fall fashion crushes

In case you haven't checked the weather lately, it's been about a bazillion degrees everywhere in the United States. Especially here in Mississippi. I don't know why I bother to put on makeup or straighten my hair, because about 7 minutes after walking outside, all that work has basically disappeared and I resemble something like a wet rat.
 It's real attractive, let me tell you.

All this being said, I'm dreaming about fall. Forget a white Christmas, I just want fall to hurry up and arrive. I may be jumping the gun a little bit, but hey--this is my blog, so I can jump whatever guns I want, right?? Autumn and I go together like peanut butter and jelly, strawberries and champagne, pizza and beer. 
We're just a match made in heaven.

I'm such a fall kind of girl. I love everything about it (I think I say that as every season rolls around, but really...fall is the ONE. My season soulmate.) I'm just itching for some cooler temperatures, that crisp in the air, leaves turning gold and red, and football every Saturday. When I picture Heaven, it's fall all year 'round. Really.

So naturally, I've been planning my fall wardrobe up a storm...here are a few of my favorite looks for the autumn months. Bring on the skinny jeans, boots, and scarves! 

                                                                                                Source: blogging2fun4021.blogspot.com via Farra on Pinterest

                                                                                                 Source: jennifer-olexa-williams.polyvore.com via Farra on Pinterest

                                                                                                   Source: cmslater21.polyvore.com via Rachel on Pinterest

                                                         Source: studentrate.com via Rachel on Pinterest

                                                                     Source: pinspire.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Now who wants to fund my fall fashion wardrobe? Any takers? Eeeek! I can barely hold in my excitement for all of these looks to become reality...maybe you'll see me sporting these in the next few months!

Am I the only one who is itching for a season change? 

What fashion trends are you loving for fall??

Happy Tuesday, lovelies! 

                                                                     

Miscellany Monday: Everything but the Kitchen Sink

Monday, Monday, Monday. Always here too soon.


I'm sitting here in a coffee shop this Monday morning, half asleep, looking sort of like a hobo because I'm having blogging withdrawals and couldn't wait another minute to just write something. And since I'm still a bit drowsy, you'll probably just get a bunch of random thoughts thrown together, but I'm hating this whole lack of Internet situation I've got going on. I feel like I'm missing out on convos with my friends every day that I can't write or read your blogs either. Womp womp.


Well, first off...I'll start the week with a little bit of exciting news! I was contacted a week or so ago by Laura DeSimone, a trainer and writer for examiner.com, asking if she could do a little write up about my weight loss story. She writes a weekly weight loss success story, and she recently featured me! Check out the article here.

So I finally did that Suave Keratin treatment that I've been pondering for probably 2 months now...I couldn't sleep yesterday afternoon after work (shocker) so I just decided to have a little beauty time. If you do it, make sure you don't do it in your bathroom with no windows and poor ventilation, because you may feel a little high from the fumes before it's over. Here's a "before" and "after" shot...the first one was me about a month ago, after I dried my hair, only combing through it with my fingers. The second was yesterday after blow drying it with a brush. And I'll be completely honest and say there was NO straightener used in either of these pictures. I don't kid nor falsify when it comes to frizz, y'all. I've got some afro problems, and anything that helps smooth me down will most definitely be passed along to y'all, simple and honest.

I did go back through my hair with a flat iron later on to smooth out some of my waves that pop up with humidity, but overall, I've seriously noticed a difference in the smoothness. It's crazy how coarse my hair can get in the humidity. We'll see how long it lasts, but for now, I'm pretty satisfied with the lack of 'fro going on.


I bought Emily Giffin's new book, Where We Belong, this past week, basically the second they put it out on the shelf, and unfortunately this weekend was too crazy for me to partake in much of it, but what I've read so far, I'm loving. I just love Giffin's books--such fun, girly reads. I always look forward to reading whatever she has out there! Have any of y'all read this yet? I can't wait to really get into it!

I'd love to show y'all some pictures of my weekend, but alas, all I did was work. And it was two of the worst nights I've had at work in a long time. I don't remember the last time my legs ached like they did when I laid down for bed. 12 hours (x 2 nights) of non-stop go, go, go on your feet takes a toll on your body, that's for sure--maybe that's why I'm currently feeling like a truck ran over me, backed up, and ran me over again. 


