High Five for Friday!

This whole not working or going to school thing is seriously throwing me. I never know what day it is! Anywayyyyys, I'm still excited for the weekend because that means I get to see everyone who works most of the week!

one // I have an apartment in Charlotte! It's more expensive than I wanted but it's in a wonderful location, very safe and and decently easy drive to work! It's also approximately 4 minutes from where my mom grew up. How crazy! The lease also ends in October so if I really want to find something cheaper I can!

two // Christian and I are headed to Carowinds right now. I'm like a 5 year old today... I hope he's prepared. Sidenote: are sock buns appropriate for roller coasters? I hope so..

three // We're headed up to Boone tonight to get the majority of my stuff I left there. I'm leaving the furniture for now because I'm trying to sell it in Boone. But this also means we get the whole day, night and tomorrow together. After many weeks of no alone time, I'm excited to just chill together. Also, this totally could have been lumped with number two.. sorry. 

four // My sweet friends Sam and Jeremy let me stay at their place this week while I was bumming around Charlotte getting move in things together. They are the sweetest and I'm so excited to be living near them in 7 days!!

five // This pup. 

   

Happy Friday, everyone!

Backyard fun!

Today, I'll be linking up with Stephanie, Chelsee and Kristin for The Party Don't Start til I Walk In and Thirsty Thursday!

So, as of last night I should have an apartment. As long as I'm approved by the apartment complex, I'm good to go and I'll be moving in next week! As I was walking through, of course I was planning how I want it to look and then I fell in love with the wonderful fenced in patio and decided I will be having some sort of cook out on it.

In my perfect, full of money world, this is how it would go.

First, this would need to fill up my patio ASAP. It's so pretty.

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These would need to be the centerpieces. The candles would be those kind that keeps bugs away because that is by far (well, besides humidity) my least favorite part of summer. Maybe even some pretty gardenias in between the candles? I don't know, though, seems like too much work.

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My friends and I are classsy. Therefore, we need this red solo cup drink-ware. Duh.

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Burgers. So many burgers. With every topping imaginable  because we've been known to put everything on a burger. Once, my boyfriend made one with cheese, fried egg, mayo, ketchup, bacon, guacamole and Doritos. He took a nap after that one.

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Out. Door. Bar. Cart.

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Beer would be stored in some adorable buckets and labeled all cute like. There definitely wouldn't be any of the water nonsense going on. Here's the thing. My favorite beer is Budweiser. People think I'm crazy. Sorry. But my friends refuse to drink that for outdoor events. So I cave and we all drink Bud Select. Since I'll be inviting said friends I'm just going to have a bucket labeled "Leslie" for my Budweisers and maybe something along the lines of "losers" for their Bud Select/Bud Light/Corona Light. And they're welcome to supply that themselves. I'm a good host like that.

And finally, I would be wearing something easy and cool because I hate heat. It's May and I"m already dying from it. I don't know what I'll do when the humidity kicks in. Die, maybe. 

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Now honestly, if I had tons of money, I would probably try to be fancier. But, this is more like my friends and I so we'll keep it low keep with the fancy solo cups.

I can't believe...

I can't believe... I still don't have a place to live in Charlotte. I mentioned here that I did, but the girl backed out and I'm back to square one. I'm going to see a place today so wish me luck!
I can't believe.... I move to Charlotte in 9 days!! Finally!! 
I can't believe... I get to go to Carowind's on Friday with Christian. I feel like 5 year old because I'm so excited! I haven't been since I was 9!

I can't believe... I most likely won't see my best friend until her graduation from Purdue on May 15th. This is the longest we've ever been apart :(
I can't believe... how much I'm loving my new book Dark Places by Gillian Flynn. Go get it. 
I can't believe... how lazy my cat is. Seriously, he's got it made. 

I can't believe... This is my 100th post!!! Honestly, I thought I might give up on this a few weeks in, but I love having a place to share about my life and I love reading other's blogs and getting to know people through this little blog world! 

Linking up with Robin!

It officially feels like summer! {Weekend Recap}

Whew. What a weekend. I know most people are headed back to work today and I'm a little bummed I'm not. Today was my original start date for my new job, but I know have two more weeks of summer! This is probably a good thing because this weekend wore me out!

Thursday

I include Thursday because every day is really my weekend right now and Thursday was fun. I spent the day with my best friend because we're really enjoying living in the same town again (even if it's only for two weeks) after 3 years apart. We shopped all around Athens looking for one specific thing and spent way too much time in TJ Maxx planning for our beach house that doesn't exist. Then, I stumbled upon the perfect pillows for the apartment onces Christian moves in ;)

Everyone needs pillows that have a perm. 

