Just your typical Thursday night.

L-R: Electrify, Smoke and Ashes, Riveting

Okay, so I'm a sucker for all things fan-girly. Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, and now, the Hunger Games. I'm also a sucker for anything make-up/glam related. (obviously, I work for a Mary Kay rep) So naturally, yesterday I got sucked into the trap that Ulta had clearly laid out for me. China Glaze has a new line of Hunger Games inspired nail polishes and Ulta was having a sale where you buy 2 colors and get the 3rd free. I caved, and now have these 3 lovely polishes in my possession!

Always happy to volunteer!

 Now, while I'm a sucker for everything aglitter, my friend Samantha is a sucker for volunteering. Doesn't matter what it is, ask for a volunteer and she'll never let ya down. Probably due to the fact that she can't say no. To anything. So, yesterday while I was browsing my little heart out at the mall, Samantha was signing herself up for a night in the Dunk Tank. That's right - a dunk tank. Boys and girls alike (but mostly boys) took turns throwing softballs at a target and dunking Samantha into freezing cold water. Talk about free entertainment.

Queen of self-mutilation right here.

Oh, and I bought a 4th (non THG related) nail polish, simply for the sole reason that I've literally been having dreams about lilac nail polish. I think it looks absolutely gorgeous and perfect for the ever-nearing summer. Oh, and that band-aid? Tore a chunk of skin out of between my fingers. How, you ask. A bottle of conditioner. Sometimes I amaze even myself with my ability to turn daily household objects into lethal weapons.

Y'all, my dad is Famous!

You guys, my dad is on PerezHilton.com! How cool is that?!?

That's my dad on the left!

Happy Birthday to the greatest man in my life!

So after a FABULOUS friday night, I made it home for my little sister's Senior Prom and my dad's birthday dinner.I can't believe my little sister is almost graduating! Where has the time gone??

"If I Could Do It Again..."

So last Friday night was AMAZING!

I seriously cannot explain how much I love Corey Smith. But his songs are seriously about my life. They're so fun, and they're always my go-to summer playlist.

My view at SKyPAC

<3

 Anyway, Corey Smith came to BG for the second time (the first being my sophomore year - also a blast) and my friend, Stace, came down from home and went with me and Samantha. Also, SKyPAC is the new Performing Arts Center here in BG and it's sooo nice! They sell these beer cups that are seriously like adult sippy cups. And then refills are cheaper. And you can bring the cup with you anytime you come back. Convenient!

Also, Friday was my little, Elizabeth's, 21st birthday. Or at least the celebration of her birthday. Technically, she didn't turn 21 til Saturday, so we went to an AGR party to hang with all our friends (and the babies who aren't 21 yet) and then when the clock struck midnight, we hit the bars! Hilly's - of course.

I don't even know...

Let's just say, Elizabeth had a good time. We rang her 21st birthday in in-style.

If you're sitting outside the bar on your 21st, clearly you did something right.

Waking up Saturday...

 As you can see from this last pic, we had a good night. And yes, that is a towel covering her feet.

Awesome Opossum

You know how people use that expression, a serious case of the mondays? Well, today I was definitely experiencing a serious case of the Tuesdays. And let me tell ya, I think those might be worse.
I was literally ready to give up today and have a LARGE margarita at 11 am. Luckily, I refrained. (It wouldn't be too bright to show up at my boss' house working on a buzz). But today was just one of those days that dragged on. And on. And on.

So I caved and treated myself to some sweet potato tots from Sonic. I'm telling you, I'm obsessed! They're so yummy, and I keep telling myself it's not cheating since they're sweet potatoes. It's kinda true, right? And then I killed some time wandering around Hobby Lobby - I swear, that store is like therapy for the crafter's soul. I found a couple goodies for my little's shot book page I'm making (her 21st is next weekend, it's gonna be cray!). And then Maggie treated me to dinner at Redzone on campus! She's trying to use up all her meal-plan dollars before the end of the semester, but hey, free food is free food!

Oh, and I cheated again! Me, Maggie, and Mal went to DQ after dinner and got mini-blizzards. So yummyyyy. I'm definitely running till my legs fall off tomorrow.

The night was definitely turning around, and then guess what? I hit a opossum! That;s right, a opossum. It was just taking its sweet time, moseying across 31W (which is 4 lanes, btw) and i didn't even have time to swerve! I mean, it's not like I've never hit a opossum before. I live 30 minutes from town on about 400 acres of farm land. Of course I've hit a opossum. And racoons. And probably lots of other things too. But man, my heart was beating so fast!

Definitely quite an end to my Tuesday. Oh well, tomorrow's another day. I plan on going for a long run, a quick tan, and then laying in my bed catching up on all the shows I watch. Sounds perfect :) 

oh, and p.s.
There's kinda this boy...and we've been texting. Honestly, if anyone saw our conversation, they'd think we were both insane. But he's a cutie ;)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter!! I had a lovely Easter weekend with my family and friends and home, and I honestly could not be more thankful and blessed for the amazing life I have.

