enough to get to see him in October on my way up to visit Natasha.

I'm trying to talk to my dad into writing everything down about my grandpa. Over the years, he's created a timeline-esque story of my grandpa's life. He also wrote the eulogy that he read at the funeral service.

From L to R: Back Row: Aunt Maureen, Grandma Frieda, Grandpa Ray, Back Row: Uncle Brian, my Dad, Uncle Dennis

In this picture-my dad looks JUST like my grandpa here. Twins-I swear.

Although it was a rough day-it was nice getting to see all my family at one time. With everyone living in 3 different states-it's not often we all get together!

I know this is a choppy post-lots of thoughts all over the place.

Calling All Gleeks!!

2011-02-08T21:43:00.000-05:00

I love Glee. Love Love Love it!

And you guys know I love me some Gap-duh.

How much FUN was this? For about 3 minutes- I wish I lived in LA and worked at the Gap at the Grove! A couple lucky of Gap employees got to be in the clip!

And if you guys watched the show-the guy who works at the Gap says his boss fired him...doubtful-if anyone (especially Darren Criss) came into Gap and busted out into song, all of us would be up on the tables with him!

So much fun to watch!

What I've Learned...

2011-02-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

On Tuesday I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. Bummer.

Since then I've learned:

I hate being sick.
I eat a lot when I'm sick/bored.
I also have saved money by not seeing the light of day.
Except for buying this and this on amazon.
I think it may have been a combo of flu and upper respiratory infection.
I also hate shots.

I also have been doing medical research online-never a good thing.

For the past year or so, I feel like I've had something (food) stuck in the back of my throat. Last year, when I saw the Dr. she said it was probably an allergy. I took the medicine (something like Zyrtec or something) and it got better. Since then, off and on, I have had the same feeling flare up. I know this is gross-sorry-but every now and then, when I sneeze, sometimes little pieces of food comes out, so I know it's not just an irritation in my throat.

Also-super random-but relevant-my friend's dad actually had surgery on his esophagus because he had something similar going on in there.

While at the doctor on Tuesday, I told her about it again (along with some other problems I've been having) and she said it might be a bit of acid reflux. Even though I don't have frequent heartburn or anything, she recommended I take Prilosec-OTC.

Have any of you taken Prilosec? (Probably not for the same reason I'd take it but still...)

Back to the research-

So I googled "food stuck in throat" and of course the typical-do the Heimlich comes up. I'm not choking, I just know somethings not going all the way down. Home remedies also come up-gargle with salt water, drink hot tea, leave it alone-your saliva will break it down eventually (which is probably what's happened in the past), but still some comments and message boards with people suffering with the same thing is a little comforting.

This is probably the most random blog post ever. And if any of you have made it down here, congratulations. I am going to blame the random on the medicines.

So yea-that's what I've learned and been up to. Jealous? Don't lie.

Playing dress up!

2011-01-30T18:11:00.000-05:00

My friend Natasha flew in town for a super quick weekend.

Her sister is in town from TX for two weeks with her family. Last night I got to join Natasha and her family to celebrate her sister's father-in-law's 70th birthday!

I always love spending time with Natasha and her sweet sweet family!

What have I been up to?

2011-01-28T00:07:00.001-05:00

These my friends.

After reading the the buzz all over the blog world about this series, I picked them up from my local Books-a-million.

Wow.

I know these are "Teen Fiction" but guess what? I'm still a teenager at heart.

These books were so hard to put down. In fact, I've stayed up til midnight the past two nights finishing them!

I love when I can become fully immersed into a world created by an author. When I dream about the characters-creating my own stories with them- or wondering in my daily life what would they say or what would they be doing? Any body else ever do this?

Anywho- if you want a fun, quick, exciting read-pick up The Hunger Games!

Rumor has it they are going to be making these into a movie-you know I'll be first in line!

Food Blog!

2011-01-23T21:03:00.001-05:00

A few new posts over at the food blog! Check it out!

Christmas in Savannah 2010

2011-01-12T23:18:00.000-05:00

Ok so get ready for photo dump 2010.

The second weekend in December, I headed down to Savannah (aka-the best place on earth) to celebrate brithdays and Christmas with my besties. My birthday was on the 20th and Rena's was on the 21st, but there was no harm in starting the parties a little early!

I got down there on Friday afternoon and Sarah and I spent the day downtown. We hit up the cutest fresh bistro and had an amazing lunch!

After eating, we hit up a few of our other favorite places-Paris Market, Gap, Urban Outfitters, etc.

Rena got in around 9:30 and we pretty much just hit the bed. Saturday we got up to some pretty rainy weather. We met Matt for breakfast, then came back and stayed in our PJs allllllll day. We ran a few errands before heading out to do the Christmas Tour of Homes.

After the tour we ate dinner at this amazing Tapas bar downtown, then came back to Sarah's to exchange gifts!

On one hand, I wish we all lived in the same town so we could see each other more often, on the other-it's fun to have different places to visit! I love these girls so much and I'm so thankful for a safe, fun and restful weekend with them!

It's A Start...

2011-01-12T20:32:00.000-05:00

So I really am going to try to be better at updating...

Here's a start.

I am starting a new blog. (Ha, why bite off more than you can chew, right?)

It's a food blog.

If you guys followed me here, you definitely want to come over here.

Instead of taking a picture a day this year, I'm doing a new recipe once a week. I want to cook more, expand my recipe repertoire, and enjoy/remember everything I've cooked!

So, with that being said, hopefully I'll be held more accountable with updating!

Also-since I'm not doing a photo blog this year, I hope to update this blog more with my goings-ons. Yea, those are real words.

I'm alive...

2011-01-08T17:13:00.000-05:00

I'm still here... even though by the looks of my blog I'm not.

The holidays are over, the trips have been made, and I still have one more day off!

I promise I'll be back tomorrow with some updates and pictures.

Be right back!

I wish...

2010-12-16T22:33:00.000-05:00

my family's Christmas card looked like this:

Is it weird that I love every. single. thing. about this picture?

Updates!

2010-12-02T22:00:00.000-05:00

I ended up going with the Clarisonic Plus. I found it on QVC's website for significantly cheaper and it came with three different Philosophy products. So far, I really do love it. My face gets all tingly after I use it. Love.

I survived Black Friday at work. It was madness, but in a fun way.

The Biggest Loser episode aired that they filmed in Myrtle Beach. I wasn't on it, but my friend Kyle was! He was assigned to walk with this woman, who may be a future contestant. How cool is that?

Emma did the Turkey Trot with my on Thanksgiving! It was a lot of fun-especially since it was Emma's first race. We had a great morning.

After a shower and a nap, we regrouped to eat!

Mmm...We had two turkeys-fried and baked. Both were amazing!

I also go to spend time with Carol and Natasha while they were home over Thanksgiving weekend. They came to my house to watch us give Clemson a beat down.

Natasha also helped us pick out our Christmas tree and decorate it! I'm so glad I got to spend time with her while she was home. She'll be home in 2 weeks for Christmas for about 10 days! Yay!

Turkey Trot!

2010-11-22T23:14:00.000-05:00

So I officially signed Emma and myself up for the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving!

It's going to be lots of fun and a great way to burn calories... allowing us to eat more later in the day :o) That's my reasoning behind running anyway :o)

ATTENTION SOUTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS!

2010-11-16T18:54:00.000-05:00

Remember a few days ago when I did a post about CND Photography?

Well, they are giving away a FREE Photoshoot! Check out their blog, become a follower and leave a comment telling them what you are thankful for! Love it!