Friday 

I spent the morning being lazy. as I have been the last two weeks. Then I got up and headed to my parents shop where I proceeded to live tweet my experiences there. People are just silly. It doesn't help that it was a full moon. At least I'm pretty sure it was a full moon. Let's just go with it.

Feel free to follow along for more live tweeting of boring situations. 

After a boring day of harassing my parents, mom and I went to see Fast and Furious 6. Yes, just us. My brother is 17 and won't be seen with family and my dad was tired. So we trekked on over, took out a loan and saw this with the rest of the male teenage population in Athens. But, I loved it. I'm not even a fan of the series? It's a series, right? It was equal parts funny and action-y.

Saturday

Saturday, my best friend's brother, aka my other little brother, graduated from high school. Sadly, I have no pictures of this entire day-long event because A) I'm an awful blogger and B) my best friend took all the pictures and sucks at uploading things to Facebook/sending them. She still has a lot from my graduation I haven't seen. So, we'll be seeing those around July. But, I do have one of my adorable shoes I found on Thursday and of course had to wear! It was a wonderful day filled with reminiscing about our time in high school/college and realizing how happy we are that we left this wonderful (ha) town.

By the time I finally made it home, my parents wanted a late dinner. I had eaten dinner already and so I tagged along and had this:

Sunday 

Sunday the whole family was a sack of lazy bums. We finally got moving and headed up to the lake. We have a place in Anderson, SC on Lake Hartwell. Our boat hasn't been used in almost 3 summers, so we were afraid it was going to need a lot  of work done. Somehow, that wasn't the case. It needed a new battery and an oil change. Well, it also needed a lot of cleaning. But after about an hour or so it was water ready!

After a dusk boat ride, we wanted our favorite seafood for dinner, but sadly, they were closed for the holiday a day early and we had Fudruckers instead. We were also accidentally those assholes who stay in restaurants too long because we forgot it was a Sunday.

Monday

All boat, all day. Once I dragged myself out of bed (this seems to be a theme of the last two weeks...oops?), we jumped on the boat and my little brother taught himself to wake board. He was up on the second try! After a few runs, he fell pretty bad and we were back to riding up and down the lake! We took a break and grabbed Cook-Out for lunch and headed back out for an hour or so before headed home.

Like, could we have found a bigger tube? I don't think so. 

This weekend was so necessary for my family and especially my dad. Having us all together, with no Internet or cable, I might add, was wonderful. Yes, we annoy each other sometimes but I love them so much and I'm so happy for this time I have with them.

And thankfully, this week is set to be a little bit busier: headed to Charlotte to check out an apartment, Boone to pack the rest of my stuff, Carowinds with Christian and back to the lake this weekend!

How was your Memorial Day weekend?

I'm getting bored.

I don't know how to have four weeks off. After expecting to be moving to Charlotte this weekend, I'm a little thrown that I don't have to and I'm running out of free things to do in Athens. But, I'm trying to really soak in all the nothing  I have to do because I know I'll be missing it after a few weeks of working.

Anywhooo, onto today's post: Linking up with Lauren for High Five for Friday.

1. New purchases. I'm working on putting these together for a first week of work outfit!

Mine are coral, via

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2. Best friend time.  I've mentioned before how this girl is my other half and we live 14 hours apart. Well, we're both home in between school and work (she's interning with Pepsi this summer, that smarty pants!) and we've definitely taken advantage of that! Between the pool, every store in Athens and just hanging out at her house, we've really enjoyed being together. I'm not ready to be separated again come Tuesday :(

From two summers ago in Boone

3. Pool time. Like I said, we've really been enjoying the pool. The pool in her neighborhood isn't open yet, so we've been utilizing a random apartment complex's pool and it's working out quite nicely.

4. Two weeks of paid vacation. Before I even start my job. Seriously? I can handle that for sure.

5. My boyfriend.  I miss that guy. Since I'm not getting paid until almost the end of June this wonderful wonderful man has offered to help me out with rent until my first paycheck. This happened the day after I wrote the sappy sap sap post about him. He's precious. And again, how did I get so lucky? Andddd I get to see him on Wednesday!! :) 

Memorial Day Partying!

I'm linking up with Stephanie and Chelsee (like usual), but first I have to share some great news! I have a new life plan! Okay, a little dramatic, but my plan for Charlotte has changed some.

Original plan: Start work on May 28th. Move in with my grandparents, drive 45 minutes to an hour to work every day, have no privacy/free time, have to leave Zuko in Georgia with my parents. Save every cent I make to try to afford an apartment in Ballantyne (expensive area of Charlotte) by myself and eat Ramen until Christian was ready to move out in September/October. Cry a lot.