Friday night and Saturday were spent at the lake with my mom, dad, and little brother (unfortunately, Michaela only go to stay Friday night as she had to work). We got up early Saturday and hiked about 6 miles through some of Kentucky's prettiest wilderness. I honestly think Appalachia is one of the most beautiful areas left in the US. But maybe I'm a little biased. :)

ready to catch some channel-cat with my PINK rod!

I had really bad luck fishing all day, managing to catch a stick. Yes, a stick. Not even a small fish worth throwing back. A stick.

he's cool.

But the hike more than made up for it. We climbed over trees and stomped through mud - I mean, this was a legit, outdoor, wilderness man hike. And I loved it!

BIGGEST catch of the day right here!

We stopped for ice cream at this little "trading post" store on the way back to camp and then took pictures at the lookout point. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday.

lovely view from Lake Cumberland's lookout point.

After the hike, and a quick bite back at camp, I drove back to the house to get ready for our Pre-Easter Celebration! Meaning - Amber and her roommate were in town, and Stace and Heather and the rest of the girls were all meeting us at Cozy to throw down. We had a blast too; I might not be able to tell you who the band was, but I can tell you I had a good time.

Heather and Shadow cooling off in the creek.

Sunday, after rolling out of bed, Heather and I went for a stroll around the farm, walking down to the slab and wading through the creek. One, the water was freezing cold and I wanted to stab Heather for convincing me "it's not that bad." Two, we found some weird stuff in the creek. Like some sort of iron-rod like-contraption, oh, and eggs. Yeah, eggs. And not snake eggs, or something else you'd expect out there. Like, real chicken eggs. In the water. Are these chickens plotting something?

our spoils.

The fam finally made it back from the lake around 3 or 4 and we opened our Easter baskets (no, I'm not ashamed to say that I'm nearly 22 and I still get excited over an Easter basket from the Easter Bunny) and grilled steaks for a late Easter dinner. Ooh, and I got lots of fun things for the house my friends and I are renting next semester! Exciting!

my "grown up" Easter basket!

So, very fun weekend. Loved catching up with the girls and getting to see the guys (no matter how stupid/protective/older brotherly they act) and can't wait to see everyone again soon. After all, summer is quickly approaching and there are many more fun times to be had!

We are the BIG BLUE NATION.

How bout them cats, baby!! Did anyone else watch the NCAA Final Four and NCAA Championships? Cause you can bet we were watching here in the BLUEgrass state! First off, how often does a state have 2 teams in the Final Four games? And how often are those 2 teams pitted against each other in what was dubbed the Final Four Civil War?

China Glaze "frostbite"

UK and UofL played their little hearts out Saturday, and in the end, my Cats pulled out a win. We went all out to show our support. T-shirts, facepaint, burning couches...you name it, we did it. And then my babies did it again Monday night!

reppin' Big Blue!

KU vs. UK. Both teams were underdogs this season; ESPN didn't even have UK in their final four bracket. And they both played incredibly well. I literally thought I was having heart palpitations during the game! But UK did it, and KY celebrated like only we can. There were riots in Lexington, people were burning couches and crowds got pepper-sprayed. It was pretty much pandemonium.

fire in the streets. there may be a couch under there.

We even watched the live coverage of the celebration at Rupp Arena and the arrival of the team back home. I honestly have never been this proud of UK basketball and felt this intense about a season or a particular team of players. We are the #BBN!

After Saturday's win (and celebration) I headed out to the Lake with my parents and brother for some rest and relaxation (read: beer and sunbathing). We roasted s'mores over the fire and hiked around the campsite. Me and Tanner even got out our baseball gloves and tossed the ball around for a while.

Woodchuck and a fishing rod. Great day at the lake!

I swear, it felt like summer in high school all over again. Just hanging with the fam, laying out all day, no worries. And then back to the grind and reality early Monday morning. But, everyone's at the lake til Easter Sunday, and I'm so ready to pack my bags and head out there come 4pm Friday afternoon.

Dad's 2nd catch of the day!

I'm ready for all day at the lake, laying in the sun, Saturday night out with my girls back home, and a great Easter with my family.

Bring on the sun and good times, por favor!

I am the Mockingjay.

Okay, can I start out by saying I LOVE the Hunger Games trilogy? Like, literally. LOVE. I haven't been so engrossed in a book series since I turned the page of the first chapter of The Boy Who Lived. I honestly never thought I'd come across another book series that grabbed me and held tight the way JK Rowling works did. And then I picked up the Hunger games. For the longest time I refused to; nothing could stand up to Harry or the Golden Trio. I seen and read others poor attempts at it - take Twilight for instance.

Yes, I read it. And yes, I'll admit, some parts were enjoyable. But the writing...my God, woman! No wonder the target demographic is 13 yer old girls, it's written at their level! Yet somehow, Suzanne Collins did the unimaginable. She filled the void left at the end of an era. And not by writing some teen-porn wannabe love story.

yeah, that's right. MIDNIGHT SHOWING.