If there's one thing I love...

2010-11-15T11:37:00.000-05:00

it's a product review.

Seriously.

I could sit on-line for hours reading reviews on clothing, shoes, beauty products, household products, you name it. If someone has reviewed it, I'll read about it.

Which brings me to this:

The Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Systems.

I have been checking this guy out for a while now, but last night I seriously submerged myself in reviews on it, which has left me at a cross road.

Here's the dilemma:

It's pricey. If there's anything I can get over/talk myself into, it's making an investment. Everything I've read about this is that it is exactly that-a skinvenstment. Isn't that cute?
There are too many options.

There's the Mia-which I love because it's a mini. And it's travel-appropriate. But then again, none of them are that gigantic. I like the little charger. Do I want one that has a bigger cradle to charge it? It's also the cheapest. But in the grand scheme of things, is $50 that much more? And I've found a couple coupon codes and other sites that sell the Mia, and other versions cheaper. It only comes with the sensitive brush head. Do I need other brush heads? It also only has one speed and a one-year warranty.

There's the Classic-which pushes me towards this train of though..."It's the classic. The original. Why would I get something else besides the first one? The whole "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" idea. It is bigger. Is bigger better? It comes with the choice of the sensitive or normal brush head? Which do I choose? The Classic holds a charge longer than the Mia. The Classic also has two speeds-low & normal and a two-year warranty.

Lastly, the Plus-has all the bells and whistles. And honestly, when have I ever been known to not go with the bells and whistles? This has a sensitive brush head and body brush head that I could use on the rest of my body. It also comes with trial sizes of their cleansing products. Also has a long charge life.

So there ya have it. What do you guys think? Do any of you have a Clarisonic?

Support your local photographers!

2010-11-14T22:10:00.000-05:00

Here is a shameless plug for my dear friend Charlie!

Charlie Davenport and I went to college together and he and his wife are my dear dear friends today. He has become an amazing photographer. He has recently started a blog journaling his different shoots and I'd love for you guys to become followers and spread the word! Click here to check out CND Photography.

SEC East Championship!

2010-11-14T21:46:00.000-05:00

Last night, South Carolina Gamecocks beat the Florida Gators to clinch the SEC East Championship. This is a huge feat for my school. When they brought Spurrier on as head coach in 2005, this was a big goal for him to accomplish. Everyone had such high hopes from him. But something that was hard for South Carolina to do was recruit the kind of players it takes for a team to win the SEC East. Remember, we are in the same confrence as Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee, all at one point in time, being huge power houses in college football. This year though, we beat them all. Even the #1 ranked team in the country, Alabama. We did have some losses, Auburn, Kentucky & Arkansas (all SEC teams) but I think that's pretty typical for South Carolina. They have to keep it real. Anyway, I could not be prouder of my school and what they've accomplished this year. Here's to December 4th. Wish I could go to Atlanta and see us take on Auburn one more time, hopefully redeeming ourselves!

The reason we have done so well this year is because of this man right here. Marcus Lattimore- I love you.

Opinions please!

2010-11-13T00:17:00.000-05:00

With my friends & family coupon, I may have just purchased these two beauties from Piperlime.

The gray ones are an OTK style which I'm not 100% sold on, I'm going to have to see how they look on. And the black ones are similar to my brown boots I ordered last year! I'm hoping both work out beautifully!

Friends & Family Starts Tomorrow!

2010-11-10T16:53:00.000-05:00

So I really feel like Give & Get snuck up on me this time!

As you guys know, a couple times a year, Gap chooses a few charities that we can pick from. I've chosen The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. 5% of whatever you buy with my coupons gets donated! Cool, huh?

I ended up resending my e-mail invites out to the people I've sent them too before, so if you receive one in your e-mail, you know why! If you'd like to receive one, please your e-mail address in the comments and I'll be more than happy to send you one!

If you're not into commenting, you can click here. But this invite isn't good on-line, just the e-mail ones are, if that makes sense.

Happy shopping!

Vacation-All I ever wanted!

2010-11-05T12:23:00.000-04:00

So I get a mini-vacay starting now!

The past couples weeks have been pretty busy at work with us gearing up for Holiday. I just got back last night from working in Jacksonville, NC to help them get their store set up as well. So needless to say, I am ready for a weekend away!

I'm meeting Rena in Columbia to go see our friend Caroline in Legally Blonde, the musical.

I think I'm also going to go tailgate for the game on Saturday. We don't have tickets but it will still be fun to go down there. I miss going to football games so much!

Anyway, I hope you all have a great weekend!

Happy Halloween!

2010-10-31T09:27:00.000-04:00

Happy Halloween!

Every year, Emma & I carve pumpkins together. We laugh, we roast pumpkin seeds, we may partake in a hard apple cider, and we always come out with some pretty awesome pumpkins, if I do say so myself!

Emma setting up the table.

The back porch.

The tools.

When we were little people always thought we were twins. Sometimes, people still ask.

This is me yelling at my dad who cannot seem to understand how to operate an SLR, and this is Emma cracking up at that.

We take this picture every year. It's tradition.

It totally looks like shes rubbing my hair with the the pumpkin goo.

Emma's pumpkin-before the big cut.

After!

Here's mine!

A couple minutes, LOTS of humidity, and two hard apple ciders later...

Ta-Da!

Keep it up!

2010-10-28T10:00:00.000-04:00

I mean while we're on the subject of running...

Kiki completed her first half-marathon last Sunday!

Amy, Antonella & I met up with Ken and her Mom to cheer her on and we couldn't have been prouder!

Our super fun signs we made!

Waiting patiently for her to come by us!

We found her!

Kik getting super happy to see us! I promise-she's happy!

Coming to give us quick hugs on the way to the finish line.

And she's back off!

Her and Barbara approaching the finish line!

I think this is my favorite shot of the day! Check out that medal!

Gap girls!

I thought this was the coolest idea-dedicate each mile to someone you love, think about them the whole mile to get you through it! I love love love it!

Biggest Loser 5K Recap!

2010-10-26T10:00:00.001-04:00

I have been neglecting my blog when it comes to life updates. Blerg.

I know I told you guys about the Biggest Loser coming to Myrtle Beach a couple weeks ago...well Amy & I signed up the day before and I'm so glad we did!

It was a warm morning, but it was a ton of fun. It was Amy's first race ever, so that was super fun to be apart of. We got to see several former contestants from the show, and I even high-fived Bob on the race!

They told us the episode would air the week of Thanksgiving-so be sure to look for us!

This is the finish line...along the boardwalk. Not too shabby a view!

Amy & I before the race.

The lady in the pink is Sherry from last season.

I totally high-fived him right after this!

We had a friend who printed out a life-sized head shot that they carried around the entire race. She was a hit afterward and we took so many pictures with them.

Me & Sam-we always end up finding each other at local races. Love her!

Kiki came to be our cheer squad/AV girl!

I didn't stand in line to get an autograph but I did get super close to get some pictures!

Everybody loves the oranges at the end!

Philly Recap!

2010-10-24T21:52:00.000-04:00

Ok so it's been about 2 weeks since I've returned from Philly and let me start out by saying how much fun I had! We did so much shopping. So much sight seeing. So much eating. It was a great weekend! I wish it were closer so I could visit more often!

Here's the biggest picture dump ever:

Day 1-King of Prussia Mall

Pumpkin cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory

Day 2- Downtown Philly

Liberty Bell

Still cracked!

At Christ's Church cemetary-Ben Franklin's grave site.

