O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree

Yea, those branches look goooood!

This weekend I put up my Christmas decs. It is no winter wonderland yet, but I think I did pretty well for my first Christmas!

These are right by my front door. I thought I would go with a present theme...

I made a bow for my tree topper and then made matching ones for the stairs!

And for my favorite part (besides the tree that is)...

I put presents on the ledge with some lights! Here is a glimpse of the living room decorated.

Oh I love Christmas!!!!

Good Luck, A!

A (my best friend who coaches soccer down in FL) is going to the Dominican Republic this week to try out for a professional soccer team in Argentina! Can you believe it? What an exciting opportunity! He loves soccer so much,and I may be a tad biased, but I think he deserves such a wonderful opportunity like this. It is not often that people have the chance to make a career out of what they love. I can't count how many times he's told me, "I just want to play soccer- that's all I want to do."

Well, A, here is your chance! Go down there and knock their socks off :) I know you are going to do great!!!! When you make the team, I will get you a Spanish dictionary so you'll fit in right away.

Buena Suerte!

Blah

I haven't posted all week. The sad part is that as I sit here trying to think of something worth reading from my week, I am struggling to think of anything. This week was kind of blah. I did really step up my workouts this week. I have somehow gotten addicted to spinning classes (Mimi) and I have been doing some interval training. Unfortunately, I have also been eating everything in sight, so I don't have much to show for it....The highlight of my week was hanging out with my new group of friends Thursday night for a Twilight party. Even though I don't care for Twilight, I love spending time with these girls. It is so nice to be with a group of people where you can just be yourself and never stop laughing!

Work was a little rough this week, so thank goodness it is the weekend! I am just going to de-stress with some retail therapy and spending some time with my family. I am also decorating for Christmas! Woo hoo! I want to have it finished for when family comes in for Thanksgiving.

Sorry for letting you down this week but next week will be full of spending time with family and friends and after that, the 25 Days of Christmas!

I am Only as Strong as...

...the cocktails I drink, the hairspray I use, and the girlfriends I have.

A group of my best friends came up this weekend to see my new house and to celebrate Mimi's birthday. She didn't know they were coming up and was very surprised to see everyone! (I love surprises, so I am so happy I pulled it off)

We all had a wonderful time catching up and spending time together like old times (except now we talk about work and health insurance). I miss these girls every day, and seeing them is always so special! These cute little sayings remind me of my friends:

1. Aspire to be Barbie - the b*tch has everything.
2. If the shoe fits - buy them in every color.
3. Take life with a pinch of salt... A wedge of lime, and a shot of tequila.
4. In need of a support group? - Cocktail hour with the girls!
5. Go on the 30 day diet. (I'm on it and so far I've lost 15 days).
6. When life gets you down - just put on your big girl panties and deal with it.
7. Let your greatest fear be that there is no PMS and this is just your personality.
8. I know I'm in my own little world, but it's OK. They know me here.
9. Lead me not into temptation, I can find it myself.
10. Don't get your knickers in a knot; it solves nothing and makes you walk funny.
11. When life gives you lemons in 2009 - turn it into lemonade then mix it with vodka.
12. Remember where ever there is a good looking; sweet, single or married man there is some woman tired of his bullsh*t!
13. Keep your chin up, only the first 40 years of parenthood are the hardest.
14. If it has Tires or Testicles it's gonna give you trouble.
15. By the time a woman realizes her mother was right, she has a daughter who thinks she's wrong.

(Yes, I edited)

But most importantly...
'Good friends are like stars.........You don't always see them, but you know they are always there.'

I love you girls so much and can't wait to see you soon! Thanks for bringing a weekend escape from the real world!

Now back to the grind...

Brrrrrrrr

Unfortunately, my thermostat broke last week, and last night was so cold! If you could have seen the way I slept last night, I am sure you would have been entertained. I reminded myself of the scene in New in Town where you can't even see Renee Zellweger because she is burrowed in blankets. I had my thermal pjs, electric blanket (thank goodness) and 2 additional blankets on top of that! I stayed warm!

The heating guys came and fixed it today so when winter comes and it gets even colder, at least I will have heat!

Tonight I am making pumpkin bread with dark chocolate chips and I just found an Audrey Hepburn documentary on TV! Not surprising, I already know most of this information, but I will never get sick of watching these things. (So since I already licked the batter and ate enough chocolate chips to feed a family, it has turned out to be a great night so far!)