I think I was drawn to the Hunger Games for the same reasons I was drawn to HP for so long. The universal themes of love and friendship, war and peace, sacrifice and redemption. How far will you go to protect the people you love? To protect the ideas you believe in? To do what's right?

Okay, rant over. In case you missed it, I love THG. Even though I was a little late to the party haha. So of course, my friends and I had to go to the midnight showing.

And I'm so glad we did! The movie was AMAZING. Jennifer Lawrence may be my new favorite person. And Josh Hutcherson? Don't even get me started. That jaw line...mmhmm! And, they're both from KY. Represent! Oh, and someone brought a bow. A BOW. To the movies. There were Effies and Katnisses and Seneca Cranes. It was like all of Panem up in there!

Oh, and I did my first 5K!
My friend, Amber, is a Kappa Delta at UK and every year they host a Shamrock Run, a 5K run/walk where all the proceeds go to their philanthropy. My friend, Heather, and I did it in 37 minutes! Kinda slow, but Heather wanted to walk part of the way and she threatened to hurt me if I left her haha. Even so, it was our first 5K and we were very proud of ourselves! We're gonna try to make 5K's a part of our routine; we've already researched all about the Color Run this October in Nashville. Can't wait!

#239

Where has the time gone??

Wow, I haven't posted since this year began!

And so much has happened since then, I don't even know where to start!

My brain (and body) has been all over the place lately, between work and reapplying to school for the fall semester, road-trips to North Carolina, looking for a new house, and preparing for my upcoming 6-week trip to Spain, it's a wonder I haven't lost my mind! So to keep things straight, I'm gonna do a series of posts, instead of one reallyyyyy long one!

I've been to North Carolina not once, but 2 times just in the last couple of weeks. That's a 10+ hour drive, people! My friend, Samantha, and I drove down for WKU's Spring break, which was an absolute blast. We got there Saturday around dinner time, so my sister and her husband took us out to a nice dinner downtown at Winslow's and after-dinner milkshakes at Cookout. Y'all, Cookout may be one of the greatest missing enterprises outside of NC. It's that good!  So sad we don't have them in ky...

"nursing" our sick sea turtles back to health.

And then the rest of the time we were there, my sister showed us around Greenville and Manteo or left us to wander around on our own. In Manteo, we went to the aquarium, which is honestly one of my favorite things to do on vacation!

I know it's super nerdy and childish, but I LOVELOVELOVE going to aquariums and zoos and museums. I think it's something that's been engrained in me over the years. Every family vacation when I was little included trips to museums and aquariums - Riply's Believe it or Not Museum, the Newport Aquarium. Hell, one of my favorite school field trips was to the Louisville Science Center.

Even now, on study abroad trips, I live for the outings when we get to do these things - Taronga Zoo in Sydney, the Museum and Memorial at Normandy, MALBA Museo de Arte in Buenos Aires. LOVE.

My older sister's the exact same way. Nerds at heart!

Grilled Brie and Tomato sandwich (mine)- Open-faced Hummus Sandwich (Sam's)

So the aquarium was a blast; of course I was suckered into buying those tourist-y photos where you're riding a stingray and surfing into a shark's mouth. And we took our own hilarious photos - me, laying on the ground next to a replica of a grown alligator. Us "nursing" sick toy sea turtles back to health - complete with lab coats.
And then on the days we were left to roam on our own, Samantha and I took in Greenville and the teeny neighboring marine town, Washington.
We walked around ECU's campus (which was almost dead since nearly everyone was gone for spring break) and walked downtown for lunch at this hole-in-the-wall cafe/bookstore called the Tipsy Teapot. We went to Washington and walked all along the docks and through the streets, which are full of these huge, southern homes. Some of them had been there since the 1800's! And strangely, there was this really authentic NY Pizza place where Samantha and I went for lunch. The owner was born in Brooklyn and had grown up in Long Island, and then moved down to NC when he got older. We chatted for a while and then he gave us free Italian Ice. That's what I call a good day.

working diligently!

My second trip was shorter (just for St. Patty's Day weekend) but no less fun! My little sister and I drove down late Friday evening; we literally got to my sister's house at 6:30 in the morning. But we slept in a little and then all of us (yes, Scott included) went to the Accidental Artist and painted adorable margarita glasses!

Lilly lion!

I based mine on our Phi Mu Lilly print, using the quatrefoil, the lion and the carnations. I actually thought it turned out really cute!

quatrefoil and carnation love.

Charlsey went with a Tiffany blue and painted a diamond ring next to the words "Forget diamonds, Margaritas are a girl's best friend." Cute, right?!

Carnation <3

And of course, Michaela went with a giraffe print, 'cause she's the wild child of the family!

the Accidental Artist!

We had plans to go out that night for St Patrick's Day and meet up with some of Charlsey and Scott's friends downtown, but somehow we ended up at Christy's Europub! I think it had to do with hearing bagpipes from somewhere down the road where we parked (who can resist bagpipes? no one, that's who!) and we went to investigate and Christy's is what we found! It was actually a really fun pub-type bar with really cool people. Win-win in my opinion.