There just happened to be a car show on a side street downtown so we decided to check it out. Low and behold-there was a DeLorean!

Waiting to get into Independence Hall

The room where the Declaration of Independence was signed-too cool!

Congress Hall (Next to Independence Hall).

The original Senate.

City Hall-seriously one of the prettiest buildings I've seen.

Had to get a Cheesesteak!

Inside the Christiana Mall in Delaware - Natasha loves some R2D2!

We had a ridiculous amount of Cheesecake Factory that weekend!

My friend Jon from high school has moved up here this summer and turns out-he and his wife live super close to Natasha! We were able to meet up for drinks the night before I left.

Shameless Plug

2010-10-07T10:00:00.003-04:00

I'm not sure if you guys have heard about the Denim Recycling we have going on at Gaps all over...but...it's pretty awesome. If you bring ANY old pair of jeans, we will give you 30% off ANY pair of 1969 jeans! And you can bring in as many as you want.

Want to know what's even cooler? Once it's all said and done, we recycle the old jeans into housing insulation. The last denim recycling event we had back in March provided insulation for over 500 homes in Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina houses. Be apart of something bigger by donating your old jeans!

*Oh and if you go to Facebook, and like the Gap's page, you can get a special code to get 40% off instead of just 30%!

Whoopsie!

2010-10-06T21:59:00.000-04:00

I am a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad blogger. Please forgive me!

Life has been pretty busy around here lately! Lots of work, friends coming into town, and honestly, not enough time for me to sit down for hours and blog like I really want to!

But I will let you in on some super fun plans I have starting tomorrow...

I am going to Philadelphia! My friend Natasha has been up there for a little over a year and I have an opportunity to visit for a long weekend. I can't wait to do all the super nerdy stuff; Independence Hall, shopping, the Liberty Bell, Cheese steaks, shopping, the Rocky steps, and shopping. It's gonna be a great weekend! You can be sure I'll be back with an awesome post about my trip.

Also-on a side note- South Carolina is playing the #1 ranked Alabama this Saturday. AND ESPN's College Gameday crew is going to be there! SO SAD I can't be there!

Good thing probably, for Lee Corso's sake anyway. I'd be sure to punch him in the face if I ever saw him in person.

Oreo Truffles!

2010-09-19T12:56:00.000-04:00

I present to you...

Oreo Truffles.

Start with one box of Oreos.

One bar of cream cheese, softened.

Two tubs of Baker's Dipping Chocolate.

Grind up entire box of Oreos in food processor.

Reserve a few crumbs for on top.

Combine softened cream cheese with Oreo crumbs.

Form small, bite-sized balls, and cover with the chocolate.

Sprinkle Oreo crumbs on top.

Leave in the fridge until chocolate hardens, approx. 20-30 minutes.

Eat as many as you want too!

Mushroom Risotto

2010-09-12T15:14:00.002-04:00

So I'm not quite sure why but all of a sudden, today I decided I was going to make risotto. If you know me IRL, I watch a ridiculous amount of Food Network and don't really act upon it. Today though, it all changed! I present to you, Tyler Florence's Mushroom Risotto:

Ingredients

8 cups chicken broth, low sodium
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 onion, diced, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1 pound fresh portobello and crimini mushrooms, sliced (I used baby bella and button mushrooms.)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
1 tablespoon truffle oil (Omitted b/c Lowe's didn't have it, nor was I going to pay for what it probably would have cost.)
1-ounce dried porcini mushrooms, wiped of grit (I used dried shiitake, again because that's what Lowe's had.)
2 cups Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fresh Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh Italian parsley, for garnish

Directions

Heat the chicken broth in a medium saucepan and keep warm over low heat.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1/2 onion and 1 clove garlic, cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the fresh mushrooms, herbs and butter. Saute for 3 to 5 minutes until lightly browned, season with salt and pepper. Drizzle in truffle oil then add the dried porcini mushrooms which were reconstituted in1 cup of warm chicken broth. Season again with salt and fresh cracked pepper. Saute 1 minute then remove from heat and set aside.

Coat a saucepan with remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Saute the remaining 1/2 onion and garlic clove. Add the rice and stir quickly until it is well-coated and opaque, 1 minute. This step cooks the starchy coating and prevents the grains from sticking. Stir in wine and cook until it is nearly all evaporated.

Now, with a ladle, add 1 cup of the warm broth and cook, stirring, until the rice has absorbed the liquid. Add the remaining broth, 1 cup at a time. Continue to cook and stir, allowing the rice to absorb each addition of broth before adding more. The risotto should be slightly firm and creamy, not mushy. Transfer the mushrooms to the rice mixture. Stir in Parmesan cheese, cook briefly until melted. Top with a drizzle of truffle oil and chopped parsley before serving.

GAME DAY!

2010-09-11T17:35:00.000-04:00

It's a great day to be a Gamecock! We beat UGA 17-6!

Sir Big Spur

My new boyfriend-Marcus Lattimore. I will be ordering this jersey asap.

GAME DAY!

2010-09-02T10:16:00.001-04:00

Today kicks off the 2010 College Football season!

Again, South Carolina is the season opener tonight!

I wish I could be at Williams Brice Stadium with all my friends tonight!

Everybody's gettin' a new do!

2010-08-27T22:02:00.000-04:00

So today, almost everyone in my house got a hair cut!

I decided to do something noticeable, but not too drastic. I kept my length, but added some low-lights and bangs! I haven't had bangs since 8th grade! Kinda fun! It's definitely going to take some getting used to, that's for sure.

My before & after shots.

Gus and Bailey decided to stick with what they know! The Schnauzer and Westie cut! I think they look adorable!

Gus & Bailey's before and after shots.

Site Under Construction...

2010-08-25T23:27:00.000-04:00

I'll be messing with the layout for the next little while... please ignore!

And continue to send me your email addresses if you want a 30% off coupon for this weekend to Gap!

Want to go shopping?

2010-08-25T22:08:00.008-04:00

It's Friends & Family Weekend at The Gap!

August 26-29 you can get 30% off your entire purchase! And 5% of what you spend will be donated to the charity I have chosen- The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society!

The coupon is good at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic, The Outlet stores, Piperlime & Athleta. You can also use the coupon as many times as you want in stores and once on-line.

I have 33 e-mail invites left! Please leave a comment with your e-mail address if you'd like a coupon!

Want to see what I have in my shopping cart already?

Biggest Loser 5K!

2010-08-10T17:00:00.000-04:00

I love the Biggest Loser!

Starting on September 25, they are kicking off several 5Ks all over the country and their first one is here in Myrtle Beach!

And, the coolest part is---Bob is going to be here! The website says part of the race that day will air on a show in November. How Cool!?!

iPhone 4 Case Help!

2010-08-09T20:56:00.009-04:00

I need help.

I got the iPhone 4 and since last Saturday have been carrying it around in a sock-a cute sock, but a sock.

These are the ones I'm deciding between:

This is made by Incase, it's the slider case. It's $34.95.

This one is the Feather case by Incipio. It's the same case I had for my previous iPhone. It's $24.99.

And these two are the cutest things I found on Etsy!

I LOVE this one!!!

Want This:

2010-08-05T10:00:00.000-04:00

I have been watching 30 Rock Season 3 all day today. In most of the episodes, Liz has on this gold necklace with two "L"s.

I did a bit of research and found out that it's a Helen Ficalora Alphabet Charm.

I also found out they're $125 for each charm! Yikes!

She makes lots of other beautiful charms - I love the sea shell ones!

There's a lot of other options I've found on Etsy for much cheaper.

