Under the Weather

My sinuses have officially taken over my head and I can no longer breathe normally. My hearing is muffled and my head feels foggy and my throat is sore. When feeling under the weather there are a few things that help make me feel a little better:

1. Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup

There is just something about it that always warms me up and makes me feel better.

2. A box of Kleenex tissue

I can carry them from my bed to the couch or where ever.

3. Grey's Anatomy DVD's

The drama gets my mind off of feeling bad & makes laying in bed entertaining.

4. Ralph Lauren Cable Knit Throw

This blanket is like wrapping your body in a sweater. It's perfect.

What makes you feel better when you are under the weather?

Thanksgiving Wrap Up

Thanksgiving is officially over and I am feeling kind of sad about it! I've been looking forward to this holiday for the past two months and it feels like it passed by so quickly! My weekend consisted of :

1. Lots of family bonding. We had a bonfire one night out on our farm with family and friends and lots of food. Thanksgiving day we had around 30 people at my dad's house. My step-mom & I enjoyed the Criminal Minds marathon Friday. Saturday was Thanksgiving dinner with my mom's family. Today I worked at my step-mom's restaurant. LOTS of family time.

2. Good food. Over the past 4 days I have eaten oysters, chicken bog, venison, green bean casserole, sweet potato souffle, turkey and dressing, rolls, chicken & dumplings, lima beans, macaroni & cheese, scalloped potatoes, chess pie, pumpkin pie, broccoli casserole and so much more. It's official, I need to go to the gym tomorrow.

3. Midnight Madness. My two best friends and I went to the outlet stores at midnight on Thanksgiving. I usually go with my mom so I was used to the crowds but they were not ha. We took some delicious pineapple (that may have been soaking in vodka) to help us survive. The people weren't that bad but the checkout lines were insane! We probably waited in the line at Old Navy for an hour to check out. (And I returned everything I bought except for the pajama pants for my sisters ha)

4. Football. This weekend may have possibly been the biggest game of the season for the NC State football team. All they needed to do was win against Maryland to secure a spot in the ACC Championship but unfortunately they just couldn't pull it off. Oh well, at least we still get to go to a bowl game. Another big game was the USC (South Carolina) Clemson game. I'm pretty sure I was the only person at the house cheering for Clemson.

5. Christmas. I can now start playing my Christmas music without feeling guilty and my mom and I put up all of our decorations this weekend. This afternoon we ventured out to Michael's craft store because they had a huge sale on all of their holiday decorations. Putting up our tree and village always make it feel like it is officially Christmas time. Even though it was 80 degrees on Thanksgiving day, it has finally cooled down so that it actually feels like Christmas outside. I hope the cold weather stays around!

Thanksgiving

I am so happy that Thanksgiving has finally arrived. I think this is my favorite holiday, Christmas is a close second, because I get to see all of my family and I get to eat lots of yummy food. Every year I get to have two Thanksgivings because my parents are divorced, which is great because it means double the food and double the family! My mom's Thanksgiving is very traditional, we eat the same thing every year. Turkey, dressing, sweet potato souffle, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes & gravy, chess pie, pumpkin pie and banana pudding. Thanksgiving at my dad's house varies every year food-wise but it is always a good celebration and the food is always amazing. This year I have so many things to be thankful for. My parents. All of my sisters. My best friends. My boyfriend B. The roof over my head. The wonderful food. The opportunity to attend school. My puppy and kitty. There are so many more things I am thankful for but I can't even begin to write them all down. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving and I hope you all get to celebrate with family and people you love.

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Words to Live By

Inspiring words for the day:

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AMA Style

The AMA's were last night and all the stars were there. There were SO many performances and everyone looked amazing (with the exception of a few). Here are my favorite red carpet styles from last night:

Whitney Port

(A very classy look)

Miley Cyrus

(I love this dress minus the awkward train)

Mandy Moore

(She still looks amazing)

Pink

(still cant believe she's going to be a mom)

Katy Perry

(She's so pretty when she dresses normal)

Rihanna

(I kinda like the red curls)

Taylor Swift

(I love her hair straight!)

All images via

Which red carpet style was your favorite?

Weekend

This weekend my best friend from home is coming to visit! Woohoo! I am so excited to show her around Raleigh and introduce her to everyone and just catch up on our lives!

Another big event for the weekend is the NCSU vs UNC football game. It's probably the biggest game of the year and unfortunately I won't be going (because said friend is coming to visit) but I'm hoping that the Wolfpack can pull off a victory!

What are everyone else's weekend plans?

Classy Kate

Inspired by A Belle In Bows post about Kate Middleton's fashion I put together a collage of my favorite looks of hers

(all images found via google image search)

All mostly casual looks, she looks amazing in every picture I've found. Plus she seems to have quite a collection of boots that I also wouldn't mind having :) Maybe she'll be my new fashion inspiration

Harry Potter

Okay so these may be really nerdy of me but I am super excited about the new Harry Potter movie that is being released at midnight tonight! I read all of the books over the Summer because I had never finished reading the series and I really wanted to know what would happen in the end. I think I enjoyed the books more now than I did when I was younger and they first came out, so to anyone who is contemplating reading these books, you won't regret it. This movie is kind of a monumental thing because it's the end. Although they divided the seventh book into two movies (the second part will be coming out next Summer) so it isn't technically the end yet, but we grew up with these movies and books. Not to mention the actors have grown up also! Anyone else excited about this movie?

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

The London premiere of the Deathly Hallows

Quesadillas

Another simple recipe for everyone to try:

Quesadillas!