I finally gotten a chance to watch a little bit of the Olympics yesterday (thanks for letting me borrow your cable, boyfriend.) Who knew skeet shooting was an Olympic sport? Well, we won gold in that yesterday--go figure. I think my absolute favorite thing to watch is the women's diving, which we won Silver in yesterday...my favorite team:

The faces of determination...

Get it, girls.
Gymnastics is a verrrrrry close second in my favorites to watch, but I'm an absolute nervous wreck the whole time they're on the balance beam or uneven bars...just waiting for someone to break an ankle or smash her face on the ground. Yikes!


Can we talk about the fact that I'm starting grad school in less than 2 weeks? Taking the first big step towards being a Nurse Practitioner! Holy moly, where did the summer go? To say that I'm terrified would be an understatement, but I know that God has me in His hands and everything will work out as it's meant to! 


I have about a kazillion things I need to be doing on this one off morning I have, but I think I'll just go work out, head home, put on some Grey's, and go back to sleep for work tonight. Thus the life of a night nurse...it's entertaining, isn't it?


Happy Monday, all you lovely ladies. 
Hopefully I'll be a little more present in the blogosphere this week! 
Hope your weeks are off to a fabulous start! 


Linking up with sweet Carissa this morning!

Life Lately: Wedding Dresses, Birthday Celebrations, and So On

I'm really creative with my blog posts lately (sarcasm), so I decided to mix things up and give y'all a little weekend update on a TUESDAY! Surprise! Ya know, gotta keep y'all on your toes. I know y'all weren't expecting that at all. 

Well, Thursday night at work was pretty much like running a marathon for 12 hours. I had 8 patients to myself, 16 on the whole floor for 2 nurses. It was a mad house. Everything from my toes to my hair follicles hurt by the time I got home Friday morning, but Friday was also Wedding Dress Day for my little sister. And even though I hadn't slept in too many hours to count, it was a perfect day. 

My mom, my sister, and I started out at a bridal boutique in Taylor, MS called Epatant. Taylor, MS is the quaintest, most charming little town you'll ever see. But don't blink, or you will literally not see it at all. That's how tiny it is. This boutique was picture perfect and I just knew deep down that Katie was going to find THE dress here. 

I mean come on--look at this room. 

Her selection was small, but it was perfect. There was any kind of dress someone would want. I can't say enough good things about this place! Elizabeth, the owner, was so personable and made us feel right at home. If anyone in MS or the surrounding areas is looking for a gorgeous wedding dress, this is the place to go!

Katie saw THE dress as soon as we walked into the show room, and she said, "I HAVE to try that one on." Elizabeth encouraged her to try on 4 dresses to begin with, each of different styles just to get a feel for what she loved. Katie saved THE dress as the last out of that group to try on, and as soon as she put it on, I heard her reaction from the other room and knew it was it. And it was. It was absolutely perfect. Of course, I'm not going to show you a picture until the actual day...gotta keep a little suspense! 

We had already made an appointment for another place, Low's, in Arkansas. I've been there a couple of times before with other family and a friend of mine, and have always had good experiences, so we just decided to go ahead and see what else was out there. Note to self--don't go to a huge bridal boutique on a Friday afternoon in July. Too many dresses, not enough one-on-one time, too overwhelming. But it was definitely an experience. I definitely saw a few dresses that I'll be trying on if my day ever comes :)

She totally hated me for all the posted pictures I made her take--just a MOH duty.

Stunning Sister.

Friday night, after a brief nap since I hadn't slept in over 30 hours, we took Mama to South Depot, a gourmet taco shop on the Square. You put me at a table with my mom, sister, some margaritas, and cheese dip, and I'm the happiest camper of them all. LOVE having girl time.

Saturday, we ran some errands, looked at a few bridesmaid dresses, and ate lots of good food. I swear, weekends are synonymous with binging lately...what is it about Friday, Saturday, and Sunday that makes me just throw all healthy eating out the window? But anyway. Daddy and T decided to come up for lunch and spend a few hours with us. I love having my whole family under one roof...makes me happy. 

Saturday night, we went out with friends to celebrate Sarah's birthday! Here's the birthday girl with her yummy cake...

I love weekends in Oxford...always so wonderful. 

Happy Birthday, Sarah!

BFF. Thanks for letting me borrow your pics when my camera is stupid!

Poor Andrew got cut out.

My handsome man! 

Sweet Rebecca...who is getting married in April and just asked me to be a bridesmaid! SO excited!