One, or maybe more, will end up on my Christmas list this year!

Because I love ya'll...

2010-08-03T23:52:00.003-04:00

Ok so as you've probably guessed, I am head over heals in love with my iPhone.

I finally broke down and got the black 32GB iPhone 4. After 3 delays of the white one, I thought, forget it! I can't wait any longer!

I've been really enjoying the iMovie App! I totally was joking the other day that I'd be making movies of all the silly, mundane things I did.

Exhibit A:*

*Some notes to add:

Getting my eyebrows waxed doesn't hurt. I made the faces for dramatic effect.
Does anyone else's eyebrows turn/stay extremely red afterward? I have to put concealer, foundation, powder, etc. to even disguise the redness!

Who doesn't love a good pampering?

2010-08-03T10:00:00.000-04:00

So last Friday, I took mom to get a mani/pedi with me.
It's been a while since she's been able to get one due to some health issues she's been having. We both really enjoyed it!

Mom got French on her fingers and toes!

I got Essie's Lapis of Luxury on my nails.

And OPI's Cajun Shrimp on my toes!

Cupcake!

2010-08-02T10:00:00.001-04:00

While in Columbia, Suzanne and Charlie took me to the cutest little cupcake bakery, ironic enough called Cupcake! It's downtown in the Vista and every day their cupcake specials change. They have other locations around South Carolina as well.

We were pretty excited to check it out!

I got the Black and White cupcake!

Suzanne got Praline!

We had a great time taking pictures!

Back half of the amazing weekend

2010-08-01T10:00:00.000-04:00

We went to church Sunday morning and I got to see some of my bible study ladies!

After church we stopped at The Gourmet Shop in Five Points.

Holy Crap.

How did I not know about this place while I was living there?!

After that we hit up the frozen yogurt place! It was so yummy!

We ended the night with some of the guac I've been making ALL summer!

Saturday in Cola

2010-07-31T10:00:00.000-04:00

When I got back to Columbia, I met up with Suzanne & Charlie.

Charlie had a super fun idea that we all go down to the Vista and take pictures! We came up with a contest and our own categories and rules. I won't go into the details but here are some of the pictures I took:

American Idol News

2010-07-30T21:54:00.005-04:00

So have you guys heard the news?

Ellen has quit American Idol! While I am super sad about this, I have also heard that Kara was fired! Which makes me SUPER happy because she is the worst!

She is always so mean, with her backhanded insults.

I also have heard that Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler will be the new judges.

I'm not 100% sure how I feel about these two as replacements...We'll have to see when the show starts back up!

IKEA!

2010-07-30T17:37:00.005-04:00

So after John Mayer we hit up IKEA on Satruday.

It was mine and Donielle's first time going to this amazing place.

We documented our trip from beginning to end.

We were like kids in a candy store!

$5.00 Wok? Yes please!

The coolest wine rack ever!

The best shopping trip ever!

Mini cups and glasses!

The warehouse of goodness.

John Mayer

2010-07-21T22:13:00.020-04:00

So the weekend begins a little like this...

I make this super fun trip itinerary:

On our way:

Us in our seats:

Our view of the stage-no zoom-18th row:

Ok so I snuck my Rebel in. Sue me.

I took over 400 shots. These are some of my favs, hope you enjoy!

John & his acoustic = my happy place.

Let the faces begin.

His outfit was definitely the most ridiculous I've ever seen him look-but I do not care. ♥

"Lindsay?! Is that you out there? I love you!"

When he did his encore, he popped up in the lawn. I was super sad, considering this was the most I've ever paid to see him. And of course he sings my favorite song when he's a million miles away from me :o(

But he came back before it was over, so all is forgiven!

Vultures
Clarity
No Such Thing
Ain't No Sunshine
Heartbreak Warfare
Perfectly Lonely
Gravity
Assassin
Who Says
Do You Know Me
Bigger Than My Body
Half of My Heart > Dreams > Carolina in my Mind

Stop This Train
Why Georgia
Edge of Desire

Random Post To Hold Ya Over

2010-07-17T10:00:00.000-04:00

Ok so right now, I am probably still on my John Mayer high [expect a detailed post w/ pics upon my return!]... but this was too good not to share with you guys!

So the other day I went to Food Lion. Nothing out of the ordinary. I was sitting in the car, and I check my rear view mirror and who do I see?

Brett Michaels?! Is that you?

Almost.

Oh Yea!

2010-07-16T12:00:00.000-04:00

As you're reading this, I'll be on my way to Charlotte, NC. What for?

Only to see my baby daddy.

You know.

18th Row!! Be back soon for an update!

300th Post!

2010-07-09T22:22:00.013-04:00

Wow. I'm at 300! How crazy is that?!

Sorry I've been a bit absent. Lots going on, that's for sure.

"Like What?", you ask.

Catching up with old friends.

Winning National Championships.

Seeing Eclipse and the hotness that is Edward.

Working.

Being off and going to the beach!

Friends getting married!

More beach & celebrating my independence!

Seeing more friends!

Cracking up at my Dad whilst the anesthesia is wearing off...

It's been busy, but I'm loving every minute of it!

New Camera Bag

2010-06-17T21:39:00.003-04:00

As you guys know, I got my Canon Rebel for Christmas and I am absolutely in love with it! It's so much fun to break it out! I still, however, haven't found a case/bag I'm in lurv with. Until now...

I saw this bag (different color combo) a long time ago at Target.

Would you believe the brand is from Australia and incredibly hard to find?

I finally found it from an online store in Canada.

Let's hope it gets delivered without any problems!

Apple FAIL

2010-06-15T19:47:00.003-04:00

SERIOUSLY?!

What the crap Apple?

What did I ever do to you?

Besides all that ca$h money I've spent on laptops, desktops, iPods, iPhones, etc... you can't show up?

Ok, my biggest complaint (besides the whole white iPhone being unavailable for pre-order thing) is that since June 7th, they've been parading around the internet. "Look at me! I'm the new iPhone 4! And now, I come in ALL white! Oooo!" Getting me all excited so that I can pre-order this white beaut come June 15th... oh and guess what... it's June 15th.

I stay up late to try to pre-order, wake up early, and what do I find?

White iPhone currently unavailable for pre-order or in-store pick up.

I feel like I was a little blindsided. Ask anyone I know-I've been talking about order this guy since the 7th. Not once did Apple ever come out and say, only the black will be available for pre-order. Never ever. False advertise much?

Oh wait, it gets better...

I am on the store's website, waiting for their live chat help, and on pops Kristie H:

Hi, my name is Kristie H. Welcome to Apple!
Kristie H: Good afternoon.
You: Hey Kristie, I'm Lindsay-
Kristie H: I hope that you are having a nice day Lindsay.
You: Have you guys been insanely busy today or what? (trying to be nice...)
Kristie H: Would you like some help with your shopping today? (doesn't answer my question, but okay...)
You: I am just wondering if the white iPhone is going to be available to pre-order?
Kristie H: I do apologize, at this time we do not have a release date for the white iPhone. I urge you to check back frequently though. (how do you not have a release date for the biggest gadget of 2010?)
Kristie H: Also, to stay up to date on the latest iPhone news, enter your email address in the box to the right at http://www.apple.com/iphone/notify-me/
You: So it won't be available for the official June 24th?
You: I am already on that email list...
Kristie H: I don't have the specifics for that as of yet. (Seriously?)
You: Wow, bummer.
You: Ok well that's all I needed to know... thanks for your help
Kristie H: Sure, I'm happy to help you! I hope that you are able to get your iPhone pre-ordered shortly.
Kristie H: May I assist you with any other questions or purchases today?
You: No thats it. Thanks
Kristie H: Have a wonderful day!
Kristie H: If you need or would like more help, please chat with us again.
You: Thanks.
Kristie H: Thank you for visiting the Apple Store. We appreciate your business (Yea, I bet you do.)