Ingredients:

1 rotisserie chicken (precooked from grocery store)

1 package of shredded cheese

1 can of diced jalapeños

1 package of tortillas

Sour Cream

(you can add more ingredients if you want to spice it up)

(you can also drink Bud Light Lime to be extra festive)

Instructions:

Best said in the following pictures

Use medium-low heat for the quesadilla, it only takes a few seconds for the cheese to melt

Enjoy!

I Can't

Lately I just can't seem to get enough of :

watching Criminal Minds

wearing my comfy UGGs

reading everyone's blogs

lighting my Tahitian vanilla candle

researching new restaurants to try

eating corn. seriously, so random but so good

Catch Up

So for the past week I have been dying without my computer because I left my charger at home and had to wait for it to be mailed to my apartment at school. It was kind of nice to not be constantly on my computer but I am really glad to be reconnected with the world. I tried blogging from my phone but it wouldn't work :( A positive about my week away from the web is that I brainstormed lots of blog post ideas and can't wait to share them so this is my warning for potential blog overload! 

PS - my best friend is coming to visit this weekend and I am super stoked to see her!!

25 Questions

1. Do you see a lot of stars at night where you live?

I do see lots of stars at night

2. Did you cry today?

Nope. Not today.

3. What are you doing tomorrow?

Cleaning my apartment, attending class, cooking dinner for the boys

4. What is the last movie you watched and what's the best thing about it?

I watched Sex & the City 2 this afternoon and the best thing about it was the fashion of course

5. Are you craving any kind of food right now?

Hmm nothing at the moment

6. Who slept in your bed with you last?

B but usually I sleep in his bed

7. Where were you at 9am?

I was just waking up

8. How do you feel about your hair?

 I like it. I didn't blow dry it so it's naturally wavy now

9. Do you plan on having any babies and if so how many?

 I would like babies (years from now) and my plan would be for two

10. Do you wear makeup?

Not usually but if I do, only eyeliner and mascara

11. Have you done any community service this year?

Don't think so.

12. What is the last concert you went to?

Donovan Frankenreiter with B, Brijette & her boyfriend

13. Do you have any secret wishes right now?

I do but secret wishes don't come true if you tell them ;)

14. Have you ever cried in front of the last person you kissed?

Yes multiple times

15. If you could be anywhere right now where would you want to be?

 Hmm either in Europe or New York City

16. How is the weather lately?

It's not as cold as it should be considering it's almost December

17. Where do you want to eat next?

Maybe Chick-Fil-A for lunch tomorrow

18. What scares you the most about relationships?

Trusting the other person completely

19. What's your favorite sport to play?

 Does leisurely riding a bicycle count?

20. Do you like chocolate?

I LOVE chocolate

21. What are you listening to?

I'm watching Giuliana & Bill's show on Style

22. What happens to you when you get nervous?

My cheeks turns bright red and my hands get shaky

23. Does the rain ruin your day?

If I get to lay in bed all day then no

24. What is your relationship status?

Currently taken. Almost four years :)

25. Are you ticklish?

Very. Getting a pedicure usually turns into a giggle fest

Paste

Check out these cool portraits at Paste

Dinner

A few nights ago I was feeling inspired to cook a good meal that reminded me of home. My step-dad always cooks teriyaki chicken when my step-sisters come over and I decided I would try to do this myself. It's a very simple meal and only took about an hour total to prepare & cook.

Ingredients:

1 package of chicken

1 bottle of KC Masterpiece Honey Teriyaki sauce

1 box of Zatarain's New Orleans Style Yellow Rice

1 package of frozen steam-able broccoli

1. Cut up chicken into bite size pieces and place into a bowl. Cover with Honey Teriyaki sauce and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

2. After the chicken has marinated, follow the instructions on the box to cook the rice. It'll take 30 minutes to prepare the rice.

3. Place marinated chicken in a pan on the stove and cook until done. (I started cooking the chicken once my rice water had boiled and the timing worked out great)

4. With about 5 minutes left for the rice to cook, place frozen broccoli package and steam.

5. Once everything is done, enjoy!

Yummm!

Thankful

It's been a few days since I've last posted because I've been seeking inspiration. I just didn't know what I wanted to blog about, so I didn't blog anything. (Although I have been reading everyone else's blogs everyday). I came home for the weekend to help my step-mom at our restaurant because her business partner went out of town and my dad also happened to be out of town at the same time. Being home this weekend really made me realize what a great family I have. And this post is just to say how thankful I am for all of them. My mom and step-dad, my dad and step-mom, my six step-sisters. I am thankful for all of them. My parents are so caring and always help me whenever I need anything whether it be advice, an ear to listen, or a few extra dollars to make my rent. They always make sure that I and my step-sisters are taken care of. So tonight, I am thankful for the wonderful people I have in my life. I wouldn't be where I am today without them.

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Something's Missing

For some reason today, I am missing these three people very much

Adri, Brijette & Sarah

We all grew up together and now we all live in different cities. One thing I look forward to during the Holiday season is going home to be reunited with my best friends. Everyone has such crazy schedules that during the semester we barely get to see each other, which doesn't matter. These girls are the kind of friends that no matter how much time has passed since you've last seen each other, when you do finally get together it's like nothing has changed. Can't wait to see them soon!

My day...

Went to Target today to get a few groceries and while I was there I found these

My day has been made by these lovely Winter Oreos. They put me in a great mood and now I am so ready for Christmas even though I am super excited about November. Another thing that made my day, a take home test for my Psych class. Seriously. Who would've thought that take home tests still existed but they do and I'm a happy girl!

Giveaways

Two of my favorite blogs are doing giveaways, starting today! What a great way to start off the week!

Christine at Bun&Borough is doing an awesome TaROO giveaway

&

Sara at Pearls, Curls & a Southern Girl is doing a great giveaway from Coast & Canter and 2PreppyGirls

Make sure you check out both blogs! You won't be disappointed!