sometimes I eat too much

Let's just say that sometimes I eat way too much.  And Sunday was one of those days. :)

For dinner we had Cajun Chicken Alfredo, homemade Cheesy Garlic Bread, Green Beans from the garden!, and homemade ice cream. 

And afterward I slipped into a food coma.

bachelorette partayy!

My friend Nicole is getting hitched next weekend! So of course it was absolutely necessary to 

throw a bachelorette shindig.  

First we went to dinner at a cute little restaurant called Magenta, where Nicole opened some gifts and 

most of us had delicious lemon drops.  I enjoyed some Pad Thai and Spicy Tuna for dinner.

After dinner we went on a scavenger hunt where we had to find different bachelors, get marriage advice, and collect items from different places.  Along the way we got some good video footage, made new "friends" and got a few more drinks.

The last item on the scavenger hunt was to end up singing karaoke. my worst nightmare! 

We sang white wedding and had a blast!

Then we ended the night just dancing our little hearts out.

Congrats Nicole! You are going to make a BEAUTIFUL bride and a lovely wife! I couldn't be more happy for you!

Happy Birthday Alyssa!

Today one of my best friends turns the big 2-2!

Alyssa and I have been best friends since high school- mostly since our first mission trip to Alabama together

freshman year.

I am so so thankful for this girl and all of the joy that she's brought into my life.  

She's always been there for me through the thick and thin and I'm so thankful that God has grown our

friendship more and more over the years.  She's always been a friend I could cry with, have facials and read People with, go to movie stores in my PJ's with, and prank teacher's with.  

We've had so many fun times and I am so excited for the one's that are still to come!

I love you Lyssie!  Happy Birthday!

silver falls hike

On Thursday Nick and I decided at 3 in the afternoon to spontaneously go on a hike to Silver Creek Falls.

This is one of my favorite places to go on a nice day and honestly is one of the prettiest and most peaceful

places that I've ever been to.  There are several waterfalls, lots of trails and great scenery all around.

We only made it to 2 of the falls since we got there a little late in the day, but they were still so neat to see.

 As we hiked around and looked at all the beauty, I just couldn't help but think about how great

that God is to give us a glimpse of himself through creation.

Have a happy weekend! :)

Kenny Chesney: the concert of my dreams

Last weekend I went and saw Kenny Chesney in concert.

One word: awesome.

My dear friend Kendra (over at the knowing woman) and her lovely parents were gracious enough to 

let me tag along. We had a delicious dinner before the concert and the show was spectacular.

Billy Currington opened 

Between the drunken bra tosses, the dancing drunkies, and the girl who got dragged off stage trying

to get to Kenny, I'd say this night was a success!

And the music of course was fabulous. :)

little things that make me smile :) link up!

...floating the river with amazing friends

...road trips

...the way you feel the next day after a good workout

...a tall glass of lemonade on a hot day

...watching little kids play and laugh

...cuddling in a load of towels that just came out of the dryer

...the view from a mountaintop

..the smell of a BBQ

...laughing so hard that you cry

...playing cards

...standing up for what you believe in

...making other people smile

What makes YOU smile? 
LINK UP! :)

my not so exciting beauty secrets

I've been asked recently about what I do in the mornings while getting ready for the day.

And how my skin is the way it is.

Honestly, I don't really do anything that special.

My real secret is that I eat healthy most of the time and I work out at least 6 days a week.

That and getting plenty of sleep like me and my grandma self is what really helps make skin glow and helps you to look

revitalized each day.

But here's what I use to get ready in the mornings anyway. 

It's always a good idea to wash your face in the mornings and also at the end of the day.  These are two of my favorite face scrubs and both also have moisturizer to help keep my face from drying out.

I'm a lotion fanatic.  These are some of my new favorites that I just bought from Bath & Body Works.  I forget to spritz on perfume a lot of the time, so these kind of make up for that.  They also work really well to keep prevent dry skin. duh.