So yea... here I am, a grown 24 year old having a full on temper-tantrum/hissy fit/whatever you wanna call it.

Sorry. I just had to vent about my disappointment. Not another word about it. Promise!

Just so ya know...

2010-06-10T22:18:00.003-04:00

I don't really care about the NBA finals.

I do, however, care about the hat that Leonardo DiCaprio is wearing:

HOLLA!

Happy 30th Anniversary!

2010-06-07T18:23:00.002-04:00

Today is my mom and dad's 30th wedding anniversary!

30 years is a long time! Congrats!

June 24th, Please hurry!

2010-06-07T18:17:00.006-04:00

On June 15th I can pre-order and on June 24th I will have my grubby little hands on this gem:

Question is... black or white? I think I'm leaning towards the white!

And you KNOW I'll be getting that pink little bumper right down there!

YES PLEASE!

2010-06-05T22:45:00.000-04:00

Does life ever slow down?

2010-06-01T00:10:00.010-04:00

A recap of the last week(ish):

Friends.

Surprises.

Presents.

Movies.

Beaches.

BBQs.

Pedicures.

Basically, my life rules.

I can do anything good!

2010-05-23T00:11:00.002-04:00

Saw this on a fellow blogger's site today and thought I'd share!

Too good not to!

Dr. Carol!

2010-05-21T21:58:00.007-04:00

Yesterday I went to Charleston to see my friend Carol get her Doctorate of Physical Therapy!

Thursday night she had a reception for her Physical Therapy program on the Yorktown-a WWII Aircraft Carrier docked there. It was a beautiful night-so glad it didn't rain!

Today we woke up super early for her actual graduation ceremony.

I'm super proud of her!

We Love Wednesdays!

2010-05-19T07:49:00.002-04:00

Here's a coupon for Gap today... it's 40% off one regularly priced item, or 45% if you use your Gap Card! Enjoy!

First Beach Day

2010-05-14T21:06:00.008-04:00

I am definitely going to try to go to the beach more this summer. I don't even know if I went at all last year.

My deal with the beach is that #1-I hate sand. #2-When I go, I want it to be an all day (at least a few hours) event. I think it's kind of a waste to just go for a bit, which leads me to #3-You have to plan for the beach. When I go, I like to bring food, chairs, magazines, music, games, etc. Sometimes going and just vegging out is good, but usually I need to be entertained because it gets HOT.

Anyway--- Emma & I hit up the beach today. We brought chairs, towels, a cooler full of drinks & munchies and magazines. It was the perfect beach day.

The temps were in the low 80's but on the beach there was an AMAZING breeze, we didn't even break a sweat. Which probably explains why I didn't think I was getting any color! Ya'll know when I got home and showered I was a hot, sunburned splotchy mess. Oh well, it was totally worth the great day at the beach!

Tonight we also went to see Letters to Juliet.

It was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be and that Christopher Egan is easy on the eyes!

Word Up Wednesday

2010-05-12T20:03:00.001-04:00

According to Yellow Brick Blog.

New cuteness at the g-a-p!

2010-05-11T22:41:00.004-04:00

Some of the fun new stuff we got at work today:
(Sorry for the not-so-great iphone quality pics)

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-05-09T20:40:00.007-04:00

Friday I was off and got to hang out with my friend Carol. She's been in Knoxville, TV for the last three months-she is almost done with school- she's going for physical therapy at MUSC. She has finished with her rotations and is graduating in about 2 weeks down in Charleston. We hit up the outlets and got some super cute dresses!

I worked Saturday, but after I got off, I went back to the outlets to return a dress, then had a yummy taco dinner with Kiks and her family. It was so much fun listening to Ken explain the internet to her Nana and her tell stories from growing up.

I, unfortunately, don't live close to any of my extended family, so I always feel extra special when I get to adopt other families :o)

Today was Mother's Day.

Dad made pancakes this morning and we spent the morning hanging out on the back porch. It was SUPER beautiful outside today--I took some pictures of our roses in the back yard.

Dad & I got Mom some bubble bath stuff from Bath & Body Works & a pair of gold hoop earrings she wanted.

We picked up sushi to-go and watched our DVR'd Betty White on SNL. I'd say the weekend & Mother's Day was a success!

I'm looking forward to a busy work week starting tomorrow! New flow, Markdowns, and more stuff!

Hope you all had a great weekend and a Happy Mother's Day!

New TV!

2010-05-04T20:00:00.003-04:00

Thanks for your comments on my last post about the TV. Yesterday, I got a call from a friend who was in Costco. & said there was an open box Samsung, 27", 1080p, HD, yada yada. It's normally $379.99 but this one was $279! I didn't want to go over $300 so this seemed perfect! I headed up to Costco. and sure enough everything seemed to check out. I was actually on my way to work so I had to wait until today to pick it up.

So far, so good! I love it!

Yard Sale & other randos

2010-05-02T22:28:00.006-04:00

So Saturday my friend Antonella was having a yard sale. Her whole neighborhood participates, so a ton of people knew about it. I brought some stuff over and ended up making about $60! I was pretty excited. Here's a few shots from the day:

This leads me to my next topic... I sold my TV.

Nothing special or fancy here folks. It was a 19" old school tube TV that I got in college. I want to upgrade to a flat screen for my room. I'm thinking definitely bigger, but not huge. Do any of ya'll out there in the blog world have a flat screen that you're in love with? Or have any brand favorites you can suggest? I'm doing some research and looking online at Wal-Mart, Costco, Sam's, Target, Best Buy, etc., so any help you can give would be great!

I'm a guest blogger!

2010-04-29T17:00:00.000-04:00

I am guest posting on my sweet friend Oxana's blog tonight! Check it out!

Wanted: Life Coach

2010-04-27T20:48:00.002-04:00

Would anyone like to come in and make decisions for me? Like, life-changing decisions?

I would like someone who could do a lot of research, give me a bangin' presentation and tell me what my options are and what path I should choose.

Thanks.

Yes Please!

2010-04-20T21:28:00.002-04:00

I will be seeing my baby daddy again July 16th in Charlotte on the EIGHTEENTH Row!

Cooper River Bridge Run Official Picture

2010-04-20T10:00:00.000-04:00

So I don't have a scanner and I know this is pretty ghetto but I wanted to show you guys!

Super fun!

I can't wait for next year!

I love shopping!

2010-04-19T20:03:00.008-04:00

Ya'll know there is no better cure for a bad day than retail therapy! (Not that I've had a bad, I'm just sayin')

I've been meaning to post about my one find days ago, but honestly, I've been kinda busy :o) Please forgive!

Okay, first thing first. Last Tuesday I went to Sally's to get that purple shampoo stuff. Ashlyn needed to go to Wal-Mart and asked if I'd walk down there with her. "Of course", I say! So on our way to Wally World, we pass a Shoe Show.

I see these beauties in the window and ask Ashlyn if we can pop in there for a sec.

Look familiar? Like a pair of terribly uncomfortable Jack Rogers?

I start going through the boxes like a mad woman and successfully find all four colors in my size! Gold, Silver, Black & White! Here's the best part... they are on sale. For $16.98.

Wait, it get's better.

They are buy one, get one 1/2 off.