I didn't take a picture of my Sunday, but if I had, it would've been me in my bed asleep for most of the day...I think I only woke up long enough to eat some Papito's and watch a little Grey's with Andrew. My lack of sleep definitely caught up to me on Sunday.

Well, chicks...that was my weekend.

Oh, and hey all of you new followers!!! My follower number has drastically changed over the past few days, and I'm super pumped to have new faces around this little corner of the Internet! If you're new around here, leave me a comment! Let me know a little about yourself, ask me whatever you may be wondering, and show me where I can come visit your blog! Let's be friends :)

Happy Tuesday, all you lovely ladies. Hope your week started off well. Here's to Friday getting here as soon as possible!!!

It's Friday, so let's write some letters!

        Friday is here, can I get a hallelujah from the choir?

Guess what--I actually don't have a wedding this weekend. Are you shocked or what?! I know, I'm pretty surprised myself. So this weekend will be low key and wonderful.

Let's write some letters, shall we?

Dear Sister...I can't believe we're going wedding dress shopping for you today! It absolutely blows my mind that you're old enough to be marrying your Prince Charming...I'm so excited about today and I can't wait to help you find your dream dress. It's going to be a fabulous girls day--just what I need. Love, your MOH

Dear UVerse...Yep, I STILL hate you. It's officially been 10 (yes TEN) weeks since we started this whole process, and we STILL don't have cable or Internet. Thanks for canceling my appointment for the 3rd time. I swear, if I could find some AT&T executive, I'd punch him where the sun don't shine. It's getting a bit ridiculous. Hate you a lot, One Pissed Off Customer

Dear PhotoBooths...I wish my life was just one big photo booth. I think every place we go should have one set up so we could document every day like these pictures below. I want to blow these up and make them wall paper in my house. My friends are crazy and I love it. A big fan of yours, Miss not so Photogenic

        

Dear Grey's...I know I've seen all of your episodes at least 2 times, but I just can't help watching you over again. And yes, I still cry during all the best episodes. I just can't get enough of you. I'm super ready for your new episodes. Hurry up, Fall! Always and forever, A Miranda Bailey WannaBe

Dear KLove...Thanks for being my go-to radio station. You're the only station I ever listen to anymore, and you're a huge blessing in my life. Thanks for this quote that I heard yesterday: "Don't let your relationship with Christ be a 'miserable have-to' but rather a 'marvelous get-to." Amen, right? Love, your biggest fan

Dear pizza and chocolate chip cookies and cheesecake and tacos and burgers...I can't get my mind off you...and I might just eat some of you this weekend. I'm in serious need of a little diet break! Sincerely, a fat girl currently eating a Lean Cuisine

Dear best friends...Can y'all please come back into town soon? You know you wanna. This weekend is going to be so strange not having 17 girls around me constantly. I don't know if I'll know what to do with myself! I'm already planning our next reunion. I love y'all and am so thankful for the best girlfriends a girl could have! Love y'all long time, Rach

Happy Friday, girlfriends.

Hope your weekends are filled with happiness, rainbows, butterflies, and all those good things! Love y'all dearly. Make this weekend the best yet :)

the 411 on Rach

The fabulous Becky over at From Mrs. to Mama is hosting this "blogger 411" link up, and I couldn't resist joining in! I've noticed quite a few new followers over the past few days, which I'm absolutely loving, so it's just the perfect time to fill you in on a little about me! I know you're just dying to know everything about me (sarcasm.) 


1. How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I've been blogging since January of 2010, so about 2 and a half years...which is just crazy to me. Time definitely flies by! It was my Senior year of college, so I wanted to document every little thing that was going on! I don't really think it has changed very much since I started writing. I definitely don't post as much as I did to begin with--I need to get better about that!

2. Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
I went to the University of Mississippi, better known as Ole Miss (my favorite place in the world!) I graduated with my Bachelors of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

The gorgeous Lyceum on campus

3. Where have you traveled?
I've been to most of the U.S. and parts of Europe...England, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. I've never been anywhere tropical (other than the Gulf coast) and I'm just dying to go! 



4. If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
An all-expenses-paid trip somewhere with all of my family and close friends. (Bora Bora!)


5. What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
People who talk about themselves constantly, when people don't understand the fact that I work NIGHTS and sleep during the DAY, and bad grammar. Ouch, I just sounded like such a biatch. 