My make up is usually really simple, unless I'm going out on a special occasion.  But these are the basics that I wear 99% of the time.  I have found that liquid foundation tends to stay on longer, and by lightly dusting over it with a shimmer foundation powder it helps to even things out and give a little glow.  Then I use warmth by bare minerals to highlight my cheekbones and a little on my nose and forehead.  Then I use a shimmer powder to go over that on my cheeks to finish it off.  I don't use very special mascara really, usually just define-a-lash by Maybelline.

If I decide to use eye shadow usually like twice a week then I tend to go for more neutral colors.  In case you haven't
noticed, I love shimmery stuff! I usually go for gold and highlight it with soft vanilla tone.  Sometimes I like
to wear purple or green to bring out my eyes too.

Being a girl and primping is fun, but never forget:

xoxo

facts 5

I realize it's been a while since my last promised facts post.

But don't fret because I'm back.

at least for now, while my computer decides to cooperate.

41. My closet contains a lot of white clothing. shirts, pants, shorts, you name it.

42.  I have a freckle in my right eye.

my favorite is when people ask me if I know I have something on my eye. Really? I never noticed... :)

maybe it's hard to see in this picture. oh well, it's really there.

43. I love anything and everything coconut. I'm really into drinking coconut water after a long workout right now.

44. Sometimes the best nights are spent to myself watching chick flicks and eating cookies.

like the other night when all I did was watch the notebook and eat sweets. and be super girly.

45.  I swear I'm in love with Kenny Chesney.  And I will confess that this weekend I get to see him in 

concert! 

my dream.

46. For the first time in my life I am actually considering getting my Master's Degree. And I'm more

confused now than ever if I should do it.

All I can do for now is pray.

47. I love to read.  In fact earlier this summer I read 7 books in like 4 weeks. nerd status. Any recommendations though for what to read next?

48. I really wish life had music to play along with it.  I can only imagine what songs would be playing lately to the tune of my life!

49. I'm obsessed with sticky notes.

50. I love zebra print. 

little things that make me smile :) link up!

...days where I can just throw on my sweats and not care what I look like

...strawberry- peach italian sodas

...finding a bouquet of flowers on my car after having a rough day :)

...wearing a watch

...when all of a sudden you realize that you love the way life is changing

...caramel macchiatos

...seeing an old couple holding hands

...fluffy pillows

...the smell of a lavender field

LINK UP! :)

I got one...

Check me out on PINTREST guys!

I'm definitely becoming addicted :)

Follow if you wanna!

you know you're from a small town when...

..the tractors cause traffic jams

...you only have one stoplight and one main street

...country music blares in the "grocery store"

if you can even call it that, it's so expensive and small.

...no one thinks anything of wearing cowboy boots to church

...your car is constantly dirty because of all the dirt roads

...you can smell the mint fields and crops when you wake up in the morning

...your town has a mint festival and everyone shows up to watch the "parade" 

..the Welcome sign reads "home of the annual frog- jumping contest"

...weekend excitement comes with floating the river and having tailgater parties afterward

As much as I sometimes hate it, I love growing up and being part of a small

town and the friendships I've made. :)

time to play catch up!

Was my last post really that long ago?!

slacker major. sorry.

Summer started off a little hectic, trying to figure out how to balance hours at work and internship with 

all of the fun I want to have too. Throw in the fact that I was sick for two weeks and blogging has kind of

gone down on the priority list.

Plus, I've been having a little fun here and there. :)

For the 4th of July, I went up to my friend's uncle's house and we boated and laid out on the 

dock just soaking up the sun and enjoying life.  

Last Friday I went to a rodeo with some of my girls.

And yesterday was our first float on the river for the summer.

And in between all of that I have been trying to workout and eat better.

I've also got a couple secrets up my sleeve. ;)

If things keep up then you'll be the first to know. pinky swear.

48 cupcakes later...

Today is one of my old coworker's retirement party!

Which of course requires some type of yummy treat that I wanted to contribute, so I made some cupcakes.

Buttermilk yellow cupcakes with strawberry frosting to be exact.

I may or may not have eaten one already.

okay 2...

I am short on time right now, but I will be sure to post the recipe later!

:) xoxo