I got four pairs of faux Jack's for around $50. FOUR PAIR for the HALF the price of ONE Jack Rogers.

I don't think I've worn a different shoe since last Tuesday.

On to my second retail therapy...not as exciting, but still awesome!

Today, Antonella & I went to the outlets to pick up some $10 shorts from Gap. She ended up scoring a TON of stuff! I picked up two more night gowns, a denim skirt, and a pair of shorts.

I really hit the jackpot at Banana Republic though. I must've tried on about a thousand things, and ended up getting:

A super cute black shrug/cardigan thing
Two tanks (on sale for $4.99!)
A cute cute cute graphic T
My favorite color coral short-sleeved cardigan
A gold chain necklace with turquoise-ish stones

Lastly, we hit up J. Crew. I wish it were apart of Gap, Inc. so we could've gotten our discount there too! I only got two shirts here, but still SUPER cute.

Ulta Rant

2010-04-18T17:21:00.004-04:00

::Disclaimer-This is going to be a complaint post.::

People. You all know how much I love Ulta and how frequently I shop there. They send me email and snail mail coupons all the time and I constantly use them.

They sent me their current ad last Thursday. I see some nail polishes on the back that I definitely want to buy. Much to my surprise, they are also running a special-Buy 2, Get one free!

I go in on Friday to find Essie's new Turquoise and Caicos unsuccessfully. It takes me a while to find anyone willing to help me, and when I finally ask a sales clerk she tells me that isn't going to be released until Sunday and walks away. Doesn't really offer any other suggestions, just leaves me there feeling pretty bummed that I'm not going to be able to get a polish I was planning on using later that day. Looking closer at the coupon, I realize the $3.50 off any $10 purchase isn't even good until today, Sunday, April 18th. Ugh.

Here's the thing, I work in retail. I know how you have special release dates for certain things. But you know good and well they had that polish sitting in the back.* Anyway, I leave Ulta empty-handed that day with a bad taste in my mouth.

I begrudgingly go back today to get that dumb nail polish and use my coupon. I pick three Essie polishes up and make my way to the counter. When I get there, I realize I don't have the coupon that starts today. It's still attached to the rest of the ad. I do, however, have one that expired YESTERDAY. I ask the girl working very politely, if she could please please please honor the coupon that expired YESTERDAY. She tells me their computers won't scan them if they are outdated. Doesn't offer any other solution except to hold the polishes for me. Really? You don't have an extra ad lying around back there that you could help me out? (They have done this before for me when I've pulled up an e-mail on my phone with the SAME exact print coupon.) I know this is dumb and it's just nail polish but here's the thing- I work in a retail environment. What do you think brings money into your store? Loyalty. So far this week Ulta has really pushed my buttons. "Hello, hi, I'm standing here wanting to spend money in your overpriced drugstore-take my money!" Or at least try to help me instead of blowing me off.

So I don't know if I'm going to go back there with my coupon or not. I may just pay full price online somewhere so I don't have to deal with Ulta, even though buying it at the store would be much more convenient for me since I work at the mall.

*I was at Bath & Body Works on Friday morning as well. Michael, the store manager let me purchase two different products that they weren't releasing until Sunday either. Here's the deal, I'm going to tell everyone I know how great the customer service is there. I'm going to go above and beyond to get the word out about a store that actually wants my money. I understand not being able to put the product out on the sales floor, but if a customer asks for it specifically, why not help them out? In the end, you're the one who is benefiting by making your store money.

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-04-18T00:32:00.012-04:00

So I know the weekend isn't quite over yet, but I figured I'd do a mid-week & weekend wrap up post in one!

Thanks for the recommendations on travel plans, too! I'm definitely going to be doing some stalking of cheap flights!

Earlier this week I went to Best Buy to ~~lick~~ play with the iPad.

Guys- have you gotten the chance to play with it yet? I am still desperately trying to think of an actual need for this device. It's SO cool. I've talked myself out of it though and I'm saving up for a new iPhone coming out hopefully this June!

I also got my hair done this week. Have ya'll heard of a shampoo called Shimmer Lights?

It's for blondes. Ashlyn suggested I try it since I've been feeling like my hair is getting brassy. It's the coolest stuff. It's purple. Like straight up, "Should I be putting this dark deep purple in my hair?" purple.

Anyway, I think it's working. I only do it twice a week, but I think I'm gonna love it.

Friday, I met up with some of my bible study girls from Columbia! They are in town for my college church's spring retreat! It was awesome getting to see them.

Friday night was Relay for Life at Coastal Carolina. I had never done a Relay before but I am super glad I went. There were a ton of people there! They raised over $60,000 for the American Cancer Society! Here's a few pics from the evening:

Here's to hoping the rest of my weekend is just as awesome!

Help!

2010-04-14T23:57:00.003-04:00

Hey friends, quick question--what travel service do you guys use when booking flights? Any suggestions you could give would be great!

I want to find a CHEAP flight and I know people do it all the time-let me in on the secret!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-04-11T22:46:00.013-04:00

Happy Sunday evening!

I had the whole, entire weekend off and it was GLORIOUS! I didn't even do anything remarkable, but it was just nice to know that I was off.

Saturday I went for a run with Gus. It is SO nice outside! I took some shots of the pretty flowers in bloom...

My shins are still pretty sore after I run... resulting in these awesome pictures :o)

After a nice nap, Emma & I picked up sushi to-go and then watched New Moon. A perfect Saturday? I think so!

Today, we hit up Target! Let me show you my finds:

First, I found this super cute picture frame! I need to print some recent pictures to display in my room!

I got a set of dumbbells. I am pretty self-conscious of my arms and I really want to do something about it. Do any of ya'll have any arm workouts you'd like to pass along?

I got this bin that I'm going to put on my dresser...it's the same Liberty of London pattern as my bedspread!

Isn't this the cutest night gown you've ever seen? Once again, Liberty of London is rockin' my socks off!

We had a yummy lunch of chips and salsa at Abeulo's afterward.

When I got home, Dad & I watched the final round of The Masters. When I was little, I went to a practice round with him. It was something I remember pretty vividly today. It was good to see Phil Mickelson win. He has such a great story, it's hard not to cheer for him! This is his 3rd Masters' title! Crazy!

Hope you all had a great weekend!

I get goosebumps...

2010-04-09T22:49:00.002-04:00

Spring Shells & Cheese

2010-04-07T16:00:00.000-04:00

This past Monday Emma & I decided to try out Food Network's Spring Shells & Cheese recipe.

It looked amazing and it tasted even better!

We met at Lowe's to pick up the ingredients. When it came to the milk, apparently we got confused. We were trying to figure out cups into quarts and so forth.

Anyway, we figured it out and got to cookin'!

By the time we got it in the oven the kitchen smelled fantastic.

Let me tell you guys, I love mac-n-cheese. Love it. This was a grown-up version that I will surely make time and time again!

New Bloggie Friend

2010-04-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

Ok blog friends... it's time to welcome a college friend to the blogging world!

She is going to be writing about how she saves a TON of money by using coupons, and being a good steward of God's riches! She seriously is a coupon pro. No lies.

So if you want to get some tips on saving money and glorifying the Lord, head over to her blog and become a follower!

Tuesday Tidbits

2010-04-06T21:45:00.010-04:00

First off- thank you all so much for your sweet comments about my race! Is it weird that I kind of miss it? Well, not the upset tummy, but EVERYTHING else.

Second- I hope you all had an amazing Easter! Growing up Easter was always a fun, candy-filled holiday for me. I never really grasped the significance of it until college. I am so thankful to know and love a Savior who died for me. My family and I went to Emma's for Easter brunch. It was fantastic. We always have a great time during the holidays with each other.