Well, I better go get ready for the night! PS I am so excited for this weekend!

Oh Happy Day

I should have known today was going to be a good day when I found my favorite lip gloss (I thought I lost in June) this morning! I also started off the day with my own version of a caramel apple spice. Not too bad if I do say so myself!

Work flew by because we were crazy busy, but luckily I was told to leave at 4 (I still have my job, no worries). Since I was up in their neck of the woods, I decided to stop by my parents' house for a while. It was so nice to see them and catch up. I never thought I would miss them when I am not really far away, but I do. I have still not been able to go into my old room- which has turned into Santa Land. My parents were telling me some of their stories from their younger days...wow! We definitely live in a different world today, but it was so much fun to laugh with them and spend time with them.

Then, I went to dinner with my friend for her birthday! (I like using nicknames, so we will call her Mimi so no one gets confused :)) Anyway, I thought it was just going to be a few of us, and was surprised when some more of her friends came. It was so much fun! I hadn't laughed that much in a long time and I really think there are going to be some good friendships developing there. We went to the cutest restaurant, but it was really the company that made the night so special. I think that Mimi had a great birthday (at least I hope so!)

And to top my day off, I started listening to Christmas music! I know it's a little early for some people, but if it is on the radio, I have to listen! Not only that, but since I know every word to nearly every song, I have to sing along. So warning to you all in our northern city, if you see me driving along in Lil' Red belting at top of my lungs, I am just getting into the Christmas spirit.

Well luckily it is getting closer to the weekend and I cant wait for the fun that awaits!

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens…ok, I am no Julie Andrews, but I couldn’t resist. I have decided to compile lists of my favorite things- inspired by Oprah’s favorite things show. By no means am I any expert, and currently I am financially recovering from buying, furnishing and decorating my house while having just entered the real world, so I am being even more of a “frugalista” than usual. But I hope it is useful, and that you can find something you like as well. Leave comments or other suggestions of things to try- some topics are very hard to narrow down to just one!


My favorite perfume: Burberry London

I love so many different scents, but this is the one I think truly fits me.



My favorite book: Captivating













This book helped me through one of the hardest times in my life. After reading it, I know what my true purpose is. Every girl needs to read this book. (There is a boy version too, Wild at Heart. I heard it is helpful to read that one too, to truly appreciate the men in your life. I’ll work on it and let you know.)
My favorite seasonal drink: Pumpkin Spice Chai
(see earlier post)

My favorite concealer: Este Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Concealer









This covers up anything! I once had a makeup artist doing my makeup for a video shoot (I am not a celebrity or anything) and was amazed that I didn’t have any dark circles. It is also great for the occasional annoying pimple…

My favorite chocolate: Dove Dark Chocolate

Ok, let’s be honest- any chocolate is good for me, but this is divine.

My favorite home scent: Yankee Candles Home Sweet Home
I have this in my house now, and it really does make it homey!

My favorite store: Macy’s

This was probably the hardest thing for me to narrow down- I love many stores. But this is a great one-stop shop for nearly anything you could ever want! Plus, what would Thanksgiving be like without that famous parade? I also love their advertising!


My favorite icon: Audrey Hepburn
It is more like a slight obsession, really. Much of my own style is reflected off hers, both in fashion and in life. What a beautiful person, both inside and out. She is an inspiration to every woman.

Well, there is the first installment! Be looking for even more to come. I hope you can find joy in these things as I have!

So Apparently I Dress Like a Boy...

Let me just start by saying, today was NOT my day. I started it out by running smack into my wall on the way to the bathroom to take a shower this morning. I'm talking loud bang and everything! Luckily I came out with no injuries, but seriously- who does that? I guess I am still getting used to the new place!

To make things better, new boy at work comes up to me and the first thing out of his mouth is, "Oh look, we match today!" (Pause for reaction) Now I will be honest and say that I did not dress to my usual level today- remember how I started out the day, I did not want to take a chance in heels! Typically, I am very stylish and today I was going more for comfort. (I'm not lying. I usually get tons of compliments on my clothes and in high school, I was told that if we had a senior superlative for 'Best Dressed', it would be me!) Anyway, he and I were both wearing argyle sweaters with oxfords underneath. I think his point was that he loves argyle and we have yet another thing in common (because yes, I love argyle too), but this incident has shown me a possibility of why I am still single- I was dressed like a boy today.