New plan: Start work on June 10th. Get paid for working May 28th-June 9th even though I'm not since they changed my date and I am relocating. I also found an apartment only about 20 minutes from work that's an affordable one bedroom in a gated community. I am taking over someone's lease so I have no extra fees/deposits. Just rent. I get to stay home for two extra weeks and enjoy more summertime/family time while getting paid and I don't have to live with my grandparents at all whatsoever! The lease ends in August and Christian will either move in and renew or we will find somewhere else!

Okay, so now onto Memorial Day weekend! My family is going to our lake house in Anderson, SC on Lake Hartwell so I won't be getting too crazy. But, if I was able to this is how I would spend the day.

Drinking these:

Watermelon vodka (lots)

Sprite (a little)

Cranberry juice (barely any)

Watermelon

Tequila

Salt

And, this one, I don't have a picture of it but it's the best...

2 cans of frozen lemonade 

1 can of cheap light beer

Vodka

Grab a pitcher and dump the lemonade in it. Fill the cans with vodka twice. Then add half a can of water. Dump the light beer in. Stir. 

Get realllllll drunk reallll fast while not realizing it sitting at your kitchen table making plans for the night with your friend and then realize you can't drive anywhere and pass out.

Drink responsibly. 

I'd also be wearing this if I wasn't poor. 

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Luckily, I really will be here:

And I will be sitting in the front of one of these:

Not ours, but close enough.

Here's to hoping I come back tan and not red like the current shade I'm rocking after falling asleep at the pool Tuesday.

I'm also linking up with a new follower, Kristin, for Thirsty Thursdays!

Happy Friday Eve, everyone :) 

That one time when...

I saw Lady GaGa in concert. Okay, it's actually been twice. 

Senior year of high school her song "Just Dance" came out and I loved. But, I didn't pay her much attention until halfway through first semester of college. My friend John was obsessed with her and got me hooked. I would listen to her album over and over and every song was perfect. We discovered she would be in Atlanta in December and we were absolutely going. 

We gathered some friends and headed up to Atlanta and it was an absolute BLAST. It was in a smaller venue and we were decently close to the stage. Jason Derulo opened for her followed by Semi Precious Weapons (who people still don't know). They were both phenomenal and then she took the stage. 

I really can't even explain how awesome her shows are. I've never seen a person with that much energy for 2 and a half hours while wearing 6 inch stilettos. My feet hurt just watching her. 

Seriously, a million costume changes.

Sophomore year, she was coming to Charlotte and I was living in Boone. John and I decided that we were absolutely going again and grabbed two more friends to join. We met in Charlotte at sketchy hotel to get dressed and take the light rail to Time Warner Arena. 

Getting dressed and other shenanigans

This show was obviously much bigger than the one in Atlanta, but it was still just as good. The best part about her shows is the way everyone dresses. They all try to mimic her best outfits and it's so awesome to watch. People show up in caution tape, bubbles, fake meat, etc. We have yet to dress crazy for one, but I plan to for the next one. 

It's harder to get good pictures farther away.. 

I know some people have strong negative feelings about GaGa, but it is seriously the best and most entertaining concert I've been to and I think everyone should go, even if it's just to people watch. 

I'm linking up with Meighan for That One Time When.. 

Link up and tell us about something fun you've done!

Mushy gushy love stuff

I talk about Christian a lot. Like a lot, a lot. I mention him in almost every blog post and I talk about him pretty frequently in real life, too. But, when you love someone that much and you are forced to be long distance for awhile, that'll happen. But, no worries, we'll be back in the same city in less than a week!! EEK!! I am so excited.. in case you can't tell.

In honor of this long distance ending and the fact that one of our monthly anniversaries is coming up in about 2 weeks I thought I would list out a couple reasons why is the best guy in the entire world. and I promise we don't actually celebrate anniversaries every month. It's lucky if we celebrate on the year marks. 

His sense of humor. Sometimes I can't believe he really comes up with some of his one-liners so quickly. He can always make me laugh no matter what kind of mood I'm in.

He's supportive. He wants me to make all my own decisions and wants me to be happy with every one. He was originally trying to move back to Ohio and when I said I was willing to move, too, he told me I couldn't do it just because he did. I had to fall in love with a job and do it for me. Every time I ask his opinion/advice he tries to hold off until I've made my decision. He will definitely tell me when I'm being too rash and not realistic, but he really wants me to make me happy first.