6. What is your favorite movie?
How in the world could I choose? I'd have to say the Father of the Brides (1 & 2.) Those are the ones I could watch over and over and never get sick of. 


7. What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
I drink water like it's going out of style. But if I want to have a little fun, I'd say wine. Although I enjoy a cold beer and a little vodka every now and then. 

8. What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
Go on a long walk with a friend. Sometimes, I really enjoy catching up on blogs and drinking a cup of coffee. Or if I'm feeling lazy, curl up in bed with a season of one of my favorite shows. 

9. If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
Oh, that's an easy one. Target. Duh.


10. If your life was turned into a movie... what actor would play you?
I'd love to say someone like Anne Hathaway or Rachel McAdams. I love both of them.

11. What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
I worked at a stationery and gift store called A Pocket Full of Posies all through high school...and loved it. Totally my thing. And then on campus at Ole Miss my Senior year of college. And then my first job as a RN was at University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson as a Med/Surg nurse. 
 12. Show us a picture from high school or college.
Oh, bless my heart. Here are two (both from high school, because college wasn't that long ago) that I'll show you. And that's it.

 Yep, that's Kelsie on the end. Go read her blog. 

13. If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?
Bora Bora (see above.) That's where we'll be going on our honeymoon, fa sho.

14. Show us the most current picture of you or your family.

Thomas, Daddy, Katie, Mama, and me on Katie's graduation day from Ole Miss

15. Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
Married. To Mr. Walker, if I'm lucky. Hopefully finished with grad school and loving my job. And maybe with a baby...a girl can dream, right? I wish I could just press fast-forward :)


Well, that was fun! Any other questions you're just dying to know the answer to? I'll answer them, no hesitation...I may even do a vlog--you just never know!!!


Happy Wednesday (I totally just wrote Monday...what's wrong with me?) to you! 

Bubble Necklaces on GroopDealz!

I'm posting this from my phone because we STILL don't have Internet, but I couldn't wait to share this with all of you!

You know how much I love the bubble necklaces that we're seeing everywhere lately...they're the perfect fashion statement that completes every outfit! And lucky for us--GroopDealz is offering a special on them right now! They're only $19.99 and they have 12 (yes, TWELVE) colors available! How could you pass that up?

Go visit GroopDealz

And check out these fabulous colors:


Hopefully I'll be able to have an actual blog post up tomorrow, but just couldn't resist sharing this great deal!

Happy Tuesday, my dears!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

the best weekend I've had in a while

Our good friends Lindsay and Nathan got married this past weekend here in Oxford, and it was such a perfect weekend. I love weddings. I love everything about them...the flowers, the dresses, the sweet moments, the band, the food...but I think my absolute favorite part is the best friend reunion that weddings bring. 

Almost every one of my very best friends was here for the weekend...and let me tell you, that's just good for the soul. I know I say that phrase more often than I probably should, but seriously...it was exactly the weekend that I needed. So without further ado, here's a little peak of our weekend in pictures.

The rehearsal dinner at Boure on the Square

 (1) MK and JCB stayed with me all weekend // (2) Celebrating with the bride on Friday night
(3) At the rehearsal dinner // (4) My cute, handsome, charming wedding date

(1)Kappa Deltas, pledge class of 2006 // (2) Brad and Faye, two of my favorites
(3) Love this man // (4) Another shot at the rehearsal dinner

The gorgeous wedding reception at The Lyric on the Square in Oxford

(1) Me and Mr Walker // (2) Delish and beautiful wedding cake (my favorite)
(3) The old roomies // (4) All of the KDs at the wedding

(1) Breathtaking flowers // (2) Me, JCB, AnnRegan, and MK  at the chapel before the wedding
(3) One of my very best friends, AnnRegan // (4) Cute little Morgan

(1) The sweet bride and groom leaving the reception // (2) the champagne glasses I painted for the bridesmaid luncheon // (3) Singing the KD song
(4) The groom's yummy cake // (5) BFF // (6) With the blushing bride 


Ahhh, it was just wonderful. My house already seems so empty without lots of girls running in every direction. I know it was just for 2 days, but it totally felt like we were all back in college living at the KD house. There's not much better than a whole weekend with your girlfriends, enjoying each other, laughing constantly, catching up on life while celebrating the love that Lindsay and Nathan have. Cheesy, but true.


Girls, I love y'all dearly. I can't wait for the next reunion! 