The Delicious Easter Spread

Me & Emma

Dad & Me

Emma's Mom & My Mom

Thirdly- Thank you all for your prayers for my Mom. She is having her 3rd chemo treatment this Friday. This past Monday, she had surgery for a port to be put in. She's doing okay... some good days, some bad. She told me it's better this time than three years ago, so I guess that's good. I would love for her to wake up one day and say "I feel GREAT today!". Hopefully soon.

Today at work we got a TON of new summer stuff in; lots of shorts, polos, summer tops, dresses, etc. I'm looking forward to trying it all on! Speaking of Gap... if any of ya'll can make it out tomorrow, we're offering 40% off one full-priced item! Here's the coupon :o)

Cooper River Bridge Run

2010-03-31T13:07:00.028-04:00

So here is my official recap of the Cooper River Bridge Run!

My official time was:

Drove down Friday afternoon and did some shopping in Mt. Pleasant. Met up with Sarah and took care of some business. We check into our hotel and headed downtown to find out where exactly we needed to be for Saturday morning.

Here we are at dinner at a delicious restaurant called The Mustard Seed.

I didn't sleep very well the night before. I really worked myself up and I think my nerves definitely got the best of me. Lesson learned.

Here we all are at about 6:00 in the morning before the race.

Our friend John Thomas was wearing this awesome shirt:

Rena, Sarah & I waiting at the starting line.

See the yellow banner WAY down there? Yea, that's the starting line.

Here I am at the beginning!

Getting over the bridge! This was the most amazing feeling in the world.

Check out these cool guys in their leprechaun outfits.

I started the race with Kristen, but I was getting a bit of a stitch in my side and told her to go on ahead of me. This next one is me getting over the bridge! It was amazing-knowing that I could push myself to do something I never thought I could do.

SO many people all running the same race.

I saw my friend Spencer while on the bridge! It was very comforting to see a familiar face, someone telling me "You can do it!" Even if he is a Clemson fan :o)

Here I am getting into downtown Charleston.

I was so thankful for the water stations. They just happened to be at the right places at the right time! The volunteers were so nice! It was kind of scary at the first one though because the road was super wet and those cups were all over the place and it was slippery.

Mile 6! Holy Crap! I have never gone that far in a single workout/running session ever. It was the best feeling in the world.

There's the finish line!

And this happens to be my favorite picture of the whole weekend. I found Kristen at the end and her family was there with open arms! We were both all emotional and I was just so happy to be done! Her hubby snapped this picture. This picture total sums up how I was feeling.

All of us Myrtle Beach girls finished!

Rena, D, Carmela, Kristen, Antonella, Sarah, & Me

Here us hanging out in Marion Square, checkin' out all the goodies :o)

Banana phone!

We totally pigged out at Bessinger's BBQ after we vegged out for a few hours.

Rena loved those onion rings :o)

Sunday morning we headed home, but not before snapping a few pictures in the parking lot.

When I pulled into my driveway, I see the sweetest thing my dad put up on our front porch. He made me my very own finish line!

I was totally crying when I saw :o)

Not only did I have a great weekend with some great friends, I learned a lot about myself. I learned I can push myself a lot harder than I ever thought I could. I also learned that we are all running our own race-literally and figuratively. We may have bumps along the way, we may have to slow down and walk, but I finished. I can do what I set my mind to. I could not stop smiling the whole weekend.

Race Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-03-28T23:49:00.002-04:00

Details & TONS of pictures to come.

For now...

Weekend Plans

2010-03-25T23:31:00.004-04:00

Friday- Drive down to Charleston and meet up with some bffs.

Saturday- get my you know what handed to me by a 10K.

Sunday-suck it up and drive home!

All prayers are welcomed for this weekend! I'm trying not to stress myself out b/c I will for real make myself sick to my tummy. It's gonna be fun, just have to keep reminding myself!

5K Day

2010-03-20T06:58:00.003-04:00

Race Day!

Here's my timing chip:

I didn't take a bunch of pictures while we were actually running, but we got a few cute ones before we got all sweaty!

So the race... it was 151 people. I finished 127th. My official time was 49:15. I really wasn't doing it to win and/or be fast. It was SO MUCH fun!

During the first mile, a woman behind us fell... I'm talking ATE it. So we stopped to help her to the curb and make sure she was okay. It was really scary. She was fine though and we ended up seeing her at the finish line! (We're also telling ourselves that b/c we are good people and helped her, that's why we didn't come in first :o))

After it was over we totally took our happy selves to Party City and may have purchased some medals b/c we're awesome like that:o)

Overall, I think my first race was a success! I am still nervous about next weekend but I know it's going to be a super fun day!

Random Thoughts Along the Day...

2010-03-17T18:22:00.006-04:00

Some random tidbits:

Natasha & I went to Cracker Barrel for breakfast :o) Then I took her to Florence. She had a flight out of there instead of Myrtle Beach. I enjoyed getting to spend as much time with her as a could. We were talking about a possible weekend in April or May for me to go visit her.
The Cooper River Bridge Run is in TEN days. Ahh!! I actually also signed up last night for a 5k here in Myrtle Beach. It's the Conquering Cancer 5K. I am pretty pumped to do this race. It's only about 150 people and it's super close to my house. It'll also be nice to have a race under my belt before a race that's 35,000+ people!
Speaking of the race... I purchased this bad boy last night:
It's the double puch iFitness Belt. I recently found Chic Runner's blog and she and a ton of other runners recommend it.

Ok so I think that's all the random tidbits I can come up with at the moment! Oh Happy St. Patrick's Day everybody!

Liberty of London = Love

2010-03-17T17:47:00.004-04:00

So today I went to Target to check out all the hub-bub about this Liberty of London.

Well.

I am in love.

I love the all the paisleys and florals! Yum.

I tried on two different bathing suits and a top and ended up purchasing this top:

I also bought one of their bedspreads! I am washing it right now but I'll be sure to update when I put it on my bed.

Any body out there?

2010-03-15T20:22:00.003-04:00

Two words.

Shin splints.

I think I have them.

The Mayo Clinic's website says the symptoms are:

Tenderness, soreness or pain along the inner part of your lower leg
Mild swelling

At first, the pain may stop when you stop running or exercising. Eventually, however, the pain may be continuous.

Do I have that? Oh yea.

I hate it. I feel like I'm on the right track for the Cooper River Bridge Run that is in 12 DAYS! Ah! 6.23 miles is gonna kick my butt. It's gonna be so much fun though.

So your prayers are welcomed that I can keep running and show the bridge run who's boss.

*PS- thank you all so much for your kind words about my last post. Mom has an appointment Thursday w/ her oncologist to figure out our game plan. Keep thinking good thoughts!

Ick.

2010-03-11T20:51:00.002-05:00

I feel like I haven't posted on this blog in forever.

Yes the amazing deals are still going on at Gap, in case you were wondering :o)

I totally had some fun blog posts in mind... Foundation Funk being one of them that I eventually plan to write when I have more than 10 minutes.

My Mom's been in the hospital since Tuesday.

She had an appt. with her regular physician and she thought my Mom had a stroke... hence hospital admittance.

Turns out they think it's Bells Palsy.

Well when they did a bunch of scans (MRI, CT, Bone scan...etc.) they found that her cancer has come back. Lesions on her skull and spots on her liver.

Fan-freakin'-tastic.