He's so helpful. He helps all of my friends. And he would do anything to help me. While I was having money struggles the last month of college, he would always ask to buy me some groceries or take me out for every meal while we were together. Before my parents got to Boone, he scrubbed every inch of my kitchen: under all the appliances, the trash cans, the burners on the stove, etc. He once changed my oil, washed and waxed my car without me asking. He definitely shows his love through actions.

He tries. This sounds weird, I know. But, when we first started dating (eventually I'll get around to finishing that story) he was very timid going into the relationship. He had finally calmed down and we were settled and happy when the long distance started. I was scared we may not make it because of his timidness. But, instead he put so much effort into us staying together. The way he started talking about feelings instead of just showing them really showed how much he cared.


He's smart. Seriously, he is so smart. He works in the IT department for the hospital system in Charlotte. He fixes programs when they break and he's also a project manager that designs and implements new programs for all the hospitals. He knows pretty much everything about computers (and I'm trying to convince him to design my blog and/or teach me HTML). He's constantly reading the news and keeps me up to date on everything important. He can fix any car. Anything I don't understand how to do, I go straight to him and he usually knows the answer.

He's logical. He's saving up for a car right now and it's driving me crazy. I just want him to move out and in with me already but he has a set plan for saving and won't budge. As frustrating as it is for me, it's much better for us that he has his finances in order because mine are a hot mess right now. He thinks through every big decision and then usually follows his gut after all the information is gathered and he's usually right.


He loves me no matter what. Seriously, I can be a giant handful. I drive him crazy and I know that. We've probably gotten in one maybe two real fights. He told me he's never been angry with me, just frustrated. He always tells me before I get too obnoxious. I'm also really high maintenance. I always need real clothes and usually a full face of make up on before we go out and he gives me plenty of time to get ready before we have to be somewhere. He doesn't try to change me. And honestly, I don't want to change anything about him (we already "fixed" the whole sharing our emotions thing..haha).

What are your favorite things about your boyfriend/best friend/favorite person etc.?

Is it really a weekend if it's summer?

I've been on"summer vacation" since I finished up class on May 8th. The days between that and graduation were a little busier but since graduation, I've been really enjoying these two weeks of a real summer vacation (my first since I was 16!!). 

Today, my weekend recap is more like a "what I've been up to the past week" update. 

Tuesday. My friend from high school turned 21 finally on Tuesday! I headed downtown with her for dinner and drinks and it was awesome to meet her new boyfriend and some college friends while also reminiscing about high school. 

Wednesday. This little monster turned 1! I can't believe he's a full grown cat now and not my baby kitten. I will definitely be calling him my "baby kitty" until the day he is no longer with us (a solid 25 years from now...). I also spent the day with my best friend shopping and laying out at the pool. Then, I saw The Great Gatsby with my mom. It was phenomenal and everyone should go see it now!

Thursday. I went shopping again with my best friend and picked up a gorgeoussss mint dress that I cannot wait to wear. I'm obsessed with mint. I then headed to lunch with my other best friend and then chilled with my family that night. 

Chacos and neon mean summer!

Friday. Friday I was lazy. It. was. awesome. I laid on the couch reading blogs, hanging out with the pup and Zuko and watching TV. 

Once I finally dragged my butt off the couch, I headed to Terrapin Brewery for some drinks with old friends. 

High school on the left. Grown ups on the right.

Saturday. Again, I was very lazy. And again, I loved it. I finally drug myself off the couch to go to my parents auto repair shop to eat Steak and Shake and annoy them. I'm pretty good at that. 

As we can see here. Stole mom's desk.

After that I headed to Barnes and Noble to grab a couple books. I absolutely adore reading and I haven't read a book for fun in a very long time. I really don't even know the last time. I can also spend hours and hours in a bookstore and not even buy anything and still be supremely happy. I picked up an easy summer novel I'd never heard of that was $4 and a new book by Gillian Flynn!

I spent Saturday night (and some of Sunday night) reorganizing my Pinterest board. Yes, I'm that OCD. I was getting lost every time I went back to find a pin and it was oddly frustrating. So I split up my clothing boards and added a few other new ones. If you need some time wasted, you should definitely follow me because I'm a little obsessed. 

Um. Yeah. 

Sunday. Sunday is race day in this household. I was told we were leaving at 7am. On a Sunday. 7 am on a Sunday. No. I was not happy. Then, the entire ride there it looks like this:

No. 

It was nasty. Right around start time, though the rain stopped but the damage was done and the woods were gross and every single guy was covered in mud. My brother said he still had mud in his eye at 8pm Sunday night. I do not like mud. Nope. 

View for the day.

Yuck.

How was your weekend?