My day got a lot better when I got a surprise invite to go shopping tonight and I jumped on the opportunity. Unfortunately, I have a hard time spending my money these days and just couldn't get myself to splurge. I came out with a pair of dress pants and a cardigan. I am very proud of my friend though- she got an entire new look! I think I need to take her route and try some new things. I am always afraid that I can't pull off certain looks, and tonight she showed me that I shouldn't be afraid to just try it. I just don't do well with trendy...we will see how this mission goes. I just need to get over my fear of spending. I don't know how it happened- now that I am in the real world, I am making more money, yet spending less?

Dear Santa, please bring me money so I can go on a shopping spree.

Goal for tomorrow-cute outfit! And maybe a better start to the day...

I Think I Need Help...

Hello, my name is Southern Charm and I have a problem. I am addicted to Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Chai lattes.

Seriously! I usually try TREAT myself to Starbucks, on the special occasion. I start every day off with my homemade latte, which is healthier for my bank account and my waistline. But for some reason this week, I have been making excuses for why I need a treat. Yesterday it was because I had to go into work at 6:45 and today it was because I was cold- any excuse to get me in that door. And to make it better, I had just finished my morning latte and then went to Starbucks anyway!

The culprit- Pumpkin Spice Chai. A couple of years ago, I went for coffee with an old mentor and she introduced me to this delicious concoction. It changed my life. (That’s what good mentors are for, right?) Anyway, now every fall season this is a must-have and apparently I just can’t get enough.

Knowing how much I love this, my mom gave me pumpkin spice flavored coffee in my Halloween goodie bag. So I have been making my lattes at home with that coffee. One would think that would be enough to tame my cravings, but I think it is making it worse! Self control…please come back!

If you haven’t tried a Pumpkin Spice Chai, it is totally worth the $4.72 for a venti (anything smaller would not be enough). You will never turn back!

'Tis the Season!

After a not-so-good day at work, I was thrilled to see that they have put up Christmas lights already! I know many of you think it is way to early to begin celebrating Christmas, but I think it is perfect!

Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I love the giving spirit that overwhelms us and the love that we share during this time. I wish it could last longer, so that is why it does not bother me at all to have decorations out.

I love Christmas music and movies, and all of the festivities that the season brings. I hope to find many new adventures to take in the joy of the season!

I am also extremely excited about this Christmas because I have my first house to decorate. I have a lot to live up to- when my mom decorates for Christmas, the house turns into a Winter Wonderland. I can only hope that mine will look half as good!

I am also excited because we will have a new addition to our family to celebrate with. Even though our situation might not be the same as usual, I think that this year, my family will be closer than ever at Christmas.

Don't worry- there will be much more to come about this topic!

The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways

Ok, so three posts in one day may be a little excessive, but due to current events, I feel like this is an important post and the sooner the better.

I have always been a strong believer that God takes care of us all, as easy as it is for us all to forget. I have found that I remind myself of this everyday, sometimes to just make it through the day. We all fall under the trap of feeling sorry for ourselves, and I am determined now more than ever to not take everything that I have for granted.

This week, one of my dear friends told us that her dad has cancer. I have been so lucky to have not been exposed to this ugly disease yet, but I am now realizing how truly scary it is. Her dad has been so special to us all, and we are devastated to hear this news. All we can do now is pray, and give all our love and support to her family. Please join us in praying for this wonderful man. He is a fighter and will make it through this.

There was also some news this week in my family that could mean some drastic changes are in place. Some hit hard, but others are worth celebrating. At first, the bad news really hard for me to accept. I was angry and thought my whole world was caving in. Then, my mom reminded me of what is truly important. On the positive side, my brother is now engaged and I was thinking of the path he took to get there. (That news should have gone in an earlier post I know...but I am so excited about my new sister!)

I easily forget what really matters in life. It's not a job, the fact that my thermostat is broken, or that I haven't lived the life I would have picutred for myself. What is truly important is the people you currently have in your life- your family and friends- and the faith that keeps you going. In no matter what the occasion, it is in our darkest hours that the greatest things can happen.

I think we need to remind ourselves of this constantly, because we get caught up in the things that don't matter and forget to cherish the things that do. Time is too short not to. Although we may not understand why we have to go through the things that we do, God does. We simply have to give our lives to Him, and He will take care of the rest. Sounds easy huh? I have found that there comes a time when that is the only thing that will help you carry on.