So that's been my life the last three days... back and forth to the hospital, on the phone trying to update people, and some amazing friends and family holding my dad and I together.

Gap Updates!

2010-03-04T22:41:00.004-05:00

Ok ladies... a few reminders!

Tomorrow starts the 30% off Denim Recycling event! Bring in any old pair of jeans (doesn't have to be Gap brand) to your local Gap and receive 30% off (35% if you have a Gap, Old Navy or Banana Republic card) any new denim we have! (Jeans, tops or jackets). 500 pairs of jeans will be recycled into eco-friendly insulation for a 2300 square-foot house!
Friends & Family Weekend! March 18-21 you'll receive 30% off your entire purchase at Gap, Old Navy, Banana Republic as many times as you want that weekend. All you need to do is leave a comment with your email address and I'll send you a coupon!

Give & Get Weekend!

2010-03-02T18:27:00.004-05:00

It's that time again ya'll!

Gap's Give & Get weekend is March 18-21.

It's 30% off your entire purchase at Gap, Old Navy & Banana Republic, Piperlime and the outlets!

The organization I picked this time is WWF... not the wrestling :o) but the World Wildlife Fund.

I have 25 email invites to send out so leave me a comment with your email address and I'll send you a coupon!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-02-28T18:57:00.003-05:00

I know ya'll are probably tired of hearing how confused I am as to what day it is by working in retail but it's true. I'm sitting here asking my dad "What did I do this weekend?"

Friday I worked and then grabbed dinner with some friends at Michael's.

Saturday I actually got to sleep in. I'm talking like 10AM sleep in. It was great. I was a big bum since I didn't have to go in until 4:30.

Today I worked til 2:30 and came home.

Let me tell ya what an exciting life I lead.

I did take advantage of some extra time I had to play catch up with some of my college girls.

My friend Carol is coming back to the beach this week and I'll hopefully get to see her on Tuesday.

I hope you all had a nice relaxing weekend like I did!

My Life is Awesome.

2010-02-24T21:36:00.007-05:00

I seriously love where I am.

I love that I have some amazing friends that are spread all over.

This weekend I got to see Sarah, who's in Savannah, GA. It's seriously my favorite city that I've ever been to.

So-a recap of this weekend, you ask? Sure!

Got down there Friday, we went downtown and hit up the Gap on Broughton St. It's fun going into Gap's now that I work there... I look at different stuff now, how the store looks, what the employees are doing, customer service, etc... And basically, our store is the best ever. I may be biased but for real.

Anyway, I got some fun stuff that our store doesn't carry. And I love their dressing rooms.

We hung out at her house Friday night and watched This Is It-the Michael Jackson movie.

Saturday we got up and ran around Forsyth Park, then checked out a fun place for lunch called Soho Cafe. Let me tell you, there is always some new cool place to go. It was delish!

We walked around downtown and I got to take a bunch of fun pictures with my camera.

Saturday night we saw the movie Valentine's Day. I really liked it. Lots of stars, a good story line and a great ending!

Sunday we went to church and then hit up Express Cafe. Ya'll know how much I love that place. Breaddddd Puddddinnngggggg.

Hopefully it won't be too long before I'm back again!

Out Of The Office Notice

2010-02-18T23:01:00.004-05:00

Tomorrow I will be here:

With this girl:

Doing more Forrest Gump stalking?

Maybe.

What day is it?

2010-02-16T18:39:00.007-05:00

Friends, I am so confused as to what day it is!

Working in retail really messes you up since my schedule is different every week.

Here's an outfit of some new stuff we have at Gap that I wore on Sunday. I LOVE this sweater/jacket. I can't wait to pair it with other things in my closet :o)

Today, I only worked until 2pm because I had an appointment at the dentist. Ya'll- I hate the dentist. I'd rather be ANYWHERE else! I have a permanent retainer on my bottom teeth and the hygienist just starts DIGGING away and makes my gum bleed... Ugh. I took 3 Motrin before I went.

The good news? No cavities!

After the trauma of the dentist, I treated myself to a deluxe pedicure. It was the best hour of the day for sure!

On a random note--have you guys been watching the Olympics? Dad & I have been watching it every night... who knew? These athletes make it look so easy, like I could put on a some skis and compete in the Moguls.

Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T16:26:00.004-05:00

How funny is this? I love Someecards!

But on a more serious note...

I am totally stealing this from Sweet, Sassy, Southern & Classy's blog.

-On His Plan For Your Life-

Everyone longs to give themselves completely to someone--to have a deep soul relationship with another, to be loved thoroughly and exclusively. But God, to a Christian says, "No, not until you are satisfied, fulfilled and content with being loved by Me alone. I love you my child. And until you discover that only in Me is your satisfaction to be found, You will not be united with another until you are united with Me... exclusive of anyone or anything else, exclusive of any other desires or longings. I want you to stop planning, stop wishing, and allow Me to give you the most thrilling plan existing... one you can't imagine. I want you to have the best! Please allow me to bring it to you. You just keep watching Me, expecting the greatest things. Keep experiencing that satisfaction knowing that I Am. Keep listening and learning the things I tell you. YOU JUST WAIT! That's all. Don't be anxious, don't worry. Don't look around at the things other's have gotten or that I have given them. Don't look at the things you think you want. You just keep looking off and away up to Me, or you'll miss what I want to show you. And then, when you're ready, I'll surprise you with a love far more wonderful than any you would ever dream. You see, until you are ready and until the one I have for you is ready (for I am working even at this very minute to have both of you ready at the same time), until you both are satisfied exclusively with Me and the life I prepared for you, you won't be able to experience the love that exemplifies your relationship with Me... and thus, the perfect love. And dear one, I want you to have this most wonderful love. I want you to see in the flesh a picture of your relationship with Me and to enjoy materially and concretely the everlasting union of beauty and perfection and the love that I offer you with Myself. Know that I love you utterly. I am God Almighty. Believe it and be satisfied.

It's nice to rest and take comfort in that he is doing the planning and I don't have to!

Weekend Wrap-Up

2010-02-13T22:03:00.008-05:00

Since coming back from John Mayer a lot has been going on!

I worked my first inventory in retail! It wasn't too bad... they showed up, ticketed stuff and counted it. Then, we counted it. It was a late night for sure.

I had a free massage at my place, so you know I took advantage of that on Thursday! My lady is SO amazing! I also got a super cute new little point and shoot camera. The fact that it's red is just a plus!

Friday I worked and after I got off, I went to my first Pampered Chef party! It had started to snow (yes, snow in Myrtle Beach!) so a lot of people backed out... which meant more fun and food for us! We had a great time making a yummy pizza and a microwave cake! I can't wait for the stuff I ordered to come in! I'll be sure to fill you in when it does :o)

Here is Ashlyn demonstrating the cheese grater!

When I got home, it had snowed around 1/2 an inch... it was so beautiful!

When I woke up today there was about 4 inches!

I love how peaceful everything is when there is snow... so quiet and serene.

Hope you all are having a great weekend!

Mayer Madness

2010-02-09T19:14:00.009-05:00

How cheesy of a blog title is that?

But seriously, John Mayer, how I love thee.

Mom and I headed down to Charleston yesterday to see him in concert. This was my fifth time, and mom's second.

We had so much fun. He is so amazing in concert.

I also got to see some of my Bible study girls* after it was all over!

*I may have stolen these pics from Kaci & Donielle since they were on the TENTH ROW!

Boots!

2010-02-06T10:30:00.000-05:00

I may have purchased these yesterday on my outing with Madre.

Can we say "Dillards shoe sale=thebomb.com?"