Happy Monday to all of my favorite readers! How were all of your weekends? Here's to another quick but great week!


I'm linking up with one of my favorites, Sami at Sami's Shenanigans for the Weekend Update Blog Hop!! Head over and join in!

throwback thursday: the difference between then and now

Good morning, girls! 


Praise the Lord for some good patients last night at work. It's a rare occasion when patients actually SLEEP during the night (shocker, I know), but mine last night slept like champs. And I was so thankful for a quiet evening. But, in the nursing world, quiet evenings=sleepiness.


So what I do to cure a little sleepiness? Go to the break room, take my 30 minute lunch, and enjoy a little Facebook time (and watch Friends, duh!). There's nothing more entertaining than a little stroll down memory lane through all of my FB pictures...all 1,542 of them. 

I was justa clicking away, laughing and reminiscing on good times with great people, when this little gem of a picture popped up and made me gasp out loud. I quickly untagged it at the sheer horror of the fact I still had that picture attached to my profile:

KD Mardi Gras date party circa 2009

Holy moly, I never realized how BIG I was back then! Big as a Buick.

I cropped out my friend Blake to share this with all of you (let's be honest--I took up most of the picture anyway.) I can remember searching high and low for a purple dress for this swap...had to have a Mardi Gras color. And every purple dress I found barely covered half of me...this dress, if I remember correctly was a size 18W from J.C.Penney. The only place I could find a dress that fit me. I remember that feeling of shame all too well. 


So after I recovered from my humiliation of the thigh-looking arm coming out of my shoulder area, I took a good, long look in the mirror and felt nothing but pride. It's funny how a picture can pop up out of the past and embarrass the heck out of you one minute, but then make you incredibly happy and proud for the changes you've made since then.

On days like yesterday, when I was down on myself for gaining a few pounds and not working out as long as I thought I should have, it's nice to have this reminder. It's nice to see that it IS possible to make a change in your body if you really have the dedication and the passion to do it. This kind of blast from the past helps me to stay motivated even when I want to give up!

The difference between me then and me now (or 2 weeks ago, but whatever.)

Note to self...say "NO" to choppy bangs forever and always.

I'm not posting this for self-gratifying comments or to boast, so don't get the wrong impression--I'm posting this as a reminder to myself that anything is possible if I just put my mind to it. It's even a little reminder not to be so hard on myself, because I'm the worst of critics sometimes. And for any of you out there struggling like I do every day with my weight, this one is for you, too. Don't give up on what is important to you. If it really means that much to you, you'll find a way to accomplish your goals. So girls, let's get out there and make today count! One day at a time :)

What keeps you motivated when all you want to do is lay on the couch or eat just one more cookie?? 

What helps you stay on track? 

Happy Thursday, ladies!!

                                                                                                        Source: leahremilletblog.com via Rachel on Pinterest

                                      

I need a pintervention.

Hey Wednesday...halfway through the week...one more night at work then I'm off for FIVE! I'll take it. Let's do a little pinning, shall we? I skipped last week so I'm just dying to post a few of my faves...you know I have to get my Pinterest fix.

A recipe I'm trying on my next off day:
Spaghetti squash with grilled chicken and sun dried tomatoes--YUM!

                                                                                                           Source: tastykitchen.com via Rachel on Pinterest

An ensemble I would totally wear:

                                                                                            Source: shelbymarsh.polyvore.com via Rachel on Pinterest

My inspiration for my haircut tomorrow:

                                                                                                              Source: yelp.com via Rachel on Pinterest

The perfect summer dress that I neeeeeed:

                                                                                            Source: store.shopprivategallery.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Makes my mouth water:
Chocolate chess pie, please and thank you!

                                                                                                       Source: crunchyrock.com via Donna on Pinterest

Wedding colors that make me swoon:

                                                                                                 Source: simplyblueweddings.com via Rachel on Pinterest

My future living room:

                                                                                                                   Source: bhg.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Favorite words:

                                                                                                                Source: ohamanda.com via Kelsi on Pinterest

Favorite eCard of the week:

                                                                                                           Source: mommysavers.com via Rachel on Pinterest

Oh, wait...another favorite (can't get enough):

        

                                                                                            Source: punching-ina-dream.tumblr.com via Rachel on Pinterest

                                             

                                           Go make today fabulous, girls!

                                            Happy Wednesday to you!