So there you have it, my words of wisdom for the day. I hope that it can be a reminder to us all.

A Spooktacular Weekend!

I feel like I need to give myself a pat on the back for this social weekend I had! I went out Thursday, Friday and Saturday! It was rare for me to even do that in college. Now don't be mistaken, I wasn't going crazy every night (I dont think I am ever really wild), but it was nice to be making new friends and to spend time with the old ones :)

I think Halloween is a fun holiday, but I don't really get into that much. I despise scary movies, am terrified of anything "haunted" and can never live up to the pressure of having a good costume. I am not one of those people who can pull off costumes. I think I always look silly, but I love looking at how creative other people are with theirs! They inspire me to do better the next year.

To give Halloween some credit, it is a fun time to go to a good party, and that is exactly what I did. A friend from high school organized a party at a local bar for the young professional group from her college. So I grabbed my other two girlfriends, put on something that you could call a costume and went out to have a good time meeting new people.

Since I didnt want to be confused for a ghost, I decided to go get a spray tan for the first time, and I think I am hooked! It was so quick and easy, and no need to be paranoid about getting skin cancer. I didn't come out orange either! It looks pretty natural! I was always so afraid of the awkwardness of standing naked in front of someone as they spray you- I would rank that not too far under the annual gyno visit! Luckily, they have machines that spray you and it literally takes 5 minutes! My only warning to those who have never done it before- it is REALLY cold. They don't warn you about that either. We will see how long it lasts, but so far, I am liking this new discovery of mine.

The party was a blast! This was the first time since we've been here, that people actually came up to talk to us! Even better, all three of us had guys approaching us all night! What is that?! We quickly became friends with Alvin, Superman, and 007 (he was mine, and talked in the British accent that just made my heart melt). The best part of the night was spending time with the girls. We got ready together and came home for a sleepover. I love reliving the stories of the night before with the girls. I think everyone had a great time and I am so glad that we went.

It was the first time that I felt a sense of finally belonging in this city. Not only was it nice that we weren't being ignored as usual, but I am so happy to have these girls in my life. I actually just met one of them this summer, and the other has been one of my best friends for a while, but I think that we are all going to be great friends and have many more fun times ahead!

Even though Halloween isn't my favorite, I think that last night will rank highly on my list for years to come. I will cherish that night for a long time because there is nothing more special than spending time with good friends. I think this was a milestone for us. It is going to go up from here!

Catch up time!

It has been a while since I have made an entry, but with good reason. Over the past 2+ weeks, I have moved and settled into my new house, along with having the craziest week at work I have ever had. Plus, I am terrified of getting the pig plague, so I have been doing my best to catch up on sleep and get as much Vitamin C as I can.

I love my new place! I have done my best to make it MY home, and I think that helps. I am so excited to show it off and have all of my friends visit. I cant wait for them to come! There is still a lot of work to be done, but I am excited to start having grown-up projects. Now if I just had the money to do them all….

Last week, our newest employee started at work, so I am happy to not be the new kid anymore. I actually felt more like part of the team than ever before. Although, I am kind of sad that I am not the newbie because that was my excuse to not know anything, and now I have some competition so they better not give him better projects to work on! However, I am so excited to have someone my own age there that I can relate to. We have a lot in common so I think we will be great friends.

Tuesday was my official 3-month mark at work. I must say, it has gone by much faster than I would like and I don’t know if I have much to show for it. Everything here seems so foreign to me, and every day I see how much I still don’t know. Being the overachiever I am, that is hard to grasp. Last week I got to spend time with some people at the company out of the office which was a great time to get to know them better, especially the founders. I am amazed with their wealth of knowledge both about our industry and business in general. In one of my conversations with one of the big guys, he asked me if I was settling in to the area for good since I just purchased a home. Of course, I am not, and I think I now know what their plans are for me here. We are looking to expand, which I knew because I did some research on it. What I didn’t know is where we were planning on expanding to. He asked if I would ever be willing to go to Atlanta- is that even a question??? So I am thinking that they are grooming me for a few years, and when I am ready, and when they are ready, they might send me down there to start up the new region. That excites me and terrifies me at the same time! For now I need to concentrate on making it through each day, but it is nice to know what possibilities there are for the future.

Well I now feel that I am at a point where I can start making my life here. I am settled in a new area with so many opportunities. Now I just need to take advantage of them. So here it goes…